Dear Neighbor,

This week I had the privilege of attending Governor Shapiro’s signing of a piece of legislation years in the making – the repeal of Pennsylvania’s ban on Sunday hunting. House Bill 1431, sponsored by Rep. Mandy Steele, expands freedom for our 850,000 hunters, helps our farmers control crop damage from deer, strengthens trespassing penalties – all while growing rural economies across the Commonwealth.

As both the Majority Chairman of the House Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and a Co-Chair of the PA Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, I’m very pleased to see this bill benefiting Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth making it across the finish line. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to make this a reality.

Since 2020, Pennsylvania hunters have been able to hunt on three designated Sundays each year and during that time, the Commonwealth has maintained steady hunting license sales even as many other states have seen declines. The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has seen that even limited Sunday hunting opportunities have helped keep hunters and sportsmen engaged and expects that broader access under the new law will further strengthen Pennsylvania’s hunting heritage for current and future generations.

The new law, which takes effect on September 7, gives PGC full authority to decide which hunting seasons can include Sundays — guided by biological data and hunter feedback. Until now, Sunday hunting was strictly limited to one each during archery and rifle deer seasons and a third Sunday chosen by the PGC.

And as PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said at the signing, “The passage of Sunday hunting is a meaningful step forward for Pennsylvania’s farmers, too. Crop damage from overabundant wildlife continues to take a real toll on farms across the Commonwealth. Giving hunters more days in the field helps protect livelihoods, especially in areas hardest hit.”

If you’re one of Pennsylvania’s 850,000 licensed hunters, I encourage you to take advantage of expanded hunting opportunities and to donate any extra deer to Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH)—a remarkable nonprofit that enables hunters to donate venison to families in need. Processing is free for the donor—and your generosity can help feed some of the more than 2 million food-insecure Pennsylvanians, including over 630,000 children. Since its founding in 1991, HSH has distributed more than 2.5 million pounds of venison to food pantries and assistance centers across the Commonwealth—including 280,000 pounds to 14 PA Food Banks in the past year.

Find a participating processor here. Please be sure to call ahead before donating to make sure they have capacity to take your donation.

Last week Congress in Washington narrowly passed President Trump’s damaging “One Big Beautiful Bill” that includes massive cuts to programs Pennsylvanians rely on, while providing tax cuts for the extremely wealthy.

That’s why this week Pennsylvania House Democrats stood together in the State Capitol in Harrisburg to expose the ugly truth about this legislation and the damage it will cause to people in every corner of the commonwealth.

Lawmakers with expertise in health care, food aid, school funding, energy costs and other topics talked about how defunding those core government functions to pay for tax breaks for billionaires will bust the state’s budget and lead to massive cuts in services and programs our neighbors rely on, like Medicaid and SNAP.

Locally, it’s projected that 2,640 residents of the 121st Legislative District will lose their access to Medicaid thanks to this big disaster of a bill and 300,000 Pennsylvanians statewide. This is just plain wrong. Medicaid is the health insurance program that covers low-income children, pregnant women, parents, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities – and is critical to keeping many of our hospitals operating. 

As we learn more about this massive bill, House Democrats in the state legislature are working hard to lessen some of its impact, but we do not have the resources at the state level to backfill every budget cut, meaning that some of our neighbors very well may lose the support programs that they depend on because of what President Trump and Republicans in Congress have enacted.

While the financial impacts of the bill will likely not impact the passage of the 2025-26 Pennsylvania budget that is still being negotiated, the effect on the 2026-27 budget could be catastrophic.

PennDOT wants to alert the public about a new texting scam involving REAL ID. Fraudulent text messages are being sent to customers claiming to be from the DMV or the federal Department of Homeland Security asking people to click on a link and provide personal and payment information.

PennDOT does not have a process by which customers can pre-scan and upload REAL ID documents from a home or mobile device. PennDOT will never ask for nor accept any identity documents over the internet, via text message or email for any reason. Any communications through text, internet or email requesting these documents are not affiliated with PennDOT and could be used for fraudulent purposes. As such, customers should not submit any images of personal documents to such requests.

To learn more about this scam or report it, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website or report it to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

More information on obtaining a Real ID can be found on PennDOT’s REAL ID website.

Navigating Medicare can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to out-of-pocket costs. Medicare Supplement Insurance—often called Medigap—is a private plan designed to fill gaps in Original Medicare coverage, helping with deductibles, coinsurance, and other expenses that Medicare doesn’t fully cover.

An easy-to-read guide is available to explain the different Medigap plans offered in Pennsylvania. It details exactly what each plan covers—and what it doesn’t—while offering practical advice on comparing premiums, weighing benefits, and meeting enrollment deadlines.

You can review the guide and access additional resources here.

Let us continue to work together to build a stronger and safer America by searching for the TRUTH and finding the FACTS to guide our words, and our actions. Please, STAY STRONG and SAFE! Our democracy needs us to come together for the good of all.

Sincerely,

Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski

121st Legislative District