Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Daley attends special House Session Day, reflects on upcoming retirement from legislature

Daley attends special House Session Day, reflects on upcoming retirement from legislature

Rep. Mary Jo Daley    September 28, 2026 | 11:40 AM

HARRISBURG, Sept. 28 – State Rep. Mary Jo Daley said a historic day in Philadelphia took on an especially personal meaning for her as she prepares to conclude her service in the PA House. The Montgomery County native was among the members of the PA House of Representatives who gathered Sept. 9 at Congress Hall for a special session commemorating the city’s role in the founding of our country 250 years ago.

Congress Hall is the historic building where the America’s founders debated the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights as they sought our independence as a nation. For Daley, who will retire from the state House in January after deciding not to seek re-election, the most meaningful part of the day was seeing Pennsylvania’s next generation of citizens there, too.

More than 80 students from across the commonwealth joined the lawmakers for the day and participated in The Next 250, an immersive civic education program. Each student was selected by a member of the House and spent the day learning about state government and engaging with leaders from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with a goal of deepening their understanding of democracy and state government.

For Daley, who has spent years encouraging young people to understand and participate in their government, having students alongside lawmakers made the historic setting feel especially relevant.

“Standing in Congress Hall, in a place where so much of the foundation of our democracy was debated and written, you can’t help but think about what we’re handing to the next generation. That feels especially real to me as I get ready to leave the House,” Daley said.

“We talk a lot about the challenges facing our democracy right now, the ones we’re seeing play out in Washington D.C. through attempts – too many of them successful – to erode our freedoms and create false enemies out of neighbors,” Daley continued. “We’re living through a time when our democratic institutions are being tested, and it would be easy to look at that and feel discouraged. But then you spend a day with 80 young Pennsylvanians who are curious, engaged, and willing to learn about how our government works, and it gives you reason to feel hopeful.”

The day provided a reminder that Pennsylvania’s role in shaping American democracy did not end with the founding of the nation, Daley said. Every generation has inherited the work of sustaining and improving its institutions.

“The torch doesn’t belong to any one generation. We’re just responsible for carrying it for a while and making sure we pass it on. I’m grateful I got to see some of the people who will carry it next, and that’s really what I took away from the day,” Daley said. “History doesn’t belong to just the people who came before us. We’re all responsible for what happens next. As I get ready to step away from the Legislature, I’m grateful to know that responsibility is being passed to a generation of young people who are already asking questions, paying attention and figuring out what kind of future they want to build.”