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The latest news from the State Capitol |
In this Edition:
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Keystone STARS Bill Clears Committee |
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Seminar Provides Information to Save Lives |
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Hummelstown Carnival Supports Fire Service |
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Middletown Fair Draws Crowd |
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Preventing Theft of Benefits |
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Celebrating PA Dairy |
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Hunting Licenses on Sale Monday |
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Keystone STARS Bill Clears Committee
Legislation I sponsored with Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) cleared the House Children & Youth Committee this week. House Bill 1600 affects the existing Keystone STARS program, which is a quality rating system.
The changes would reward on-the-job experience for childcare providers. It would also encourage providers to put their Keystone STARS status on their front doors and websites.
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Seminar Provides Information to Save Lives
Last week’s Stop the Bleed Seminar in Hummelstown provided key information about handling the first few minutes of a first aid emergency. I hosted this seminar in conjunction with the Adult Trauma Team at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Stay tuned for information about other upcoming events. National Night Out is Tuesday, Aug. 5, and I plan to have information tables at several communities’ celebrations.
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Hummelstown Carnival Supports Fire Service
On this past, rainy Tuesday, I volunteered to scoop ice cream with the Hummelstown Fire Department for its 2025 carnival. The carnival continues through Saturday, June 21, at Hummelstown’s Schaffner Park at the corner of Poplar Avenue and Water Street. Rides, food (including the fan-favorite ice cream), games, and entertainment are all on the schedule.
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Middletown Fair Draws Crowd
Last weekend, the Middletown Fair marked its 50th year. The Middletown Area Historical Society had food, arts and crafts on sale for the celebration in Hoffer Park.
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Preventing Theft of Benefits
Responding to a growing number of cases of stolen SNAP benefits, the state House recently approved legislation aimed at transitioning to chip-enabled Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
Since October 2022, Pennsylvania has recorded more than 23,000 cases of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits being stolen through skimming schemes. Unlike modern debit and credit cards, EBT cards currently lack chip security technology, making them highly vulnerable to fraud.
House Bill 1429 would require the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to work with the General Assembly to ensure an efficient transition to chip-enabled EBT cards. The legislation would require the department to deliver a report to lawmakers highlighting costs, fraud prevention efforts and relevant statistics to enhance the security of SNAP benefits.
The bill is pending consideration in the Senate.
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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 here.
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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. Click here for a map of agents across the Commonwealth. Licenses also are available for purchase online at huntfish.pa.gov.
Visit www.pgc.pa.gov for more information about hunting in the Commonwealth.
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