Protecting Your Wallet, Cutting Your Costs; Budget Update; Government Grant Programs Accepting Applications

Rep. Carol Kazeem August 1, 2025 | 4:20 PM

Dear Neighbor,

Government Grant Programs Accepting Applications

Click here for more information.

Budget Update

While budget talks continue, we do not yet have a deal with the State Senate about this year’s state budget. Last week, the State Senate gutted the budget bill we sent them two weeks ago in their Appropriations Committee and zeroed out almost every line item. Instead of sending back a counteroffer, they left the State Capitol right after that and are not currently scheduled to be back in session until September, although Senate leadership could call them back sooner.

My colleagues and I in the PA House are ready to pass a compromise budget, but we need the State Senate to participate in negotiations to get there. I’ll continue to keep you posted in this weekly e-newsletter.

This story from City & State gives a succinct summary of where things stand right now: What we now know – and don’t know – about the Pennsylvania budget - City & State Pennsylvania.

Protecting Your Wallet, Cutting Your Costs

While the federal government continues to make life harder for Pennsylvanians, I’m proud to let you know about bills I delivered to make life easier for you and your family.

You shouldn’t have to struggle to buy a home, so I made sure you can lower your interest rates and avoid scams when you sign real estate agreements to get your piece of the American Dream here in Delaware County. I also protected seniors by requiring face-to-face counseling with an approved financial counselor before signing a reverse mortgage.

The cost of living is already high enough and I’m protecting YOUR wallet from sneaky fees and subscriptions that start to add up.

I voted to ban junk fees on concert tickets so that you only pay the price you see, ban “speculative ticketing” - a practice that allows unofficial ticket sellers to list tickets for sale that they don’t even have - and cap ticket resales at no more than 5% of the original ticket price.

I also voted to make it easier for you to cancel subscriptions and memberships as well as clearly opting IN to a service rather than having to opt OUT – these quiet automatic renewals and subscription services can add up and cause additional strain on bank accounts and credit cards.
I also voted to tell banks those outrageous overdraft fees must end -- capping your overdraft fees at $15 or the actual cost of processing your transaction – whichever is lower.

And lastly – you shouldn’t go broke just because you get sick or injured. I voted to make sure YOU are informed about financial assistance available to avoid massive amounts of medical debt.
All these bills are in the State Senate awaiting action – please, contact YOUR senator and ask them to stand up for Delaware County’s working families.

Want to know more? Visit www.pahouse.com/deliveringforpa.

Make Your Voice Heard

The last day to register to vote in the municipal election is October 20!

Voting takes place on November 4. If you need to update your voter registration, apply for a mail in-ballot or see where you vote, you can visit here.