Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Hatred holds no place in our society

Hatred holds no place in our society

Dear Friends,

I want to thank all of you who reached out to me these past two weeks about local and federal issues that concern you.  While some of these issues seem to have resolved quicker than others will, and many are not things I can impact directly, there remains a great deal of uncertainty and change and I am here to help where I can.  As issues around federal funding access develop, my office and I will do our best to keep you up to date on any impacts to LIHEAP, Medicaid, Head Start and other essential programming that rely on federal dollars.  Even in our own internal conversations in the House, the breadth of the unknowns seem overwhelming at times.  For instance, 70% of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s funding is through federal dollars.  As the department looks at budgeting for next year and makes its arguments to the Appropriations Committee, there are significant unknowns created by the uncertainty of federal funding freezes.  I invite you to continue to share with my office how a federal budget freeze (and unfreeze) impacts you as we look for solutions-oriented approaches to help you. 

 

With regard to an issue that hit closer to home when a local elected official videoed herself apparently giving a Nazi salute, I will share here what I shared on social media last week:

“In this week of transition, we have seen many examples of rhetoric and actions that serve to empower hate and divisiveness, and that seek to weaken and imperil us. We have also seen actions and words that seek to lift up those who are at risk, those feeling unsafe, those who are marginalized, and those who fear that the darkest of our histories are on the cusp of repeating themselves.

 

Let me be clear in saying that the Nazi salute and Nazi rhetoric is nothing to joke about or celebrate. Such hatred deserves no microphone and holds no place in our society. Especially as, with the enormous efforts of the Biden administration, we are finally seeing progress on the freeing of Israeli hostages after more than 470 days and we are about to recognize Holocaust Remembrance Day.

 

While the actions of a local township supervisor in ‘joking’ about a nazi salute demean both her and her position, her rhetoric does not deserve a broader platform. Her actions were abhorrent.

 

The words that do deserve repeating are these of Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde which uplift the concepts of unity, acceptance, and protecting one another through our acts of kindness and acceptance.

 

As we move through these weeks of transition, let us choose love and unity over hate and divisiveness, to care for one another when we disagree, to be merciful, and to find a way to work together to create an America where all feel free, protected, reflected, and safe.”

We returned to session this week, reorganized our committees, and began moving some pieces of legislation.  This week I want to discuss my last two committee assignments.  This year, because there are more standing committees in the House, each rank-and-file member will sit on around 6 committees.  So, this session, I have been given two additional committee assignments, both of which are new to me: the Committee on Committees and the Health Committee.

 

The Committee on Committees focuses on administrative tasks for the operations of the House. It works in a bipartisan fashion to make sure qualified appointees are selected for each caucus for each committee. The committee is currently chaired by Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny County) and is responsible for making recommendations regarding which members serve on each House standing committee. I was somewhat surprised to be assigned to the committee as all the remaining members of the committee are current or former members of the House leadership team.  In all candor, I do not have a lot of information regarding how frequently the committee meets or how onerous its mission is.

 

My other new committee, the Health Committee, specializes on issues pertaining to public health, disease and substance abuse prevention, healthcare access, health education, and other matters pertaining to our healthcare system. This committee is designed to promote the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians through policies and oversight. I am particularly excited about being on the Health Committee this session, as this is a topic I think is vital to our commonwealth and I have had numerous bills relevant to this committee and even had one of them become law.

 

An example of a bill that we will see in this committee is a bill I introduced last session, HB 807, which focused on Menopause Education.  For decades, women in Pennsylvania have entered perimenopause and menopause without the tools they needed to ensure their best health outcomes and without feeling appropriately prepared.  Despite being a natural progression in most women's lives, 32% of surveyed American women reported feeling there was not enough perimenopause and menopause information available to them before they underwent these processes. This bill would create partnerships between the Department of Health and medical providers to educate women on the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, the biological changes behind the processes and how to talk to family and friends about the processes. The bill passed in the House but did not move through the Senate before the previous session ended.

 

Another example is HB 507 (now Act 31 of 2023) which I first introduced with Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia) in 2019. Act 31 requires medical facilities in Pennsylvania to obtain consent before performing pelvic, prostate or rectal exams on anesthetized patients. Until Act 31, medical students could perform pelvic, rectal, and prostate exams on unconscious patients, as a learning exercise, in the absence of an emergency or as part of a scope of treatment, without first obtaining consent to do such an exam. Act 31 ensures that no one going under general anesthesia would be used as a teaching tool for such exams without their explicit consent.  While most teaching hospitals in our region have prohibited this practice in recent years, the practice existed in the Commonwealth. This was my very first bill that passed during my time in the House, and I was proud that it received unanimous support in both chambers. I hope that commonsense legislation such as Act 31 will continue to pass with unanimous support.

 

Next week is the Governor’s proposed budget address, wherein he outlines his priorities for the upcoming year’s budget and marks the beginning of weeks of hearings from various departments of their budgetary needs.  I look forward to updating you about the address next week.

Constituent Services Corner

2024 Tax Forms and the Property Tax Rent Rebate Program

My office now has 2024 tax forms. Call or stop by my office today to request copies. For assistance with filing the Property Tax/Rent Rebate, please call 610-277-3230!  

 

Applications are now open for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. This program benefits older adults and Pennsylvanians with disabilities by providing a portion of money back on property taxes or rent paid in the prior year.

 

It’s quick and easy to apply online at https://pa.gov/PTRR, but my district office can also provide paper applications to anyone interested.

 

See if you qualify per the income parameters below. Remember, 50% of your Social Security benefit is excluded when determining your income.

 

Any questions can be directed to my office by calling (610) 277-3230 or emailing RepHanbidge@pahouse.net.

REAL ID

Do you need a REAL ID? Beginning May 7, 2025, you will need a state-issued REAL ID?-compliant license or identification card, or another acceptable form of ID (such as a U.S. Passport), to fly within the United States.


You can get a REAL ID now or when you renew your driver's license. Learn more about REAL ID at https://www.dmv.pa.gov/REALID/ and feel free to contact my office at 610-277-3230 with any questions.

UPCOMING OFFICE EVENTS

Mobile Office – Towamencin Township – Feb 6th

Need assistance with state services? My office will be at Towamencin Township on Thursday, February 6th, 2025 from 1:00 -2:00 pm and is ready and able to serve you!

PA ABLE SEMINAR – Feb. 20

Join me for this 30-minute live webinar presented by Pennsylvania Treasury. Learn how PA ABLE is enabling individuals with disabilities and their families to save for financial security without impacting important benefits.

 

This is a must-attend webinar for people with disabilities, as well as parents, caregivers, and rep payees. Employers can also learn why PA ABLE is gaining traction across the commonwealth as a key component of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and adding value to employee benefits packages.

 

Sign up here to attend this informative webinar.

Book Drive

My office is proudly accepting book donations from Jan. 21 until March 2 (Dr. Suses’s Birthday) for the Ambler Boys and Girls Club.  Please drop off your new and/or gently used books for children in grade 1-5 at my district office during normal business hours, Monday -Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

American Red Cross Spring Blood Drive – March 3

My office is hosting a blood drive with the American Red Cross on Monday, March 3, from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Montgomery County Community College. To host a blood drive on this day is particularly meaningful for me since I lost my mother to blood cancer on March 3rd of last year.  The incredible generosity of blood and plasma donors kept her alive to valiantly fight her cancer for an additional 18 months and I could not be more grateful to everyone who donates blood.  By donating, you can save the lives of three people, so please consider donating today! Sign up here!

ScamJam March 14, 2025

Have you been receiving questionable phone calls, text messages and emails and are not sure if they are a scam?  If so, please join my office along with the Lower Gwynedd Police Department, PA Office of Banking and Securities, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, PA Office of Attorney General, AARP Pennsylvania to help you protect yourself from frauds and scams!

Seating is limited, so please RSVP today by calling 610-277-3230.

Shredding and Electronic Recycling Event – March 22

Join Reps Ben Sanchez, Melissa Cerrato and my office on Saturday, March 22 for a Shredding AND Electronic Recycling event at Temple Ambler from 10:00 a.m. - Noon!

Community Events:

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania students in 1st - 6th grade are invited to enter the 2025 Lyme Art Contest to promote awareness of ticks, the types of diseases they carry & how to protect yourself. Entries must be received by March 14, 2025! Learn more about the contest: https://bit.ly/3CmIyBV

Montgomery County:

The Montgomery County Youth Aid Panel, Wissahickon Chapter, is looking for volunteers! Montgomery County's District Attorney's Youth Aid Panel Program (YAP) promotes restorative justice, representing an innovative approach by law enforcement toward juvenile offenders. The YAP provides a second chance for certain first-time juvenile criminal offenders who accept responsibility for their actions and satisfactorily demonstrate both public and private accountability. 

Juveniles and their families meet with trained local volunteer panelists to implement a comprehensive plan that promotes restorative justice for the victim, community, and offender. Panels are staffed by local volunteers who receive specialized training. Panelist must be 18 years or older, a U.S. citizen, a Montgomery County resident (for at least one year), must complete a training program, pass a background check, and must commit to a minimum of one-year of service. If you're interested in applying please submit a written application available at Youth Aid Panel | Montgomery County, PA - Official Website (montcopa.org).

North Wales Library

Upper Gwynedd Township

 

Pennsylvania State Capitol
28-B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 783-4102

District Office

1098 W. Skippack Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422

(610) 277-3230