Terrific town hall; remembrance and gratitude; student talent; distracted driving law

Terrific town hall; remembrance and gratitude; student talent; distracted driving law – and more!

Rep. Arvind Venkat May 30, 2025

Community Comes Out for Excellent Town Hall Meeting

We had a wonderful showing for our community town hall Thursday night. Engaged residents asked excellent questions and shared ideas as we discussed:

The recent storms and PUC’s investigation of the utility companies’ response.
How the bill the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed would drastically cut funding for Medicaid and create problems for the state budget.
The importance of education funding.
Concerns over cuts to medical research and the effect on our regional industry.
The impact of immigration on our region.

I also updated residents on the House’s passage of my bills to improve food allergy safety, ensure patients are better informed about hospital-based financial aid, protect consumers from unfair financial fees, better educate the public about opioid overdose information, and extend military family education benefits.

If you were unable to attend the town hall, please remember that my door is always open. Contact us or stop by to share your thoughts, concerns, and priorities for our community in the year ahead.

Remembrance and Gratitude

Veena and I attended beautiful and moving Memorial Day ceremonies in Hampton Township and the Avonworth Community, including Ohio and Kilbuck townships and Emsworth, Ben Avon, and Ben Avon Heights boroughs. It was a day filled with remembrance and gratitude.

Distracted Driving Law Takes Effect on Thursday, June 5

On June 5, law enforcement will start pulling over drivers using hand-held mobile devices while operating a vehicle – even if you’re paused in traffic or stopped at a red light. Paul Miller’s Law protects us all from distracted driving – put down the phone and keep your eyes on the road! You can learn more about the law here.

Local Students Shine in Sports, Academia, and the Arts

Congratulations to the North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball team, above left, who defeated Seneca Valley 3-1 to become WPIAL Champions. (Visit the NA Volleyball page here to see the original post and read more.) Kudos, as well, to North Allegheny sophomore Advaita Sircar, above right, for winning the silver medal in the 3A boys tennis singles. (Visit the PIAA page here to view the original post and read more.)

Congrats to North Allegheny champions Isabella Costa, Jack Bertram, and Lindsay Breneman, above, who all medaled at the PIAA Track and Field championships. (You can read more here.) And kudos to the WPIAL Class 4A Softball Champions, the Hampton Talbots, below. (Visit this page to read more.)

In academics, congratulations to all the North Allegheny students who won honors at the PA Junior Academy of Science state competition on Monday, May 19, at Penn State University. The Tigers, below, demonstrated excellence in biology, biochemistry, microbiology computer science, and other subjects. Visit North Allegheny School District’s post here to read more and see a full list of winners.

Local students also made their mark in the arts, by capturing awards at Pittsburgh CLO’s Gene Kelly Awards for excellence in high school musical theater. Congratulations to Harmony Karwoski of Avonworth High School, below, for winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in the school’s production of Sweeney Todd: School Edition.

Avonworth High School picked up multiple awards for Sweeney Todd, while Hampton High School won multiple honors for its production of Hadestown: Teen Edition. Visit this page to read more.

Around the District

Earlier this week, I was proud to join PA House Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton, Majority Whip Rep. Mike Schlossberg, and colleagues from the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation for a tour of the Hampton Township-based PPG Innovation Center. Scientific innovation is a critical part of our regional economy, and it’s great to see some of this cutting-edge work happening right here in our community.

My family and I had a wonderful time at the Festival at St. Ursula in Hampton Township! The festival is going on through Saturday, May 31, and I urge everyone to stop by!

I also joined elected officials and staff at the ribbon-cutting for Highmark Wholecare’s Connection Center. With growing threats to Medicaid services, healthcare resources like the center are more important than ever.

Farmers Market Vouchers distribution date postponed

Please be aware that the June 10 distribution date for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers has been postponed. A new date will be announced once vouchers are received from the Dept. of Agriculture.

Finding Funding and Help with State Services

This is a reminder that the state has a handy tool to help search for grants. Visit this page to search, or this page for a list of all the latest programs.

Please remember that my talented staff can help you with a variety of state-related matters, from filing for a Property Tax/Rent Rebate to obtaining a disability placard or senior bus pass – to name just a few. Contact us or stop by to see how we can help!

You can read my e-newsletter in a way that’s preferable to you by visiting my legislative website here and clicking on the accessibility icon in the lower right corner.