By: Tracy Pennycuick
There are few things more hopeful than a new year. A chance to reflect and renew and sometimes redo. Public officials aren’t required to provide a report to their constituents about their successes and setbacks, but they should.
As your state Senator, it’s been my honor to represent you in Harrisburg and fight for families and small businesses in the 24th District. As a U.S. Army combat veteran, I’ve worked to help veterans get the care they need and deserve. I’ve focused on protecting our communities by giving law enforcement the tools they need to keep our communities safe and supported increasing educational opportunities.
My legislative efforts resulted in numerous bills being passed into law, supporting families, veterans, and Pennsylvania’s overall well-being.
I was pleased to be part of an effort with Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward and others to mandate insurance coverage for breast MRIs, ultrasounds, and BRCA-related genetic testing and counseling for individuals at high risk of breast and ovarian cancers. This law ensures that no one is denied the preventative care they need.
In 2024, we witnessed the troubling rise of AI-generated sexual images of both minors and non-consenting adults. Although state law prohibited the distribution of intimate images without consent, it did not clearly address the use of AI deepfake technology. My legislation, signed into law (Act 125 of 2024) closes this critical loophole by making the creation of these images’ illegal, giving law enforcement the ability to prosecute these heinous crimes and keep our children safe.
With identity theft on the rise, I championed Act 33 of 2024 to give critical protection for victims of data breaches by providing affected individuals with a free credit report and a year of credit monitoring to help recover and protect their financial well-being.
Recognizing the unique challenges faced by military families, I introduced legislation signed into law, Act 82 of 2024 which makes school transitions easier for children of National Guard and Reserve families. This law simplifies enrollment, ensures timely access to classes and activities, and helps students stay on track to graduate.
We also fought excessive spending and protected vulnerable older Pennsylvanians from property tax increases by supporting additional funding for the State’s Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program, allowing more seniors to stay in their homes.
In addition, we started down the path of eliminating the Start-Up Penalty that thwarts entrepreneurship, eliminating another major barrier to attracting businesses.
While we made significant headway last legislative session, many challenges lie ahead.
We must continue to advance a pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-families plan that takes an aggressive approach to boosting our economy and fighting inflation.
My top priorities for the 2025-2026 legislative session include a strong focus on expanding jobs and opportunities for Pennsylvanians, providing resources to support students as well as empowering parents in the education of their children, and lessening the financial burden on Pennsylvania families by reforming our property taxes. In addition, I will continue to work to build trust in our electoral process by introducing commonsense legislation, including Voter ID and prohibiting the use of Artificial Intelligence to undermine our elections.
As elected officials, we are charged with passing a responsible budget. Recently, the Independent Fiscal Office for the Commonwealth warned that Pennsylvania’s general fund deficit is expected to grow to $3.4 billion for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. We must hold the line on excessive spending and navigate the challenging financial times ahead.
The future of our Commonwealth depends on our ability to build an inclusive economy that benefits everyone, incentivize the creation of good-paying jobs, and reforming our education system so it prepares our students for the real world.
As we look ahead to the New Year, I remain committed to addressing the challenges before us with renewed focus and dedication to serving the people of our community.