Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

June 20, 2025

Public Transportation Spending Bill Misses Several Marks

Recently, I voted against legislation that continues to look past the needs of communities such as ours and because of the timeliness of the proposal in relation to the budget process. House Bill 1364 proposes to significantly shortchange residents in Westmoreland and other rural counties related to funding for public transportation.

A review of the current appropriations for public transportation reveals that currently, roughly 85% of funds go to systems in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Currently, 8.6% of all Sales and Use Tax collections are earmarked for mass transit. Last year, that equated to $1.21 billion. House Bill 1364 would add an additional $293 million to the formula, raising that number to more than $1.5 billion.

This is not to say that I oppose a healthy and thriving public transportation system. But the numbers have to make sense. The investment should do better to prioritize public transportation needs in rural communities as well.

Also, the consideration of House Bill 1364 was very poorly timed.

At the time of this column being drafted, Pennsylvania is less than two weeks away from the legal deadline to pass a budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. However, the majority party has yet to put forward an appropriations bill with an overall expense amount.

As responsible consumers, we wouldn’t even consider signing a loan for a new car based on income from a job that we have yet to be offered, right? How could I vote in favor of a proposal to spend an additional nearly $300 million of taxpayers’ dollars without knowing what our budget will be?

House Bill 1364 passed 107-96 and has moved to the Senate.

Some work in Harrisburg is helpful to residents in the 55th Legislative District, but unfortunately this proposal is not. Nevertheless, it is important that we remember the simple rules of civility and citizenship.

It pains me that I draft the following words for the third time in three years, the first two being after attacks on President Donald Trump and on Gov. Josh Shapiro, both of which occurred right here in Pennsylvania. 

My heart aches for the families of the two lawmakers who were shot in Minnesota recently, one of whom died, along with her husband. Regardless of political ideology, we must never act out of hatred. The beautiful part of our founding fathers’ work is that it guarantees all Americans the right to express themselves. Acts of political violence only stand to chip away at that very right.

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.

Celebrating PA Dairy - June is Dairy Month in Pennsylvania, the perfect time to enjoy an extra dish of ice cream or yogurt, another piece of cheese, or a tall glass of milk!

The dairy industry is a major part of our state’s agriculture economy, providing economic value to the tune of $14.7 billion annually and over 52,000 jobs.

If you’d like to support Pennsylvania dairy, be sure to check the milk you purchase at the grocery store and look for the PA Preferred logo or milk with a plant code beginning with “42.” Plant codes are usually printed near the top of the container or on the lid, or sometimes they’re printed right on the label. The first, and most important, part of the code will always be two numbers (between 01 and 56). This identifies the state where the milk was processed. Pennsylvania’s magic number is 42!

Learn more about the state’s dairy industry at ChoosePADairy.com. 

Hunting Licenses on Sale Monday - General hunting and trapping licenses for the 2025-26 season will be on sale starting Monday, June 23. Single-use antlerless licenses are on sale for all wildlife management units (WMU) and are guaranteed to PA residents in all WMUs through Sunday, July 13. 

Starting Monday, July 14, nonresidents will have the opportunity to purchase unsold antlerless licenses on a first-come, first-served basis. Two weeks later, on Monday, July 28, sales of unsold antlerless licenses are open to both residents and nonresidents on a first-come, first served basis. Hunters are eligible to hold up to six antlerless licenses total, except in WMUs 5C and 5D which allow for up to nine more antlerless licenses per hunter – totaling no more than 15 antlerless licenses. Permits for the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) will be available starting Monday, Aug. 11. 

Licenses are available for purchase in person at license issuing agents or online at huntfish.pa.gov.  

Visit pgc.pa.gov for more information about hunting in the Commonwealth.