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In this Update:
Armstrong County Ribbon Cutting
Congratulations to Klingensmiths Drug Stores on the ribbon cutting for their new location in Kittanning – West Hills. The new location replaces 2 former stores and is located near Armstrong County Memorial Hospital. It offers a convenient drive-thru and an easily accessible parking lot. Klingensmith’s has been a fixture in Kittanning since the early 1970’s when it expanded from its founding location of Ford City under new ownership of Joe Cippel. Best wishes for continued success! America250 PA Kick Off Celebrations
My staff and I were proud to join local officials and many community members in Armstrong & Indiana Counties for America250 PA kick-off events. It was great to hear about planned activities for the months ahead of this historic celebration! Events are being held in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania as an opportunity to engage ALL Pennsylvanians in sharing the meaningful history of our Commonwealth and the integral role it played in the founding of the United States. As we recognize the rich history of our nation, it is greatly important we continue our work to uphold the promise of the American Dream for generations to come. PA Lions Award
I was deeply honored and humbled to receive the Carl Shoemaker Fellowship Award from the Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge Camp. The award was presented to me by Lion and constituent, Tom Toland during a visit to my New Kensington District Office. The Carl Shoemaker Fellowship was established in 2014 in memory of Mr. Shoemaker, an inspirational blind gentleman & Lion who recognized the need for a recreational camp for the blind in Pennsylvania. Beacon Lodge Camp became a reality in 1948 and since that time has expanded to empower children, adults, and veterans living with diverse disabilities through adaptive recreation. To learn more about this amazing camp and their facilities, check out their page: PA Lions Beacon Lodge Camp! February is Career and Technical Education Month
I enjoyed visiting Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center for a tour and conversation with teachers, students, and administrators, about the 13 programs available to students! The educational opportunities NWCTC offers are quite impressive and relevant to the needs of the workforce in our region.
Career and Technical Education Programs play a critical role in preparing students for high-demand careers by combining academic knowledge with practical hands-on experience, industry credentials, and real world skills, which are so important for workforce readiness. It was wonderful to see so much passion for learning while at NWCTC. Thank you for such an informative tour!
Key Points from This Week’s Senate Budget Hearings
Efforts to trim the governor’s $53.3 billion proposed state budget – which would spend $2.7 billion (5.4%) more than the current budget – got underway this week with Senate budget hearings. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee focused on containing the growing cost of Medicaid and other entitlement programs and how to identify and eliminate fraud during the hearing with the Department of Human Services, the highest-spending agency in the state budget. The department requests a 6.6% increase for 2026-27. The committee also questioned officials from the Department of General Services (DGS) and the Pennsylvania State Police about missing revenue, funding projections, cracking down on new, more sophisticated fake IDs and more. DGS seeks an 11.8% spending increase for 2026-27 and the State Police’s proposed budget is more than 9% higher than the current fiscal year. You can go here to find recaps of every budget hearing, plus video and a schedule of remaining hearings, which run through March 5. Hearing Explores Ideas to Combat State Housing Crisis
Efforts to make housing more attainable for working families were reviewed during a Senate hearing with local government officials, housing advocates, builders and developers. The Senate Majority Policy Committee heard how housing shortages drive up costs for Pennsylvanian families and stall economic growth. Among the solutions explored were infrastructure partnership programs to help lower upfront development costs, state tax credits, development incentives and bond financing specifically targeted to middle-income housing development, and more. Forming a robust strategy to increase housing supply, lower costs and stimulate economic activity is a key focus for the Senate this year. Video of the full hearing and written testimony can be viewed here. Share Your Thoughts with the Highway Safety Survey
Pennsylvania motorists have until Saturday to provide input on traffic safety and driving behaviors through an anonymous online survey. The aim is to understand attitudes on state Department of Transportation safety measures and reduce crashes and fatalities. The survey takes about five minutes to complete. The number of people who lost their lives on Pennsylvania highways decreased to 1,127 in 2024, the second lowest since record keeping began in 1928. While 2025 fatality data is not yet complete, preliminary numbers indicate crash fatalities have again decreased. Record-Breaking Unclaimed Property Returns to PA Residents
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced that the Pennsylvania Treasury Department returned more unclaimed property in 2025 than ever before: $334.1 million. Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, abandoned stocks, uncashed checks, and more. Property is always available for the rightful owner to claim. Tangible property – often the contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes – may be auctioned after three years, but proceeds remain available to claim perpetuity. Among the reasons for the record property returns was the General Assembly’s passage of a law that allows Treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500. In the program’s first year, nearly $50 million was returned this way. To see if any unclaimed property is available for you, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property. Saturday is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
School bus drivers play a critical role in the safety and well-being of students, but shortages of these vital workers can disrupt schedules and learning. Thank you to all the men and women performing this critical task in our area. Individuals interested in becoming a school bus driver can visit the commonwealth’s Become a School Bus Driver webpage or the School Bus Hero website to learn more.
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