In this update:

• The 25th State to Legalize It?
• Join Me Saturday for Free Paper Shredding
• Defending Health Care

• Reentry Resource and Career Fair
• Verify Your Voter Registration
• And so much more!

Shred your documents for free with me and Sen. Lindsey Williams this Saturday in Ross! Destroying documents containing personal data is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from identity theft. Help spread the word to your friends and neighbors:

• When: 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 26
• Where: 225 Cemetery Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
• Limit of 2 boxes or 2 kitchen-size garbage bags
• Do not arrive before 8:30 a.m.

My team and I have held many successful shredding events over the years—it’s one of our favorite ways to connect with people in the community! I hope to see you Saturday.

Please note that my office will be closed the morning of Wednesday, July 30 for a staff training session. We will open at noon, ready to serve you!

I have once again introduced a bipartisan bill to legalize adult-use recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania! It's a comprehensive plan that prioritizes public safety and public health, protects children from exposure, promotes social justice, and fosters economic opportunity.

Pennsylvania legalized medical cannabis nearly a decade ago and the success of our medical program has proven we are capable of regulating cannabis safely and effectively. Popular demand for recreational cannabis is growing every day among Pennsylvanians. Twenty-four other states, including all but one of our neighboring states, have moved forward with legalization, but our Commonwealth continues to cling to a failed criminal statute that destroys lives, wastes taxpayer resources, and shuts us out of a booming, billion-dollar industry. It's far past time.

Pennsylvania should be the 25th state to legalize recreational cannabis.

Check out a story from WTAE on my bill.

Learn about the state legislature’s ongoing policy discussions around cannabis here.

As health care is under attack in Washington, D.C., I want to you to know that PA House Democrats are fighting to protect your health coverage and expand access to care. This year alone, we have passed many bills to help ensure quality and affordable health care for every Pennsylvanian.

Everyone deserves access to health care. Nobody should go broke or be forced to choose between their medical bills and other necessities like groceries, utilities or housing.

 Read about the work we’re doing to defend health care here.

Health care is not the only essential service under fire at the federal level. Food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – also known as food stamps – are on the chopping block, too, thanks to the Trump Administration.

Pennsylvania is already facing a hunger crisis, with recent data showing food insecurity has risen over 40% in our state, and the cuts to SNAP will only make matters worse.

As House chair of the Legislative Hunger Caucus, I have been a loud, consistent advocate for expanding food access in Pennsylvania, long before these draconian cuts were even floated. But now, the need to further invest in food programs at the state level is more dire than ever.

I encourage you to read more about this issue and what the state can do in a recent opinion piece published in the Trib.

Allegheny County Anchored Reentry is hosting its Reentry Resource & Career Fair on Thursday, August 7 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at PA CareerLink’s Allegheny East Office.

Get details and register here.

Election Day will be here before you know it! It only takes a few minutes to ensure you’re registered to vote in the next election. Register to vote, verify your registration status, apply for a mail ballot, and more at vote.pa.gov.

If you have any questions about the contents of this email 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