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In this Update:
Pennsylvania Birthday Quiz
This Sunday, March 8, marks the official founding of Pennsylvania. On this historical day, King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn, establishing the commonwealth as a place of religious freedom and representative government. In honor of Pennsylvania’s birthday, test your knowledge with this short quiz and see how much you know about the history of the Keystone State. *Answer key is at the end of this article. Question 1: Pennsylvania officially became a colony in which year?
Question 2: Why did William Penn establish Pennsylvania?
Question 3: What does the name “Pennsylvania” actually mean?
Want to learn more about how Pennsylvania came to be? Click here to explore the story behind the commonwealth’s founding. Answer Key: Question 1: 1681 Question 2: To create a safe haven for religious freedom Question 3: Penn’s forest A Future Without School Property Taxes: Join the Conversation
Are skyrocketing school property taxes weighing down your budget? For many homeowners in Pennsylvania, the answer is yes. That’s why I introduced Senate Bill 962, alongside House Bill 1649 introduced by Rep. Wendy Fink, to eliminate school property taxes and replace them with a fairer, more stable funding system. The plan is designed to provide real relief for homeowners, improve affordability, and ensure strong, reliable funding for our schools and educators. I invite you to attend our School Property Tax Elimination town hall to learn more and ask questions. I am co-hosting this event with Rep. Fink, Rep. Mike Jones and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Golden Connections Community Center, 20 Gotham Place, Red Lion. Residents are encouraged to RSVP by calling 717-244-9232 or visiting this link. This is your opportunity to understand how the proposal could affect your household and share your thoughts. I hope you’ll join us and be part of this important conversation about delivering meaningful property tax relief. HOLLA Spirits Blends Craftsmanship with A Purpose
I recently visited HOLLA Spirits in West York, joining owners Patrick and Bill Shorb and York County Commissioner Julie Wheeler to see firsthand how this innovative local business operates. HOLLA Spirits stands out for its high-quality craft, using some of the finest base distillates sourced from around the globe. What makes the company truly remarkable is its mission: inspired by the founder’s personal journey with a rare genetic condition, HOLLA contributes a portion of its sales to Uplifting Athletes to advance research for rare diseases. It was inspiring to see a business combine entrepreneurship with purpose, turning innovation and success into meaningful impacts for patients and communities alike. Talking Health Care Transparency and Workforce Growth
I recently joined The Gary Sutton Show to discuss key legislation focused on strengthening Pennsylvania’s health care system and workforce, along with insights on the state budget. We highlighted my Hospital Price Transparency and Apprenticeship Ratios bills and explored how these measures can make a tangible difference for residents. You can listen to our conversation here. rabbitWORKS Vanpool Program Strengthens Workforce
Getting to work just got easier for second- and third-shift employees thanks to rabbitWORKS, a new vanpool pilot from rabbittransit in partnership with Commute with Enterprise. The program provides reliable transportation options that help employers attract and retain workers while giving employees a smoother, stress-free commute. Reliable transportation is key to workforce participation and economic growth. rabbitWORKS addresses mobility gaps across Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties by bringing together government agencies, private companies and community organizations to operate vanpools tailored to employees’ needs. You can watch the press conference that highlights how a collaboration like this removes barriers to employment, strengthens the workforce and creates new opportunities for both workers and local businesses. Exploring Data Center Development and Community Impact
Data centers have become a major focus in Pennsylvania, especially in the 31st District. Ensuring these projects are managed responsibly is essential, and supporting local leaders with the right tools and information helps communities balance growth, infrastructure and quality of life. To learn from regions with extensive experience, I visited Loudoun County, Virginia, often called the “Silicon Valley of data centers.” Meeting with officials and touring multiple facilities offered firsthand insight into how they handled challenges, guided development and aligned business growth with community priorities. These lessons will help municipalities in the 31st District plan for sustainable, thoughtful development that benefits both residents and the local economy. 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 Address Housing Affordability
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. 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. PennDOT Roadwork Schedules for Cumberland and York Counties
As we move into the winter months, PennDOT road work schedules are released less frequently. To ensure you stay informed, we will share PennDOT news releases about specific construction projects planned in our senatorial district. Because these updates are issued based on project timelines, the information at the link may not change each week, and it may not include every project or reflect the latest conditions. We hope these updates help you plan ahead, avoid delays and travel safely throughout the season.
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