MONACA, Aug. 16 – A $627,038 grant secured through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will fund construction of an electric vehicle charging station at the GetGo market and convenience store in Monaca, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie said the project, funded by a grant to Giant Eagle, Inc., will bring multiple benefits for the area. “As electric vehicle sales continue rising, it’s important that we have the charging infrastructure in place to support them,” Matzie said. “Securing this new funding will allow Giant Eagle to construct a charging station at the GetGo in Monaca. It’s a project that will create jobs and add convenience for motorists who drive EVs.” The funding is part of a $7.1 million package of grants awarded to 10 projects statewide. The grants are part of $171.5 million in federal funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that PennDOT will receive and distribute for EV charging infrastructure over five years. More information is available here: https://www.penndot.pa.gov/pages/all-news-details.aspx?newsid=1157 . Read more

MONACA, Aug. 14 – State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver, is encouraging Beaver County residents to stop by the Beaver Valley Mall’s Center at the Mall in Monaca between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 for the state’s annual distribution of free potassium iodide tablets. “Nuclear power is one of safest energy sources available, with multiple systems designed into modern plants that make the risk of an injury-causing accident extremely rare,” Matzie said. “But it still makes sense to take every precaution, which is why the state distributes free potassium iodide tablets each year to residents living within 10 miles of the state’s four active power plants, including Beaver Valley Power Station. “The Department of Health will be distributing tablets between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 at Center at the Mall, inside Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca. I encourage everyone to stop by for that extra peace of mind that comes with knowing you and your family are fully prepared.” Matzie said the distribution will take place at Unit #284 of the mall, which is located at 570 Beaver Valley Mall Blvd. in Monaca. Residents may request tablets for family members or others who are unable to get the tablets on their own. Residents unable to attend the Aug. 22 event may also obtain tablets at the Beaver County State Health Center located at 3582 Brodhead Road in Monaca. The center is open Monday through Friday from Read more

AMBRIDGE, Aug. 12 – More fresh fruits and vegetables are coming to grade schoolers in the 16 th Legislative District thanks to $97,020 in grant funding from the Department of Education, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie, D-Beaver, said the funding from the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program will help schools deliver a healthy supplement to classroom learning. “Eating healthy helps kids stay focused, learn more easily, and retain more of what they learn,” Matzie said. “The new funding will allow our elementary schools to introduce more produce into the school day, so students reap the benefits of that nutrition, learn to view fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks and gradually begin to make their own healthy choices.” Matze said the funding includes: $36,762 to Aliquippa Elementary School. $23,496 to Rochester Elementary School. $20,262 to Highland Elementary School. $16,500 to State Street Elementary School. To be eligible for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program. The FFVP prioritizes schools with the highest percentage of children eligible for free and reduced-price meals to give students from low-income families more frequent access to fresh produce. More information is available here: Read more

AMBRIDGE, July 18 – Beaver County residents will benefit from expanded adult literacy resources thanks to new grant funding of $659,046 to Literacy Pittsburgh, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. “The ability to get a good-paying job, benefit from career training, tap into community resources and even successfully navigate life in the community – all depend on basic literacy skills,” Matzie said. “But for some residents – particularly those who speak English as a second language – the lack of those skills is still a major barrier. “This new funding will allow Literacy Pittsburgh to train and support additional instructors and tutors so they can bring these essential tools to more folks in our region.” Matzie said the grant to Literacy Pittsburgh – which serves both Beaver and Allegheny counties – was awarded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. More information on the funding is available here: https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/education-details.aspx?newsid=1479#:~:text=Harrisburg%2C%20PA%20%2D%20The%20Pennsylvania%20Department,adult%20education%20and%20literacy%20programs . Read more

HARRISBURG, July 12 – State Rep. Rob Matzie cast a “yes” vote Thursday for the 2024-25 Pennsylvania budget, saying the new spending plan makes critical investments in the state’s public schools and in programs to boost jobs and economic growth. “This is a very important budget, and one we have been talking about for quite some time,” Matzie said. “The new plan invests $1.3 billion in public education and an additional half a billion to address decades of underfunding that has left students in less-affluent ZIP codes – including many students in our district – trying to compete on an uneven playing field. Every student deserves the same resources needed to navigate a successful future – and contribute to our workforce and economy. “The new spending plan brings us closer to that goal, with across-the-board increases for our school districts and extra funding for schools that have faced chronic underfunding. It’s time for us to make the investment our public schools need – and time to start easing the property tax burden on local residents.” Matzie said strategic investments in jobs and economic development were also key to his support for the new spending plan. “The new budget increases funding for programs that support workforce development and industry innovation, expand ‘shovel-ready’ sites for new and Read more

MONACA, July 8 – State Rep. Rob Matzie will host a license plate replacement event on Friday, July 19 to help motorists learn whether they need a new license plate and, if so, to help them apply for a free replacement. Matzie, D-Beaver, said the event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 19 in the parking lot of the Community College of Beaver County Dome, located on Campus Drive. “We’re teaming with local police to help folks address an important but sometimes overlooked issue,” Matzie said. “State law prohibits driving with a license plate that is illegible – meaning that it’s blistered, peeling or discolored; has lost reflectivity; or has at least one number or letter that can’t be recognized from 50 feet away. Plates with any of these problems qualify for free replacement, and our event will make the whole process easier. “I encourage anyone who suspects their plate might qualify for replacement to stop by.” Matzie said motorists must bring their unexpired PA driver’s license and current vehicle registration card in order to apply for a replacement plate. The new plates will not be distributed at the event. Matzie said that after PennDOT has processed the applications, his office will notify motorists that it is time to pick up their new plates and surrender their old ones. Read more

HARRISBURG, July 2 – State Reps. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver, and Tom Mehaffie, R-Dauphin, together with state Sens. John I. Kane, D-Delaware/Chester, and Lynda Schlegel Culver, R- Columbia/Luzerne/Montour/Northumberland/Synder, have announced the relaunch of the Nuclear Energy Caucus. “Nuclear energy has powered Pennsylvania’s homes and businesses for decades with reliable, carbon-free electricity,” the members of caucus said. “We are relaunching the bipartisan, bicameral Pennsylvania Nuclear Energy Caucus to ensure we keep this tried-and-true clean energy contributing to our baseload power for generations to come.” Pennsylvania is the birthplace of the nuclear power industry, with the first commercial nuclear power plant beginning operations in 1957 in Shippingport. Pennsylvania’s eight nuclear reactors at four facilities today produce one-third of all electricity generated in the commonwealth. America’s nuclear power plants faced significant economic and financial challenges in the 2010s, which led to the premature closure of many nuclear plants across the country, including Three Mile Island near Harrisburg in 2019. A Joint State Government Commission report on nuclear energy found the closure resulted in an 8% reduction in Pennsylvania’s nuclear energy output and hundreds of lost jobs. The commission’s report also studied small modular reactors, which are innovative fission-based Read more

HARRISBURG, June 25 – The state House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee today unanimously approved legislation that would allow Pennsylvania to gain regulatory control over the carbon capture process, Committee Chair Rob Matzie announced. Matzie said the process – aimed at reducing the impact of CO2 emissions – captures those gases at the source and injects them through specially designed wells into deep underground rock formations in a procedure known as geologic sequestration. “This is a good bill for PA workers, the economy and our environment,” Matzie said. “Carbon capture can reduce CO2 emissions, support our entry into other clean technologies like hydrogen hubs, create jobs and generate new investments. Right now, however, the federal government is in charge of issuing permits for carbon capture projects. Other states have started taking the initiative and applying to the EPA to gain the power to regulate those projects, and it’s time for Pennsylvania – as an energy leader – to join them. This bill will start the ball rolling.” Matzie said the legislation ( S.B. 831 ) would direct the state to apply to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for primary enforcement authority over carbon dioxide underground injection wells, also known as Class VI wells. The bill, Read more

AMBRIDGE, June 21 – State Rep. Rob Matzie is encouraging local municipalities, nonprofit groups, libraries and other community organizations statewide to apply to the newly opened Digital Connectivity Technology Program. Matzie – who is chairman of the PA House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee and a board member of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority – said the PBDA will be purchasing and distributing $20 million in laptops so communities can make that technology available for residents. “Everything we’re doing on the broadband authority is focused on one main goal: ensuring folks have quick, reliable, affordable access to the wealth of opportunities available online – from job openings and state programs to telemedicine and shopping,” Matzie said. “We’ve made great progress getting the infrastructure and funding in place for areas that have lacked those high-speed connections, but affording hardware like laptops and computers is still a barrier for some households. “This program will allow community organizations to obtain laptops and make them available for residents. I’m urging municipalities, libraries, nonprofits – every group eligible – to apply as soon as possible.” Matzie said eligible applicants include community organizations such as libraries, municipalities, workforce Read more

AMBRIDGE, June 17 – New grant funding of up to $100,000 from the state Department of Labor and Industry will support programs by the Literacy Pittsburgh organization to ensure residents in Beaver County and around the region have the computer skills they need to succeed, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie – who is chairman of the PA House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee and a board member of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority – said the funding will help residents get the skills required for good jobs and community connections. “Knowing how to use a computer holds the key to so many important life opportunities, from finding and qualifying for good jobs to locating essential programs and services,” Matzie said. “That’s why the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority has been working to ensure that the infrastructure and funding are in place to provide residents with access to high-speed internet. But the other essential part of the equation is that folks need to have the skills to take advantage of those connections. “The new funding to Literacy Pittsburgh to enhance their digital literacy programs is an important step toward that goal.” The grant is part of a package of $4.9 million in funding to organizations statewide. More information is available here: Read more