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In this Update:
My Statement on the Tragic Loss of a Soldier at Letterkenny Army Depot
Rebbie and I are heartbroken to learn of the tragic loss of a soldier during a training incident at Letterkenny Army Depot yesterday. Our prayers are with this soldier’s family, friends, fellow service members and the dedicated employees at Letterkenny who are grieving this profound loss. Having served more than 30 years in the U.S. Army, I know firsthand the deep bonds shared among soldiers and the tremendous sacrifices made by our service members and their families. News like this strikes close to the heart for all who have worn the uniform. This brave soldier answered the call to serve our nation, and that sacrifice will never be forgotten. The men and women who train and work at Letterkenny Army Depot play a critical role in protecting our country and supporting the readiness of our armed forces. Rebbie and I stand with this soldier’s loved ones and the entire Letterkenny community during this incredibly difficult time. We understand the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is actively reviewing the circumstances surrounding this incident. As chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and the state senator representing this community, I will continue to monitor developments closely and remain in contact with local and military leaders as more information becomes available. May God bring comfort and strength to those mourning this loss, and may we always honor the service and sacrifice of those who defend our nation. Additional details about the soldier have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. Honoring Pennsylvania State Police Trooper, Cpl. Timothy O’Connor Jr.
Pennsylvania lost a brave and faithful servant of our commonwealth. Cpl. Tim O’Connor, a 15-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, was conducting a traffic stop in Chester County after reports of a vehicle driving erratically. As he approached the vehicle, the suspect opened fire, tragically taking Cpl. O’Connor’s life. The suspect then exited the vehicle, walked a short distance and cowardly took his own life in what appears to be a murder-suicide. There are no words sufficient for a loss like this. What should have been a routine moment of service ended in unimaginable tragedy. It is a painful reminder that every time our law enforcement officers put on the uniform, they accept risks most of us will never fully understand. They stand watch over our communities, often in the quiet moments and ordinary places, protecting strangers they may never meet. Cpl. O’Connor leaves behind his loving wife, Casey, their young daughter, and his parents, Maureen and Tim. Our hearts are deeply broken for them. The loss of a husband, a father, a son and a protector leaves a space that can never truly be filled. Rebbie and I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Casey, their daughter, his parents Maureen and Tim, and to the entire Pennsylvania State Police family who are mourning the loss of a brother in uniform. We pray that God surrounds them with His comfort, peace and strength in the difficult days ahead. Scripture reminds us that ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.’ Cpl. O’Connor lived that calling through his service and sacrifice. Please join Rebbie and me in lifting Cpl. O’Connor’s family, friends and fellow troopers up in prayer. May the Lord receive Cpl. O’Connor into His eternal peace, and may we never forget the sacrifice he made in the line of duty for all of us. Recognizing Tim Ebersole for his Service to Chambersburg Fire Dept.
Thursday, I had the honor of presenting a citation recognizing Tim Ebersole for his dedicated service to the Chambersburg Fire Department. For years, Tim answered the call when our community needed him most — protecting lives, serving his neighbors, and embodying the true spirit of public service. Chambersburg is safer and stronger because of his commitment, courage, and leadership. Please join me in thanking Tim for his years of service and wishing him the very best in a well-deserved retirement. Ground-Breaking Ceremony for Shining Stars Therapeutic Riding Program
When a Prayer Becomes a Crime
The arrest of British citizen Isabel Vaughan-Spruce should alarm every person who values liberty. According to reports, Vaughan-Spruce was arrested for silently praying on a public street near an abortion facility in Birmingham. Her alleged “offense” was not harassment, not violence, not even speaking. It was prayer. Specifically, silent prayer. Think about that for a moment. A woman was treated as a criminal because of the thoughts in her own mind directed toward God. This is the inevitable outcome when governments abandon the principle that our rights come from our Creator — not from the state. For centuries, Great Britain was associated with the defense of liberty. The Magna Carta in 1215 established the revolutionary idea that even rulers are bound by law. Over time, that tradition helped shape the principle of liberty of conscience: the right to believe, worship and live out one’s faith without government interference. Yet today, under so-called “buffer zone” laws around abortion facilities, the government claims authority not only over speech — but over prayer itself. When the state presumes the power to police silent prayer, it has crossed a dangerous line. The question is no longer about public order. The question is about control of conscience. And once government asserts the authority to regulate the human conscience, liberty itself is in jeopardy. The courage shown by Isabel Vaughan-Spruce reminds us of a man deeply connected to our own commonwealth: William Penn. Penn was an Englishman who, at the age of twenty-one, became a devoted follower of Jesus Christ after hearing the Gospel preached. In a time when religious speech outside the authority of the Crown was forbidden, Penn openly proclaimed his faith. For that, he was arrested — more than once. At one point, King Charles II offered Penn his freedom from the Tower of London if he would promise never again to speak the name of Jesus. Penn refused. He declared that he would rather remain imprisoned than deny his Lord. That conviction changed history. When the Crown later granted Penn land in the New World to settle a debt owed to his father, Admiral William Penn, he established Pennsylvania as a refuge for liberty of conscience. Penn understood something modern governments increasingly forget: Faith is not a privilege granted by rulers. It is a right endowed by God. That principle became the foundation of America. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution could not be clearer: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The founders understood religious liberty must be protected not only inside church walls, but in the public square. Pennsylvania’s own Constitution affirms this even more directly. Article I, Section 3 declares: “All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences.” Not a conditional right. Not a government-granted privilege. A natural and indefeasible right. And Article I, Section 4 continues by guaranteeing that “no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.” Those words were written precisely because history had already shown what happens when governments try to control faith. Yet today we are witnessing the same pattern emerge again in the Western world. A woman stands silently in prayer. Police approach. They question her. And she is treated as a suspect — not for what she did, but for what she might be thinking. That is not liberty. That is authoritarianism. Over the years, I have written letters advocating for Christians imprisoned for practicing their faith. Those letters are usually sent to governments in parts of the world where religious liberty is openly suppressed. The case of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce is the first time I have felt compelled to write such a letter regarding a European nation. That should deeply concern every free society. When prayer is treated as a crime, freedom itself is under attack. Let’s be clear: Standing quietly in a public place is not harassment. Silent prayer is not intimidation. Thinking is not a crime. Prayer is not a crime. What we are witnessing is something far more troubling — the steady erosion of God-given rights by governments that increasingly believe they have authority over every aspect of public life. History teaches us that liberty is rarely destroyed in a single dramatic moment. It is chipped away gradually — one regulation, one restriction, one “reasonable limitation” at a time — until the very rights that once defined a free people are reduced to permissions granted by the state. Pennsylvania was founded as a refuge from exactly that kind of tyranny. As Americans — and as citizens of the commonwealth founded by William Penn — we must never forget that our rights do not come from kings, parliaments, legislatures or courts. They come from God. And what God grants, no government has the authority to take away. Across the Atlantic, many Americans stand with Isabel Vaughan-Spruce and with all who believe that faith should never be policed by the state. But this moment should also serve as a warning. The erosion of liberty rarely stops at the water’s edge. The same cultural forces that now seek to criminalize prayer in Britain are present here in America — pushing relentlessly to drive faith out of the public square and redefine religious liberty as a mere private preference. We must reject that lie. The Declaration of Independence affirms that our rights come from the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” and that they are unalienable — meaning they cannot be taken away by government decree. If Americans forget that truth, the freedoms secured by our Constitution and by Pennsylvania’s founding charter will not disappear overnight. But they will disappear. One regulation at a time. One court ruling at a time. One surrendered liberty at a time. The lesson of history is clear: Freedom survives only when free people are willing to defend it. Now is the time to stand firm for the God-given rights of conscience, faith and free exercise — before the day ever comes when Americans are asked the same question Isabel Vaughan-Spruce faced: What were you praying about? Because in a truly free nation, the government should never dare to ask. As the Gospel of John reminds us: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) 2025 – Year in Review
Please enjoy my year in review! Year in Review Throwback
At the twilight of the Cold War, I stood among a sea of East German Trabant automobiles in Hof, West Germany. These little machines—affectionately called “Trabbys”—were the pride of the German Democratic Republic. Built from pressed composite panels instead of steel and powered by smoky two-stroke engines that sounded more like lawn equipment than automobiles, they were simple, stubborn, and unmistakable. For decades, the Trabant represented mobility behind the Iron Curtain. Families waited years—sometimes more than a decade—to receive one. Yet in those historic days when the wall fell and the border opened, thousands of them streamed into West Germany, their buzzing engines announcing the arrival of a new era. There I was, a young lieutenant, standing among rows of these unlikely symbols of freedom—cars that had carried their owners across a divide that had shaped the world for nearly half a century. What once symbolized restriction had suddenly become a convoy of liberation. Senate Acts to Address Electric Generation Shortfall, Expand Energy Development
Reliable and affordable electricity is a fundamental need for families and the businesses that provide their jobs. The Senate recently passed legislation to streamline energy generation projects and preserve the reliability of our region’s power grid. Senate Bill 704 directs the state departments of Community and Economic Development and Environmental Protection to work together to identify suitable sites for natural gas electric generation projects. The goal is to address electricity generation shortages in the PJM power grid and attract investment by speeding up site preparation. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Other measures we passed to promote access to affordable energy prevented the creation of a new electricity tax and would authorize creation of a Pennsylvania Independent Energy Office to ensure a more cohesive strategy for managing energy resources. Measure to Speed Up Plugging of Abandoned Wells Approved by Senate
There are an estimated 350,000 abandoned oil and gas wells statewide posing safety and environmental risks. The Senate approved legislation to streamline plugging operations, eliminating uncertainty and accelerating cleanup efforts. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requires well pluggers to clean out a well to its total depth before plugging. Senate Bill 712 removes longstanding roadblocks by defining what constitutes a reasonable effort to reach the attainable bottom of a well, eliminating ambiguity that has led to costly delays. This clarity will help Pennsylvania fully leverage nearly $400 million in federal funding to plug more wells in less time. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Poultry Owners Urged to Continue Efforts to Combat Avian Influenza
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is reminding poultry owners – backyard flock owners and commercial producers – to continue taking steps to protect their birds from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Since the current outbreak began in 2022, Pennsylvania has lost more than 14.3 million birds, with approximately half of these lost since the beginning of 2026. Steps to reduce HPAI risk include:
Poultry owners should report sick birds or unexplained deaths to 717-772-2852. Anyone encountering sick or dead wild birds should contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD. You can find more information here. Next Commonwealth Vehicle Auction is April 14
Used commonwealth fleet vehicle auctions featuring more than 200 vehicles are open to the public, including dealers. The next auction is April 14. The auctions are conducted at the Manheim Keystone Pennsylvania Auto Auction, 488 Firehouse Road in Grantville, Dauphin County. Auctions begin at 10 a.m. and prospective buyers should register on the Saturday, Sunday or Monday before the sale. There is no registration on sale day. You can see what was sold at prior auctions and the most updated offerings, along with registration information and more here. Additional information, including payment options, can be found in the auction policies or by calling 717-469-7900 Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Nearly two million Pennsylvanians proudly claim Irish ancestry, reflecting generations of families, workers and community leaders who helped shape our commonwealth’s heritage. Whether you’re Irish or Irish-for-a-day, I hope you enjoy St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
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