Dear Neighbor,

For many of us, this week kicks off the official start of the holiday season. My family and I wish you a joyful holiday, filled with friends, family, food, and peace. I know for many people this has been a difficult year, so I hope you can find some time in this busy holiday period to reflect on the things that have made this year special.

A tradition in my house is to go around the table and share some of the things that we’re thankful for. This year, for me that has been family, friends, good health, and the countless blessings that come from doing meaningful and impactful work on behalf of our community. Thank you for that opportunity and that privilege. Please read below to see more of the wonderful events taking place in our district.

My office has been partnering with the YMCA’s Anti-Hunger Program for fall food drives, and I have been absolutely blown away (once again) by the generosity of folks in our community. So many of you have donated money, food, and time, and each and every contribution is invaluable.

This week, we’ve helped distribute more than 600 Thanksgiving Blessing Boxes to folks across Centre County to help ensure that none of our neighbors go hungry this holiday.

We’ll again be working with the Y on more Blessing Boxes in December. We’ll have more information soon on how to sign up for a Winter Blessings Box, and ways to donate!

Friday also marks the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. As you plan your holiday shopping lists, I encourage you to join me in shopping locally and supporting small and independent businesses throughout Centre County.

There are also a wide variety of holiday markets that open right after Thanksgiving, where business owners and artists showcase their crafts, and you can even hear the stories behind your favorite gifts.

Let’s keep our dollars invested locally and support our neighbors while we cross items off our shopping gift lists.

As we look back on this year, I am filled with a deep appreciation for my talented and hard-working team. Their dedication makes an incredible difference in the lives of people across Centre County. 

If you haven’t already done so, please come by our office and say hi in person! We are always thrilled to have constituents stop by for a quick visit or to get help with state-related issues. And while you’re here, we can check to see if you have any unclaimed property with the state. If so, you can consider it a holiday bonus!

I’ve heard from many folks disappointed that PA’s effort to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was dropped as a precondition to final passage of the 2025-26 state budget. I share your frustration, but please know that we will not allow the intransigence and shortsightedness of Republican Senate Leadership to hold our future hostage forever. 

The reality is that RGGI was never enacted in Pennsylvania and has been tied up in state court since Day 1. It has never generated a single penny, stopped any carbon emissions, or had the chance to benefit PA consumers. Nevertheless, RGGI was the No. 1 demand of Senate Republicans to finally resolve the budget stalemate – the one that they themselves created. The final state budget that passed earlier this month is balanced, responsible, and does a tremendous amount of good for the people and communities of PA, including increases in education funding, the much-needed expansion of hunger and medical assistance programs; support for working families, children, and seniors; and more. But it was a compromise and required tough decisions by House Leadership and Governor Josh Shapiro. 

Please know that my commitment to taking real action to address climate change, support the transition to a more prosperous and healthy green energy economy, and bring down energy costs is undiminished.  Meaningful and substantial legislative efforts are underway. They include the Governor’s proposed “Lightning Plan” bill package, which I fully support, as well as my own efforts to develop and pass a groundbreaking and bipartisan clean-fuels standard for PA. My House Bill 2063 would reduce total life-cycle carbon emissions from transportation and home heating fuels by 15% over the next ten years and would be the first of its kind to be enacted through a bipartisan state legislature and represent a model for other states to deliver on clean energy goals.

All of these critical pieces of legislation give us the opportunity to diversify PA’s energy portfolio, attract critical public and private investment, and power the transition to a more prosperous, clean energy economy.  

To learn more, please reach out to my office.

My office will be closed to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday from November 26th-November 28th, reopening on Monday, December 1st.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns at RepTakac@pahouse.net or by calling our office at 814-308-0569, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. As always, thank you for your continued trust and support.

And please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky to find out more about what we’re up to and our upcoming events in the community!

District Office

216 W. Hamilton Ave.
State College, PA 16801

(814) 308-0569

Pennsylvania State Capitol

103-B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 772-0750