Senator Carolyn Comitta, Serving Chester County

Dear
Friend,

Thank you for subscribing to Comitta's Corner. I hope you
had a memorable Labor Day weekend.

As we move into fall, activity
in Harrisburg and around the district tends to pick up.

Please feel
free to share these updates with friends, family, and anyone else who
may be interested.

*

PJM Reform*

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Recently,
I joined energy efficiency advocates, fellow lawmakers, and business
leaders to call for reform at PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland)
Interconnection. Watch. [link 1]

PJM [link 2] coordinates the
movement of wholesale electricity across a 13-state area in the U.S.,
serving over 67 million people. In short, it controls the market in
which utilities sell electricity to consumers.

That's important
because electricity bills are rising as more data centers come online.
In addition, we have real concerns that data center growth is going to
boost demand, strain the grid, and drive electric bills even
higher.

Unfortunately, PJM's structure does not allow states or
consumer advocates the voice - or voting power - that they need and
deserve. Furthermore, PJM operates a two-tiered voting system in which
members, electricity generators, and utility companies first vote on
policies in lower-level committees, where votes are held in private
and not recorded.

That is not fair, and it isn't right. It's why I
introduced legislation, Senate Bill 616, to require electric utilities
that are members of PJM to disclose their votes. In addition, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) [link 3] is currently
pressing [link 4] for major governance and stakeholder process
overhauls at PJM.

*

Recovery Works License Plate*

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It's
National Recovery Month. To celebrate people in recovery and remind
those battling addiction or substance abuse that help is available,
I'm partnering with State Senator John Kane on legislation to
establish a "Recovery Works" specialty license plate in
Pennsylvania.

Proceeds from specialty plate sales would benefit the
Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance (PRO-A) [link 5], a
statewide nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to supporting
individuals in recovery and educating the public about addiction and
recovery.

About 16 percent of Pennsylvanians aged 12 and older -
roughly 1 in 6 residents or nearly 2 million people - struggled with a
substance use disorder over the past year, according to data compiled
by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.

Meanwhile, more than one million Pennsylvanians are
living in long-term recovery, and thousands receive treatment each
year in the Commonwealth's 450 licensed recovery homes.

This is a
simple way that we can send the message to people and families dealing
with substance abuse and addiction that you are not alone. Thousands
of Pennsylvanians are facing the same battle, and many are leading
happy, healthy, and productive lives in recovery thanks to the many
resources, organizations, and treatment programs [link 6]
available.

*

Updated Outreach Schedule*

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This
month, we're updating our outreach office hour schedule [link 7] to
better serve constituents throughout the 19th District.

At outreach
office hours, staff members are available to assist residents with a
number of issues and state services, including applying for the
Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program, SEPTA Key Senior ID Cards, Birth
Certificates, Unclaimed Property, and more.

We will now be at
Brandywine Valley Active Aging's Coatesville Campus [link 8] on the
first Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

And we will
be at the Coatesville Area Public Library [link 9] on the first
Thursday of the month from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Our eight monthly
outreach office hours are opportunities to meet in person, answer any
questions, and connect constituents with important services and
programs. If you have a problem, a concern, or need assistance with
state government issues, I encourage you to stop by, or visit my
district office in West Chester. You can also call us [link 10] or
contact us online [link 11].

*

Transportation Update*

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Starting
next week (September 13), PennDOT is scheduled to begin milling and
repaving eastbound U.S. 30 (Exton Bypass), to provide long-term
sinkhole remediation on the highway in West Whiteland and East Caln
townships.

Under this project, PennDOT's contractor will perform
permanent repairs to sinkholes at two locations on U.S. 30 (Exton
Bypass) between Business U.S. 30 (Lancaster Avenue) and Clover Mill
Road.

During that time, alternating lane closures will be in place
on eastbound U.S. 30 (Exton Bypass) between the U.S. 322 (Horseshoe
Pike) and the Route 113 (Uwchlan Avenue) interchanges [link 12].

As
part of the remediation, crews will use a limited mobility grouting
program that involves drilling a series of holes through the pavement
in a "grid" pattern. Crews will inject pressurized grout into the
drilled holes to fill subsurface voids beneath the roadway. Filling
subsurface voids will help stabilize the ground beneath the pavement
and reduce the risk of future sinkholes.

Drivers are advised to
allow extra time when driving through the work area because backups
and delays may occur. The schedule is
weather-dependent.

*

Upcoming Events and
Opportunities*

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Our
team is looking forward to an autumn of outdoor events, street
festivals, and community day celebrations in parks and downtowns
throughout our region.

In addition to our updated outreach hours
[link 13] in Coatesville, Easttown, Downingtown, Malvern, Oxford, and
West Chester we attend community events throughout the 19th District
[link 14] to offer in-person services.

Please keep these important
dates in mind:

-
Friday, September 11 - Sept. 11 Commemoration in
Coatesville [link 15]

-
Saturday, September 12 - 13 - Mushroom
Festival in Kennett Square [link 16]

-
Sunday, September 12 -
Library Card Signup Festival [link 17]

-
Saturday, September 19 -
Valley Township Day [link 18]

-
Sunday, September 20 - West
Chester Restaurant Festival [link 19]

-
Monday, September 28 - 30
- Legislative Session [link 20]

-
Saturday, October 3 - Free
Community Shredding Event in Tredyffrin [link 21]

-
Saturday,
October 3 - Tredyffrin Township Community Day [link 22]

-
Sunday,
October 4 - Downingtown Fall Festival [link 23]

-
Monday, October
5 - 7 - Legislative Session [link 24]

-
Saturday, October 10 -
Penn Township Fall Festival [link 25]

-
Tuesday, October 13 -
Senior Expo
[link 26]

-
Monday, October 19 - Last Day to
Register to Vote [link 27]

We hope to see you there.

Take good
care of yourself, and if you can, take care of someone else, too. And
please know that my staff and I are always here for you.

Feel free
to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have at
[email protected] [link 28].

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Carolyn
Comitta

State Senator - 19th District


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Contact
Information:

Harrisburg Office
457 Main Capitol Building
Senate
Box 203019
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019
Phone: (717) 787-5709
Fax:
717-787-4384

District Office
17 East Gay Street
Suite 301
West
Chester, PA 19380
Phone: (610) 692-2112
Fax:
610-436-1721

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