It was another busy week in Harrisburg as we near the middle of June.

We moved a bill, House Bill 2602, out of the Education Committee to continue reforming and mandating accountability for Cyber Charter schools. This was an issue I championed last year but didn’t make it over the finish line when we reformed their funding formula. Hopefully, these reforms will make it into this year’s budget and do more to protect the students who attend these schools. We also moved bills from the Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee to make energy more affordable while holding energy producers more accountable.

I look forward to updating you next week as we get closer to a budget, and hopefully, enacting some of these important bills into law.

My House Bill 2551 also moved this week, which would prohibit state agencies from using text-based communication for unpaid fines, fees, tolls or other charges. My office is constantly trying to help our seniors and constituents understand that they should never get or respond to a text asking for money, and that the government doesn’t communicate this way. This bill would make that apparently clear.

I look forward to updating you next week as we get closer to a budget, and hopefully, enacting some of these important bills into law.

Sincerely,

Two election reform bills passed the House this week, both aimed at reinforcing integrity in the Commonwealth’s electoral process.

House Bill 497 would ban companies with substantial foreign ownership from donating or contributing money to a campaign or ballot question, while House Bill 37 would allow for pre-canvassing of mail-in and absentee ballots up to a week before Election Day. H.B. 497 would boost voter confidence that our election process cannot be bought and sold by foreign interests, and H.B. 37 increases confidence that vote tallies will be released quicker to the public.

Both bills would truly safeguard election integrity, and I urge the Senate to act for the good of the Commonwealth.

The House also passed House Bill 2550, which would establish the Small Business Health Care Premiums Contribution Tax Credit. This bill would directly address the healthcare affordability crisis, particularly in the small business community that lost subsidies from the Affordable Care Act at the end of 2025. House Bill 2550 would be a huge step toward getting all Pennsylvanians equipped with quality, affordable care.

We were happy to welcome the Delaware River Basin Commission to Harrisburg this week! The commission has been managing, protecting and improving the basin’s water resources since starting in 1961, including water supply planning, conservation initiatives and project reviews.

On Tuesday, we celebrated Zoo Day at the Capitol, with many of the Commonwealth’s zoos offering free exhibits throughout the day. We also celebrated Working Animal Appreciation Day, with displays on Commonwealth Avenue all day long.

As part of the America250 celebration, the Philadelphia Visitor Center hosted an exciting Phambassador on Deck Pep Rally to kick off the 2026 visitor season. The celebration included several exciting milestones, including the 10,000th Phambassador, the Youth Phambassador Summer Employment Program, expanded visitor centers at Love Park and Parkway, and new visitor centers at Reading Terminal Market and PHL Airport.

Don’t forget to check out all the America250 events in Philadelphia on the Visit Philly website!

The Reading Terminal Market is expanding this summer with the opening of its new pop-up outdoor destination, open through August 2. The new plaza transforms 15,000 square feet of the 1100 block of Filbert Street into an outdoor space featuring expanded seating, shopping, entertainment and beverage options.

In Old City, the community came out for a celebration showcasing the completion of a major renovation of Market Street. This will increase safety and accessibility to the historic corridor ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the city’s Vision Zero goals to improve safety for walkers, bikers, transit riders and drivers. I was happy to contribute to this project by securing funding during my first term as state representative.

Congratulations to Anna Jenkins on her retirement from the Philadelphia School District. Anna has served as the principal at Adaire Elementary School since 2014.

Her impact reaches far beyond her office, as it is felt in the classroom, the campus and the community. Since Adaire was established in 1891, it has provided excellent public education to students in the community, and Anna has been a huge part of its history.

She was presented with a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to salute and pay tribute to Anna. I express my heartfelt appreciation for her dedicated efforts and recognizing that children are our future.

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