HARRISBURG, July 14 – State Rep. Bridget Kosierwoski, D-Lackawanna, highlighted the 2026-27 state budget’s historic investments in education and support for Pennsylvania’s healthcare system. “A high-quality education is the foundation for life-long success,” Kosierowski said. “This budget will ensure that all Pennsylvania’s students have access to educational opportunities that will help them adapt and thrive in an increasingly competitive global workforce.” The budget makes a $670 million investment statewide in education, which includes a $565 million increase to help rectify historic funding discrepancies and a $58 million increase in basic education and $47 increase in special education funding, to ensure every student can succeed. Kosierowski said the school districts in the 114th Legislative District will benefit from significant funding increases: $1.3 million or 10.5% increase for Abington Heights School District $141,000 or 1.7% increase for Lackawanna Trail School District $388,000 or 4.7% increase for Lakeland School District $1 million or 9.3% increase for Mid Valley School District $11.1 million or 9.9% increase for Scranton School District Kosierowski also praised the budget’s increased support for key healthcare programs: $615.2 million or 7% increase, for Medical Assistance managed care program $484.7 million or 16.1% increase, for Medical Assistance Capitation $130.5 Read more

Sen. Dan Laughlin, and Reps. Kyle Mullins and Bryan Cutler today highlighted the inclusion of continued funding for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis support services and neurodegenerative disease research in Pennsylvania's recently enacted $50.8 billion 2026-27 state budget. Read more

This budget plan continues the massive and highly successful investments in our students and includes many policy changes that will help keep our children safe and healthy. Read more

“My legislation would strengthen transparency at public meetings by ensuring residents have sufficient time to review and understand upcoming meetings that affect their daily lives,” said Freeman. Read more

"This proposed increase would place an unacceptable financial burden on households that are already stretched to their limits,” Haddock wrote. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 17 – A fast-tracking state House bill empowering Pennsylvania municipalities to pause data center projects advanced unanimously from the House Local Government Committee this morning, said the legislation’s sponsor, state Rep. Paul Friel, D-Chester. Under H.B. 2496 , which Friel said is expected to pass the House as early as next week, municipalities could enact up to a 180-day pause on data center application considerations by adopting a resolution. During a pause municipalities could adopt, amend or repeal parts of their land use ordinances relating to data centers. Critically, the pause dates back to the moment the public was notified of the meeting agenda, and any application filed during the pause is subject to the new rules. “This bill gives Pennsylvania officials – who have an extremely tough job right now managing this unprecedented sector growth – the time needed to research, draft and pass comprehensive land-use ordinances updated and fit for data centers,” Friel said . “Data centers are not a customer that all states saw coming. It will allow our local elected supervisors and councilmembers to develop protections for their communities, who face real negative consequences from unchecked development.” In Pennsylvania, a municipality may use its zoning powers to regulate development, but it cannot outright prohibit a specific development. Data centers, which are large Read more

State Rep. Jeanne McNeill said she was pleased to vote in favor of the Digital Ads Tax Bill (H.B. 1678), which passed the House Tuesday and would update Pennsylvania’s gross receipts tax to include the sale of digital advertisements. Read more

On Monday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives adopted a resolution that honors Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers for their advocacy and efforts in promoting the safety and wellbeing of Pennsylvania’s children, according to the resolution’s prime sponsor, state Rep. Jeanne McNeill. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 9 — Legislation to expand the State Workers’ Insurance Fund’s investment authority to enable it to adjust its investment portfolio to changing market conditions was approved by the House Labor & Industry Committee today. The State Workers’ Insurance Fund, or SWIF, was established by statute in 1915 to ensure a stable workers' compensation market in the commonwealth by providing coverage to entities that may otherwise struggle to obtain it in the private market. This legislation, introduced by state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, H.B. 2499 would make a change to the Workers’ Compensation Act to give SWIF the flexibility to invest up to 20% of its assets in equities from its current limit of 7.5%. According to Kosierowski, SWIF’s investment authority in equities is currently limited to 7.5% of the book value of SWIF’s assets due to a combination of provisions in the Workers’ Compensation Act, the Banking Code and the Fiscal Code. As a result, over 93% of SWIF’s assets locked in fixed-income securities are earning historically low rates and are failing to keep up with inflation. “Under current law, SWIF is sacrificing growth for the sake of stability,” Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna, said. “By consolidating SWIF’s investment authority into a single statutory provision in the Workers’ Compensation Act, my legislation would enable the fund to manage risks and grow, achieving Read more

Firefighting companies across Pennsylvania would be eligible to participate in a new $30 million grant program, under legislation passed today by the state House of Representatives, according to prime sponsor Rep. Jim Haddock. Read more