View this email in a browser

In this update:

• Senate kicks off 2023-24 legislative session
• 2022: By the numbers
• PA Farm Show set for Jan. 7-14
• Sign the petition: Stop PA’s gas tax increase
• Assistance available for organizations aiding PA veterans
• Visiting state-of-the-art facility recycling plastic into infrastructure
• Students invited to compete in transportation innovations contest
• Taking time to stand with law enforcement officers
• Upcoming PennDOT maintenance projects
• On deck

Senate kicks off 2023-24 legislative session

The Pennsylvania Senate convened this week for the start of the 2023-24 legislative session. I was honored to take the oath of office to begin my second term as the Senator for the 28^th District.

I am honored, humbled, and proud to represent Southern York County in the Senate of Pennsylvania and look forward to building on what we have been able to achieve together in the new session.

View more photos here, here and here.

The proceedings also included the formal election of the Senate president pro tempore, as well as a vote on rules to govern the body for the next two years.

I nominated my friend and colleague, Sen. Kim Ward, to serve as the president pro tempore – the Senate’s highest-ranking officer. She was unanimously elected to this role with Republicans and Democrats joining in support.

The Senate will return to voting session Monday, Jan. 9.

2022: By the numbers

Being accountable to you – the people of the 28^th District – continues to be a priority for me. Here is how our office was able to serve the needs of the citizens of the 28^th Senatorial District throughout the past year.

PA Farm Show set for Jan. 7-14

The 107th Pennsylvania Farm Show – the largest indoor agricultural exposition under one roof in the nation – takes place this Saturday to Jan. 14 in Harrisburg.

Admission is free. It features nearly 4,000 animals, 12,000-plus competitive events and exhibits, 245 commercial exhibits, and hundreds of educational and entertainment programs.

The visitor’s guide will help you plan your day, with information on hours, parking, exhibitors, food, and more. For over a century, the PA Farm Show has celebrated Pennsylvania’s rich tradition of farming and agriculture’s key role in the state economy.

I look forward to seeing many familiar faces this year at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show!

Sign the petition: Stop PA’s gas tax increase

Please sign my latest petition if you want to see the state’s gas tax reduced amid record and rampant inflation!

Assistance available for organizations aiding PA veterans

Nonprofits, veteran service organizations, and county directors of veterans affairs have until Jan. 19 to apply for Pennsylvania Veterans’ Trust Fund grants for programs and services benefiting Pennsylvania veterans.

Grants will be considered in the following areas:

• New, innovative or expanded programs or services operated by the county directors of veterans affairs or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs. The areas of emphasis for applicants in this category are veterans outreach, transportation services and homelessness.
• Veteran service organizations and nonprofit organizations with a mission of serving Pennsylvania veterans focusing on transportation services, behavioral health initiatives, homelessness, and employment and education.

The Veterans’ Trust Fund is funded by Pennsylvanians who voluntarily donate when applying for or renewing driver’s licenses, photo IDs or vehicle registrations; purchase Honoring Our Veterans or Honoring our Women Veterans license plates; or make private donations.

If you are interested in receiving monthly updates from me for our local veterans, please sign up here!

Visiting state-of-the-art facility recycling plastic into infrastructure

Thank you to the team at CRDC USA for hosting me at their York County facility on Wednesday. I met with COO Ross Gibby and Plant Manager Dan Schmidt to learn more about their process of turning the world’s plastic waste into RESIN8^tm, an Eco-Aggregate that improves and enhances concrete and asphalt.

You can learn more about this work here.

Students invited to compete in transportation innovations contest 

Students are invited to participate in the sixth annual PennDOT Innovations Challenge, which encourages students to use their problem-solving, creative and strategic-thinking abilities to resolve real-world transportation challenges in a competition among their peers.

For this year’s challenge, students are asked to develop ideas to help address the shortage of commercial truck parking along major interstate corridors in Pennsylvania. Trucks parking on highway shoulders and ramps is common during overnight hours and presents a significant safety issue.

The Innovations Challenge is open to all students in grades 9-12, regardless of their school’s learning model. Regional Innovations Challenge winners will be selected and invited to present their solutions to the PennDOT secretary and a panel of judges, who will determine the statewide cash prize winner. The submission deadline is Jan. 27.

Taking time to stand with law enforcement officers

While lawmakers in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. create laws, it’s police officers who risk their lives enforcing them. On Law Enforcement Appreciation Day this coming Monday, I hope citizens take a moment to reflect on the dangerous and sometimes thankless job performed by those who protect and serve our communities.

Upcoming PennDOT maintenance projects 

You can view PennDOT’s list of scheduled maintenance projects for next week below.  

On deck

The Senate of Pennsylvania reconvenes for voting on Monday, Jan. 9, at 1 p.m. You can watch session live and review our agenda at SenatorKristin.com/session.

2024 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://senatorkristin.com | Privacy Policy