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Thank you for subscribing to my E-newsletter. I am honored to serve the 36th Senatorial District and look forward to working with you toward building a stronger Pennsylvania. This E-newsletter serves to keep you updated on what is happening throughout Lancaster County and what I am doing as your State Senator in Harrisburg – I hope that you find it helpful! Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please DO NOT reply to this email; instead, please feel free to contact me here.
In this Update:
Emergency Alert Test Scheduled for Oct. 4There will be a national test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at approximately 2:20 p.m. The test is to ensure the systems continue to effectively warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. The EAS portion will be sent to radios and televisions. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11. Lancaster County Youth Win Statewide Art CompetitionWe have so many exceptional and talented young artists in Lancaster County! Both JJ Roach and Malcolm Corley were selected as winners of the Art of the State, an annual juried exhibition that showcases the work of Pennsylvania’s artists at The State Museum of Pennsylvania. JJ’s artwork is currently on display at the museum, and Malcolm’s is preserved in the archives. For more photos from this tour, check out my Instagram page here. Congrats to these two young constituents on this phenomenal achievement! Congratulations to Landisville Child Care FacilityI recently visited Rosaria’s Home Day Care in Landisville. Rosaria was recognized for reaching STAR 4 status – the highest rating in Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS Quality Initiative Child Care Program. She has been providing quality early child care in her home for 26 years. Congratulations! Check out more photos from my visit on my Instagram page here. PA Grange Visits Capitol for 150th AnniversaryCongratulations to the Pennsylvania State Grange on celebrating its 150th anniversary! The Grange is dedicated to the betterment of the American way of life through community service, education, legislation, and fellowship. It was an honor to host two Lancaster County residents who came to the Capitol to celebrate this momentous occasion: Matt Espenshade, the Grange’s 26th master, and Shae Smith, the Grange’s youth ambassador for 2023-24. Matt is a seventh-generation dairy farmer, and Shae is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. For more photos of the celebration, visit my Instagram page here. Manheim Township Junior Shadows Me in HarrisburgIt was a pleasure to host Eyad Gomaa, an exceptional junior at Manheim Township School District, at the State Capitol as my shadow for the day. Eyad attended committee meetings, witnessed a press conference, and sat in on numerous meetings with stakeholders on issues ranging from hunting to agriculture to education. Eyad has a remarkable 4.2 GPA and was elected by his fellow students to represent the class of 2025 as class secretary for three consecutive years. He has also participated in Model United Nations, Mini-THON, and Key Club for years. Penn State Health Lancaster’s Pediatric Center Celebrates First AnniversaryCongrats to the Pediatric Center at Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center on celebrating its one-year anniversary! Since opening its doors last summer, it has expanded access to medical and surgical pediatric services in our community. A special thanks to the staff, providers, and those who help with the day-to-day operations of the facility. You help make Lancaster County a great place to live, work, and raise a family! Fiscal Restraint Means More Good News for PA’s Financial PositionPennsylvania has been upgraded from stable to positive regarding debts issued, according to S&P Global Ratings. The state maintains its A+ rating on its general obligation bonds. S&P highlighted the well-established priority of repaying debts and adding to the Rainy Day Fund as reasons for the improved rating. My Republican colleagues in the Senate and I knew these efforts would benefit the state and its residents, which is why we insisted on making the responsible decision even as others wanted to spend the money we had and even take on additional debt. This promising news follows a similarly encouraging rating improvement by Moody’s Investor Services when it recently revised the state’s financial outlook from stable to positive. Look Out for Surprise Hotel Fees, Larger BillsAs a way to win business, some hotels have employed practices like “drip pricing,” which is when fees are gradually disclosed to consumers as they go through the online booking process. Customers are lured to the hotel or online travel agency with a competitive rate and don’t know the actual cost until the final page of the online booking process – or not even until they check in at the hotel. People deserve to have access to accurate pricing upfront so they can make appropriate decisions for their budget. However, Choice Hotels – which owns Quality and Comfort hotels – was making that nearly impossible. Pennsylvania, as well as a handful of other states, reached a settlement with Choice. The company has now committed, by the end of this year, to prominently disclosing the total price of a hotel stay, including room rate and all other mandatory fees, on the first page of its booking website as part of the total room rate. Apply Now to Enhance Pennsylvanians’ SafetyBecause of legislation the Senate supported, $5 million is available in nonprofit security grants and applications will be accepted until Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 11:45 p.m. Eligible applicants must be a nonprofit based in Pennsylvania and serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included in a bias motivation category, such as religion, sexual orientation, race, disability and gender. Grants can be used for the purchase of equipment and security-related technology, trainings, threat assessments and specialty-trained canines. Learn more and apply here. |
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