I cannot believe it is Memorial Day weekend already! I am definitely ready for summer!
It was so nice to see so many neighbors out at the polls on Primary Day. Definitely a little slower than usual at the polls, but I hope that will not be the case come November. There are so many places around the world where people are fighting for the right to a representative government; it is definitely a privilege to be able to choose who you want to speak for you.
Speaking of voting, while in session last week, the PA House voted to move forward an expansive voting rights bill authored by Speaker Joanna McClinton to improve the administration of the state’s elections while strengthening ballot access for Pennsylvania’s eligible voters.
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The Voting Rights Protection Act of 2025 (H.B. 1396), which has now been sent to the state Senate for consideration, includes several notable provisions:
- Increasing the number of secure ballot drop boxes in each county.
- Making in-person voting available up to 11 days prior to an election.
- Requiring county boards of election to transition to electronic poll books by 2027.
- Creating a post-election audit process.
- Clarifying the law regarding absentee & mail-in ballots.
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Some of you may have also heard that the House was going to consider H.B. 771, a bipartisan bill dealing with voter ID. I want to thank everyone who reached out to share their concerns. Ultimately, the legislation did not come to the floor for a vote.
Top on the list of priorities continues to be SEPTA funding and addressing the fallout from the closure of Crozer Hospital. Highlighting the importance of SEPTA to the region, and the region to the commonwealth is essential if we are to convince the Senate leadership the importance of FUNDING SEPTA!
Do you have a story about how SEPTA impacts your life? Tell us so we can tell SEPTA and the senators! (And see below for an image you can share.)
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On the issue of Crozer, I have a couple updates:
First, thank you to all the EMS providers who have stepped up to make sure our 911 emergencies are responded to! On behalf of the 168th Legislative District, we made sure to recognize those who are directly serving us – including Radnor, Rocky Run, and Main Line Health – during National EMS Week. (More details in a story below.)
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Second, we continue to coordinate with the county and the state (including the Governor’s Office) to provide opportunities for those who have lost employment due to the closure.
Speaking of the governor, it was an honor to welcome him to Delco last week and share a podium with him and state Sen. Tim Kearney as we discussed the legislation we are collaborating on to ensure something like this never happens again!
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On this Memorial Day, let us always remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy the freedoms we have (like voting). Join us to honor our fallen servicemen and women across the 168th District:
- Bonaventure-Clark-Murphy VFW Post 6613 in Lenni will hold its Memorial Day ceremony at 8 a.m. Monday, May 26 at the Middletown Township Building, 27 N. Pennell Road. Everyone is welcome.
Have a great weekend! Happy summer and go Phillies!
Sincerely,
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Harrisburg Update
- Gov. Shapiro visits Crozer to support our hospital oversight bills
- A win for clotheslines!
- Teacher certification legislation on the move
- Barrack Hebrew Academy & DCCS students visit the Capitol
- Eliminating out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer screening
In the District
- Honoring our newest Eagle Scouts
- Celebrating National Police Week
- DCIU Legislative Breakfast
- E-recycling & paper shredding success
- Circle at Sundown
- Supporting SEPTA (& SEPTA cards!)
- Celebrating National EMS Week
My Events
- License Plate Replacement events (June 10 & 25)
Community News
- DCHD Community Health Improvement Plan
- Crozer Transition Center
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Gov. Shapiro visits Crozer to support our hospital oversight bills
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Last Thursday I was honored to welcome Gov. Josh Shapiro to Delaware County for a press conference outside of the now shuttered Crozer Hospital. He made it clear we must act to prevent what happened at Crozer from ever happening again here in Pennsylvania, and specifically called for passage of H.B.1460 and S.B. 322, sponsored by me and Sen. Tim Kearney, respectively.
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Our bills would give the Office of the Attorney General the power to review transactions between health systems and private equity firms to make sure a merger or acquisition would be in the public’s best interest. The legislation would also ban harmful sale-leaseback agreements that force health systems to pay millions in rent on buildings they used to own just to pay out dividends to shareholders.
Corporate greed can no longer ruin our communities’ access to health care. We can no longer tolerate the legalized looting of our precious health care systems.
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Shortly after I became a lawmaker, a member of the community came to me asking for help. The HOA that oversaw her neighborhood would not allow her to put up a clothesline in her back yard to dry her clothes! I had no idea this was something an HOA could regulate.
This traditional method of drying clothes is cheaper and better for the environment, so I worked with advocacy organizations on both sides of the issue – representing the interests of communities and of HOAs – to craft a bill that takes everyone’s needs into account.
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I’m proud to report that last week my colleagues on both sides of the aisle voted to move H.B. 67 forward! I hope the Senate decides to take up the bill for discussion.
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Teacher certification legislation on the move
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The legislation I introduced with state Rep. Bob Merski around teacher certifications passed the House Education Committee unanimously last week! Our legislation would help those who wish to return to education complete continuing professional education requirements. It would waive the fees charged by the Pennsylvania Department of Education when an educator placing their certificate into “voluntary inactive” status. It also would allow an educator to satisfy their 30 CPE hours through in-service days provided by the school entity.
With a teacher shortage, we need more tools to keep educators certified and in the classroom!
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Barrack Hebrew Academy and DCCS students visit the Capitol
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I always love getting to meet with local students at the state Capitol! Last week I had a chance to catch up with pupils from Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy while they were in Harrisburg to advocate for expanded EITC funding.
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Then, Delaware County Christian School students made a visit on their way to an awards ceremony recognizing their project with Lavazza, Inc for the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? contest sponsored by Manufacturers Resource Center. You may watch their video below!
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Eliminating out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer screening
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Last week I joined fellow cancer survivors and the American Cancer Society to call for support of measures that promote cancer screening and early intervention, and to celebrate the House passage of Rep. Gina H. Curry's bill to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic breast cancer imaging.
Catching cancer early and getting the most accurate diagnosis is so vital to the treatment of cancer. No one should lose the best chance of survival because of high costs.
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I hope the Senate will act to send this life saving legislation to the Governor’s desk!
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Honoring our newest Eagle Scouts
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Last weekend, I had the opportunity to recognize five extraordinary young women and men from the 168th District as they rose through the scouting ranks to Eagle.
First stop was with the Radnor284Trailblazers to honor three amazing young women: Meera Singh, Katherine Latchford, and Judith Horn.
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Then it was off to join proud family, friends, and troop leaders of BSA Troop #430 to honor Aaron Durkee and Nicholas Randazzo. I am always so inspired by our scouts who put in so much effort to grow as leaders and make a lasting impact in their communities. It makes me so hopeful for the future!
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Celebrating National Police Week
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We honored our heroes in blue this National Police Week! Team 168 thanked the brave women and men who dedicate their lives to keeping our communities safe with some lunch.
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Alex, our newest team member, jumped right in and delivered pizza to the two municipal departments serving the 168th District, Newtown Township PD and Radnor Township PD as a small way of saying "thank you" for the courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to our communities every day. We stand with all the officers serving the 168th District!
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DCIU Legislative Breakfast
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I love getting an update on what is happening in our classrooms in Delco! I joined fellow legislators and members of our local school boards at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit legislative breakfast, we fellow elected officials I talked with students and faculty about the future of education, with a focus on responsible and productive ways to use AI in the classroom.
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I appreciate them including students’ perspectives on this hot button issue!
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E-recycling & paper shredding success
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What a tremendous turnout for our first shredding and e-waste recycling event hosted last weekend with Sen. Cappelletti... Cars were lined up waiting before the trucks even arrived!
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The 300 e-waste drop off appointments filled up quickly and from the looks of the line, everyone, and then some, showed up! This doesn’t even include the over 250 people that showed up to securely shred documents. We shredded over 12,000 pounds of paper!
Thank you so much to Marie, Kate, Mary Ann, Alex, Kevin, my best guy, Sen. Cappelletti’s awesome team, the guys from J&K Secure Shredding and the team from Reworld Waste who all worked so hard to make sure everyone was taken care of. And thank you to everyone who was patient and kind as they moved through the line! It was so nice to see you.
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What a great night on St. Alban’s circle!
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Congratulations to Shop Newtown Square & the Newtown Square Business Association on another great Circle at Sundown! Food, music, great businesses, and the community of Newtown…what an incredible combination!
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Thank you to the team from Newtown Public Works, Newtown Police & Newtown Fire for making the event safe and secure! So good to see so many Newtown friends on such a beautiful night.
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Supporting SEPTA (& SEPTA cards!)
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I took the Paoli Thorndale Line (it is still the R5 to me!) down to City Hall on Monday to stand with my colleagues in the state House and Senate and transit advocates to demand adequate funding for SEPTA in this year’s state budget.
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Regional rail, subways, and buses not only provide a way to work, errands, and entertainment for those of us living in the southeast but also help drive business in the rest of the commonwealth. SEPTA has issued $1.4 billion in contracts to PA companies across more than half the counties of the state.
It cannot be overstated how devastating these proposed cuts would be to our local economies, tourism, and overall state revenue. The legislature needs to work together to keep SEPTA running: sign here to make your voice heard and click here to submit your own story.
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Meanwhile, Kate teamed up with SEPTA to host a senior fare card event at the Radnor Memorial Library. Thanks to everyone who came out to take advantage of this special program.
We even got some cute cardholders from SEPTA -- if you'd like one, stop by the office!
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Celebrating National EMS Week
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I had so much fun visiting the EMS first responders who serve the 168th District during National EMS Week! The theme this year is “We Care. For Everyone.” Nothing could be truer of these heroes who are there when we need them most. Donuts and cases of water are the least we can do!
Thank you, Radnor Fire Co., Rocky Run Fire Co. and Main Line Health Riddle Ambulance! You are lifesavers!
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DCHD Community Health Improvement Plan
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The Delaware County Health Department (DCHD) is excited to announce the completion of its Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for 2024-2028! The CHIP is a comprehensive strategic plan designed with our community partners to address the pressing health needs of our residents identified in the Community Health Assessment.
The plan emphasizes a focus on health equity, addressing the social determinants of health, and fostering collaboration across sectors to create sustainable improvements in community health. CHIP 2024-2028 Priorities include:
- Promote Whole Person Care & Prevent Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders: This goal focuses on improving mental health and decreasing overdoses and substance use disorders.
- Promote Maternal, Parental, and Infant Health: This goal aims to improve birth outcomes, decrease prenatal opioid misuse, and prevent infant deaths.
- Prevent Chronic Diseases: This goal focuses on decreasing breast cancer deaths, increasing primary care access, understanding local asthma trends, and reducing obesity.
PA Navigate
PA Navigate is Pennsylvania’s database of health and community services serving Delaware County and beyond, built on the findhelp.org platform. During the CHA, we heard from residents that they struggle to find health and community services. To respond to this need, we’ve partnered with the Community Action Association of PA (CAAP) to improve and promote the system for Delaware County residents.
I encourage you to explore the CHIP, which is available on the Delaware County website, delcopa.gov/community_health/dchd_chip.html. Findings from the Community Health Assessment (CHA) can be found at delcopa.gov/cha.
If you would like to join a CHIP committee or have other ideas about how you can get involved, please contact the Delaware County Wellness Line (484-276-2100, DelcoWellness@co.delaware.pa.us).
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Pennsylvania State Capitol
28-B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 772-2005
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District Office
24 S. Newtown Street Rd., Suite 100
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(484) 427-2884
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