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In this Update:

• Remember to Vote! Election Day is Tues., Nov. 3
• Flood Recovery Assistance Available
• Focus on the 46th
• New Law Means PA Schools Will Be Cellphone-Free 
• Ensuring Sexual Assault Survivors Get Justice
• Making Education More Affordable
• Bringing Dollars Back to Communities for Local Road Projects
• Making a Difference with Breast Cancer

Remember to Vote! Election Day is Tues., Nov. 3

Tuesday, Nov. 3 is Election Day, your chance to weigh in on state and federal elections.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For those voting by mail, county election offices must receive completed ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Find your polling place and other voter information here.

Flood Recovery Assistance Available

Assistance is now available for residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by the severe storms and flash flooding that struck our region Sept. 12-20. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest disaster loans to eligible homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Washington County and surrounding counties. Small businesses and most private nonprofits that experienced substantial economic injury may also qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The SBA has opened a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the South Strabane Township Administration Building, 550 Washington Road, Washington, to provide in-person application assistance. The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will close permanently Nov. 10 at 5 p.m.

Grants are also available through the Commonwealth Disaster Recovery Assistance Program for eligible individuals and families affected by the flooding in eight Washington County municipalities: Canton, Donegal, East Washington, Independence, North Strabane, South Strabane and Union townships, and the City of Washington. I encourage anyone impacted to explore these programs and determine whether they qualify for assistance.

Focus on the 46th

Flooding continues to affect communities throughout our region, putting homes, businesses, infrastructure and public safety at risk. Finding effective ways to reduce that risk is critically important, particularly as communities face increasingly frequent and severe storms.

I recently joined a briefing on the Chartiers Creek Watershed Feasibility Study, being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District in partnership with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Chartiers Creek and its tributaries have a history of repeated flooding, and this study will examine potential solutions for managing floodwaters, mitigating damage and better protecting the communities throughout the watershed.

It was wonderful to join the Greene County Chamber of Commerce for its Annual Membership Banquet at the beautiful Valley View Farm Venue in Waynesburg. The evening provided an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations making a lasting difference throughout Greene County.

Congratulations to The Way Community Center, recipient of the 2026 McCracken Legacy Award. The Way has become a tremendous community resource and a model of what can be accomplished through dedication and service. We also celebrated this year’s Distinguished Service Award recipients: Mona English, Sally Johnson, Richard Ketchem, Kathy McClure, and Brice and Linda Rush. Each has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their community, profession and family.

My thanks to Melody, Sarah and Mandi at the Chamber for their tireless work supporting Greene County businesses and communities. I also want to thank the Orndorff family for sharing their beautiful venue with the community. Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!

Remembering those who have served, those who continue to serve, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice is one of the most important ways we honor the men and women who protect our freedoms.

I recently joined Rep. Tim O’Neal and Fallowfield Township officials to celebrate a $122,000 Statewide Local Share Account grant that will help expand the township’s Veterans Memorial and create a new memorial honoring local firefighters. Developed in partnership with the Fallowfield Fire Company, the project will bring these tributes together in one place of honor and remembrance.

The expanded veterans memorial will recognize all veterans who live in Fallowfield today, those who lived there in the past, and those with longstanding ties to the community. Plans include additional monument stones, memorial benches, walkways, lighting, landscaping and flagpoles representing every branch of our Armed Forces. Families and community members will also have the opportunity to purchase memorial pavers honoring loved ones.

I am grateful to help support this investment in a lasting tribute to the men and women whose service and sacrifice deserve to be remembered for generations.

The Mon Valley Alliance has been an important partner in advancing economic development, revitalization and new opportunities throughout our region. I was pleased to attend its Fourth Annual Mid-Mon Valley Economic Symposium at the CFSBank Event Center in Belle Vernon.

I was honored to introduce MVA CEO Jamie Colecchi, who reflected on the organization’s first 10 years of accomplishments and shared his vision for the future. We also heard from Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger, who delivered the keynote address and discussed the opportunities and challenges facing our Commonwealth.

Congratulations to Jamie and the entire Mon Valley Alliance team on reaching this important 10-year milestone. Thank you for your continued commitment to strengthening our communities, supporting local businesses and building a stronger economic future for the Mon Valley.

I recently returned to the Langeloth Metallurgical Company facility in our 46th Senatorial District. I first toured the plant in 2017 and was eager to see its operations and future opportunities firsthand. Tom Ondrejko, Vice President of Process Engineering and Metallurgy at U.S. Moly, welcomed me back for a tour and discussion. I also recently met with Centerra Gold’s leadership team in Harrisburg to discuss the important work taking place here.

For more than 100 years, this Washington County facility has played an important role in American manufacturing. It produces molybdenum, a critical mineral used to strengthen steel for everything from infrastructure to advanced energy technologies. It is also the only U.S. producer of ferromolybdenum, an essential alloy for American steelmakers. The facility produces rhenium as well, a rare critical mineral used in advanced jet engine turbine blades, including those in the F-35.

Beyond the importance of its products, the facility’s history is remarkable. Parts of the campus date back more than a century, and standing on the original factory flooring offers a powerful reminder of the generations of workers who built and sustained this operation. Thank you to Tom and the entire team for the warm welcome and for the important work you do. I look forward to continuing to support this facility and the good jobs it provides.

May the Blue be with you! I had a wonderful time at the Burgettstown Homecoming Parade, where this year’s Star Wars theme brought out some creative costumes and fantastic floats. It was great to see the community come together to celebrate its students and show its Blue Devils pride.

We were especially pleased to see Keith Burgett and his family serving as grand marshals. As descendants of Burgettstown’s founder, Sebastian Burgett, they were a fitting part of this year’s celebration. Happy Homecoming Weekend, and go Blue Devils!

From the entire #CameraCrew to you, Happy Halloween from the Monongahela Halloween Parade!

New Law Means PA Schools Will Be Cellphone-Free 

Pennsylvania teachers will no longer have to compete with smartphones for their students’ attention – and kids will be able to get through the school day without the constant pressure of social media and notifications – with bipartisan passage of a new law requiring schools to adopt policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day.

Act 117 of 2026 includes limited exceptions, such as students with individualized education plans and special occasions such as field days. It establishes a clear statewide standard, while allowing school districts, which have direct contact with parents, to decide what works best for their communities.  

The law will take effect with the 2027-28 school year. Pennsylvania joins 40 states in restricting these devices – 19 of which have school-day bans. Read more about the effect of cellphones in schools.

Ensuring Sexual Assault Survivors Get Justice

Obtaining justice for sexual assault survivors requires timely processing of rape kit evidence, and I joined colleagues in making it a priority to improve and standardize rape kit testing.

Previously, state law allowed local law enforcement agencies to determine whether a sexual assault evidence kit should undergo DNA testing or other forensic analysis, creating the potential for inconsistent practices across the commonwealth. We passed a new law eliminating such discretion. Read more about Act 106 of 2026.

In addition, a law we passed in 2024 established a rape kit evidence tracking system, allowing survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process. After operating as a pilot program in three counties, it will launch statewide in December.

To better care for victims, we included a $12 million increase for rape crisis centers in the current state budget. Prosecuting perpetrators of these heinous crimes should be pursued vigorously, and we’ve made significant changes to ensure just that.  

Making Education More Affordable

An affordable and thorough education allows young Pennsylvanians to find success and lay down roots while filling in-demand jobs here in the commonwealth – without the burden of heavy debt. In addition to funding K-12 and higher education during the current legislative session, I supported initiatives that:

• Expanded the Grow PA Scholarships by $10 million to provide grants to students pursuing higher education for in-demand fields, provided they agree to stay and work in Pennsylvania after graduation.
• Expanded the state’s popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit program by $50 million to support more school choice opportunities for families in disadvantaged schools.
• Expanded the Dual Credit Innovation Grant Program to increase access to dual credit opportunities in underserved and rural communities.
• Expanded access to education and training by establishing the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program, providing targeted support to accredited nursing schools across Pennsylvania.

Affordability in education benefits students, parents, employers and communities. I’ll continue working to lower the cost of education and increase student access to promising careers.

Bringing Dollars Back to Communities for Local Road Projects

When we learned PennDOT was sitting on millions of dollars that should be spent on local infrastructure, my Senate colleagues and I used state budget negotiations to free this money up for road projects across the commonwealth.

PennDOT agreed to release an additional $775 million from the Motor License Fund for local road projects only, not interstates, which are funded elsewhere.

We fought to secure these funds because local road improvements mean safer travel with less congestion and improved transportation infrastructure that supports the economy and job creation. List of Rapid Deployment Transportation Projects

Making a Difference with Breast Cancer

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 comes to a close, here are a few ideas to take action all year long in your community:

Make mammograms part of the conversation
Make sure annual screenings are on the calendar for you and your loved ones. If you need information about how to access a no-cost mammogram, contact the PA Breast Cancer Coalition at 800-377-8828 or PABreastCancer.org.

Know your risk
Many factors can include your risk of developing breast cancer including your age, family history, dense breast tissue, genetics and prior radiation therapy. Talk to your relatives about any breast cancer in your family and discuss your personal risk with your healthcare provider.

Host a Friends Like Me Care Package donation drive
The PA Breast Cancer Coalition provides free, customized care packages to Pennsylvanians newly diagnosed with breast cancer and to those facing Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Each package includes helpful resources, small gifts and thoughtful items designed to remind patients they are not alone. Join with friends to collect much-needed items from the PBCC’s Amazon wish list and help ensure no one fights alone. Learn more at the coalition’s website.

Support research
Consider supporting the outstanding Pennsylvania researchers working toward a future without breast cancer. Every contribution helps researchers pursue new discoveries, improve treatment options and work toward better outcomes for patients and families.