How to stay safe in a heatwave, prohibiting wildlife trafficking in PA, and more!

Rep. Leanne Krueger June 24, 2025 | 6:10 PM

PA Representative Leanne Krueger banner image

Hi Neighbor,

Today, the House passed my legislation banning wildlife trafficking in Pennsylvania. Simply put, HB994 would combat wildlife poaching and trafficking by ensuring that Pennsylvania residents are not supporting the illegal wildlife trade by selling or buying parts of at-risk species of animals. This bill is intended to supplement federal laws and regulations by ending the sale of parts and products of at-risk species within Pennsylvania borders.

Every year, 15,000 elephants are killed on the continent of Africa to supply the demand for their ivory. All five rhino species are threatened with extinction because they are poached for their horns. Sharks and pangolins are becoming highly trafficked wildlife species, killed for their fins and their scales. Today we had a chance to protect these animals in PA and shut down the demand for wildlife poaching by voting yes on HB994.

HB 994 passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 127-76 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Join my district team!

Join my team in our Brookhaven office as a Constituent Services Advisor! CSAs provide administrative services, help constituents with government needs, maintain relationships with the local community and support state representatives in many more ways. You can learn more about this full-time position and apply here: Constituent Services Advisor | Job Details tab | Career Pages

IN THE CAPITOL

Meet our summer interns!

My district office interns James Wachtman and Emilio Hooper-Erades joined me in Harrisburg today to shadow me during a day Capitol and get a feel for the work we do in the House.

James is a third-year student at Penn State University majoring in Political Science and Economics. James has a strong background in community engagement and outreach and is excited to join us for legislative outreach activities like door knocking and mobile office hours. He hopes to pursue a future in law and politics with a continued focus on serving others.

Emilio is a rising junior at American University School of Public Affairs, where he is studying Interdisciplinary Studies: Communications, Law, Economics, and Government. He is bilingual in Spanish and Italian and is looking forward to gaining professional experience in his field of study while making a positive impact in the community.

They are both Strath Haven grads and they’ll be helping out in my Brookhaven office all summer, so feel free to say hello if you see them there or out at community events!

Fall Fellowship Program open for applications!

IN THE DISTRICT

Delaware County Cooling Centers

Our region is under an extreme heat and high ozone warning today and several days this week. Make sure you drink water, plan outdoor activities for cooler times of day – early morning or late evening – and know the signs of heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat rash, and heat cramps.

It’s best to stay indoors when we experience extremely high heat, especially for the very young, our senior neighbors, and those with health conditions. The Delaware County Health Department has a map of cooling centers you can go to if you don’t have access to an air conditioned, indoor space. Cooling centers are public libraries, senior centers, and sometimes temporary centers set up in cases of high heat.

Cooling centers in our community and nearby include:

Aston Free Library, 3270 Concord Road, Aston
Middletown Free Library, 464 S. Old Middletown Road, Media
Helen Kate Furness Library, 100 N. Providence Road, Wallingford
Chester Senior Center, 721 Hayes Street, Chester
Hometown Senior Center, 302 S. Jackson Street, Media
J. Lewis Crozer Library, 620 Engle Street, Chester
Media-Upper Providence Library, 1 E. Front Street, Media

Stay cool and stay safe!

Community Bike Education with Aston Fire and EMS

Earlier this month Delaware County experienced a terrible tragedy when two young girls from Ridley Township were hit by a car while riding an e-scooter together in Aston Township. One of these young girls died of her injuries; the other is slowly recovering.

In response to this tragedy, Aston Township Fire and EMS is hosting a Community Bike Education event to teach community members the key aspects of riding bikes and e-scooters safely. Learn about proper helmet fits, bike safety, and more.

STATE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Don’t Miss Your Chance for Financial Aid

The FAFSA deadline is June 30th. Submit your application to access federal financial aid for college or career school. Visit this site for information.

PHEAA No Essay Scholarship Sweepstakes

PHEAA is giving away $2,500 no essay scholarships to12 lucky winners through its PA Forward and Keystone Student Loan Programs!

The scholarship sweepstakes is for college students, graduate students and their parents for the 2025-26 academic year who opt in to receive communications from PHEAA between June 5 and Dec. 15. The communications are designed to provide students and families with tips on planning and paying for college.

PA Forward's scholarship is open to PA residents only; Keystone’s scholarship is open to DE, MD, NJ, OH, PA, VA, and WV residents.

To enter the PA Forward scholarship sweepstakes, visit pheaa.org/ss, or visit keystonestudentloans.org/ss to enter the Keystone scholarship sweepstakes.

Financial Aid Assistance Webinars

Friday, June 26

6:30 - 7: 30 p.m.

Property Tax & Rent Rebate Application Assistance

The deadline to file your Property Tax/Rent Rebate has been extended to December 31, 2025! That means there’s still plenty of time to file and potentially get money back in your pocket! Reach out to my office for assistance and to see if you qualify.

2025 Farmer’s Market Voucher Program

If you’re age 60 or over and live in Delaware County, you could be eligible for $25 worth of vouchers for use at local farmer’s markets.

Center Without Walls will be distributing the vouchers at the Aston Community Center and Brookhaven Municipal Center on the dates listed above.

You may also be able to pick up a voucher at your local senior center. Call to confirm before stopping by:

Chester Senior Center, Chester 610-497-3550
Friendship Circle Center, Darby 610-237-6222
Good Neighbor Center, Sharon Hill 610-586-8170
Surrey Media Center, Media 610-566-0505
Schoolhouse Center, Folsom 610-237-8100
Wayne Senior Center, Wayne 610-688-6246

A number of people have commented to me that these vouchers seem to be worth less than what they received last year. Unfortunately, federal budget cuts in Washington have impacted this beloved program as the federal government and its agencies cancel program funding opportunities; terminate or attempt to terminate existing grants and contracts; pause or end established programs; and reduce staffing and operations across federal agencies. This disruption has directly affected the 2025 Season for the WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (S/FMNP). Despite the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s best efforts to ensure a smooth process for check ordering, delivery, and distribution, the Commonwealth has to date only received a very small portion of the funding that Congress appropriated for the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2025 and there has been no clear guidance or timeline provided on when these funds will be released. As a result, each Senior agency will only receive approximately 74% of their requested quantity of S/FMNP vouchers, meaning.

It is important that our Federal elected officials hear from us about the programs that matter. If you love the Farmer’s Market Voucher program, please give them a call.