My office has received many emails this week from people concerned that a bill moving through the House, H.B. 2632, is taking money away from long-standing scholarships that help students attend private and parochial schools.

As a member of the Education Committee, I can assure you that HB 2632 is not taking money away from scholarships. I wanted to take a moment to clarify what this bill will do for Pennsylvania.

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit was established in 2001. Among other things, the EITC gives businesses the ability to get a tax break when they donate cash, personal property, or services to a nonprofit educational or nonprofit scholarship organization. It’s a good partnership – and a lot of businesses do it.

Scholarship-granting organizations receive large corporate donations to support schools and students, and in return, the corporations receive tax benefits.

But any time a business receives a tax break, that break is made possible by your tax dollars. And as a taxpayer, you deserve to know how your money is being used.

Under our current laws there are no reporting requirements about how scholarship organizations use donated funds. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not have a mechanism to determine which schools or student populations the scholarship organizations are funding. The goal is to ensure that these dollars are reaching students who truly need them.

H.B. 2632 would provide needed transparency and oversight of scholarship organizations by requiring them to report which schools they are funding, how scholarship dollars are used, student family income levels, and how much tuition is ultimately charged after scholarships are applied. We want to ensure this money is being spent to help kids. This bill would provide that clarity.

Our office is closed today, Friday, June 19! We will reopen Monday, June 22. We hope you have a great weekend!

We’re living in a time when leaders across the country are taking actions aimed at maintaining political control, including redistricting areas that typically have a strong Black vote. This week, the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus held a rally in support of the K. Leroy Irvis Voter Rights Act, which would ensure that everyone in Pennsylvania maintains their right to vote.

We were joined by national voting rights advocate and Tennessee Representative Justin J. Pearson, who shared a message of hope and urgency.

The Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence held a rally this week to advocate for funding for domestic violence programs across the state.

No one should feel unsafe in their home or in their relationship, and I fully support these advocates and their mission.

Wednesday, we met to discuss funding for Health and Human Services in the next budget. We had productive conversations about the importance of these programs and how best to serve our residents.

I was happy to welcome several guests to the House chamber this week, including the Coalition of Culturally Competent Providers and their leadership.

Our newest district office interns also joined me in Harrisburg this week. Meet Jaden and Shahil, who will be working with us until August. Be sure to say hello when you see them back home!

Earlier this week, I had the honor of celebrating Flag Day at Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, USA’s annual Flag Day ceremony and raising of the American flag.

This year was especially moving as we continue to plan for celebrating the United States Semiquincentennial.

Thank you for a wonderful celebration of our country and the future we wish to build.

Delaware County hosted a truly joyful Pride celebration in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, USA this past weekend.

It was wonderful to see so many of you being yourselves and being accepted and celebrated for who you are. This is one of the many reasons I love our community.

Sunday was an amazing celebration of strong, resilient women leaders and their outstanding contributions to our communities. The Tea & Hat Awards serve as an elegant reminder that femininity can also be fierce. Congratulations to this year’s honorees.

If you’re 60 or older and live in Delaware County, you may be eligible for $25 in vouchers to use at local farmers’ markets.

Please contact one of the senior centers listed in the graphic above for distribution times and dates.

Friday, June 19 at 1:00 p.m.

Lansdowne Juneteenth Flag Raising

Borough Hall

Friday, June 19 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Delco 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration

Rose Tree Park

1671 N Providence Rd., Media, PA 19063

Saturday, June 20 at 11:00 a.m.

Movie Screening: Harriet

Presented by the Lansdowne Library and Lansdowne Borough

Lansdowne Library

55 S. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne

Saturday, June 20 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Upper Darby Juneteenth Celebration

69th Street Field

555 S. 69th St.

Upper Darby, PA

Saturday, June 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Lansdowne Juneteenth Community Celebration

Twentieth Century Club

84 S. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne

Pennsylvania State Capitol

25-A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 783-4907

District Office

1500 Garrett Rd.
Upper Darby, PA 19082
(610) 259-7016

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