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The latest news from the State Capitol |
In this Edition:
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Bill Seeks to Slash Fees Charged by Ticket Resellers |
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Local Heroes Honored |
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Thanks for Stopping By |
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Congratulations, Phoenix Contact USA |
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PA Must Do More to Restore Integrity of Medicaid Program |
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House OKs Bill to Boost Public Safety |
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PHEAA Hosts Scholarship Sweepstakes |
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Celebrate Flag Day |
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Juneteenth National Freedom Day |
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Driver License Centers Closed for Juneteenth |
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Bill Seeks to Slash Fees Charged by Ticket Resellers
This week, the House of Representatives approved a bill I drafted with Rep. Mary Isaacson (D-Philadelphia) to cut costs for Pennsylvanians who buy event tickets through resellers.
House Bill 967 would cap extra fees at 5% for buyers and 5% for sellers, so eventgoers can save money and ticket resellers can still profit.
These undue and extremely high fees put a burden on ticket prices and only serve as barriers for hardworking Pennsylvanians who want to cheer on their favorite sports team or see their favorite musical artist play. These events are meant for everyone in Pennsylvania, not just those who can afford outrageous fees on tickets.
We believe companies should be able to make a profit, but we do not want to see exorbitant fees charged to consumers wanting to attend a concert, comedy show or sporting event.
Our goal is not to punish ticket resellers whose plans changed, making it so they can’t attend ticketed events as planned. However, the reseller and company should not be setting fees so high that they are depriving others of the experience.
House Bill 967 goes to the Senate for its consideration.
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Local Heroes Honored
Craig Stoudt and his sons, Colton and Christian, received awards from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for their heroics April 20. They saw two kayakers in distress near the Dock Street Dam on the Susquehanna River. The Stoudts managed to pull both kayakers onto their own boat until emergency crews arrived, saving the individuals from the backwash of the dam.
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Thanks for Stopping By
SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania was in the Capitol this week to talk budget priorities.
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Congratulations, Phoenix Contact USA
Congratulations to Phoenix Contact USA on being a recipient of the 2025 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for installing a charging station in at its U.S. headquarters in Lower Swatara Township. The station allows for 10 additional EV charging stations with a 220-kw capacity energy storage system.
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PA Must Do More to Restore Integrity of Medicaid Program
As the annual state budget deadline nears, the House Republican Policy Committee held a hearing Monday to highlight growing issues in the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program. Currently, more than 1 million able-bodied adults without dependents are enrolled in the program, while more than 14,000 disabled individuals remain on a waiting list for services.
Testifiers from the Foundation for Government Accountability testified about how Pennsylvania’s ability to deliver effective assistance to its neediest residents is being hampered by a lack of work requirements or accountability for able-bodied adults without dependents, as well as outdated verification systems that fail to detect ineligible enrollees and growing costs that jeopardize the sustainability of core services.
Republican lawmakers signaled a commitment to advance solutions that promote efficiency, transparency and compassion through reform—ensuring that taxpayer dollars are responsibly managed and prioritized for the truly vulnerable. Video of the hearing is available here.
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House OKs Bill to Boost Public Safety
To support law enforcement agencies in their efforts to solve crimes and keep their communities safe, I recently voted in favor of legislation known as the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act.
The measure would provide grant funding to police departments to help hire additional investigators, submit evidence for forensic testing, upgrade management systems and take other steps to help make arrests for homicide and other violent crimes. It would require at least 10% of grants to go to rural departments.
The program is needed as advances in forensic science, data analysis and digital evidence tools are transforming how police solve crimes, but not all departments can afford the necessary tools to bring perpetrators to justice. House Bill 1511 goes to the Senate for consideration.
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PHEAA Hosts Scholarship Sweepstakes
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is giving away $2,500 no-essay scholarships through its PA Forward and Keystone Student Loan programs!
The scholarship sweepstakes are for college students, graduate students and their parents for the 2025-26 academic year who opt in to receive communications from PHEAA between June 5 and Dec. 15. The communications are designed to provide students and families with tips on planning and paying for college.
Twelve winners will be selected for each scholarship. Winners will be announced in August and December of this year.
The PA Forward scholarship is open to PA residents only. Click here to enter the PA Forward sweepstakes.
The Keystone scholarship is open to residents of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Click here to enter the Keystone sweepstakes.
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Celebrate Flag Day
Saturday, June 14, commemorates the adoption of the United States flag. Since a 1916 proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson, this date has been marked as “Flag Day.” Congressional legislation designating that date as national Flag Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949.
From 13 stars to 50, the American flag has been a symbol of freedom and liberty throughout the world. To learn more about the history of the American flag, click here.
To learn more about how to treat the flag and how to display it, read the United States Flag Code here.
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Juneteenth National Freedom Day
This Thursday, June 19, is Juneteenth National Freedom Day. Considered the longest-running African American holiday, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas – the furthest point in the south – with news of the end of the Civil War, which had occurred two months earlier with the surrender of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Virginia.
The troops’ arrival also came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves and ending slavery in the United States. Learn more about the history of Juneteenth here.
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Driver License Centers Closed for Juneteenth
All PennDOT driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth National Freedom Day.
Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.
My offices will also be closed on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth National Freedom Day.
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