In this update:

• Fighting food insecurity
• Thanksgiving hours
• CROWN Act headed to governor

• New community project funding
• Will PA legalize cannabis in 2026?
• District events – and more! 

As co-chair of the Legislative Hunger Caucus, I worked hard to pass a new state budget that invests more money to help feed hungry PA residents and their families. But even as SNAP benefits have resumed in full, so many in our commonwealth continue to live under the specter of food insecurity.

Join me and state Rep. Abigail Salisbury for a Blue Plate Special benefiting Hunger-Free Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Bricklayers Union Hall, 100 Kingston Dr., Pittsburgh. There is a fee for this event. For details, please visit Hunger-Free Pennsylvania here.

Wishing everyone a happy and warm Thanksgiving from my office! Please note that my office will be closed on Wednesday, November 26 through Friday, November 28 for the holiday. We’ll reopen on Monday, December 1.

Yesterday, the state Senate passed the PA CROWN Act, sending this historic House bill to ban discrimination based on hair and hairstyles to the governor’s desk. Congratulations to my colleagues House Speaker Joanna McClinton and state Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes for leading the effort to banish this insidious form of discrimination here in the commonwealth.

Once signed by Gov. Shapiro, the CROWN Act will go to work breaking down more barriers to opportunity for Black Pennsylvanians. You can read more here.

In the House this week, we passed legislation that would:

• Expand housing opportunities by barring landlords from denying a tenant’s application based on a drug conviction that is older than seven years. Landlords would also be required to perform individualized assessments of applicants with convictions under seven years old to consider the unique circumstances of the conviction rather than summarily rejecting applicants.

• Provide emergency grants to grandparents caring for grandchildren while the parents are receiving treatment for an opioid use disorder.
• Allow heirs to more easily claim property of deceased family members held by the Commonwealth.
• Require physicians to take one hour of continuing medical education (CME) credits on nutrition each two-year licensing period.
• Provide more robust education about the Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) Program – which provides a full spectrum of in-home medical/supportive services to individuals 55+.
• Require insurance companies to cover diagnostic breast examinations as well as more than one supplemental breast screening.
• Help land banks make productive use of abandoned properties.

Visit this page to read more about these bills and other news from the state Capitol.

At a news conference with Zonta Club of Harrisburg-Hershey on Monday, we talked about the intersection of food insecurity and violence against women.

Food insecurity isn’t a red or blue issue, and it isn’t an urban or rural or suburban one. It’s everywhere – in every corner of our Commonwealth. And despite the fact that our state is an agricultural powerhouse located in the richest nation in the history of the world, hunger in PA continues to grow, fueled by federal-level cuts and policies. I spoke about how we can join forces to fight back – for vulnerable women attempting to escape abuse and every other food insecure American.

I’m always thrilled to see new investments in the well-being of our community! From supporting access to lifesaving nutrition at the milk bank, to improving local infrastructure, these dollars will make a real and lasting difference, and I’m proud to have helped secure this funding.

You can see a list of state grant programs accepting applications on my website and contact my office to learn more.

 “We need to increase our revenue, and nobody is terribly interested in trying to increase taxes, so we have to get creative and come up with other ways of bringing in revenue,” Kinkead said.

While Pennsylvania will not be legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2025, there’s still hope that we can get it done in 2026. Read more about discussions between state leaders around cannabis legalization here.

Learn more about my bipartisan legislation to legalize recreational cannabis (H.B. 20) here.

North Hills Community Outreach is looking for volunteers to help with shuttle driving seniors, stocking their food pantry, and more.

To learn more, email volunteer@nhco.org or visit nhco.org/volunteer.

Light Up Bellevue is happening from 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 6. Get the details here.

The North Hills High School Student Council and Hands for Service clubs are teaming up to host a Cookie Walk fundraiser to benefit North Hills Cares on Thursday, Dec. 11. Cookies will be available for just $10 per dozen. The clubs are currently seeking cookie and candy donations for the event Learn more here.

The 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show is happening from January 10 – 17. There’s still time to enter the Farm Show’s National Anthem Singing Contest. Submit your performance before November 24.

Rep. Dan Miller will be sworn in as Judge Miller in January 2026, but the 13th Annual Disability & Mental Health Summit – a free, one-of-a-kind event that brings hundreds of people and participating organizations together – will still be happening on Thursday, May 7, 2026. I am proud to co-chair the event with Rep. Jessica Benham. We invite organizations in the disability and mental health spaces to apply to be an exhibitor. Visit disabilitysummit.com to get more details.

If you have questions about anything in 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