PA State Rep. Joe Emrick

Congratulations to the high school seniors of the Nazareth Girl Scouts Unit who were recently honored by their troop in advance of graduating from high school and for their years of participation in Girl Scouts.

I presented one of those seniors, Gillian Smith, with a Pennsylvania House of Representatives citation acknowledging her receipt of the Girl Scout Gold Award. The award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, earned exclusively by high school Girl Scouts. It requires participants to identify a community issue, develop a sustainable solution with global or local impact and dedicate at least 80 hours to executing the project.

This week, I had the honor to meet with Jonathan Bright and Michael Lucas, both Boy Scouts with Troop 76, in advance of their Eagle Scout Court of Honor that will be held this weekend.

Jonathan, his mother Julie, Michael and his mother Lori visited my district office where I presented the two scouts with Pennsylvania House of Representatives citations acknowledging their accomplishments.

For his service project, Jonathan built an additional pergola for the Jacobsburg Historical Society. Michael created a grill area – including the installation of pavers, a firepit, two benches and two planters – for the Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire company for his service project.

Jonathan and Michael represent the spirit and essence of what it means to be a Boy Scout, and I extend my warmest wishes for their future success.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a House Republican Policy Committee hearing not far from the 137th District to address an issue that impacts so many Pennsylvania families: the rising cost of back-to-school supplies.

The focus of our discussion was House Bill 1596, which would create an annual back-to-school sales tax holiday in Pennsylvania. This legislation is designed to provide meaningful, targeted relief so families can afford essential school supplies when they need them most.

The hearing, titled “Affordability for Families,” was held at Crayola’s world headquarters in Forks Township, a fitting location given Crayola’s deep ties to education, our community and back-to-school traditions.

I’m committed to working toward policies that make life more affordable for hardworking families across our Commonwealth.