District Deliberations: September Edition

Rep. Chris Pielli September 30, 2025 | 3:14 PM

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Hi Folks,

We hope this September edition of District Deliberations finds you all doing well. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." Perhaps in those words we can find hope that upon our return to Harrisburg this week we will find common ground for a commonsense budget that contains fair funding for every Pennsylvanian. As we enter the Fall season with no budget and no sustainable funding for our public transportation, schools, non-profits, and more, we must truthfully ask ourselves how we got here and how we can move forward to a better place politically.

My honest assessment is that under decades of Republican-controlled leadership in the PA House and Senate, the balance of political and budgetary power was more skewed towards rural regions of this state that took much more than they contributed in taxes/revenue. As I mentioned in our last issue, Southeastern PA contributes over 40% of all state revenue - and Chester County contributes a huge part of this figure - yet the Southeast only receives back roughly 19% in public service funding for our students, seniors, streets, and bridges, and yes, for our SEPTA. This has been the pattern for a long time until the House changed majorities in 2022 and experienced a large influx of newly elected officials from the Southeast portion of our state. The dynamics changed because these newly elected officials recognize the needs and worth of their constituents and their districts and refuse to continue a political paradigm that equates to “Taxation without fair economic representation.”

This is not a political theory. It’s a fact and it affects every Southeast PA resident whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Independent. To be clear, I support fairly funding areas of our state that are in need and will never be able to contribute revenue that other areas do. We want all Pennsylvanians to thrive and prosper. This is the true meaning of what a “Commonwealth” is supposed to be. However, it also means not stifling the very engines of the state economy by holding back much needed investments to our area that keep us generating and producing for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians. That is not what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem to believe. They live in and yearn for an unsustainable past. And while we continue to negotiate in good faith making several major concessions along the way, they continue to move the goal posts. Instead of taking one step closer to a handshake, they take several steps back with new and unreasonable demands. They test our resolve but will find in the end, when all is marked and measured, we will not settle for a budget that doesn’t fairly fund the needs of our constituents. Our region is not asking for a handout, we are asking for our fair share. We’ve Worked for it. We’ve Earned it. We Deserve it. In this September edition of District Deliberations, we feature the Hometown Heroes of the month: The good folks at the Act in Faith non-profit and the great work they do for our neighbors in need. We also have the latest in SEPTA operations and funding; our fight for adequate funding for our students’ public education; a lunch and learn panel with our active and retired teachers; the PA Department of Health’s new General Immunization Guidance to ensure that vaccines remain accessible; a condemnation of political violence; passage of my resolution for the Major Richard Star Act; and of course, the wise whelps of wisdom from our official mascot, Penny the Pup.

Folks, as always, we thank you for the opportunity to serve you and look forward to any questions or concerns you may have. Until our next issue, Stay Well, Stay Safe, and Stay Strong.

Sincerely yours,

PA Representative Christopher Pielli's signature image

Chris Pielli
Pennsylvania State Representative House District 156

Hometown Heroes

Act in Faith Serves Our Community's Most Vulnerable

This month, our Hometown Heroes are the folks at Act in Faith, a local nonprofit that assists those less fortunate in our community with a variety of needs.

Originally formed in 2010 by the Religious Council of Greater West Chester, they aimed to advocate for and assist folks who:

Did not meet the criteria to qualify for support through other social services
Were facing a crisis that was not addressed by any other organization
Didn't know what resources were available or where to go for support

Their ability to fill in the gaps left in traditional social services has allowed them to serve those in our community with the most critical needs.

Last month, I had the honor of meeting with Act in Faith staff as I toured their headquarters on Barnard Street in West Chester. As we walked through their food cupboard, I heard stories from the staff about the struggles their clientele face – such as food insecurity, eviction notices, addiction. But more importantly, I heard stories of the ways in which Act in Faith are able to help folks escape these situations and triumph due to their intervention.

For being a beacon of hope for folks in West Chester who are struggling in any capacity, and for demonstrating results that show the strength and resiliency of the community, I have the pleasure of naming Act in Faith of Greater West Chester this month’s Hometown Hero organization! To learn more about Act in Faith and how to help, visit the link here.

SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer wrote a letter to SEPTA riders which clarifies service restoration limits and explains the need for a system-wide fare increase in place since September 14. I agree with Mr. Sauer that the public transit capital fund is not a permanent solution, and the next Pennsylvania budget should reflect this. The public transit capital fund provides a temporary solution to SEPTA's funding crisis, enabling service to be restored.

We still need a dedicated, recurring funding plan for all of our public transportation in Pennsylvania. Whereas Republican State Senators refuse to deliver this necessary funding, Governor Shapiro is taking the most appropriate course of action - for now.

Read GM Scott Sauer's Letter to SEPTA Riders HERE: https://wwww.septa.org/news/service-restored-but-fight-continues/

We Need Responsible, Recurring Revenue for Public Transportation

Over the last year, my Democratic colleagues and I have rallied for the public right to adequate public transportation. We passed several bills that would have fully funded SEPTA on a long-term basis without raising a penny in taxes! Despite this the Senate refuses to pass any reasonable legislation to properly fund this important asset to so many working people.

As this funding crisis continued the governor took action to comply with recent court orders to fund SEPTA by using non-dedicated public transit capital funds. These funds were meant for future safety and maintenance repairs, not operating costs. It is basically robbing Peter to pay Paul and is not a sustainable solution. It is a temporary fix to SEPTA's funding crisis that will allow service to be restored to previous levels, yet a 21.5% fare increase still went into effect on September 14.

Suffice it to say, this is not an ideal solution, and there is still a fight to be had. It is kicking the can down the road, and it won’t be long until SEPTA is under threat again. We still need a dedicated, recurring funding plan for all our public transportation in Pennsylvania. I urge you to contact 3 Republican Senators whose districts have thousands of constituents that rely on SEPTA every day for their work, school, and healthcare. They are:

PA Senator Joe Picozzi: (215) 281-2539

PA Senator Frank Farry: (215) 638-1784

PA Senator Tracy Pennycuick: (215) 541-2388

GOP-Led Senate Wants to Cut School Funding. House Democrats Are Fighting For It!

Like you, I am seeing the impacts on our schools because of this year’s late state budget and the decisions that our school officials will be forced to make if our schools don’t get the funding they need and deserve. My colleagues and I in the House have continuously supported Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal and we passed a budget in July that provided responsible increases in school funding to support our kids and teachers.

However, the Senate Republicans failed to act on this budget until August. When they did choose to pass a budget plan, this “plan” provided no increases to funding despite severe inflation which has significantly raised operating costs. Let's be clear: Flat funding means a CUT to funding. In 2023, the PA Courts ruled that the state legislature's historical lack of investments in our schools is unconstitutional, and we have worked hard to ensure we get our schools the funding they deserve. Despite this court order, Senate Republicans want to reverse that progress by underfunding public schools across the state while promoting tax breaks to private schools.

My colleagues and I are continuing to work with ALL parties to reach an agreement that gets our kids and teachers the funding they deserve and the tools they need to succeed.

Please contact these GOP State Senate Leaders — and demand they come back to Harrisburg, do their jobs, and comply with Court Orders to get our schools properly funded.

PA Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman:

(724) 357-0151

Jpittman@pasen.gov

PA Senate President Kim Ward:

(724) 600-7002

Jward@pasen.gov

Political Violence is Never Justified

America is facing an escalating, accelerating cycle of political violence. We were all disturbed as that fact came to the forefront at a college campus in Utah earlier this month, as it did earlier this year at a home in Minnesota, and several years ago at the U.S. Capitol. Assassination is an act of authoritarianism. It is one person deciding who has a right to speak, who has a right to hold power, who has a right to live. I stand unequivocally against it. All Americans must be clear-eyed towards what we are facing if we allow this cycle to continue: a dark, unending spiral into the abyss of instability.

Political violence is a symptom of an ailing democracy. As a society grows more tolerant of hatred, it becomes resigned to its consequences. It becomes tempted by the ease of autocracy. We risk relaxing ourselves into a system of government where violence - not voices - decides our politics. This is why the ongoing fight for our democracy has been so important. It isn't just about politics & elections, but about our entire way of life. We have grown accustomed over generations to the idea that we can speak out and live our lives free from the fear of violence and repression, whether that be from an armed assailant, or our very own government. That is not something we can afford to take for granted anymore. We must reject the politics of hate. We must reject politicians who say outright that they hate their opponents. We must reject those who seek to inflame our divisions for their own short-term, personal gain.

Politicians come and go, but we the people are in it for the long haul. We're stuck in this boat together, whether we like it or not. It is in all of our interests to seek peace, not escalation, grace, not persecution. This is how we ensure that generations of honored dead shall not have died in vain.

It is only when we recognize our problem - and have the will and the courage to name it and confront it at its source – that we will be able to work towards truly solving it.

May our nation have a new birth of freedom, and may democracy never perish from the earth.

Updated Vaccine Guidance

In mid-September, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) created chaos and confusion by reversing long-standing vaccine recommendations, which makes it more difficult for some Pennsylvanians to access needed vaccines.

In response to that, the PA Department of Health has released new General Immunization Guidance to ensure that vaccines remain accessible. This guidance expands the list of organizations that Pennsylvanians and their doctors should consult for vaccine recommendations -- to now include the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Further, the PA Insurance Department is proactively working with health insurers across the Commonwealth to require that all vaccines recommended by the ACIP in previous years continue to be covered, ensuring the current ACIP’s decisions do not result in financial barriers for individuals and families seeking vaccines to protect themselves. In addition, I am proud to co-sponsor House Bill 1802 and House Bill 1828, which will help ensure we continue the important accessibility of vaccines based on science, not politics, for the benefit of our children and all Pennsylvanians. These pieces of legislation collectively work to maintain vaccine access in Pennsylvania by mandating the continued coverage of certain vaccines and by establishing vaccine schedules based on the recommendations of third-party health organizations.

By following this evidence-based guidance, Pennsylvanians can protect themselves and their communities from vaccine-preventable diseases while exercising the right to make informed healthcare decisions.

LEARN MORE HERE: Shapiro Admin Releases Clear, Evidence-Based Guidance to Protect Vaccine Access | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Vaccine Clinics Hosted by Chester County Health Department

Everyone 6 months or older can get a free Flu and/or COVID vaccine from the Chester County Health Department. They're hosting vaccine clinics around the county now through November depending on location. You do NOT need a prescription, as the ChesCo Health Dept. acts as a health provider.

View Vaccine Types and Available Dates / Locations HERE:
https://www.chesco.org/5600/Seasonal-Vaccines

Call Chester County Health Dept. for Details at -- 610-344-6225

Chester County School Funding Roundtable

I had a great time on September 4 when I joined an important Chester County School Funding Roundtable along with Superintendents, other school officials, and fellow state legislators.

Our greatest asset and investment is our children. Their education should be one of our biggest priorities. As such, we discussed funding challenges related to Pennsylvania’s school funding system, special education services, charter school accountability - and notably, federal funding cuts and no state budget passage to date.

Many thanks to Children First for organizing this event and co-hosting with Coatesville Area School District. Special Shout Out to Rainbow Elementary as a very welcoming host!

Legislators Luncheon with PA State Education Association Teachers and Retirees

On September 9, I was pleased to hear from current and retired educators at a Legislators Luncheon hosted by the PA State Education Association. I served as a panelist with fellow State Representatives and a School Director. We discussed many thoughtful questions posed by participants related to K-12 teacher recruitment; fair school funding; cyber charter reform; cost-of-living adjustments for retirees; threats of privatization through school vouchers; among other topics. Thank you, teachers across PA, for all you do to serve our children!

My House Resolution 234 - "Urging Congress to Support the Major Richard Star Act" - Passed the PA House Today

Retired Army Major Richard Star passed away following a fight with Stage 4 lung cancer in 2021. Major Star was a combat veteran with multiple overseas tours, including tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and is remembered for saving countless lives whilst clearing roads in Afghanistan of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Major Star will also be remembered for spending the final months of his life advocating for veterans who are medically retired and have a disability. According to his wife, Tonya Star, Richard’s greatest goal was to pass what would ultimately become the Major Richard Star Act, named in honor of his memory.

Under this Congressional legislation, all service members who are medically retired would have full access to both military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits. Today, for every dollar of disability pay that they receive, veterans with less than 20 years of service and a disability rating of less than 50% have their retirement payments reduced by a dollar. Under these rules, an estimated 50,000 retired service members are ineligible for concurrent benefits. Further, the average offset from this results in about $1,900 a month.

While going through countless surgeries and chemotherapy due to his lung cancer, Major Star learned that he would not concurrently receive his retirement and disability pay through the Department of Defense. This is an injustice that requires attention. For these reasons and more, I introduced a resolution (House Resolution 234) urging Congress to support and pass the Major Richard Star Act (U.S. Senate Bill 1032), which passed out of the PA House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee earlier this year and passed in the PA House today.

The United States owes a debt to its former service members, one that should not be dismissed based on costs.

Q: I’m a PECO customer. How can I communicate with PECO about concerns for tree removal work in my neighborhood?

A: If PECO is going to perform tree mitigation work on your street, the contractor will attempt to reach you in person and again twice as needed. If you do not want tree removal, Rep. Pielli urges you to proactively contact PECO to demand no removal of trees or parts of any trees from your property.

Contact PECO Customer Service:

By Phone: 1-800-494-4000
Representatives are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
-OR-
Contact Form on PECO website / Go to “Contact Us” menu
https://www.peco.com

If you need help contacting PECO or receiving a timely response, feel free to contact my district office staff at 610-696-4900; RepPielli@pahouse.net; or stop by 121 West Miner Street, Suite 1E, West Chester Borough.