HARRISBURG, March 24 – The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association should update its policies to better protect student athletes participating in competitions, according to the newly released findings of a legislative study requested by state Rep. Rob Matzie. Matzie, who is chair of the House Majority Caucus and the longest-serving member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee, called on the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct the study based on concerns that PIAA’s system of classifying schools for competition puts student athletes at risk by forcing them to compete against wealthier schools with bigger budgets and larger rosters. “The study’s findings and recommendations demonstrate the need for updated PIAA policies relative to how transfers are monitored and adjudicated, where and how certain private, charter, and co-op schools get their student athletes, and how championship sites are determined,” Matzie said. “This vindicates the questions I’ve raised over the past several years, especially in regard to the treatment of the Aliquippa School District.” Matzie said the report recommends that PIAA: establish a statewide body to independently record, monitor and adjudicate student-athlete transfers among member schools. revise its policy for feeder schools, which pipeline Read more
HARRISBURG, March 24 – Legislation introduced by state Rep. Abigail Salisbury to help preserve a healthy tree canopy for Pennsylvania’s communities has advanced from committee, sending the bill to the full House for consideration. Salisbury’s H.B. 2161 , which was approved by the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee, would require utility companies to plant a new tree for each one they cut down. “I introduced this bill after residents and environmental advocates in our district expressed concerns that trees were being removed entirely, instead of simply being pruned or trimmed,” Salisbury said. “Maintaining a healthy tree canopy is essential for communities because it reduces stormwater runoff and air pollution, provides shade that lowers energy costs, raises property values and increases pedestrian traffic for local businesses, among other benefits. “Monday’s committee action moved us a step closer to making sure those benefits continue.” Salisbury’s legislation would require electric utilities that cut down a tree to offer to plant a new one within two years in a location of the municipality’s choice. Salisbury said that the bill would align tree removal by utility companies with existing regulations that require utilities to repair damage caused by work that requires excavation or other projects that involve Read more
Automatic, annual minimum wage bump at same rate of lawmaker pay raises Read more
McCANDLESS, March 23 – Two McCandless-based first responder organizations will receive a total of $300,000 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for equipment purchases due to the advocacy of state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny. The grants awarded include $235,000 to the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority for the purchase of six Lucas CPR devices and a new heart monitor, and $65,000 to the Peebles Volunteer Fire Department for necessary equipment purchases. “As an ER doctor and legislator, I know how critical our first responders are to the well-being of our community,” said Venkat. “I am proud to prioritize our EMS professionals and firefighters who do so much for all of us and ensure they get the support they need.” Venkat said he advocated at the state level for these organizations to bring the grants to fruition. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 19 -- State Reps. Lindsay Powell, Jennifer M. O’Mara and Mary Jo Daley today introduced legislation to establish a statewide regulatory framework for short-term rentals across Pennsylvania. The legislation, H.B. 2303 , is based on recommendations from a nonpartisan, independent study conducted by the Joint State Government Commission, which was directed by a 2024 House Resolution sponsored by Powell and O’Mara. The bill aims to create consistent, baseline standards for short-term rental properties while preserving flexibility for local communities. “On New Year’s Eve, a member of our community was seriously injured in a violent incident at a short-term rental in my district. This was the second such event in the same neighborhood in recent years – the prior taking the lives of two teenagers,” said Powell , D-Allegheny. “That is why, two years ago, Rep. O’Mara and I led passage of a resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of the short-term rental industry and develop recommendations for a statewide framework. “Today, we are proud to introduce legislation that turns those recommendations into action. This bill strikes a necessary balance of protecting public safety, supporting responsible operators, and ensuring transparency for local officials and law enforcement. As short-term rentals continue to grow across Pennsylvania, we have a Read more
“These investments reflect the vision we put into place several years ago — that preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors must be a sustained, statewide priority,” said state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny. “I was proud to help establish this program, and it’s delivering real resources to students and campuses right here in our community.” Read more
Read my email update from March 13, 2026 Read more
“The institutions that bring neighbors together—places of worship, community centers and service organizations—should never have to choose between their mission and basic security,” state Rep. Dan Frankel said. “It’s in all of our interests to keep these locations protected.” Read more
State Rep. Dan Goughnour, D-Allegheny, today announced that he has introduced bipartisan legislation that would help keep law enforcement officers on the job by allowing more officers to access binding arbitration Read more
HARRISBURG, March 9 – Many older Pennsylvanians face health conditions that make it unsafe for them to continue driving, which often leads them to surrender their driver’s licenses and receive a free state photo identification card. However, subsequent renewals of these cards include a fee, which state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Lindsay Powell , both D-Allegheny, intend to remedy. The Pittsburgh-area legislators plan to introduce legislation that would exempt Pennsylvanians age 65 or older that have surrendered their driver’s license for medical reasons from the fees associated with renewing their state photo ID. “Giving up a driver’s license can be difficult, especially when it is due to a medical condition,” said Venkat. “We do not need to add an extra cost for seniors during this challenging situation. This legislation will allow older Pennsylvanians to make the responsible decision to surrender their license without the burden of additional financial hardship.” “When many of our older neighbors live on fixed incomes, we should not be charging them unreasonable fees that could go toward health care, groceries, transportation, or any other costs they may have,” said Powell. The current fee to renew a photo ID, as of July 2025 , is $44.50. Over 20% of Pennsylvanians — nearly 2.6 million people — are aged 65 or older, one of the highest shares in the Read more
New state grant programs accepting applications Read more
Read my email update from February 28, 2026 Read more
State grant funding approved for first responders Read more
New State Grant Programs Accepting Applications Read more
"These investments will provide students at the Boyce Campus with access to updated labs and safe, well-maintained buildings," said state Rep. Markosek. "These improvements will directly enhance their learning experience and allow the campus to continue delivering a quality education.” Read more
Legislation increasing accountability for PFA violations advances to Senate Read more
“Currently, we have products flooding our communities that are insufficiently regulated, both in their content and their packaging, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” state Rep. Dan Frankel said. “Once the Senate sends us a bill, we can negotiate a regulatory framework that puts Pennsylvania back in the driver’s seat.” Read more
State Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Allegheny, today expressed strong support for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s renewed backing of restrictions on cell phone use in Pennsylvania schools, highlighted in his annual budget address. Read more
“Gov. Shapiro is listening to the people of Pennsylvania, who have watched state after state move toward a living wage for workers and end the failed policy of cannabis prohibition,” said state Rep. Dan Frankel, whose legalization legislation with state Rep. Rick Krajewski passed last year. “Hopefully, my colleagues on the Senate side were listening.” Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 3 – Legislation newly introduced by state Rep. Abigail Salisbury would help preserve the tree canopy in Pennsylvania communities by requiring utility companies to plant a new tree for each one they cut down. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said she introduced H.B. 2161 after residents and environmental advocates in her district expressed growing concerns that trees were being unnecessarily removed, rather than simply pruned or trimmed. “Preserving the tree canopy is critical for urban environments – not just because trees beautify the landscape, but because they provide so many other benefits, from reducing air pollution and stormwater runoff to providing cooling shade and reducing energy costs, to raising property values and increasing pedestrian traffic for local businesses. “Residents recognize the need for utilities to trim and prune trees – and sometimes even remove them – to ensure vegetation does not interfere with power lines. But it’s critical to ensure that those management efforts are done with an eye toward what is best for residents and the environment. My bill would do that by requiring a utility that removes a tree to plant a new one, within two years, in a location of the municipality’s choice.” Salisbury said her bill would align tree removal by electric utilities with existing regulations that require utilities to repair damage Read more
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