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| The Barb Wire |
| #Listrak\DateStampLong# |
The latest news from the State Capitol |
Please do not reply directly to this email, as it returns to an unmanned account.
You are welcome to contact me through this link.
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Barb’s Update
Last session week was very busy with many committee meetings, a reception with the County Commissioners Association, meeting with Students for Life, several events with the American Legislative Exchange Council and a trip to Erie to conduct policy roundtables on energy, manufacturing and stopping new energy taxes.
Legislation dealing with food processing residuals (FPRs) was tabled during the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting I attended because the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (and other stakeholders) wants to amend it. House Bill 587 will now be voted on by the committee during the week of April 22. This is good news for everyone who supports the legislation, because it means both sides are trying to get to a “yes” on their votes.
A discussion about expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act took place during a House Labor and Industry Committee meeting I attended. The proposed bill would create a massive new program that would socialize the cost of family and medical leave, which is not the role of government. It creates a tax on employees and employers at the maximum rate of 1% of Personal Income Tax (PIT). In a year when the governor is suggesting we enter into a structural deficit by the end of this year, adding a program that is the size of our current unemployment compensation system is unconscionable. My question in committee was left unanswered. The legislation also taxes PIT on sole proprietors for three years. If you are in business for yourself, you would still have to pay up to 1% of your PIT into the system. Apparently, it is up to the PA Department of Labor and Industry to determine the best way to do this.
I have specific video of the energy discussions in our policy meetings in Erie this week. Bottom line, we need natural gas and the current administration’s war on natural gas will be very detrimental to both business life and home life in Pennsylvania. If you have time, please look up all of the items you purchase that are made with natural gas.
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Scout Interview
I was interviewed recently by Nathan Bado from Scout Troop 173 based out of the Carlisle Barracks. Nathan is working on his Citizenship in the Community merit badge to earn his Eagle Scout rank and chose to interview me about my role in the community. It was a pleasure to spend time with this outstanding young man!
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Students for Life at the Capitol
On Wednesday, I met with Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life. This vibrant organization has a lot to offer local nonprofits and organizations with help and messaging on life initiatives.
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U.S. Army War College Spouses Visited the Capitol
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World War II Veterans Awarded Veterans Recognition Medals
On Monday, Vance Clelan, Patrick Murphy, Dale Stitzel and Glenn Wetzel were presented with Pennsylvania World War II Veterans Recognition medals at a ceremony hosted by Sen. Greg Rothman (R-34) at the Carlisle VFW Post 477.
It was my honor to also present these distinguished Americans with a Certificate of Achievement and the Pennsylvania and United States flag pins as a token of our appreciation. It was wonderful to see such a great turnout to honor these true American heroes. Congratulations and THANK YOU for your service!
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Improving Education Outcomes
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and return authority over education to the states.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon is directed “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
Under the order, Department of Education funding will be cut for any program that advances diversity, equity and inclusion or gender ideology efforts.
The order further states that nothing in the order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
• the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
• the functions of the director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative or legislative proposals.
The order must be implemented consist with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
The order does not speak to the specific functions of the department, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration expected some critical functions, including those related to student loans and special education funding, to continue to be run out of the reduced agency.
Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has spent more than $3 trillion. Despite per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245% over that period, there has been virtually no measurable improvement in student achievement:
• Math and reading scores for 13-year-old students are at the lowest level in decades.
• Six out of 10 fourth-grade students and nearly three-quarters of eighth-grade students are not proficient in math.
• Seven out of 10 fourth- and eighth-grade students are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth-grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels.
• Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades.
• U.S. students rank 28th out of 37 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries in math.
Instead of maintaining the status quo that is failing American students, the Trump administration’s plan will return education where it belongs – to individual states, which are best positioned to administer effective programs and services that benefit their own unique populations and needs.
I will soon be introducing a resolution in the House that encourages our state leaders to embrace this historic change in order to make education great again.
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Grow PA Scholarship Grant Program Applications Open
The Grow PA Scholarship Grant Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), is now open!
Created by the Legislature under Act 89 of 2024, the program offers grants of up to $5,000 per year for in-state students who attend college in Pennsylvania, pursue a degree in an in-demand occupation and agree to work in that occupation in Pennsylvania after graduation.
There are over 460 eligible programs of study or majors that lead to in-demand occupations in a variety of fields, such as agriculture, business, education, computer science, STEM, nursing, allied health and criminal justice. Awards will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis for the 2025-26 academic year.
For details about the program and eligibility, visit PHEAA.org/GrowPA.
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March 25 is National Medal of Honor Day
National Medal of Honor Day, celebrated annually on March 25, recognizes all recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor in the United States.
Created in 1861 to honor six members of “Andrews’ Raiders” for their volunteering and participation during an American Civil War raid in April of 1862, commonly known as “The Great Locomotive Chase,” the medal has been awarded to 3,528 of our nation’s soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and coastguardsmen.
Out of the 3,528 recipients, there are 382 from Pennsylvania, with all but Walter Joseph Marm Jr. being deceased. Marm earned his Medal of Honor while a first lieutenant and platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam on Nov. 14, 1965, during the Battle of Ia Drang, which was dramatized in the movie “We Were Soldiers.” The battle was the first major clash – and one of the bloodiest and fiercest - between U.S. soldiers and North Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War. It was also the first use of air cavalry in the war.
Let us remember the gallantry and sacrifice of every recipient of the United States Armed Forces’ highest military decoration.
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Bid on Unclaimed Property During Treasury’s Online Auction!
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity has announced that Treasury’s next auction of unclaimed property will take place next week on Wednesday and Thursday, March 26-27. More than 5,500 items will hit the auction block for online bidders. Anyone interested in bidding can visit Treasury’s auctioneer partner Pook & Pook Inc.’s website to register.
Items in the upcoming auction include precious and costume jewelry, collectible coins, currency and more. Any item sold at auction is carefully documented by Treasury. Net proceeds remain with Treasury until a rightful owner comes forward to claim the property, no matter how much time passes.
Unclaimed tangible property, like the items being auctioned, comes to Treasury most often from forgotten safe deposit boxes. Treasury works to find the rightful owner for at least three years before auctioning an item. Treasury holds auctions twice a year to make room for incoming property in Treasury’s vault, the largest working vault in the country.
Treasury is working to return more than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property that is owed to more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians. The average value of a claim is about $1,600. This money can belong to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, local government entities and other organizations.
Anyone can search for unclaimed property online at patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property. My office is also always glad to help you with your claim or to answer any of your questions.
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Introducing Our Youth to Trout Fishing!
Just a reminder next Saturday, March 29, is Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day across the Commonwealth.
To participate, youth anglers (those under the age of 16) must have either a free Mentored Youth Permit or a Voluntary Youth Fishing License. More information about the mentored youth program, as well as a link to obtain a permit or license, is available here.
The following Saturday, April 5, is the first day of trout season. If you haven’t already, be sure to buy your fishing licenses and permits and get your gear organized. Visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) online at fishandboat.com or the FishBoatPA mobile app for more information.
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Job Fair Coming Up
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| Office Locations |
| District Office: 437 E North Street | Carlisle, PA 17013 | Phone: 717-249-1990 |
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| 427 Irvis Office Building | House Box 202199 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2199 | 717-772-2280 |
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