Recent News
Pennsylvanians Said No. The Health Department Finally Listened.
On Sept. 25, the state Department of Health withdrew its rewrite of the commonwealth’s disease-control regulations after receiving more than 10,000 public comments opposing the changes. [Read More]
E-news Updates – September 25, 2026
In this Update: March For Life Rally Pennsylvanians Remember Why They Changed Our Constitution Senate & House VAEP Hearing: From Combat to Careers Veteran Service Officer Meetings Monthly Photo Submission Throwback! Shapiro’s Troubling Health Regulations: Thousands of Pennsylvanians Weigh In Senate Bill Protecting Children from Harmful AI Chats Needs House Action March for Life Brings […] [Read More]
News for Veterans – September 2026
In this Update: No Veteran’s Family Should Be Left Behind Veteran Service Officer Meetings Letterkenny Army Depot Tour Totem Pole Playhouse Show – South Pacific State Veterans Commission Meeting New Law Connects Families with VA Burial Benefits State Veterans Commission Meeting $1.2 Billion in Infrastructure Improvements Approved by VA VA Announces Clinical Trials to Help […] [Read More]
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Yesterday, my office toured Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania’s “Veterans Grove,” a tiny home village for Veterans facing homelessness. Located on a 5-acre parcel along the Susquehanna River in the outskirts of Harrisburg, Veterans Outreach built a village of 15 tiny homes surrounding a community center.
The Veterans Grove community is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of each Veteran through a therapeutic community model that builds camaraderie, personal responsibility, and healing, while recreating the stable support network offered to them before they left the service.
What stands out is that VOPA is not just providing shelter, they are working on the whole Veteran, so that they’re coming back into our community.
Since opening – VOPA has served over 50 Resident Veterans and over 274 Non Resident Veterans.
September 29, 1789 - Congress created the United States Army, consisting of 1,000 enlisted men and officers.
Pennsylvanians Said No. The Health Department Finally Listened.
By Sen. Doug Mastriano
On Sept. 25, the state Department of Health withdrew its rewrite of the commonwealth’s disease-control regulations after receiving more than 10,000 public comments opposing the changes. That is an extraordinary response, and a victory for the people of Pennsylvania. The citizens read what the government was proposing, remembered what happened during COVID-19 and spoke out, because we already fought this battle. During COVID-19, emergency powers reached deeply into our businesses, schools, churches and family lives.
In 2021, voters amended our state constitution to limit a governor’s disaster emergency declaration to 21 days unless the General Assembly extends it. Shortly thereafter, the legislature terminated the COVID-19 disaster declaration. The message from the people was clear: Emergency government must have limits, and the people`s elected representatives must have a voice.
That is why this proposal raised such serious concerns. The Department of Health sought broad changes to Pennsylvania’s disease-control regulations, including expanding language governing the commonwealth’s response to disease outbreaks. The department itself discussed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision finding that its existing regulation did not authorize a statewide school mask mandate and proposed adding authority for disease “prevention, containment or mitigation.”
That raised a fundamental question: Can an agency use regulation to reclaim broad authority after Pennsylvanians imposed constitutional limits on emergency power? The answer is no. Public health is an important responsibility, but so are constitutional government, individual liberty, parental rights and legislative oversight. Those protections matter most when government believes extraordinary action is necessary.
What an honor to speak at the Come to the Table event at the Pennsylvania State Capitol on Saturday!
It was a powerful time of worship, prayer, and fellowship, as we came together in faith to pray over our Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our nation.
I was also honored to present Ruth Willard with a Pennsylvania Freedom Medal in recognition of her tremendous work and dedicated service to others.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this meaningful gathering possible.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” - Psalm 33:12
We had a great time attending the 36th Annual Franklin County Farm Fun Fest on Friday!
The day included a tour of the farm and an opportunity to hear directly about the current issues, challenges, and opportunities facing our farmers and agricultural community.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible and to our hardworking farmers who continue to make agriculture such an important part of Franklin County and Pennsylvania.
#FranklinCounty #FarmFunFest #PAagriculture #SupportOurFarmers #Agriculture
September 28, 1066 - The Norman conquest of England began as Duke William of Normandy landed at Pevensey, Sussex.
September 27th - Gold Star Mother`s Day & Family`s Day
We pause to honor the courage of mothers, fathers, spouses, and children who carry the loss of a loved one who gave the last full measure of devotion for our Nation. We fly the flag, speak their names, and commit to serving the families they left behind. Pennsylvania remembers your sacrifice, today and every day.
September 27, 1722 - American revolutionary leader Samuel Adams (1722-1803) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a passionate, vocal man who helped ignite the revolution and served as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
