|
|||
|
Dear Friends, Hello! Thank you for subscribing to my E-newsletter. I am honored to serve the 23rd Senate District and look forward to working with you toward building a better future for Pennsylvania! This E-newsletter serves to keep you updated on what is happening throughout Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties and what I am doing as your state senator in Harrisburg. I hope that you will find this E-newsletter helpful, and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Gene Yaw
Knoxville-Deerfield VFC Celebrates $250,000 for Fire Station Construction Project
I recently joined members of the Knoxville-Deerfield Volunteer Fire Company to celebrate $250,000 in state funding awarded through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Keystone Communities Program. The funding will support critical flood recovery efforts and the construction of the company’s new fire station. Protecting our communities means making sure our local first responders have the equipment and infrastructure they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently and I’m pleased to have secured this funding for the Fire Company. HBF Foods Breaks Ground on Williamsport Expansion
HBF Foods marked a significant milestone last month with the groundbreaking of its expanded egg processing facility in Williamsport. The project will add more than 40,000 square feet to the existing structure, boosting production capacity and strengthening the region’s agriculture and agribusiness economy. Once complete, the expanded operation is expected to create 100–200 new jobs, bringing substantial workforce and economic benefits to North Central Pennsylvania. I’m looking forward to seeing this project move forward! Union Co. Celebrates Completion of Municipal Bridge Bundle Project
Union County and five partner municipalities recently marked the successful completion of the “Municipal Bridge Bundle Project,” an ambitious, collaborative effort to replace six aging bridges across Hartley, Lewis, West Buffalo and White Deer Townships, as well as New Berlin Borough. By bundling these bridge replacements, the county improved efficiency and delivered critical upgrades that will make travel safer and more reliable for residents and visitors. I’m proud to support efforts like this that strengthen our infrastructure and keep our communities connected. Constituents Honored During Senate Session
The Senate recently recognized the Jersey Shore Area Senior High School Marching Band, the 2025 American A Class Cavalcade of Bands Champions. Following an undefeated season, the Bulldogs captured their first title in program history at Dallastown High School with a score of 94.425 under the guidance of Director Chris Lahr.
Towanda High School Wrestling Head Coach Bill Sexton, the winningest wrestling coach in PIAA history, also visited the Capitol last month for recognition on the Senate Floor. Bill set the Pennsylvania state all-time wins mark with win number 768, following the Black Knights 48-27 win over Central Mountain in December. Since joining Towanda wrestling in 1978, Bill has shaped one of the strongest programs in the region and the nation. He was joined in the Senate gallery by his family and received a warm welcome from Senate colleagues.
This spring, my office welcomed back intern Ethan Bomgardner, a Mifflinburg Area High School graduate and current junior at Lycoming College majoring in Business Administration. This is Ethan’s second time interning in the office, where he has contributed greatly by assisting with constituent services, supporting district staff at meetings, researching legislative issues and helping coordinate key events. We are grateful to Ethan for all of his hard work and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors! Sullivan Co. Commissioner Recognized for Local Government Excellence
Sullivan County Commissioner Brian Hoffman was recently named one of the recipients of the 2026 Governor’s Awards for Local Government Excellence, an annual recognition celebrating public servants who strengthen communities across Pennsylvania. Selected for the Outstanding Service to Local Government Award, Brian’s dedication, leadership and commitment to improving our communities were highlighted during the statewide ceremony held on Local Government Day. Congratulations! AICUP Day on the Hill
Students from Lycoming College visited the Capitol recently as part of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania Day on the Hill. They had a great conversation with my chief of staff, Nick Troutman, on the impact their school and other independent, nonprofit higher education institutions make in Pennsylvania. Local Students Visit Capitol
Thank you to the students from the Mansfield Criminal Justice Club for stopping by our beautiful State Capitol during your visit to Harrisburg! Work Begins on Wyalusing River Bridge Repair in Bradford Co.Work began last month on the Wyalusing River Bridge, which carries the Wyalusing New Albany Road (Route 2010) over the Susquehanna River in Terry and Wyalusing townships, Bradford Co. The bridge remains closed to traffic and pedestrians and a detour using Route 187 and Route 6 remains in place. Stay informed throughout the repair process. Extended LIHEAP Window Gives Eligible Customers More Time for Energy Assistance
PPL Electric Utilities is reminding customers that assistance is available for those struggling with energy costs, but time is running out to apply for federal help through the Low‑Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The deadline to apply is Friday, May 8, 2026. LIHEAP provides cash and crisis grants—up to $1,000 each for eligible households—to help with heating bills or past‑due balances. Grants do not need to be repaid and are available to both renters and homeowners. Additional support is also available through PPL Electric’s payment plans and programs for customers of all income levels. Visit PPL’S website to explore options. Learn How to Invest Wisely and Avoid Fraud This MayInvestor Education and Consumer Outreach staff from the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS) will host a series of free educational events across Pennsylvania in May to help seniors and members of the public protect themselves from financial fraud, identity theft and scams. Bradford County
For additional information contact Deena Mize at 570-529-7478 or towandasc@bsstaaa.org.
For additional information contact Mary Sturdevant at 570-265-1760 ext. 2946 or bchousing@BradfordCountyPA.gov. Senate Acts to Protect Fairness in Women’s Sports
The Senate again approved legislation to protect the safety and opportunities of female athletes by requiring scholastic sports teams to be designated based on biological sex. Senate Bill 1293 would require public schools and colleges to label sports teams as male, female or coed. The legislation states only biological females can join teams designated for women. The bill would also allow students to take legal action if they are harmed by violations of this rule. Since 2020 in Pennsylvania, men have stolen first place from female athletes 87 times and unjustly took second or third place 64 times. Recently, the International Olympic Committee enacted new policy guidelines ensuring all sporting events under their jurisdiction for any female category are limited to biological females only. The legislation is similar to Senate Bill 9, which was passed by the Senate in May 2025 with bipartisan support. Since then, it has been delayed by procedural maneuvers by Democrat leaders in the House of Representatives, leaving young female athletes at risk. I urge the House to act on this legislation and restore fairness to athletic competition in our commonwealth. Read more about this issue here. Strengthening Electricity Affordability and Reliability
Pennsylvanians need electricity that’s affordable and reliable. That’s why I joined legislative colleagues in February urging action to preserve critical baseload power generation by preventing the premature shutdown of two commonwealth power plants. I’m pleased to report the Trump administration has reached agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the operator of the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations in Indiana and Armstrong counties to allow continued operation of both plants. The agreement ensures continued, environmentally compliant generation of 3,400 megawatts of electricity for the regional grid and preserves the livelihood of more than 1,000 workers. I applaud the parties for working to find common ground, and will continue working to expand Pennsylvania energy production to provide our residents with a true “all of the above” energy strategy to ensure affordable, reliable electricity. Committee Approves Measure Eliminating Emissions Test Mandate for Newer Vehicles
Legislation exempting state emissions testing for newer vehicles and removing it entirely for counties where it’s no longer needed was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee. Senate Bill 1298 exempts vehicles five years old or less from the requirement and removes Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer and Westmoreland counties from the emissions program. The Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance program mandates motorists in 25 Pennsylvania counties undergo annual emissions testing. However, a Joint State Government Commission study has shown that removing seven of these counties from the program would have minimal impact on maintaining federal air quality standards. Less than 1% of the five most recent model year vehicles fail annual emissions inspections. The measure now goes to the full Senate for consideration. You can read more about our efforts to reform emissions testing here. |
|||
|
|||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2026 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorgeneyaw.com | Privacy Policy |
