Join us at 5 p.m. on August 20 at the Allegheny County Courthouse, 436 Grant St., where the county’s newly formed Storm Response Review Committee will meet, hear from the community, and strategize ways to improve our response to the next storm. We hope to see Duquesne Light—which has been scheduled to attend—as well as a strong turnout of community members to participate in a productive dialogue. You can read more here.

Last Friday at the Kingsley Association, I spoke at a news conference organized by the nonprofit group Just Harvest to address the urgent issue of SNAP benefits theft.

Since 2022, more than $17 million in benefits have been stolen from financially struggling families. 

I was dealing with a back injury, and my own limited range of motion made me ponder the staggering difficulties confronting older or infirm residents who have been targeted by benefits theft and forced to travel long distances to find nutritious food. We need to do more now to crack down on benefits theft.

I also recently joined some of my colleagues from the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation to tour 412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project. We learned about their innovative food recovery operations – including their homegrown tech platform Food Rescue Hero – and how this resourceful nonprofit is fighting food waste while feeding households in need. You can read more about them here.

Our staff will be hosting a mobile office this week at Shady Park Place, located at 415 Lobinger Ave. in Braddock, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, from noon to 2 p.m. We can help you obtain a Senior Citizen ConnectCard, apply for a Property Tax/Rent Rebate, and provide information about all the other services available through our district office.

If you are seeking rebate assistance, please remember to bring a valid photo ID, proof of all 2024 income, proof of 2024 property taxes paid (for homeowners) or a completed PA rent certification (for renters), and direct deposit information if desired.

In my last e-newsletter, I discussed a promising plan we passed in the House that would infuse critical funding into our public transit systems—without raising taxes—by increasing the portion of total sales tax revenue allocated to transit.

Since then, the state Senate has had a chance to consider that plan but instead passed a proposal that would raise fares and divert funds from PRT, including ride-share services that are a lifeline for seniors and residents with disabilities. We are calling on the Senate to return to the table and either pass our plan or develop one that won’t leave our most vulnerable riders stranded.

I was honored to speak at the Freedom House Foundations’ graduation ceremony at Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg last week. The program helps prepare young adults from underserved communities for in-demand health care careers. I could tell from meeting this year’s grads that this class is going to do amazing things! Visit this page to learn more about the program.