We remember and honor the fallen on Memorial Day; PA Energy bill examined

Rep. Danielle Friel Otten May 22, 2025 | 4:25 PM

PA Representative Danielle Otten banner image

Dear Neighbor,

It was great to see so many constituents at the polls on Tuesday as voters across Chester County carried out their civic duty. I’m grateful to our county election officials, poll workers, and countless volunteers in every precinct who helped the process go smoothly.

For election information, including the results of Tuesday’s primary election, please visit the Chester County Voter Services website.

Team Otten had a busy week in Harrisburg and here in the district this week. Last Friday, I joined students and administrators at West Chester University to advocate for full funding of the Student Teacher Support Program. On Monday, the House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee held a public hearing on my Lightning Plan: PRESS legislation. And on Wednesday, I visited Uwchlan Hills Elementary School to help the 4th grade students wrap up their lesson on state government.

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

Memorial Day weekend is often hailed as the unofficial start to summer. While many of us – including the youngest members of the Otten household – are very ready for summertime, I hope we can all take some time this Monday to remember that Memorial Day is a solemn observation we share as Americans to honor the fallen heroes whose ultimate sacrifice gave us the freedom to live as we choose.

As you plan your travels over the upcoming weekend or throughout the summer, keep Pennsylvania in mind. Pennsylvania is home to thousands of incredible destinations. From our professional sports teams and entertainment sites to our state parks and bustling Main Streets, Pennsylvania has plenty to offer for those looking for a day trip, weekend getaway, or weeklong excursion.

PRESS legislation would incentivize clean, reliable, affordable energy

Last Monday, the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee held an informational hearing on my Lightning Plan: PRESS legislation.

Pennsylvania and the other states in our regional electricity grid are facing a supply-and-demand crisis. Demand for energy is skyrocketing to record levels, driven in large part by the rapid growth of data centers that provide storage capacity and processing power for things like email and file sharing, video conferencing, cloud computing, and AI applications. At the same time, oil and gas producers are scaling back production, and we have a backlog of new energy projects waiting to connect to the grid. As a result, we face the very real possibility in the not-too-distant future of not having enough power on the grid to meet demand.

When demand increases dramatically but supply does not keep up, what we see are prices increasing for consumers. Our options are to increase supply, decrease demand, or both.

Increasing supply means increasing the amount of reliable energy on the grid. And as we do that, we have a responsibility to continue doing the work to ensure that a significant portion of the new resources coming onto the grid are not only reliable sources that will help to stabilize pricing and demand response, but also clean sources that will help to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change impacts.

My PRESS legislation primarily addresses the supply side. It would help to diversify and grow our energy sources, incentivize reliable energy and battery storage, reduce emissions, build resiliency into our grid, and lower electricity costs for ratepayers, while creating workforce opportunities and securing Pennsylvania's position as a leader in clean, reliable, and affordable energy. PRESS also seeks to mitigate demand by incentivizing energy efficiency and load management technologies.

Click here to read what testifiers had to say about PRESS’s potential to bring clean, affordable, reliable energy and clean energy jobs to Pennsylvania, or watch the full hearing here. The next step for PRESS would be a vote in the ENRP committee, hopefully to be followed by a vote on the House floor.

Visit with Uwchlan Hills Elementary School 4th Grade

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to meet some of my youngest constituents during a visit with the 4th Grade at Uwchlan Hills Elementary School as they wrap up their lessons on state government.

Despite being so young, these students are already so excited to become active members of their community and be the next generation of change!

PA Needs Teachers Legislative Roundtable at West Chester University?

Last Friday, I joined fellow legislators, education professionals, school district administrators, and future educators at West Chester University to discuss the importance of student teacher stipends and how they have already helped to improve our teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania.?

Last year, the first class of students and mentor teachers received student teaching stipends in an effort to address our statewide teacher shortage, unfortunately the initial $10 million allocation was only enough to provide stipends to roughly 10% of applicants. It was incredibly insightful hearing from WCU leaders on how the ability to provide stipends to students assisted greatly in their ability to recruit more students to the College of Education and how the stipends themselves helped students pay off their tuition and other debts, allowing them to focus their time and effort on their education and classroom responsibilities.?

I had the opportunity to meet with a WCU student (now a Class of 2025 alumna!) who was fortunate enough to be included in that first class of students to receive a stipend and she could not have been more grateful. Just like many student teachers, she was forced to quit her part-time job at a daycare center just so she could dedicate her efforts to the full-time nature of a student-teaching semester. She said that without a student teaching stipend, she would have been forced to accrue additional debt or take on part-time work during evenings and weekends, time that should be used to complete coursework and prepare lesson plans.?

Hearing these deeply personal and impactful stories only validates the need to fully-fund this program in this year’s budget. Not only will fully funding this program help us recruit and retain teachers, but it will help to grow and diversify the teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania. With budget negotiations currently ongoing, I will continue to advocate for continual funding for this program until every student teacher has access to the resources they require and deserve so they can join the workforce fully prepared to teach upon graduation.?

If you have questions or would like to provide feedback on any legislative or state-related issue, please contact our district office at repotten@pahouse.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Legislative Town Hall

With budget season ramping up in Harrisburg, it is a priority of mine to ensure the needs of our district are recognized in this year’s budget, and I want to hear what issues matter most to you at my next Town Hall.?

An active and engaged constituency is essential to a government that works for all people, and your input and involvement help to ensure that the interests of central Chester County are well represented. My upcoming town hall is an excellent opportunity to get updates on state legislative issues and ask questions about issues that matter to you. I hope to see you there!?

Attendees are encouraged to submit their questions in advance to ensure we have enough time to address everyone. Please submit your questions/comments/concerns to repotten@pahouse.net with the subject line “TOWN HALL TOPIC” by Friday, May 23.?

When: Thursday, May 29?
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM?

Where: Witmer Conference Center at the East Brandywine Fire Company,
2096?Bondsville Road, Downingtown, PA 19335?

2025 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Application Period NOW OPEN

The 2025 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Application Period is now open and accepting application for rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2024.

Thanks to changes we made in 2023, more people are eligible, with income limits adjusted to keep pace with Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program has made it easier for seniors in Chester County to stay in their homes and afford groceries, medicine, and so much more.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians ages 65 and older, widows and widowers ages 50 and older, and people with disabilities age 18 and older.

Please call or stop by my office to find out if you’re eligible and get assistance applying for your rebate. We’d be glad to answer any questions and set up an appointment to help you complete your application online!

For those who prefer to file by mail, paper applications will be available in my office soon, and we will update here when they come in.

SEPTA Senior Key Cards and Card Renewals

If you have a SEPTA Senior Key Card that has expired or will expire within the next month, we can renew it in our district office. To renew your card before it expires, please stop by my district office, or call us to make an appointment.

My office can also process applications and take photos for new SEPTA Senior Key ID Cards, which allow seniors 65 and older to travel for free on all SEPTA Regional Rail and transit routes within Pennsylvania. Just stop by my district office and bring a form of ID with your date of birth on it, such as a PA driver’s license or non-driver ID, U.S. passport, or birth certificate. We’ll enter your information into SEPTA’s online system, take a quick photo, and then SEPTA will mail your new card to you directly.

2-1-1 Southeastern Pennsylvania: Health and Human Services

211 SEPA is part of the national 211 Call Centers initiative that seeks to provide health and human services for everyday needs and those in crisis situations.

2-1-1 works with county governments and provider agencies to ensure important local program information is easily accessible.

Visit 211sepa.org for more information.

Mental Health Resources: Call 9-8-8

Chester County residents experiencing mental-health-related crisis or distress can dial 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.?This system is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people in crisis to a trained mental health professional.

Chester County offers additional resources for those in crisis, including Chester County’s warm line, 1-866-846-2722, operated by Certified Peer Specialists, who are individuals in recovery with a lived experience of mental health challenges.

Chester County’s Teen Talk Line ensures seamless referral to Mobile Crisis for youth in need of immediate or higher-level support. The call line is 855-852-TEEN (8336), and the text line is 484-362-9515.

Visit the?Department of Human Services website for more information about the 988 system and other state and local mental health resources.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, please don’t give up hope, and please know that you do not need to walk this path alone. We are here and we will do whatever we can to help.

In observance of Memorial Day, our district office will be closed Friday, May 23 and Monday, May 26. We will re-open on Tuesday, May 27 at 9 AM to assist you with any state-related issue.

My staff and I are here to help make state government work better for you! For assistance with the above programs or any other state-related services, please email repotten@pahouse.net, call 484-200-8259, or visit my district office in Exton.

Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or contact us through my website and let us know how we can help!

Sincerely,