(7/2025) Your Summer Electric Bill

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is reminding consumers that nearly every electric distribution company across the state will be increasing electric generation prices on June 1 for non-shopping, or default service, customers. While you are encouraged to shop for options at PAPowerSwitch.com, PUC officials note rising wholesale energy prices have reduced the number of available offers below default rates. For a list of new residential default rates, as well as tips to conserve energy usage and save on your energy bills, visit www.papowerswitch.com.

The price hikes underscore the need to boost energy production in the Commonwealth so our supply can keep up with demand.

Highlighting Veteran-Owned Businesses

Many veterans who have honorably served our country return home and continue contributing to their communities by starting their own business. I recently voted in support of legislation that would create a logo signifying a business veteran owned. House Bill 993 calls on the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to work with the state Department of Community and Economic Development to create a logo and process by which a veteran business owner could apply and receive approval to use the logo. Any business owner falsely using the logo would be subject to fines. The bill received unanimous support in the House and is now pending consideration in the Senate.

Attention Artists!

America250PA – the organization planning the state’s participation in the United States’ 250th anniversary next year – is seeking submissions from local artists for its "Bells Across PA" art series. Selected artists will execute their designs on a fiberglass bell sculpture. The goal is to place at least one bell in each of the state’s 67 counties, but the hope is for many more. Bells Across PA is open to all Pennsylvania artists and groups from the acclaimed to the amateur. Painters, sculptors, craftsmen, multi-media artists and other wildly creative people are all encouraged to apply. Each commissioned bell will receive one honorarium, regardless of group size. To learn more call 717-334-3010.

Pennsylvania Making Progress in Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

As a member of the board of directors of the Center for Rural PA, I was invited to a reception hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Commission in Franklin County last week. Pennsylvania Sen. Gene Yaw, who chairs both the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and the Center for Rural PA, said progress is being made toward improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and he credited Pennsylvania’s delegation for its work to clean up the bay. He said the numbers by which progress is measured are moving in the right direction thanks to better controls on nutrient runoff into rivers and tributaries feeding the bay. We learned that the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem also has been hampered by Blue Catfish, an invasive species referred to as "blue cats." Blue cats devour small crabs and endangered minnows, which further threatens the crabbing industry and local economy. Efforts to eradicate blue cats in the bay have been largely unsuccessful, so the public is encouraged to fish them in unlimited numbers. At the reception, blue cats were on the menu. They were delicious!

Scam Alert: Traffic Tickets

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) is warning the public about a text message scam involving the Pennsylvania court system. In their text messages, the scammers claim "records show that as of today, there is an outstanding traffic ticket" which must be paid via a scam URL. The text goes on to threaten actions and penalties that will be taken if the ticket is not paid including license and vehicle suspension, criminal prosecution and negative impacts to personal credit scores. This is a SCAM. The AOPC will never place calls or send text messages to anyone soliciting payment by credit card, gift card or any other means of electronic funds transfer for any reason. If you receive this text, contact state and/or local police as well as the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov.

Protecting Our Children, Holding Offenders Accountable

Effectively protecting our children from predators also means holding offenders accountable. That’s why I recently voted in favor of a bill that would provide a sentencing enhancement for courts to consider in sexual assault cases where the defendant is a mandated reporter. The people we encourage our children to trust – such as school employees, health care professionals, childcare providers, law enforcement, clergy and social service workers – are mandated reporters. It is especially egregious when someone who is required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect instead chooses to victimize a child. House Bill 355 now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

Application Deadline Extended for 2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

The deadline for senior citizens and Pennsylvanians with disabilities to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2024 has been extended to Dec. 31. Income limits for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program increased this year to $46,520 for both homeowners and renters. If you were earning too much to qualify before, you may be eligible now. Remember to exclude 50% of Social Security when determining your income. The law I supported to expand the program also increased the maximum rebate to $1,000. The program is open to residents age 65 years and older; widows and widowers 50 years and older; and people with disabilities 18 years and older. Remember – you do not need to pay anyone for assistance to apply for the rebates. Apply online at mypath.pa.gov, or contact my office for help. Additional information about the program is available here. Rebates will be distributed beginning July 1, as required by law.

Protecting Residents in Manufactured Home Communities

I voted in support of House Bill 1250 to protect Pennsylvanians who live in manufactured homes from being financially exploited and priced out of their homes. With affordable housing in short supply in Pennsylvania, manufactured housing plays a critical role in meeting the demand. For some, these communities provide their best hope of achieving the dream and security of home ownership. Yet, because residents of these communities typically do not own the land their home is sitting on, many are at risk of financial exploitation and displacement, particularly when the properties are acquired by investors with aggressive profit motives. As the owner of a mobile home community in Adams County, I am expected to be on the other side of this issue but that’s not me. It’s our job as legislators to protect those who need our help the most, not the private equity firms with unlimited amounts of money who are gauging our most vulnerable citizens and driving them out of their homes. House Bill 1250 would regulate lot rent in manufactured home communities to allow reasonable annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index to protect tenants while also ensuring landowners a fair return on investment. Landowners would be required to disclose increases in rent, fees, service charges and assessments 90 days before the effective date and could not increase them during the term of the lease. Likewise, the tenants must either accept the new lease or rental agreement within 60 days or notify the landowner of their intent to vacate. House Bill 1250 passed in the House by a vote of 144-59 and is on its way to the Senate for consideration.

As State Budget Looms, Lawmakers Examine Medicaid Program

The House Republican Policy Committee held a hearing Monday to highlight growing issues in the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program. 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. Representatives of the Foundation for Government Accountability testified that 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.

House OKs Bill to Boost Public Safety

To support law enforcement agencies in their efforts to solve crimes and keep our communities safe, I recently voted in favor of legislation known as the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act. House Bill 1511 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. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Attention Ice Cream Lovers!

Looking for a way to sweeten your summer? Check out this year’s Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail to help find the best cool treats of the season. A partnership of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s PA Preferred® program, the state’s Tourism Office and the Center for Dairy Excellence, the eighth annual ice cream trail will take visitors across Pennsylvania to more dairy destinations than ever. Participants can accumulate points by visiting trail stops and making purchases. Points accumulated from May 30 to Sept. 7 earn prizes through the trail’s digital passport. Prizes include a commemorative metal tumbler for six stops, and for 10 stops, an entry into a grand prize drawing to win an overnight getaway to Lancaster County to experience "life on the farm." To plan your adventure, learn about participating creameries and sign up for the free digital passport at visitpa.com/scooped.