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In this Update:
Majority Policy Committee Examines Protections Against Harmful Artificial Intelligence Tools
At the request of Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24), the Senate Majority Policy Committee recently hosted a hearing in Montgomery County, focused on how to protect our children from those who seek to exploit them through AI. With the growth of AI, so grows the threat of harmful content affecting our children. Law enforcement officials and child advocacy organizations shared their support for strengthening laws and education about the harm artificial intelligence (AI) can bring to children. Testifiers praised Senate Bill 1050, which would require mandated reporters to report all instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including AI-generated images, they become aware of, as a commonsense step to protect Pennsylvania children from exploitation. Senate Recently Approves Bipartisan State Budget
As my mother’s PA Dutch parents would have said—ENDLICH! (FINALLY!) After months of public hearings and endless debate at the state capitol in Harrisburg and across the state, the PA General Assembly recently passed a bipartisan state budget that limits government spending AND makes key investments in education and jobs — without raising all the new taxes proposed by Governor Shapiro. This bipartisan budget, approved by a vote of 40-9 in the State Senate and 156-47 in the State House, does the following:
RGGI Electricity Taxes Eliminated from State Budget
As part of the budget agreement, the illegal regulation mandating Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – a multi-state pact that would have added more than a billion dollars in new electricity taxes on Pennsylvania families and job creators – was eliminated. Preventing Pennsylvania from entering RGGI and stopping this tax protects consumers from dealing with even more severe consequences, including the closure of Pennsylvania power plants, job losses and the threat of rolling blackouts in the years ahead. At a time when families continue to feel the strain of inflationary pressure, we must look for ways to decrease, not increase, the cost of electricity. Independent Analysis Finds Our Current Governor the Least Effective in 50 Years
The Commonwealth Foundation’s new, independent analysis finds that Governor Shapiro has signed fewer laws than any other Pennsylvania governor in the last 50 years. Their analysis shows that the Governor has only signed 291 bills in three years, compared to an average of 496 for his past seven predecessors during the same period. While it is true, as the Governor often notes, that this is a time of divided government in the General Assembly, many of his predecessors faced the same situation. According to the Commonwealth Foundation, this means that “…Governor Shapiro’s memorable ‘Get Stuff Done’ slogan loses credibility when you view his legislative activity—or inactivity, to be more precise.” My Bills to Curb Welfare Abuse Become State Law
After four years of effort, as part of the bipartisan state budget package, three important reforms I spearheaded were passed with overwhelming support and signed into law to protect taxpayers and crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in our Human Services programs. Act 46 of 2025 includes three common sense measures:
From 2019–2023, the Office of State Inspector General filed more than 2,900 criminal welfare fraud complaints, totaling over $15 million owed in restitution. This reform helps stop fraud before it happens.
A previous audit found 2,324 DECEASED Pennsylvanians still receiving public assistance!
While my earlier efforts were opposed by many members of the Senate and the House, this time this legislation passed the Senate with a vote of 46-3, and the House with a vote of 199-4. Finally, a victory for common sense! School Safety Legislation Becomes Law
Legislation requiring school districts to notify parents and school employees of any incidents involving possession of weapons on school property has become law. Under previous law, school districts were not required to inform parents or guardians about incidents when a weapon was brought onto school grounds or to related activities. The changes in Senate Bill 246 apply to public, nonpublic and private schools. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support from the General Assembly. Senate Passes Legislation to Eliminate Inactive Boards and Commissions
During ongoing budget discussions, the Senate passed legislation to streamline state government operations by eliminating outdated, unnecessary and inactive boards, commissions and advisory committees, which was passed by the Senate with a vote of 27-23. Senate Bill 755 would eliminate 13 government entities that are expired, dormant, no longer have any members or are unnecessary. Many of the commonwealth’s nearly 400 boards, commissions and advisory committees do not publicly share information about their duties, meetings or other activities, raising concerns about transparency. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. |
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