Dear Neighbor, I hope you are well! I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on several happenings in the district as well as Harrisburg. 

As always, I hope you find this informative and useful.

Session Recap

HB 1249 – Tax Credit for New Nurses, Teachers & Police Officers

This bill would provide a tax credit of $2,500 per year for three years for any individual who is a Pennsylvania resident, becomes a newly certified nurse, teacher, or police officer, and secures employment in Pennsylvania within their profession OR is a certified nurse, teacher, or police officer in another state, moves to Pennsylvania, and secures employment in Pennsylvania within their profession. This bill stems from Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal and will help to incentivize individuals to pursue these integral careers for years to come. Passed the House 137-66.

HB 1283 – Parking-Protected Bike Lanes

The measure would allow street parking to be reconfigured with vehicles parked further from the curb leaving space for a protected bike lane. The bill would not require a change to be made, it simply makes it an option for local authorities to consider. Passed the House 198-5.

HB 1500 – Increase Minimum Wage

This legislation would increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $11 per hour in 2024, $13 per hour in 2025, and $15 per hour in 2026. After 2026 the minimum wage would be permanently indexed to inflation thereafter. It also includes language to set the tipped minimum wage to 60% of the minimum wage. Passed the House 103-100.  

New Legislation from Rep. Webster

Requiring Classroom-to-Workplace Coordinators in School Districts

This bill would require all school districts in Pennsylvania to hire at least one school-to-employment transition coordinator for students with disabilities in each high school in the Commonwealth. These qualified professionals would act as a liaison between the student and outside entities in securing them a full-time job.  

Stopping Repeat School Bus Passing Offenders

This legislation would close a loophole in our state’s School Bus Stop Arm Camera Program by requiring a vehicle owner who claims they were not driving their vehicle at the time of a violation to identify and provide the contact information of the individual who was driving. We must hold people accountable for illegally passing school buses and endangering our children.

Redesigning the State Flag

This would be a concurrent resolution to establish the Pennsylvania State Flag Commission to study the history of the state flag, solicit design submissions for a new state flag, and recommend changes to the state flag.

For a full list of my Sponsored Legislation, you can visit here.

Bucks Mont PRIDE Fest

This Sunday is the annual Bucks-Mont PRIDE Festival at the Abington Art Center. My staff and I are excited to once again volunteer and help set up for the festivities. The event is rain or shine, noon to 5pm. There will be vendors, entertainment, and food trucks throughout the day. You can visit bucksmontpride.com for more information.

I-95 Collapse Update

Yesterday, Governor Shapiro and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll announced I-95 will reopen this weekend, ahead of the originally projected two-week timeline. This is a truly remarkable pace, and we thank the coordination of local, state, and federal partners and of course the Philadelphia Building Trades for working around the clock on this critical project. For current updates on I-95 and the live feed of the project, visit here.

Please continue to stay safe, healthy and well-informed.

And, if you have questions about any state-related issue, please contact my office at 484-200-8263 or email [email protected].

Sincerely,

Rep. Joe Webster
State Representative
150th Legislative District

PA House of Representatives Democratic Caucus
PO Box 202250 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2250

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