In this update:

• Share Your Input on Gas Rate Increases
• Paul Miller’s Law
• Nominate Youth for Justice Awards

• Grow Pittsburgh Events
• Job Opportunities & Resources
• And so much more!

Starting June 5, 2025, Pennsylvania's distracted driving law, known as Paul Miller’s Law, goes into effect. Prohibiting drivers from using interactive mobile devices while operating a vehicle, even when stopped at traffic lights, this law aims to keep Pennsylvanians safe on the roadways by reducing distracted driving incidents.

Here’s what you need to know:

• What's banned: Holding or supporting a phone or other device with any part of your body while driving. This includes texting, browsing, or dialing unless it's a single-button press.
• What's allowed: Using hands-free technology like Bluetooth or dashboard mounts for calls, navigation, or music. Emergency calls to 911 are also permitted.
• Enforcement: For the first year, violations will result in written warnings. Starting June 5, 2026, a first offense will carry a $50 fine, plus court costs and fees.

For more details, visit PennDOT's Distracted Driving page.

It was great to participate in the ribbon-cutting for the new Highmark Wholecare Connection Center at Suburban General last week. With the ongoing threats to slash Medicaid funding, it’s important that we make efforts to expand resources like this that are helping people in our community get connected to Medicaid and other services, whether they use Highmark or not.

I had so much fun meeting students at the Manchester Bidwell Block Party last week and learning more about the fantastic educational opportunities made possible by the Manchester Bidwell Corporation. I especially enjoyed sampling some of the work from their culinary program!

I encourage all Columbia Gas customers to participate in these public hearings next week on a proposed rate increase!

On March 20, 2025, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. asked the Public Utility Commission (PUC) for authorization to increase gas distribution rates for its customers. If the PUC grants the requested rate increase, Columbia could collect an additional $110.5 million, or 12.0%, more per year, from its gas distribution customers.

How would Columbia’s rate increase impact customers? If the company’s request is approved as proposed:

• The residential fixed customer charge, a charge paid no matter how much or little a consumer uses, would increase by $14.72, from $17.25 to $31.97, an 85.3% increase.

• The total bill for a residential customer purchasing 70 therms per month would see a monthly increase from $138.52 to $154.29, an 11.4% increase. The increase to residential bills is on a distribution-only basis (meaning that the cost of the natural gas is excluded). The increase you will see will depend on how much natural gas your household uses.

• Columbia proposes to permanently use a decoupling ratemaking mechanism called the Revenue Normalization Adjustment (RNA), to guarantee its collection of an authorized revenue amount when consumers use less natural gas.

• Columbia proposes to permanently use its Weather Normalization Adjustment (WNA) to normalize weather sensitive usage by customers between October and May. The WNA is intended to guarantee its collection of an authorized revenue amount when consumers use less natural gas during these months when it is warmer than normal.

Learn how to participate and get more details on the hearings here.

At this year’s James E. Anderson Pennsylvania Conference on Juvenile Justice, the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission is sponsoring a Youth Awards Program to honor youth selected as winners of the Creative Expression Contest and recipients of the Outstanding Achievement Award.

This year’s theme is “Healing My Past to Impact Our Future” and they are now accepting nominations:

• Creative Expression Contest – Using the theme “Healing My Past to Impact Our Future” youth are to submit an original creative expression project in one of the following three categories: Poster, Written (essay, poem, story, etc.), or Mixed Media (dance, song, audio, video, or photography). This contest has an age 15 and under category, and an age 16 and over category. Click here to download the nomination form.

• Outstanding Achievement Award – Consists of a narrative description of a youth’s outstanding qualities of community service, victim reparation, academic accomplishments, school attendance, citizenship, attitude, extra-curricular activities, peer relationships, significant life experience, and positive changes in behavior. Click here to download the nomination form.

All Youth Award Nominations must be postmarked no later than July 28th, 2025.

More details are available here.

For awards questions, please contact Angel Stewart at angstewart@pa.gov or Keysla Rodriguez at keyrodrigu@pa.gov. 

Grow Pittsburgh is hosting a wealth of gardening events this summer—seedling sales, farm stands, educational workshops, and their 20th Anniversary Celebration in August! Check out their website to see their summer programming calendar.

This Saturday they are partnering with the Allegheny County Conservation District for a free soil lead screening at Wilmerding Park! Soil will be screened on-site, and attendees will have the opportunity to connect with local organizations during a resource fair with family-friendly activities, giveaways, and more.

Get more information here.

Interested in learning more about state grant opportunities? Check out my website to see a list of grant programs currently accepting applications. My team and I are here to help you with the grant application process and can write a letter of support – contact my office for assistance.

The state Department of Transportation is actively looking to hire for full-time positions in our area for positions including Tunnel Maintainers, Equipment Operators, Diesel Mechanics, and more.

Apply today – click here to see PennDOT job openings in our region.

Remember, there are additional employment resources available on my website.

If you have any questions or need assistance with any state-related matter, my staff and I are here to help! Reach out at RepKinkead@pahouse.net or call 412-321-5523.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

116-B East Wing

Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-5470

District Office

658 Lincoln Ave.

Bellevue, PA 15202
(412) 321-5523