The state budget is finally complete after months of stalling by Senate leadership followed by some intense debate, negotiation, and compromise. It was a lengthy and frustrating process that caused real pain and, in many cases, extra costs for school districts, counties, and nonprofits that depend on state funding to deliver critical services. Read more
As most of you are aware, Tuesday’s municipal election in Chester County did not unfold as smoothly as expected. Early in the day, county officials discovered that third-party and newly registered voters had been accidentally omitted from poll books. Read more
State Rep. Danielle Friel Otten and the Chester County Delegation sent a letter to the Pa. Department of State requesting an investigation into the poll book errors that took place Election Day 2025 in Chester County. Read more
This week, both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature were back in Harrisburg for session. Although recent reports indicate that negotiations between the Governor’s office, House leaders, and Senate leaders have picked up in recent days, we still remain without a finalized state budget. While discussions appear to be ongoing, critical funding for schools, human services, and community programs continue to hang in the balance. Read more
On Thursday, Lionville Elementary School in the Downingtown Area School District celebrated 65 years of educational excellence and added another milestone to its legacy. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today approved a joint resolution sponsored by state Reps. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, and La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, that would add a Reproductive Rights Amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution. The proposed legislation, introduced as H.B. 1957 , comes at a pivotal moment in the national conversation on reproductive rights. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the authority to regulate reproductive health care has shifted to individual states, prompting a wave of legislative and voter-led efforts across the country. In response, voters in states such as Ohio, Michigan, Vermont and California have approved constitutional amendments or ballot initiatives to enshrine reproductive rights in their state constitutions. These actions reflect a growing recognition that state-level protections are now essential to safeguarding access to abortion and other reproductive health care. Pennsylvania’s proposed amendment seeks to join this national movement by ensuring reproductive freedom is permanently enshrined in the state constitution. The Otten, Hanbidge and Mayes bill proposes an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution that would reaffirm and protect every Pennsylvanian’s right to privacy and ensure that the state shall not deny or Read more
As we continue through a prolonged budget impasse in Harrisburg, I want to assure you that my focus remains firmly on serving our neighbors here in central Chester County. Read more
As we enter the second fiscal quarter without a state budget, our schools, counties, senior centers, childcare centers, food banks, and nonprofits are shouldering the impacts. Thousands of Pennsylvania college students who rely on PHEAA grants are left in limbo, waiting for their grants to be disbursed. Read more
The House was back in session this week, where we passed multiple bills that will help protect our communities, create good paying jobs, and provide for our working families and seniors. Read more
On Monday, the House will return to Harrisburg for a busy week of committee meetings and session days. While we have many important legislative proposals before us, the big topic on everyone’s mind is the long overdue state budget. Read more
On Wednesday afternoon, three police officers lost their lives in the line of duty while serving a domestic-related warrant in York County. My heart is with the officers' families, their colleagues, and the entire community shaken by yet another senseless act of gun violence. Read more
96 @media only screen and (min-width: 660px) { .u-row { width: 640px !important; } .u-row .u-col { vertical-align: top; } .u-row .u-col-50 { width: 320px !important; } .u-row .u-col-100 { width: 640px !important; } } @media (max-width: 660px) { .u-row-container { max-width: 100% !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; } .u-row .u-col { min-width: 320px !important; max-width: 100% !important; display: block !important; } .u-row { width: 100% !important; } .u-col { width: 100% !important; } .u-col > div { margin: 0 auto; } } body { margin: 0; padding: 0; } table, tr, td { vertical-align: top; border-collapse: collapse; } p { margin: 0; } .ie-container table, .mso-container table { table-layout: fixed; } * { line-height: inherit; } a[x-apple-data-detectors='true'] { color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important; } table, td { color: #000000; } #u_body a { color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline; } Dear Neighbor, As we close out the second week of September, the state budget impasse continues, but there have been some new developments on the SEPTA front. On Monday, SEPTA announced that PennDOT had approved SEPTA's request to spend state funds allocated for capital projects to Read more
I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day Weekend and was able to take some time to relax and enjoy the last days of summer. With the budget impasse still underway and the SEPTA situation continuing to unfold, the Senate is scheduled to return to session on Monday, September 8. Read more
For students and families across central Chester County, this week marked the start of a brand-new school year. As the parent of two school-aged children, I know the first week always brings its challenges, especially getting back into routines, early bedtimes, homework, and after-school activities, but I hope everyone had a great first week and is excited for the rest of the 2025-2026 school year! Read more
My team and I had a great time at Uwchlan Township Community Day last Saturday, speaking with neighbors about the issues on their minds and sharing information about the services my district office can offer. Read more
On Thursday night, families across the district tuned in to watch our very own Mid-Atlantic Champion Glenmoore-Eagle Little League Baseball team take on the Midwest champion team from South Dakota. Read more
Another week has gone by, and the Senate Republicans have still not made any progress on helping to advance a budget. Instead of coming back to Harrisburg, organizing their caucus, and working to deliver a budget, Senate Republican leadership has opted to spend the week golfing with campaign donors and negotiating via Twitter (Senator Pittman and Senator Ward). Read more
“Workers, students, and seniors in Chester County rely on SEPTA to get to jobs, schools and medical appointments, and our small businesses rely on SEPTA to bring their employees to work,” state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, said. “If we fail to reach a funding agreement and provide critical support for transit, it would mean more traffic on our roads and a huge hit to the economy in southeastern PA, which is the major economic engine for the rest of the state. SEPTA service cuts would be an enormous loss for our region and for our Commonwealth.” Read more
It is now the beginning of August, meaning our state budget is officially one month late, leaving Pennsylvanians, local governments, school districts, and communities across the commonwealth in a fiscal limbo. Despite repeated efforts and compromise proposals from House Democrats, Senate Republicans have continued to slow roll on solutions and have not been to work since July 17th. Read more
This week, we learned the results of the annual PJM capacity auction, which determines the prices utility companies will pay in the coming year to purchase their electricity from power plants. Read more
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