01/16/2026
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Several bills in Harrisburg would shift decisions from our local communities to politicians or bureaucrats in Harrisburg.
**๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ: ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ด, ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ด. ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐บ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ด ๐ช๐ต**
Examples:
โข HB 2045 (Sponsored by former rep now County Exec Josh Seigel) & HB 1459 (Sponsored by former rep now County Exec Josh Seigel). Would limit local control by requiring municipalities to allow multi-family housing types regardless of local planning.
โข HB 502 and related energy siting proposals. Would allow large energy facilities to bypass local zoning and be approved at the state level. (Co sponsored by local rep. Mike Schlossberg)
โข SB 991 & SB 939 (Co sponsored by Senator Pennycuick who represents areas just south of us). Would create expedited state permitting pathways for high-impact DATA CENTERS and related infrastructure impacting local control and review.
Supporters argue these bills address affordability, housing, energy and economic needs. Critics are concerned that state preemption equals loss of local control leading to infrastructure strain, environmental impacts, traffic, higher taxes, costs and long-term liabilities.
These decisions impact traffic, schools, utilities, farmland, and quality of life. Regardless of where you stand, these proposals deserve close scrutiny.
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ. ๐ช๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐. ๐ข๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐น๐, ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐!
The following State Elected officials represent the East Penn School District area:
Senator Jarrett Coleman
PA State Rep. Gary Day
Senator Nick Miller
PA State Rep. Milou Mackenzie
Others referenced outside of East Penn but local to the greater Lehigh Valley or nearby.
Senator Tracy Pennycuick
Rep. Mike Schlossberg
Upper Macungie Residents for Smart Growth
South Whitehall Concerned Citizens: Ridge Farms, Growth and Preservation
