Working on solutions for police coverage, job creation & more

Rep. Tim Brennan May 2, 2025

PA Representative Tim Brennan banner image

Dear Neighbor,

Our 2nd Annual Disability Resource Fair with was a fantastic success—and I couldn't be more grateful. I’m so glad this event helped individuals and families connect with the support they need and deserve, ultimately making our way toward a more inclusive community.

My heartfelt thank you goes to all the organizations – like our partners The Next Step Programs – and their staffers who took the time to share their resources and expertise. Your work makes a real difference, and I admire your commitment to helping others.

I’m especially grateful to my staff member Denise Glick, for leading the event planning – she’s since retired, and this fantastic fair was her parting gift to the neighbors she loved to serve through her work in our office.

Sincerely,

Tim

Harrisburg (& Pittsburgh) Update

Touring union apprenticeship facilities with L&I

I joined my fellow Labor & Industry Committee members in Pittsburgh last week to tour Carpenters Local #432 and IBEW Local 5 and meet with the latter's Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC).

For the past 25 years, JATC’s impressive training facility has prepared apprentices to become the industry's most knowledgeable electricians. We visited both union facilities’ classrooms to meet current apprentices and learn about their experiences in the program. Union training is an exceptional way to prepare future workers to meet industry demands!

Black Maternal Health Summit

While I was in Pittsburgh with the PA House L&I Committee, I attended the first statewide summit dedicated to Black maternal health, with speakers including the secretary of the state departments of Health, Insurance, and Corrections.

Studies show black women are nearly five times as likely to die from pregnancy-related issues. This is even more tragic because pregnancy-related death is preventable in an estimated 93% of cases of maternal death. PA has broad swaths of the state that are in maternity deserts or that lack easily provided follow up care resources.

Members of the House Black Maternal Health Caucus have been leading the charge for legislation that does incredible good to help all those giving birth and becoming mothers, while making only modest changes in current practices. These bills require broader coverage for blood pressure monitors, working to address maternal heath deserts, and providing better postpartum support to new mothers.

My push to reduce reliance on State Police for local coverage

I recently spoke with a reporter from the Times Observer about my proposal to encourage more investment in local law enforcement and help ease reliance on our overburdened State Police force.

At a minimum, we should not be allowing an incentive to disband local police services or decrease coverage.

Right now, local governments that do so still receive (without putting in effort or resources of their own) a portion of the fine money brought in by traffic tickets issued by State Police in their jurisdiction.

Under my legislation, only municipalities that provide at least 40 hours per week of their own local police coverage would be eligible to receive that money. The proposal would also ensure the funds generated by the State Police are used for law enforcement purposes.

The PA State Police currently provide patrol services for about 2/3 of PA’s municipalities, at no cost to those local governments. This is unsustainable – we can’t keep passing the buck onto troopers by overstretching their resources and manpower.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

At the memorial hosted by Gov. Josh Shapiro in his Capitol reception room on Yom HaShoah (also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day), speakers reminded us of the importance of truth, justice and peace as pillars of our pluralistic society. They spoke of how great citizens stand up for these values, particularly when others lack courage or moral clarity.

I hope you take a moment to read my reflections about the day.

Celebrating 50 years of groundbreaking LGBTQ protections

Did you know the first governor in the United States to implement protections for LGBTQ people hails from Pennsylvania?

Last week I celebrated the 50th anniversary of former Gov. Milton Shapp’s executive order prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination against state employees, signed on April 23, 1975.

Gov. Shapp had launched a task force in 1974 to investigate claims of discrimination against LGBTQ employees in state and local government, after learning from LGBTQ rights activist Mark Segal about the ill treatment being inflicted on them at the workplace. Faced with a legislature unwilling to pass a state law to put a stop to this discrimination, Shapp chose to issue an executive order to make changes to the state government itself.

In 1976, he achieved another first in the country by creating the Council for Sexual Minorities, the first governmental body in the nation devoted to developing public policy to help protect the LGBTQ+ community.

Shapp also tasked the council with studying and reporting on existing legislation that affected the community.

People like Gov. Shapp, who worked to improve the quality of Justice, to have all our citizens live up to their potential and who understood our diversity was a strength, are an inspiration to me as I seek ways to make life better for you and everyone I represent.

In the District

Rising up to support SEPTA funding

Sen. Santarsiero spoke at a rally yesterday at the Levittown SEPTA station, calling for the state Senate to pass the House bill that would properly fund SEPTA – allowing it to avoid the regional rail cuts it says will be necessary if its proposed budget isn’t fully funded.

I echo his call -- drastic cuts to SEPTA service are simply not an option we can afford to entertain. The southeast region is an economic engine for the entire commonwealth and a strong functional public transit system is both in the short- and long-term interests of this region.

SEPTA is a critical piece of our economic infrastructure that supports jobs, tourism, and accessibility. Undermining this system would lead to a ripple effect of harm, stifling growth and taking our transportation system backwards at time we should be investing in sustainable, forward-thinking solutions. See below for the public hearing schedule on the issue.

Eid celebration with Desis of Doylestown

Eid ul-Fitr is an annual celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. While most people associate Ramadan with fasting, it is equally about the importance of community and service. I had a great time joining the Desis of Doylestown at the Pearl S. Buck House for great food, great company, and an impressive Henna treatment!

The Desis does so much to generate cultural awareness; its members are welcoming & warm and the events are always entertaining and enlightening.

PennAEYC Annual Child Advocacy Breakfast

I took in the latest developments in the commonwealth’s early childhood education landscape at the Advocacy Breakfast held by the Bucks County Chapter of the PA Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC), an annual event that brings together legislators, providers, and advocates to discuss the challenges facing parents and educators of young children.

I ran into Dawn Stear, owner of First Friends Child Care Center, a PA Keystone STARS level 4 facility located in New Britain that I visited in 2023!

Dawn is a constituent of my friend state

Rep. Brian Munroe, whose staffer Ryan Leighton is pictured here with us.

Cleaning up the canal!

We were lucky to have a beautiful spring day for our canal clean-up day in New Hope – the latest organized by the Friends of the Delaware Canal. It was great to see so many friendly faces, including New Hope Councilwoman Michelle Becci!

Many of our neighbors donate their time to the community work it takes to make this area exceptional – I know I will never take for granted their dedication to the common good.

Thank you for the work you all do to make the canal such a treasure.

Visiting with members of the New Hope Legion

I stopped at the American Legion Edgar H. Denson Post 79 in New Hope recently to speak with its members about my proposed bills to help veterans receive free death certificates and better treatment for post-traumatic stress-related conditions (such as PTSI and PTSD).

We talked about a number of other issues, including outdated benefit statutes, current appropriations for veterans, and a reoccurring issue in our area: many local veterans’ inability to receive any benefits because of means testing, so I co-sponsored a bill that would update some of these benefit programs.

I also was lucky to hear stories about their service from folks who are now retired. It is always an honor to be in this good company.

On May 24, the New Hope Legion will partner with local Scout troops to place flags on the graves of our deceased veterans, taking the opportunity to remember how they gave us everything.

Visiting the Bucks County 911 Communications Center

Bucks County runs one of the best 911 systems in PA; just last year it won top awards for its performance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council. Key to its success is that the Bucks County 911 Communications Center coordinates emergency dispatching – police, fire, and EMS – for the entire county, resulting in more efficient, coordinated, and quicker first responses for residents.

Kelly from my team visited the center in my place (I was in Pittsburgh for PA House Labor & Industry Committee meetings) for its open house in honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week. She and Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, other Bucks County state representatives, and members of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s team joined dispatchers for a picnic and tour of the center, leaving them with a better understanding of how dispatchers coordinate among each other and with first responders.

I’m very grateful to these skilled professionals for their vital work keeping Bucks County safe!

Policy talk with members of LWC Bucks

The League of Women Voters of Bucks County represent citizenship at its best.... active, informed, engaged citizens undertaking the essential duties that make our essential rights as Americans possible.

I met recently with a conscientious group of constituents representing LWC Bucks to talk about state policy, covering issues from redistricting reform to the impact of entertainment news, which gives the sensation of active citizenship without any true community engagement.

We also discussed my work to prioritize civics education in K-12 schools, and to encourage schools to bring their middle schoolers on field trips to visit the state Capitol.