Congratulations to all the award winners at the Erie Black Wall Street Green Light Gala. Celebrating Black excellence is celebrating Erie excellence — your achievements reflect the strength, creativity, and resilience of our community.

Erie Black Wall Street continues to be on the front lines of promoting entrepreneurship, home ownership, and building capital in our African American community. Their work helps create opportunities, strengthen families, and grow local businesses across Erie.

Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone who attended the gala to honor these outstanding leaders.

Thank you to Saint Luke School for inviting me to be a guest reader during its Read Across America celebration. Literacy and a love of reading are important for people of all ages, and I was honored to share my enthusiasm for books with the students.

I appreciate the teachers, staff, and volunteers who make events like this possible.

We’re encouraging eligible workers to take advantage of new state tax credits that deliver meaningful tax relief to those who need it most. 

Eligible taxpayers can now claim the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit (WPTC), created in the 2025-26 budget. Modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the WPTC can provide up to $805 in tax relief.

The credit is expected to provide $193 million in tax savings to approximately 940,000 Pennsylvanians this year. Anyone who qualifies for the federal EITC automatically qualifies for the state credit, putting more money back into the pockets of working Pennsylvanians.

Visit pa.gov/wptc for more information and to check eligibility using an online calculator.

Additionally, residents can take advantage of Pennsylvania’s Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit before the April 15, 2026, tax filing deadline. Expanded under a recent law, this credit provides financial relief to working families with child or dependent care expenses.

The credit matches 100% of the federal Child Care Tax Credit. You can find more information about the tax credit here.

My colleagues and I are taking concrete steps to make energy costs more affordable across the commonwealth. These actions are designed to protect seniors, working families, and small businesses who are struggling with rising monthly bills.

It's important for me to advocate for policies that provide immediate relief and long-term stability for households and local businesses

We’re pleased to share that The Great Cookie Kerfuffle, written by Jessica Shaw and illustrated by Pauline Gregory, has been selected as the 2026 Pennsylvania One Book. PA One Book is a statewide initiative that encourages families, libraries, early learning programs, and community partners to come together around a shared reading experience to support early literacy and family engagement.

Through this program, libraries and certified early learning programs across Pennsylvania will receive copies of the book and downloadable activity sheets aligned to the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in our daily lives, it’s important that we protect ourselves and those around us from predatory uses and misinformation. The Shapiro Administration recently unveiled an AI Literacy Toolkit designed to help parents, caregivers, and local organizations recognize risks and use practical safeguards. The toolkit includes age-appropriate guides for children, clear tips for seniors, and resources aimed at supporting vulnerable populations.

We encourage you to review the toolkit and share it with anyone who might benefit.

Bob Merski

District Office

3921 Buffalo Rd.

Erie, PA 16510

(814) 455-6319

Pennsylvania State Capitol

221 Irvis Office Building

P.O. Box 202002

Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 787-4358