State Rep. Jeanne McNeill

McNeill announced that more than $2.1 million in state funding was awarded to support local improvement projects in her district through the Commonwealth Finance Authority.

According to McNeill, $1.4 million was awarded locally through the CFA Multimodal Transportation Fund. The awards include $1.15 million for the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, Hanover Township, for road safety and accessibility improvements; $150,000 for the construction of a section of the Delaware and Lehigh Trail from Hanover Canal Park to St. Luke’s Center; and $50,047 to the Borough of Fountain Hill for the purchase of a new police patrol vehicle.

The Multimodal Transportation Fund provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure that a safe and reliable system of transportation is available to the residents of the commonwealth.

Due to staffing changes, McNeil’s Fountain Hill Borough Hall office will be closed until further notice. For assistance, visit the district office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall; or call 610 266-1273.

SEPTA card

For seniors age 65 and older who travel to Philadelphia, the district office takes applications for the free rides SEPTA Senior Fare Card. Apply electronically and get your picture taken. The card will be mailed. Expected delivery time is two to three weeks. For information, visit facebook.com/RepMcNeill

Veteran information

The veteran’s outreach program monthly meeting is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19 at the district office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall. There is information on education, health care and death benefits. A veterans assistance specialist from the American Legion will be on hand. For appointments, call 610-266-1273. More information: visit www.facebook.com/RepMcNeill/

McNeill has reintroduced legislation that would protect animals from inhumane conditions propagated by the puppy mill industry. Under McNeill’s legislation (H.B. 846), known as Victoria’s Law, Pennsylvania’s pet market would be driven toward more humane sources, such as shelters, rescues and responsible breeders. It would also protect pet seekers from misleading sales tactics, stop the sale of puppy mill dogs, cats and rabbits, and require advertisers to include license numbers on their advertisements so that consumers have access to information on both responsible and unscrupulous breeders.

State Rep. Bob Freeman

State Rep. Robert Freeman is introducing legislation that would provide high school students with academic credit for tutoring elementary school children.

The legislation would require the state Board of Education to establish a tutoring program, which would provide academic credit to students in grades 11 and 12 for tutoring pupils in grades one to six.

School districts would be able to implement the program at little or no cost to taxpayers, and it would enhance academic performance for both the students being tutored and the students providing the tutoring, Freeman said.

House Bill 100 was referred to the House Education Committee for consideration.

Freeman has announced that the Commonwealth Financing Authority approved more than $2.65 million in grants for projects in his Northampton County legislative district.

The awards include $620,600 for construction and engineering costs to build a Freemansburg Borough community center. The proposed project is a 7,200 square foot facility that would provide the community with an indoor space for events, fitness and exercise programs, walking track, weekend farmers’ market, snack stand and restroom facilities that will enhance the experience at several borough-sponsored events; $200,000 for vehicular and pedestrian safety improvements along Main and Washington streets, Freemansburg; $396,767 for improvements at Gregory Park, located at the intersection of Third Avenue and Easton Road, Hellertown Borough. The existing basketball court was constructed approximately 65 years ago and is in deteriorating condition. This project involves demolishing the existing basketball court, playground equipment and fencing to install a half-court sized basketball play area with fencing, new playground equipment with mulching to complement the existing swing set, and an ADA path from the court to the sidewalk. Site amenities such as benches, a bike rack, recycling and trash receptacles and street trees will also be installed; and $200,000 to replace the old and damaged Tot Lot B playground equipment located at the Town Hall Park, Lower Saucon Township. The new equipment geared for six-to-12-year-olds will replace damaged equipment that no longer has replacement parts available for purchase. The township will purchase and install the new playground structure and purchase ADA-compliant rubber mulch and swing mats.

The funding was awarded through the Multimodal Transportation Fund and State Local Share Account that are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey

Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, as well as Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), are introducing the Grandfamily Housing Act, legislation that would improve housing for grandfamilies. Many grandparents and kinship caregivers step-in when parents are no longer able to care for their children and often live in intergenerational housing units. The Grandfamily Housing Act would provide grants to enable housing providers to make retrofitting and accessibility improvements to intergenerational housing to best support the needs of older adults raising children. These grants would also enable providers to offer onsite services like afterschool programming, tutoring, and health care services. U.S. Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA-2) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7) will introduce companion legislation in the House.

Read more about the Grandfamily Housing Act at aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/the_grandfamily_housing_act.pdf.

Casey and Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), along with U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), JD Vance (R-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023 to prevent future train disasters like the derailment that devastated East Palestine, Ohio, and Darlington Township, Pennsylvania. The bill will take key steps to improve rail safety protocols, such as enhancing safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, establishing requirements for wayside defect detectors, creating a permanent requirement for railroads to operate with at least two-person crews, increasing fines for wrongdoing committed by rail carriers, and more.

Casey has introduced three bills to make education more accessible to students with disabilities and help ensure their safety at school. These policies would make transitions to postsecondary education smoother, campus emergency procedures more accurate, accessible and inclusive of students with disabilities, improve training for school security and staff and develop stronger federal oversight and support.

Casey and Senator Fetterman have announced $265,913,000 in federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to make Pennsylvania’s drinking water safer and cleaner. The funding, bolstered by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, will remove contaminants – like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances – from the water supply and improve water infrastructure by replacing lead pipes.