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In this Update:
Closing a Dangerous Sentencing Gap
As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I was proud to advance Senate Bill 1284 to strengthen penalties for those who attempt to murder law enforcement officers. There is currently a sentencing disparity between attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and assault of a law enforcement officer. While both crimes carry a potential maximum sentence of up to 40 years of incarceration, only assault of a law enforcement officer carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years. With no mandatory minimum on the books for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, the judge must impose a sentence for that offense based on Pennsylvania’s sentencing guidelines, which recommend a sentence as low as seven years. The need for the legislation was first brought to my attention by Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher after a horrific crime against a law enforcement officer in his county in 2024. Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin miraculously survived being shot in the head. During the criminal proceedings, the sentencing disparity was revealed. Standing Up for Fairness in Women’s Sports
As a former athlete, I was proud to once again vote in support of legislation – Senate Bill 1293 – to protect fairness and opportunity in women’s sports. This bill establishes as state policy the principles of fair play, respecting the rules of the game, eliminating any unfair physical advantages and ensuring a safer playing field for women and girls in sports. It would require school and college athletic teams to be designated as male, female or coed, with the goal of ensuring a level playing field for female athletes and preserving the progress made under Title IX, helping to safeguard equal opportunities for women and girls in athletics across the commonwealth. Every female athlete deserves a level playing field. This bill helps preserve those opportunities and protect the integrity of women’s sports. Watch Senator Baker’s comments on Senate Bill 1293 HERE Senior Scam Prevention Event
Join me and PA Attorney General Dave Sunday on April 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Kingston Active Adult Center, 335 Third Ave Kingston. The Senior Scam Prevention Event will feature:
Our senior citizens are the foundation of our communities, and it is so important that they have access to the tools, knowledge, and support they need. This event provides vital information to help seniors protect themselves from scam predators. I look forward to seeing you there! Strengthening Electricity Affordability and Reliability
Pennsylvanians need electricity that’s affordable and reliable. That’s why I joined legislative colleagues in February urging action to preserve critical baseload power generation by preventing the premature shutdown of two commonwealth power plants. I’m pleased to report the Trump administration has reached agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the operator of the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations in Indiana and Armstrong counties to allow continued operation of both plants. The agreement ensures continued, environmentally compliant generation of 3,400 megawatts of electricity for the regional grid and preserves the livelihood of more than 1,000 workers. I applaud the parties for working to find common ground, and will continue working to expand Pennsylvania energy production to provide our residents with a true “all of the above” energy strategy to ensure affordable, reliable electricity. Committee Approves Measure Eliminating Emissions Test Mandate for Newer Vehicles
Legislation exempting state emissions testing for newer vehicles and removing it entirely for counties where it’s no longer needed was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee. Senate Bill 1298 exempts vehicles five years old or less from the requirement and removes Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer and Westmoreland counties from the emissions program. The Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance program mandates motorists in 25 Pennsylvania counties undergo annual emissions testing. However, a Joint State Government Commission study has shown that removing seven of these counties from the program would have minimal impact on maintaining federal air quality standards. Less than 1% of the five most recent model year vehicles fail annual emissions inspections. The measure now goes to the full Senate for consideration. You can read more about our efforts to reform emissions testing here. Take the PA Family Health Needs Assessment Survey
You can provide feedback to help improve maternal, child and family health in Pennsylvania by completing the Family Health Needs Assessment Survey by April 30. You can find the survey here. It’s part of the federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, managed in Pennsylvania by the Department of Health. It requires a comprehensive needs assessment every five years to identify key health priorities. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions, please email RA-DHPATITLEV@pa.gov. Shippensburg Alum Gather at the Capitol
It was a wonderful morning at the Capitol hosting the Shippensburg University Political Science Coffee & Donuts event and welcoming so many members of the “Shipinati” back to Harrisburg! As a proud Ship alum, I’m always grateful for the opportunity to connect with fellow graduates who are making an impact in public service and beyond. The annual Senate floor photo is a highlight each year, and it’s inspiring to see our alumni community continue to grow. A special thank you to all who attended, including faculty, students and university leadership. It’s always a great day when Ship returns to the Capitol! CAFÉ (Creating Adventures for Education) Blue Ridge
Each year Rep. Jonathan Frtitz (R-111) and I host students from the Blue Ridge School for an educational trip that includes a visit to our Capitol. These students participate in the CAFÉ (Creating Adventures for Education) Blue Ridge program –– a sixth-grade trip running Wednesday through Saturday that takes them to Harrisburg, Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. The experience is designed to encourage learning about our nation’s history and provide a deeper understanding of how our government works.
Please do not reply to this email. If you would like to contact Senator Baker, submit a web contact form here. |
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