Harrisburg Happenings, Community Events & More

Rep. Dan B. Frankel May 9, 2025 | 2:03 PM

PA Representative Dan Frankel banner image

Friday, May 9, 2025

Harrisburg Happenings

House Passes Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

This week, the PA House passed legislation I introduced with state Rep. Rick Krajewski to legalize adult-use cannabis. The bill is grounded in years of research, public hearings, and conversations with health experts, criminal justice advocates, and small business owners.

Our current situation isn’t working for anybody. Pennsylvanians are still being charged with possession, and old convictions are interfering with people’s ability to get jobs, housing, and education. Meanwhile, we have a nonsensical and ineffective system for assessing driving impairment, and children are accessing untested cannabis lookalike products sold out of suddenly ubiquitous nuisance stores. It’s a crisis, and the clear solution is to get harmful prohibition laws off our books and replace them with a smart, accountable framework.

Our bill would allow adults 21 and older to legally purchase and possess cannabis. It also includes provisions to automatically expunge low level cannabis-related convictions and directs tax revenue to communities most harmed by prohibition.

To promote public health and safety, the bill closely follows the recommendations put forward in a September 2024 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It would limit THC content (although the medical cannabis program would not be subject to limits), stop the proliferation of problem vape shops and get unregulated products off the shelves, restrict marketing and packaging aimed at youth, and establish a regulated retail system that includes publicly owned stores. It maintains our medical marijuana program and invests in affordable housing, treatment programs, and community development.

The bill is now moving to the state Senate for consideration. I’m ready and eager to work with my Senate colleagues to finally put an end to our outdated cannabis prohibition policies.

Attacks on Trans Athletes

The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill that would ban transgender girls and women from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams in public schools and colleges. Supporters claim the bill protects women’s sports, but opponents — myself included — see it as a discriminatory measure that singles out and harms the already vulnerable population of transgender youth.

The legislation defines a person’s sex only by their assigned sex at birth and ignores decades of medical and scientific understanding about gender. While Republicans framed the bill as a Title IX issue, the reality is that Title IX was intended to protect all students from discrimination — including transgender students.

This bill will not become law. The Democratic House majority will not support it, and Gov. Josh Shapiro has promised a veto. But the harm of this debate is real, especially for vulnerable young people. I will continue to oppose legislation that targets LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians.

Lessons From the Storm and Outage

Residents in our community suffered a prolonged power outage after the April 29 storm, impacting their ability to work and care for themselves and loved ones. Many residents—especially seniors, medically vulnerable individuals, and families without backup power—were left in unsafe and difficult conditions for days. While I know that we all appreciate the tireless efforts of utility crews, the delays raise serious concerns about our preparedness for extreme weather – which will likely only get worse, due the consequences of climate change. I’ve asked Duquesne Light to explain its response, and its plan to improve communication practices, strengthen the grid and prevent future outages.

Prohibiting Price Gouging During Local Disaster Emergencies

After the April 29 storm many residents were left facing costly damage—and some have since reported price gouging for basic repairs.

Under current law, Pennsylvania’s Price Gouging Act only applies during statewide disaster declarations by the Governor, leaving residents unprotected when only a local emergency is declared. To close this loophole, the Allegheny County House delegation is advocating for legislation authored by Rep. Aerion Abney that would extend price gouging protections to include local disaster emergencies declared by counties and municipalities.

We’re committed to making sure that no Pennsylvanian—especially our neighbors in hard-hit communities—is taken advantage of during an already difficult time.

Community Events and Resources

Pittonkatonk May Day Brass Picnic

Today–Saturday, May 9–10 | Vietnam Veterans Pavilion, Schenley Park

The 12th Annual Pittonkatonk May Day Brass Picnic will feature a dynamic lineup of local, national, and international bands, including Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Kaleta and Super Yamba Band, and the Detroit Party Marching Band. Attendees can expect family-friendly activities, workshops, food vendors, and a vibrant community atmosphere where music meets the call for change.

Free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged.

Learn more here.

Drive-In Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Today & Saturday, May 9 & 10, Sunset | Boyce Park & Settlers Cabin Park

Allegheny County Parks is offering free, family-friendly drive-in movie nights featuring the classic comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (PG-13). The May 9 screening will be held at Boyce Park and the May 10 screening at Settlers Cabin Park. Parking opens at 7 p.m. and the movie begins at sunset. Closed captioning is available upon request, and guests may bring their own snacks.

Free.

Learn more here.

World Migratory Bird Day

Saturday, May 10, 7 a.m. – Noon | Frick Environmental Center

World Migratory Bird Day returns to the Frick Environmental Center with family-friendly activities and expert-led programming to celebrate the diversity of birds in our region. Events include birding walks, storytime, interactive games, and exhibits by partners including the Allegheny Bird Conservation Alliance, BirdSafe Pittsburgh, DarkSky International, and many others.

Free.

Learn more here.

Allegheny Land Trust Presents: Butterflies 101
Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. | Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main (Oakland)

Join the Allegheny Land Trust for an introduction to some of Pennsylvania’s commonly seen butterflies. This program will teach attendees how to identify butterfly species and understand their role in local ecosystems.

Free.

Learn more here.

Music @ Main: Songwriting 101
Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. | Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main (Oakland)

In this interactive workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of songwriting and have the opportunity to try their hand at composing. The session will take place in the North Wing Music Room on the second floor of CLP–Main.

Free.

Learn more here.

Drug Prevention Town Hall
Monday, May 12, 6:30 p.m. | St. Rosalia Church Hall, 411 Greenfield Ave.

Greenfield Baseball Association Coach Jim Gregg and leaders from Greenfield Organized Against Drugs (GOAD) will host a community drug prevention program and town hall. GOAD, a local outreach organization with 23 years of service, invites youth and parents to participate in this conversation about prevention and support.

Free.

Learn more here.

Community Scan Day
Tuesday, May 14, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. | CLP–Squirrel Hill

Bring your old photos, slides, and documents to the library and learn how to digitize them using a portable scanner. Library staff will be available to guide participants through scanning and, if desired, donating digital copies to the CLP Digital Community Collection. Participants may scan up to 10 items per 40-minute appointment and must bring their own flash drive or portable hard drive.

Free.

Learn more here.

Frankel & Costa Satellite Office Hours

Wednesdays, Noon – 4 p.m. | CLP, Squirrel Hill

Senator Costa’s office and mine will be hosting joint satellite office hours to provide assistance with a range of services, including notary needs, help with property tax and rent rebate forms, applications for senior bus passes, and more. Please come by and say hello!

Bike to Work Day
Thursday, May 15

Celebrate Bike to Work Day with BikePGH at Commuter Cafés across the city! Riders can enjoy free coffee, breakfast, and giveaways in the morning and wind down with drinks and happy hour specials in the evening. Join or upgrade your BikePGH membership on-site and receive a special gift.

Morning Commuter Cafés (7 a.m. - 10 a.m.)
– Oakland @ William Pitt Union Lawn (Fifth Avenue & Bigelow Boulevard)
– Downtown @ De Fer Coffee & Tea (725 Penn Ave.)

Evening Commuter Café (4 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
– Strip District @ Kaya (2000 Smallman St.)

Free.

Learn more here.

Voting Resources

Tuesday, May 20, 2025, is Primary Election Day.

Mail-in Ballots are on the Way!

Allegheny County has mailed out the first batch of mail-in ballots for the 2025 Primary Election.

Tracking Your Mail-In Ballot

Mail-in voters can track the status of their ballot online.

Viewing Your Sample Ballot

Voters can see a sample ballot customized to their local voting precinct here.

Satellite Offices

Allegheny County will be opening Satellite Offices throughout the County. At these offices voters will be able to register to vote, request a mail-in ballot and immediately complete it -- all in one trip.

The offices will be open Saturday & Sunday, May 10 & 11, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Community College of Allegheny County-Homewood

Address: 701 N. Homewood Ave., Pittsburgh, 15208

North Park Ice Rink

Address: 1200 Pearce Mill Road, Wexford, 15090

South Park Ice Rink

Address: 30 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park, 15102

County Office Building

542 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, 15219

Ballot Return Sites

Allegheny County will be opening Ballot Return Sites were mail-in ballots can be returned. Voters can return their ballots between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. May 16 through May 19.

911 Center

Address: 150 Hookstown Grade Road, Coraopolis, 15108

Boyce Park Four Seasons Lodge

Adress: 901 Centerview Drive, Plum 15239

Carnegie Public Library–Squirrel Hill

Address: 5801 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15217

North Park Ice Rink

Address: 1200 Pearce Mill Road, Wexford 15090

South Park Ice Rink

Address: 30 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park 15102

Dormont Pool

Address:1801 Dormont Ave., Pittsburgh 15216

Community College of Allegheny County-Homewood

Address: 701 N. Homewood Ave., Pittsburgh 15208

Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank

Address:1 N. Linden St., Duquesne 15110

Avalon Public Library

Address: 317 S. Home Ave., Pittsburgh 15202

County Office Building

542 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15219

Check Your Voter Registration Online

The Pennsylvania Department of State has an online portal that provides voters’ Election Day polling places, the status of mail-in or absentee ballots, and resources to connect with the County Board of Elections if there are any issues.

Voting with a Criminal Conviction in Pennsylvania

Individuals with criminal convictions are eligible to vote in Pennsylvania. You are allowed to vote if you are in jail or prison with a misdemeanor conviction, under house arrest, on probation or parole, in a halfway house or community corrections center, or being held in jail while waiting for trial. Some of these voters will require an absentee ballot.

If you are already registered to vote, you do not need to do anything to regain your voting rights after you have served your sentence for a felony conviction.

Learn more about voting in Pennsylvania with a criminal conviction here.

Voting as a College Student

College students can vote in the community they are attending college or at their prior home address, provided a family member or guardian still resides there.

A student can register to vote at their home address and order a mail-in/absentee ballot to their school address. The voter’s mailing address does not have to be the same as the home address.

Mail-in or Absentee Ballots

Applications for mail-in or absentee ballots must be turned in by May 13.

Accessible Voting for Citizens with a Disability

Every polling place in Pennsylvania must have at least one accessible voting system. You can view and learn how to operate Allegheny County’s accessibility voting system on Pennsylvania Department of State’s website.

Not every polling place in Allegheny County is accessible for those with mobility issues. You can check if your polling place is accessible before Election Day.

If you have a permanent disability, you can apply to be added to the permanent absentee voter list by submitting an absentee ballot application. If your application is accepted, you will receive absentee ballots for the elections that take place during the rest of the year. You will also receive an annual absentee ballot application every year that you are on the list.