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| The Barb Wire |
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The latest news from the State Capitol |
Please do not reply directly to this email, as it returns to an unmanned account.
You are welcome to contact me through this link.
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Barb’s Update
Saturday at the Shippensburg Community Fair
I attended the Shippensburg Fair and supported both the FFA and 4-H by purchasing a pig and a steer during the junior livestock sale. It was great to see so many supporters of the students who work diligently throughout the year to showcase their animals. The funds are charitable in nature and are put toward the students’ future education and animal production.
On Monday, I met with the Cumberland County Housing Authority to discuss upcoming projects and potential grant opportunities. I also worked on various constituent services and issues during meetings in my district office.
I attended the Rotary Club of Carlisle’s weekly meeting and was honored to introduce Congressman Scott Perry, who updated everyone on federal issues. The club is very involved in the region and provides many nonprofits with additional funding through its outreach.
The House Republican Policy Committee held a hearing at Upper Bucks Technical School to discuss Pre-K and childcare grants. I attended some of that hearing via Zoom in order to also hold meetings within my district office.
Tuesday Ice Cream and Issues
Tuesday evening’s event was well attended considering the hot weather. I want to thank everyone who came out to engage in meaningful discussion about issues that matter to residents of the 199th legislative district. Some of the top issues were the status of Food Processing Residual (FPR) legislation, high electricity costs and energy costs in general, taxes and fees assessed at the municipal level like stormwater management, and data centers. We also discussed the current budget stalemate and what that means for all of Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, I attended a World War II event hosted by the Kennedy family at the Playhouse Theater at Allenbury. You can go to their Youtube channel and search “It’s about service,” where they interview these brave men and women and feature their stories. Meeting the veterans in person was an amazing opportunity and I am grateful to have been invited to attend. They truly were the Greatest Generation.
On Thursday and Friday, my staff and I met with constituents in the district office. We worked with our legislative liaisons on difficult issues, which sometimes take more than a day to address. I also participated remotely on a call with the Carlisle Chamber of Commerce to offer a legislative update.
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Protecting Women in Sports
In a recent social media post, Gov. Josh Shapiro called legislators who support Senate Bill 9 or my House Bill 158 “extreme.” As the prime sponsor of legislation that would uphold Title IX and defend women in sports, I am proud to be an extremist (by the governor’s definition). Nearly 80% of Pennsylvanians polled agree that women and girls should have their own category in sports and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms. Most states have already adhered to President Donald Trump’s executive order; however, our governor wants to double down on the rhetoric and ignore the safety and hard-fought advancements of women and girls in sports.
On Thursday, abc27 interviewed House Leader Jesse Topper, who responded to the “extreme” label. Please click here to view those comments.
This issue has nothing to do with the budget impasse. Senate Bill 9 should be moved out of committee, voted by the House and signed into law by the governor.
Read more here.
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National Night Out
This Tuesday, Aug. 5, is National Night Out, a day set aside to promote police-community partnerships and engage all of us in the effort to support the health and safety of our friends and neighbors.
Millions of people across the country will take part in National Night Out events, including block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and more.
Here are a few of the celebrations happening in our communities on Tuesday:
• Carlisle Borough and North Middleton Township - Carlisle Expo Center (6-8 p.m.).
• South Middleton Township - Spring Meadows Park (6-8 p.m.).
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PUC Urges Consumers to Take Action to Manage Energy Costs
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is urging residents to brace for higher electric bills as a result of soaring power usage during multiple heat waves since mid-June that pushed electricity demand on the regional power grid to its highest level in 14 years.
Electricity customers are encouraged to carefully review their bills, especially the sections regarding monthly usage and current energy supply rates. Consider shopping for lower rates at www.PAPowerSwitch.com.
Households or small businesses struggling with high bills or past due balances should call their utility company now to ask about available assistance programs.
Finally, the PUC, under Governor Shapiro, asks taxpayers to look for opportunities to conserve electricity, such as raising your thermostat, limit appliance use during peak hours, close blinds or curtains to block the sun, avoid unnecessary lighting or electronics that generate extra heat, and seal windows and doors to keep cool air inside. However, the Governor’s own policies like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and mandates he is imposing on businesses to manage carbon output, are the culprit in higher costs to consumers. Instead of making yourselves miserable this summer in this heat, please call the Governor’s office to demand lower electric costs by eliminating harmful regulations that have increased your costs.
Read the full news release from the PUC here.
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PA 211 is Growing
PA 211 is growing its capabilities every year in adapting and transforming to match technology capabilities with the trusted resource navigators who are still available to provide support to neighbors who need help with health and human services. They are releasing a new mobile dashboard that displays PA 211’s real-time data insights into needs of constituents who are interacting with PA 211.
These dashboards are updated daily, based on contacts to PA 211 the previous day. This dashboard also includes some demographic information for contacts who provide their age, income, household composition, gender, etc. The dashboard also quantifies unmet needs, defined as those for which there was no resource available in the community to meet the need. In addition, PA 211 offers a suite of statewide dashboards with other data insights.
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Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans
In honor of the service and sacrifice of our veterans, I was proud to support a new law that aims to strengthen accountability and transparency in our state veterans’ homes.
Act 20 of 2025 expands and modernizes the advisory councils that oversee our six state-operated veterans’ homes with the goal of ensuring the best possible care for the men and women who have served our Commonwealth and our country.
The state’s veterans’ homes are strategically located to accommodate veterans from every region and are operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Click here to learn more about them.
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PHEAA Announces Financial Aid Seminars
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is hosting several free webinars over the next few months to help students and families navigate the cost of higher education.
From instructions for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other key documentation, to financial aid planning, scholarship search tips and budgeting, the webinars provide valuable information in hour-long sessions online.
Please note: The webinar titled “PA State Grant Form Completion” will be offered this coming Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m. The one-hour session will provide an overview of the 2025-26 State Grant application process.
For a full schedule of all available webinars, and to register your participation, visit www.pheaa.org/virtual.
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Game Commission OKs Additional Sundays for Hunting
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners met this week and approved 10 additional Sundays for hunting for the 2025-26 season. The additions were made in response to a new state law that lifted the centuries-old ban on Sunday hunting in the Commonwealth. I voted No to this new law, due to the outreach my staff conducted over the years on the issue. The 199th is 60/40 “NO” to Sunday hunting, most likely due to the rural areas to the west, the Sunday trail usage by non-hunters, and Christian desire for a day of rest. Hunters are also encouraged to obtain the necessary permissions from the landowners for hunting in general this year.
Every Sunday from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7 will now be open for hunting. The dates reflect all Sundays that fall within established hunting seasons, with the exception of migratory game bird seasons, which are set through federal frameworks.
To read more about the Sunday hunting announcement, click here. Or visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission online at www.pgc.pa.gov.
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Michaux State Forest Visitors Center Survey
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be replacing the current Michaux Forest District Office with a new resource management center to better serve visitors, residents and district forest needs. This survey is a critical step in gathering public needs, feedback, and opinions to help guide the planning and design process.
Feedback is due on Friday, Aug. 8. Please click here to take the survey.
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| Office Locations |
| District Office: 437 E North Street | Carlisle, PA 17013 | Phone: 717-249-1990 |
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| 427 Irvis Office Building | House Box 202199 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2199 | 717-772-2280 |
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