Shredding Event, Opioid Legislation, Student Champs, Protecting Healthcare Workers

Shredding Event, Opioid Legislation, Student Champs, Protecting Healthcare Workers – and More!

Rep. Arvind Venkat March 7, 2025 | 2:28 PM

Protect Your Identity at Our Upcoming Shred Event!

Our Spring Shred event will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on March 22 at the Franklin Park Municipal Building, located at 2344 W. Ingomar Rd. We will help you safely dispose of sensitive documents (a limit of two boxes of paper per household, please) and will also be available to assist with state services. Questions? Call my office at (412) 348-8028.

My Bipartisan Bill to Establish a Public Awareness Campaign
on Responding to the Opioid Crisis

We need to do more to respond to the devastating consequences of opioid addiction. This week, the House Human Services Committee approved House Bill 269 – legislation I introduced with Rep. Jamie Flick that would require the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to develop and distribute public posters detailing how to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses. Visit this page or click on the image above to hear my comments from the meeting.

Student Athletes Nab Championships

Congratulations to the North Allegheny Girls and Boys swim teams for winning the Overall WPIAL Team Championships! Click on the images above and below to read more from the WPIAL website.

In addition to the team championships, congratulations go to these individual athletes from North Allegheny, Avonworth, and Hampton:

Class 3A

NA Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay – WPIAL Champion – Dani Hinkson, Tori Tieppo, Eva Ogden, Madden Woycheck
NA Girls 200-Yard Individual Medley – WPIAL Champion – Dani Hinkson
NA Boys 100-Yard Butterfly – WPIAL Champion – Gus Miller
NA Boys 200-Yard Freestyle Relay – WPIAL Champion – Grant Regule, Gus Miller, Mason Shantz, Zachary Totin
NA Girls 500-Yard Freestyle – WPIAL Champion – Claire Bacu
NA Boys 400-Yard Freestyle Relay – WPIAL Champion – Danny Lesinski, Grant Regule, Alex Harbaugh, Zachary Totin

Class 2A

Avonworth – Boys 200-Yard Individual Medley – WPIAL Champion – Sam Cavanaugh
Hampton – Boys 100-Yard Backstroke – WPIAL Champion – Chris Belch

Visit this page to see the full list of North Allegheny students who won individual swimming titles.

Congrats, as well, to North Allegheny’s Jack Bertram for winning gold at the PTFCA Indoor Track & Field Championships! Click on the image above to read more from the North Allegheny Sports Network.

Kudos to the North Allegheny Girls Varsity Fencing Team for winning the 2025 Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association Championship, and to individual medalists junior Angela Wei (gold) and freshman Suhyun (Claire) Lee (bronze). You can read more here.

Science Bowl Students Excel

Congratulations to North Allegheny’s middle schools, which nabbed three out of the top four spots at the Western Pennsylvania Regional Science Bowl! Marshall Middle School won the regional championship, while Ingomar and Carson middle schools won bronze and fourth place, respectively. You can read more from the North Allegheny School District here.

Celebrating with Neighbors Around the Community

Veena and I enjoyed attending the Interfaith Iftar Dinner hosted by the Muslim Association of Greater Pittsburgh in Gibsonia. Thank you to our Muslim neighbors for welcoming us as they broke their fast during Ramadan and for educating us on the tenets of their faith.

We also had a wonderful time at the North Hills Ebony Women’s Black History Celebration on Sunday at La Roche University in McCandless!

The Best Ideas Start Here at Home

The best ideas for legislation come from members of our community. This week, I met with critical care nurse Samantha Sham to discuss the problem of workplace violence against healthcare professionals. Based on her advocacy and my own experience as an ER Doc, I am working with colleagues on legislation that would empower healthcare professionals to demand safer workplaces, prioritize prosecuting these crimes, and establish a grant program to bolster security in healthcare facilities.

Taking Our Community’s Pulse

On a related note, before returning to Harrisburg this week, I went door-knocking in Franklin Park to hear from residents.

I heard about opposition to federal cuts to Medicaid and biomedical research that disproportionately and adversely affect this community with its large number of health professionals and scientists. I also heard a lot of fear and anger at the attacks on vaccines and public health. I will continue to oppose these dangerous policies as an emergency physician and our state representative.

Although I try to reach as many residents as possible through my door-knocking, it isn’t always possible to hear from all of you during those visits. If you have a community issue you would like to discuss, please call my office at 412-348-8028 or email me at RepVenkat@pahouse.net so we can find a time to talk.

Speaking Out to Protect Medicaid

Earlier this week, I joined Protect Our Care Pennsylvania and healthcare advocates from across the state for a virtual press conference to warn of the catastrophic consequences that would result from the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ proposed budget cuts to Medicaid. You can read more about the press conference here. Click on the image above or here to see an excerpt from the event.

Also this week, I joined colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee for budget hearings regarding the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department/Pennie. I want to determine whether or how our commonwealth can address the dangerous proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

PA Student Teacher Stipend Program Now Open

The 2025-26 Student Teacher Application for PA is now open and provides $10,000 to eligible student teachers who are currently unpaid. Visit this page to read more about the program and apply.

Year-Round Motorcycle Inspections Now Available

Motorcycles can now be inspected year-round, just like passenger vehicles, and are not limited to March through October inspections. Annual motorcycle inspections are still required, and once a motorcycle passes, the new safety inspection sticker will be valid for one year from the expiration of the previous sticker. Visit this page to learn more, and this page for state information on motorcycle safety.

In other transportation news, PennDOT is seeking public comment on its update to the 12-Year Program – a planning tool that lists planned transportation projects statewide and assigns funding over a 12-year period. The law requires PennDOT to update the program every two years, and the agency seeks public comment as part of the process. Please take a few minutes to add your input by taking the survey. You can read more here.

Remember to ‘Spring Forward’ for Daylight Saving Time
This Weekend!

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 9 at 2 a.m. Remember to set your clocks ahead before you go to sleep Saturday night! This is also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Visit this page to read more.

Finding Funding and Help with State Matters

This is a reminder that the state has a handy tool to help search for grants. Visit this page to search or this page to see a list of all the latest programs.

Finally, please remember that my talented staff can help you with a wide variety of state-related matters, from filing for a Property Tax/Rent Rebate to obtaining a disability placard or senior bus pass – to name just a few. Contact us or stop by to see how we can help!