🌳 Drives clean energy development and improves energy reliability. Data centers will be required to use an increasing amount of in-state “clean firm” energy, improving energy reliability, reducing emissions, and creating good local jobs for Pennsylvanians in industries destined for growth.
👵 Invests in energy affordability and low-income assistance. Requires data centers to contribute to universal service programs and supplement the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), including new money for summer cooling.
💵 Requires data centers to pay their fair share. Data centers must cover the full cost of grid upgrades, transmission, and reliability needs, and they must put down deposits to prevent stranded costs.
⚡️ Protects ratepayers from rising electricity costs. The bill explicitly prohibits cost-shifting from large data centers onto households and small businesses, ensuring that families, seniors, and small businesses are not subsidizing Big Tech.
We must protect our communities from the unrestrained development of data centers across our state. We in the House just passed a bill- HB1834- that takes important steps in that direction.
This bill:
When seconds matter, no one should hesitate to call for help. 🚑
A recent hearing hosted by @repfriel.com & @repemilykinkead.com looked at strengthening good Samaritan protections after a student helped a classmate with alcohol poisoning - and ended up being charged with reckless endangerment.
LIVE WEDNESDAY: PA’s Good Samaritan law has gaps, with helpers being unfairly charged for helping people in need. @repfriel.com & @repemilykinkead.com team up to talk legislative fixes with a victim and legal experts. Watch: PaHouse.com/Policy
Our PA State Police serve our community with dignity, courage, and care every day. We are deeply grateful for their dedication. They have our admiration and support as they continue to do their vital work in the midst of this tragedy.
My team and I want to extend our sincere condolences to the family of State Police Corporal Tim O’Connor, who was killed in the line of duty yesterday. His loved ones and his colleagues are in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn.
At a recent #PaBudget hearing I asked Sec. Al Schmidt about the investigation into the 2025 incident where around 70,000 independent and third party voters were left out of Chester County poll books. youtu.be/WIVcR8iCtD0
I asked Secretary Arkoosh what can be done to preserve healthcare access in our communities. youtu.be/F7AoOvSmKjY
Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are losing their healthcare coverage due to federal cuts. This puts even more pressure on local hospitals who will see unreimbursed costs rise and will inevitably result in additional hospital closures.
It's traumatic when they witness aggressive and violent immigration enforcement, and it erodes student and community safety. I raised these concerns with Education Secretary Rowe and asked what the Department is doing to help students and their schools as navigate this instability and trauma.
Students from districts with vulnerable immigrant populations are dealing with the fallout of ICE detainments not only in their homes, but in their neighborhoods, at their bus stops, and near their schools.
Students all across Pennsylvania have a growing interest in Career and Technical Education- and careers in these fields are in high demand. We need to help our Career and Tech Centers build up their capacity to meet the needs of these promising students. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQ9...
A big issue in PA is small and startup businesses leaving the state for better growth opportunities. I asked Secretary Rick Siger how DCED is working to close that gap and keep these flourishing startups within our state lines. #PABudget youtu.be/Qmk1f89uQAY
I spoke with PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding about the processes and programs available to farmers for transferring their farms. I also asked about the resources they might need when it’s time to pass their farm on. youtu.be/UBHWfOHr7SA
Let us apply wisdom from the past, and draw on our community and courage, to meet the present moment. Happy President's Day.
Wisdom from President John F. Kennedy:
"The stories of past courage can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this, each man must look into his own soul."
Courage, compassion, and the fight for justice are common threads in our local heritage.
Will we continue that legacy by fighting to protect the humanity and rights of our neighbors?
My answer- yes, we must.
In all of the chatter about ICE raids, people will sometimes argue that immigrants don't have constitutional protections like the right to due process.
Reality is that immigrants have many rights, regardless of their legal status. This article is a helpful primer.
www.forbes.com/sites/andyjs...
It was a great reminder that even in divided times, we generally want the same basic things- good healthcare, quality schools, a strong sense of community, safe roads and neighborhoods, and the ability to provide for our families.
Thank you to everyone who turned out to last night's town hall! My team and I had a great time connecting with community members about issues from potholes, to education, to ICE, to local economic development.
“We want to ask our federal government to kind of recalibrate. We want to see proper use of force. We want to see proper use of good law enforcement techniques.”
@repfriel.com
www.abc27.com/local-news/m...
We must each do what we can to stand for our liberties and for equal protection under the law.
Right is right even if everyone is against it and wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it." -William Penn
Apparently, I'm quite skilled at driving a sled pulled by draft horses! It was my first Feed Scurry at the #PAFarmShow and I managed to edge out several of my colleagues to take first place. It was a fun event that raises money for agricultural scholarships for PA students.
This was an important discussion about economic mobility, workforce development, community vitality, and the pivotal role of housing in all of it.
From being able to find a starter house to aging at home, being able to attain and maintain secure housing is a foundational part of a good life.
In response, our office has developed a guide to help answer the question "What Can I Do?". It's not comprehensive, and no doubt we will update it as time goes on, but we hope that it is helpful to you!
The full guide, including in a downloadable form, is here: www.pahouse.com/friel/whatca...
Over the last year, many wonderful folks have reached out to ask what can be done to stand for democracy, protect our neighbors, and create a more vibrant and compassionate community.
www.pahouse.com/friel/whatca...
