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.

24/25 Budget Hearings

This week we kicked off the three-week-long 24/25 Budget Hearings in Harrisburg. So far, we’ve heard from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), all of which provided testimony and graciously answered questions from myself and my colleagues in the Appropriations Committee.  

DECD spoke on the comprehensive economic development plan proposed by the Governor that encompasses every county and every industry. Revenue discussed the tax revenue of the previous year, updating collection systems, and the Property Tax/ Rent Rebate program expansion. PEMA highlighted the need for additional investments in the commonwealth’s 911 call centers and our first-responder units to keep Pennsylvanians safe and healthy. PASSHE focused on the Governor’s plan to combine the PASSHE schools and the commonwealth’s community colleges into one program to increase affordability and accessibility for everyone who seeks higher education in Pennsylvania.

Finishing this week we will hear from the Department of Aging, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Corrections, and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority. If you have any questions about the budget process, please let my district office know.

Perkiomen Watershed Initiative

Last Friday I held a press conference to announce the commencement of the Perkiomen Watershed Initiative, a study to map flooding in the Perkiomen Watershed and recommend mitigation tactics. Montgomery County and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection have recently signed an agreement that will allow the study to finally begin. The planning will include all of the Perkiomen tributaries as well as all four counties located in the watershed: Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, and Lehigh.

Part of the study will also include public comment from public- and private-property owners who have experienced flooding in the watershed. My office will continue to provide updates on the progress of this study as well as notice of public comment. If you have questions about the Perkiomen Watershed Initiative, please contact my office at (484) 200-8263.

Housing Legislation Moving Forward

This past Tuesday, the Housing & Community Development Committee met to discuss and vote on six House bills and resolutions regarding access to housing and affordable housing, including my resolution HR 230 which would study the effectiveness of ‘Housing First” programs. Some of the other bills include measures to help renters relocate if the property is condemned, increase consumer protections, and revise zoning laws to allow multifamily housing and mixed use in office space. Encouragingly, every bill passed unanimously out of this committee.

Pennsylvania is currently experiencing a housing shortage, much like other states in the nation. Housing affordability continues to decrease while the number of cost-burdened homeowners only increases. Targeted legislation like the bills mentioned above can help to ease the housing shortage by finding creative solutions that keep people in their homes and expand the market for those who need homes.

Coat Drive

My office is still collecting winter coats and toddler clothes for a collection drive for Mitzvah Circle. My office has partnered with my fellow representatives in Montgomery County to collect these much-needed items for children in our county and in neighboring ones. Please consider donating coats and clothing items, sizes 2T – 5T, to my district office at 35 Evansburg Road. We will be collecting these items now and until the end of February.

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]. If you wish to unsubscribe to this email, please scroll to the bottom where it says “visit this page to manage your email preferences".

Sincerely,

Rep. Joe Webster
State Representative
150th Legislative District

Pennsylvania House Democrats are committed to ensuring better jobs, better schools and better communities for all Pennsylvanians. More information on these successful efforts is at pahouse.com/deliveringforpa.

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

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