Recent News
E-news Updates – December 1, 2023
In this Update: Seward Generating Station Tour PSATS โCoffee & The Capitolโ Interview ‘Trees For Troops’ This Saturday Town Hall Meeting in Fairfield Township New Law Makes It Easier for Students of Military Families to Enroll in School Bill to Punish Looters Wins Bipartisan Senate Approval Babies Receive Life-Saving Care with New Law High Schoolers: […] [Read More]
E-news Updates – November 22, 2023
In this Update: Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving Gov. Shapiroโs RGGI Appeal is a Misguided Approach Indiana County Visit to Harrisburg Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance Meeting โItโs A Wonderful Lifeโ Festival and Holiday Parade Playing Santa? Shop Small on Saturday Healthy, Free Food Available to Low-Income Seniors Preparing Pennsylvanians of All Ages for Career Success […] [Read More]
Shapiroโs RGGI Appeal is a Misguided Approach
Today, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) issued the following statement on Gov. Josh Shapiroโs decision to appeal the Commonwealth Courtโs ruling that entrance by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and state Environmental Quality Board (EQB) into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) without legislative approval violates the Pennsylvania Constitution. [Read More]
E-news Updates – November 17, 2023
In this Update: Senate Advances Key Education, School Safety Budget Priorities Veterans Program at Penns Manor High School Tubmill Creek Watershed Visit Pennsylvania Senate Guest Chaplains Veterans Breakfast in Punxsutawney Funding for State-Related Universities Approved by Senate Tax Revenues and PIT Collections Above Monthly Estimate Loans Available for Businesses Creating and Retaining Jobs Protect Yourself […] [Read More]
Connect With Us
Respecting #taxpayers and working to achieve fiscal responsibility for our state have always been a primary focus for the @pasenategop.
We have fought, and we will continue to fight, to keep spending under control here in #Pennsylvania and to plan for the future.

Respecting #taxpayers and working to achieve fiscal responsibility for our state have always been a primary focus for the @pasenategop.
We have fought, and we will continue to fight, to keep spending under control here in #Pennsylvania and to plan for the future.
I recently had a chance to join colleagues from the Senate and House, as well as Acting Secretary, Jessica Shirley and other officials from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to tour the Seward Generating Station. The legislators in attendance were PA State Rep. Jim Struzzi, Senator Cris Dush, Senator Pat Stefano, PA State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, PA State Rep. Dallas Kephart, PA State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar, PA State Rep. Donna Oberlander, and PA State Rep. Brian Smith.
This power plant in southern Indiana County produces electricity by burning refuse coal, many times piled on the outskirts of our mining towns. I appreciated the opportunity to see how the plant operates, as well as the work they are doing with cleaning up old refuse piles and local waterways, like Blacklick Creek. Thanks to the Kroh family for hosting us as well as everyone that joined in on this informative event.

I recently had a chance to join colleagues from the Senate and House, as well as Acting Secretary, Jessica Shirley and other officials from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to tour the Seward Generating Station. The legislators in attendance were PA State Rep. Jim Struzzi, Senator Cris Dush, Senator Pat Stefano, PA State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, PA State Rep. Dallas Kephart, PA State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar, PA State Rep. Donna Oberlander, and PA State Rep. Brian Smith.
This power plant in southern Indiana County produces electricity by burning refuse coal, many times piled on the outskirts of our mining towns. I appreciated the opportunity to see how the plant operates, as well as the work they are doing with cleaning up old refuse piles and local waterways, like Blacklick Creek. Thanks to the Kroh family for hosting us as well as everyone that joined in on this informative event.
Thank you to all who participated in my Town Hall meeting in Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County. I greatly valued hearing concerns and thoughts on various issues that are impacting our local communities and state government. The opportunity to have a discussion like this, offers an important perspective as we work together to strengthen Pennsylvania.
A special thanks to Fairfield Township Volunteer Fire Company #1 for the hospitality and use of their facility.

Thank you to all who participated in my Town Hall meeting in Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County. I greatly valued hearing concerns and thoughts on various issues that are impacting our local communities and state government. The opportunity to have a discussion like this, offers an important perspective as we work together to strengthen Pennsylvania.
A special thanks to Fairfield Township Volunteer Fire Company #1 for the hospitality and use of their facility.
โ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐โ ๐
๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐
Philadelphia Street was bustling with activity last Friday night for the festival and holiday parade in downtown Indiana! Beautiful Christmas tree decorations and lights adorned lampposts, buildings, and storefronts.
Thank you to The Lucy Donnelly Memorial Fund and Indiana County Tourist Bureau for working to make this evening such a success. It was great to see so many folks take part in this annual tradition unlike any other!

โ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐โ ๐
๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐
Philadelphia Street was bustling with activity last Friday night for the festival and holiday parade in downtown Indiana! Beautiful Christmas tree decorations and lights adorned lampposts, buildings, and storefronts.
Thank you to The Lucy Donnelly Memorial Fund and Indiana County Tourist Bureau for working to make this evening such a success. It was great to see so many folks take part in this annual tradition unlike any other!
I appreciated being invited to speak at the Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance (PMHA) Board Retreat recently held at IUPโs Sutton Hall.
PMHA is a group of fifteen facilities that banded together in 1996 with a goal of working towards efficiencies to enable hospitals to improve their operations and maintain some independence. The current group includes thirty senior leaders from regional hospitals and medical centers.
I commend PMHA for their efforts and support of rural healthcare. Working together we can help to increase access to quality healthcare throughout all our rural communities!

I appreciated being invited to speak at the Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance (PMHA) Board Retreat recently held at IUPโs Sutton Hall.
PMHA is a group of fifteen facilities that banded together in 1996 with a goal of working towards efficiencies to enable hospitals to improve their operations and maintain some independence. The current group includes thirty senior leaders from regional hospitals and medical centers.
I commend PMHA for their efforts and support of rural healthcare. Working together we can help to increase access to quality healthcare throughout all our rural communities!
A delegation of representatives from the Indiana County Center for Economic Operations recently made a trip to the Capitol to meet with various state departments, associations and legislators. Making the day trip and pictured with me below (from L to R) were:
๐นNicholas Schmidt, Assoc. Director, Indiana County Office of Planning & Development
๐นLaura Herrington, Executive Director, Indiana County Tourist Bureau
๐นMark Hilliard, President of Indiana County Chamber of Commerce
๐นByron Staffer, Director, Indiana County Office of Planning & Development
One of the goals was to promote Indiana County as a great location to host conferences, workshops etc. It was a pleasure to host this group of folks in Harrisburg as they endorsed the economic advantages and strengths of Indiana County.

A delegation of representatives from the Indiana County Center for Economic Operations recently made a trip to the Capitol to meet with various state departments, associations and legislators. Making the day trip and pictured with me below (from L to R) were:
๐นNicholas Schmidt, Assoc. Director, Indiana County Office of Planning & Development
๐นLaura Herrington, Executive Director, Indiana County Tourist Bureau
๐นMark Hilliard, President of Indiana County Chamber of Commerce
๐นByron Staffer, Director, Indiana County Office of Planning & Development
One of the goals was to promote Indiana County as a great location to host conferences, workshops etc. It was a pleasure to host this group of folks in Harrisburg as they endorsed the economic advantages and strengths of Indiana County.
#PASenate ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ & ๐
๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐-๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ โ๏ธ
This week the #PASenate voted overwhelmingly to support funding and additional transparency for Pennsylvaniaโs state-related universities. These bills were signed into law on Thursday.
Under House Bill 1461, general support for Penn State, University of Pittsburgh and Temple University remain at the previous yearโs levels. Lincoln University of PA and Pennsylvania College of Technology will receive increases of more than $3.2 million.
In addition, the Senate approved House Bill 1556, which requires greater transparency from state-related universities. The bill ensures the institutions provide additional information in annual Right-to-Know Law filings, including information related to contracts, financial statements, faculty, compensation, enrollment, courses and meeting minutes.
According to existing law, funding in the bill is directed to provide tuition discounts for in-state students, and universities are required to meet strict financial reporting requirements as a condition of receiving the money. The leaders of the state-related universities support the funding bill.

#PASenate ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ & ๐
๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐-๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ โ๏ธ
This week the #PASenate voted overwhelmingly to support funding and additional transparency for Pennsylvaniaโs state-related universities. These bills were signed into law on Thursday.
Under House Bill 1461, general support for Penn State, University of Pittsburgh and Temple University remain at the previous yearโs levels. Lincoln University of PA and Pennsylvania College of Technology will receive increases of more than $3.2 million.
In addition, the Senate approved House Bill 1556, which requires greater transparency from state-related universities. The bill ensures the institutions provide additional information in annual Right-to-Know Law filings, including information related to contracts, financial statements, faculty, compensation, enrollment, courses and meeting minutes.
According to existing law, funding in the bill is directed to provide tuition discounts for in-state students, and universities are required to meet strict financial reporting requirements as a condition of receiving the money. The leaders of the state-related universities support the funding bill.
PA State Rep. Brian Smith and I had the great honor and pleasure to host a veterans breakfast at the VFW Post 2076 last week. This was a small token of our thanks and appreciation for the many sacrifices veterans have made while valiantly serving our country. Thank you to all who attended โ we enjoyed spending the morning with you!

PA State Rep. Brian Smith and I had the great honor and pleasure to host a veterans breakfast at the VFW Post 2076 last week. This was a small token of our thanks and appreciation for the many sacrifices veterans have made while valiantly serving our country. Thank you to all who attended โ we enjoyed spending the morning with you!

