Dear Neighbor, I hope you are well! I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on several happenings in the district as well as Harrisburg. 

As always, I hope you find this informative and useful.

Dog License Event

Ringing in the new year means renewing your expired dog licenses!

Ahead of upcoming price increases, my office is hosting a Dog License Event with the Office of Montgomery County Treasurer on Wednesday, January 17th. Stop by my district office at 35 Evansburg Road between 10AM and 12PM and staff will be on hand to assist you with the paperwork.

Please bring cash or a check/money order with you payable to the Montgomery County Treasurer. Once completed, the license will be mailed to you from the Treasurer’s Office. If you have questions, please call the office at (484)200-8263. 

Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Often thought of as a national or international crime, human trafficking or ‘modern slavery’ can be found even here in Montgomery County and throughout southeast Pennsylvania. Its pervasiveness continues to impact our region, often in the form of illicit massage parlors, and is nationally estimated to generate $2.5 billion in annual revenue.

Pennsylvania should be a leader in the fight against human trafficking and I’m proud to have introduced HB 1241 (Regulations for Massage Businesses to Prevent Human Trafficking) in the House last year. I continue to advocate for its passage, as well as additional House bills that will address Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania.

During this month I urge you all to learn more about the impacts of human trafficking, spot the signs of trafficking, and share the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 where you can.

Upper Providence Blood Drive

Upper Providence Township Police and Fire/EMS have announced a Blood Drive with the Red Cross! Save a life by registering to give blood on January 30th, 1PM to 6PM at Upper Providence Township Building, 1286 Black Rock Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460. The Upper Providence Township posting can be found here. Register to give blood here.

New Legislation Introduced!

I’m proud to announce that I have formally introduced two pieces of legislation this week!

HB 1939 – Real Estate Transfer Tax Deduction for Affordable Housing

This legislation would incentivize selling homes at affordable prices with an income tax deduction that applies to both the buyer and seller in equal amounts and ease the burden of lower-income buyers with a similar deduction if they collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

HB 1940 – Incentives to Build Affordable Homes

This bill would create a low-interest loan program to incentivize builders to construct homes for sale at an affordable price for low- and moderate-income individuals and families.

Raise the Wage

Last year on June 20th, I was proud to cast my vote for the passage of HB 1500, Increasing the Minimum Wage. This bill would increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by 2026 and permanently index it to inflation thereafter. It would also set the tipped wage in PA to 60% of the minimum wage. This would be the first time the minimum wage in Pennsylvania has increased since 2009 when it was set at $7.25.

Yet since its passage in the House, this bill has sat in the Senate’s Labor and Industry Committee with no end in sight. An increase in the minimum wage as the bill provides not only builds a stronger economy, but protects workers and businesses. It is shameful that Pennsylvanians must enter a new year without a raise once again when their counterparts in neighboring states have all received a raise.

Contact your senator today and ask them to raise the wage in Pennsylvania!

Please continue to stay safe, healthy and well-informed.

And, if you have questions about any state-related issue, please contact my office at 484-200-8263 or email [email protected]. If you wish to unsubscribe to this email, please scroll to the bottom where it says “visit this page to manage your email preferences".

Sincerely,

Rep. Joe Webster
State Representative
150th Legislative District

Pennsylvania House Democrats are committed to ensuring better jobs, better schools and better communities for all Pennsylvanians. More information on these successful efforts is at pahouse.com/deliveringforpa.

PA House of Representatives Democratic Caucus
PO Box 202250 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2250

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