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In this Update:

• Construction of Aviation Community Center in Franklin County
• Monthly Photo Submission
• Throwback!
• Senate Stands with Attorney General, District Attorneys, State Troopers and Police
• Measure Cracking Down on “CDL Mills” Becomes Law
• Consider a Future as an Emergency Medical Services Provider
• Nominate a Non-Teaching School Employee for a RISE Award
• Organ and Tissue Donation Saves Lives

Construction of Aviation Community Center in Franklin County

I’m pleased to see the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, which operates Franklin County Regional Airport, receive a $2.7 million investment to construct a new Aviation Community Center.

This new facility will support workforce development, educational programming, and partnerships with local schools, nonprofits, businesses, and civic organizations. It will also serve as a gathering place for community events while helping prepare the next generation for careers in aviation and related industries.

This investment is about building for the future. By expanding opportunities for workforce training, education, and community engagement, the Aviation Community Center will strengthen Franklin County’s economy and help ensure our region remains competitive for years to come.

Monthly Photo Submission

Monthly Photo Submission! Show Us What Makes Adams & Franklin Counties Special!

Our communities are filled with incredible people, beautiful landscapes, historic places, and unforgettable moments. I want to help showcase the very best of Adams and Franklin Counties through a new Photo of the Month Contest!

Whether it’s a breathtaking sunrise, a family farm, a community event, a veteran being honored, a historic landmark, wildlife, or a special moment that captures the spirit of our region, I encourage you to submit your favorite photos.

At the end of each month, I will personally review the submissions and select a Photo of the Month. The chosen photo will be featured on my social media platforms, and the photographer will be recognized for their outstanding work.

This is a great opportunity to celebrate the people, places, and moments that make Adams and Franklin Counties such wonderful places to live, work, and raise a family.

Submit your best photos by clicking on the link provided and help tell the story of our communities!

I look forward to seeing our counties through your lens.

Throwback!

Preparing for the Mission

In the late 1980s, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment spent countless days preparing for a conflict we all hoped would never come. One of our most important training events was the month-long live-fire qualification at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.

As a lieutenant, I was assigned to help at Tank Table XII on Range 301, where Bradley Fighting Vehicles, M1 Abrams tanks, and Cobra helicopters conducted live-fire exercises.

One day during the exercise, the Army brought our wives to visit. After weeks apart, I spotted the bus carrying Rebbie toward the range tower. At that moment, I was standing in the commander’s hatch of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle as it returned to the start point after completing another run down the North Lane. I couldn’t stop or leave my vehicle, so all I could do was wave.

When I got home a few weeks later, I asked Rebbie, “Did you see me waving?”

She laughed and said, “Yes—but every wife on the bus thought it was her husband waving.”

We still laugh about that story today.

Senate Stands with Attorney General, District Attorneys, State Troopers and Police

Second-degree murder is a horrific crime – these are homicides committed while the defendant was also committing another violent felony such as rape, arson, robbery, burglary or kidnapping. Those who commit such an act deserve a punishment that matches.

In March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that our current sentencing structure for second-degree murder (life without parole in every case) is unconstitutional. The justices gave the General Assembly 120 days to enact legislation correcting the situation.

The Senate successfully passed strong bipartisan legislation to address this issue – twice. The Senate’s legislation is supported by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, Pennsylvania District Attorneys, the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, the Pennsylvania State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.         

Unfortunately, the leadership in the House of Representatives refused to allow a vote on this bipartisan legislation, instead passing a weak bill on a near party-line vote. That bill has several serious problems, including the fact that it could allow more than half of all inmates, including those on death row, to qualify for release from prison under an overbroad, ill-defined “medical release” program that is riddled with loopholes. It makes no sense.

I will continue fighting for a strong, common-sense response to the Supreme Court’s decision because the safety of our communities is at stake.

Measure Cracking Down on “CDL Mills” Becomes Law

Legislation drafted after it was learned unauthorized commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools were operating in Pennsylvania is now law, significantly boosting penalties for these “CDL mills.”

Act 50 of 2026 increases the maximum civil penalty for operating an unauthorized CDL school from $2,500 to $25,000, giving the state Department of Education a stronger enforcement tool to stop illegal operations and discourage violations. The new law does not impact private employers that provide CDL training to their own employees at no cost.

The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1295 to reinforce tractor trailer safety in the commonwealth. The legislative package reflects new federal regulations and federal legislation to strengthen commercial vehicle operations following allegations of unqualified truck drivers in the country illegally. Read more about improving commercial vehicle safety here.

Consider a Future as an Emergency Medical Services Provider

You could have a future in Emergency Medical Services, a critical component of healthy communities.

Find out what it takes to be an EMS provider and get your start with the state Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.

The site includes EMS education, information and resources, regional EMS council contact information and more.

Nominate a Non-Teaching School Employee for a RISE Award

Non-teaching school employees – including paraprofessional, clerical, transportation, food service, custodial, security and health workers – play key roles in keeping our local schools running.   

If you know an incredible non-teaching employee, you can nominate them for a Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award. Find details and a nomination form at the state Department of Education website.

Nominations for 2026 close Aug. 30.

Organ and Tissue Donation Saves Lives

Saturday is PA Donor Day across the commonwealth, a statewide effort to rally support for the more than 6,000 Pennsylvanians waiting for a life-saving transplant. It’s held on 8/1 because eight lives can be saved by just one registered donor.

PA Donor Day 2026 is especially important because the number of Pennsylvanians registering as organ donors has slowed and transplant waiting lists are long.

You can register to donate at any time – you don’t need to get a driver’s license or permit. Learn more about organ and tissue donation and register to be a donor here.