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In this Update:
June Policy Hearing: New Dental School Will Support Local Families, Students, Revitalization Efforts
Temple University’s future dental school and clinic in Tamaqua is the focus of a new article published by WVIA. The Senate Majority Policy Committee reviewed this effort as well as how the serious dental care shortages in northeast Pennsylvania affect local families and dentists in June. The Craig family from Carbon County discussed how they must drive an hour and a half to find a dentist who can perform the six root canals their son needs and takes their insurance. Dr. Marie Tacelosky of Bright Smiles Dental Art shared how local dentists are overwhelmed by the number of patients who need care and feel helpless. To address these shortages, we’re working to bring Pennsylvania’s first rural dental school and clinic to downtown Tamaqua. The school will graduate 10 new dentists per year. They will gain their clinical experience by serving local patients from Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties and beyond. Once they graduate, they will likely locate in rural Pennsylvania – students who train in rural towns are more likely to practice in rural towns. Many of us are working together to bring this idea to life –and the sooner, the better! Upcoming Hearings: Reviewing Data Centers and Mental Health Services
This month, the Senate Majority Policy Committee is planning two public hearings in northeast Pennsylvania. At the invitation of Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver, the committee will visit Danville on August 5 to review mental health services across the Commonwealth. Later in the month, the committee will host a public hearing in Lackawanna County at the invitation of Sen. Rosemary Brown about data centers and their possible impact on Pennsylvania’s economy. All previous hearings and press releases can be found on the committee’s website. Key State Budget Debate: How Can We Prevent Massive Tax Increases?
The key issue in our ongoing state budget stalemate in Harrisburg: we must rein in out-of-control state spending to prevent tax increases or deep cuts to key programs. Our state government is spending more than it is taking in. Gov. Shapiro’s proposed $51.5 billion state budget could create a structural deficit of $5.5-6 billion, depleting our reserves in a few short years. At that point, we would be stuck between a rock and a hard place: huge tax increases or cuts to major programs. Too many Pennsylvania families are struggling with the rising cost of living. The last thing we need is a massive tax increase. As negotiations on the 2025-26 state budget continue in Harrisburg, just as in our household budgets, we can’t keep spending more than we can afford. Learn more here. Senate Majority Policy Committee Tours Mayfair in Northeast Philadelphia, Rockland Immunochemicals in LimerickThe Senate Majority Policy Committee continued its statewide efforts last month, visiting Sen. Joe Picozzi and Sen. Tracy Pennycuick to tour local sites.
Sen. Picozzi, one of our newest senators, invited me to his district in Northeast Philadelphia to review community revitalization efforts in Mayfair. Joe now chairs the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and serves as the Vice Chair of the Policy Committee, where I work with him often. Donny Smith, the executive director of the Mayfair Business Improvement District, led us on a tour of “the Ave.” We learned about a partnership that has drawn visitors from the Tri-State area to visit Mayfair – the Seward Johnson statues. Nine life-sized sculptures are strategically placed along the business corridor within a walkable distance, encouraging people to explore the more than 300 employers in the area, many of which are family-owned. In small towns like Shenandoah and large neighborhoods like Northeast Philadelphia, community revitalization efforts are contagious. Strong public private partnerships have made significant progress in Mayfair during the past decade. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about their successful efforts – I now have some new ideas to share with local leaders Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties.
Sen. Pennycuick invited me to tour the 60,000 sq. ft. lab space of Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc. in Limerick. We learned more about their operations and the blooming life science industry in southeast Pennsylvania and discussed how state government could contribute to advancing this important industry. As the chairwoman of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, Sen. Pennycuick is a key leader in our efforts to encourage the development of the industries of tomorrow in Pennsylvania. Fighting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Public Assistance Programs
Criminals and dead people should not receive millions of taxpayer dollars year after year. Rep. Doyle Heffley, Rep. Jamie Walsh, and other state representatives offered amendments on the floor of the House to fight waste, fraud, and abuse in state public assistance programs. Two of these amendments mirrored bills I introduced which received bipartisan approval in the Senate earlier this year. We need stronger laws on the books to stop this blatant fraud and abuse. Despite this reality, the House majority voted these important measures down. Thank you to all my House colleagues who stood up for our taxpayers! Cracking Down on Organized Retail Crime
Attorney General Dave Sunday hosted a press conference on the work of the Organized Retail Crime Unit – which was created by legislation I introduced and guided into law. AG Sunday outlined the severity of the problem, noting that “Pennsylvanians were being put at risk for simply going to their favorite stores to purchase clothing, electronics, and other goods. For years, the perception of retail theft was shoplifting, but it has become much more complex, even dangerous. And they are violent,” he said. They “prefer locations with other shoppers to provide distractions while they commit their crimes.” I was especially pleased to hear that my legislation, which also strengthened the criminal penalties against the worst of these thieves, has made a real impact. More than 40 criminals were charged and $2 million in stolen good recovered in the past year, and Sunday credits the new penalties for dismantling a 50-person criminal organization.
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