In the news.

September 2, 2020– State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, is co-hosting a free community shredding event on Sunday, Sept. 13, along with state Reps. Pam DeLissio, D-Phila./Montgomery, and Greg Vitali, D-Delaware/Montgomery.

The rain-or-shine shredding event will run from 10 a.m. until noon – or whenever the truck is full, whichever comes first – in the parking lot of Beth David Reform Congregation at 1130 Vaughan Lane, 19035. It is open to constituents of the 148^th, 166^th and 194^th legislative districts.

“Shredding remains a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of important but unwanted documents,” Daley said. “I encourage all constituents of the 148^th to consider this opportunity to organize and safely rid yourselves of outdated documents like credit card statements and applications, bank statements, canceled checks, tax information, or insurance, health and retirement information.”

Attendees are limited to four boxes or shopping bags. Newspapers, magazines and journals will not be accepted.

Because of COVID-19, masks are required, and attendees must maintain 6 feet of distance from others. Attendees should be prepared to stand in line and transport their own material from their vehicles to the shredding bins. Carts are allowed to help facilitate this.

More information is available by calling Daley’s office at 610-832-1679 or by emailing RepMaryJoDaley@pahouse.net.

August 16, 2020 – I read House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff’s recent column on the need to prioritize our children’s safety, not politicize it.

While I believe Benninghoff, R-Centre, is sincere in his concern for children throughout the commonwealth, I think he and many others in his party are missing the mark when they talk about what our children need from us as this school year gets underway.

Also, misconstruing thoughtful consideration for what is best for our students, teachers and other school staff as “politicizing” the issue is disingenuous. Elected officials searching for policy answers and acting swiftly to save lives is not politicizing the issue; it’s doing our jobs.

This deadly virus is spread even by people who have no symptoms. Rep. Benninghoff said in his column that “most people fully recover” from COVID-19, but we don’t yet know the long-term effects of this virus. We do know that it has already claimed the lives of more than 7,400 people across the state, and it would have killed even more if it were not for the swift action Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration took from the beginning of the pandemic.

Before I go further in addressing what I see as shortsighted missteps in Benninghoff’s misdirected frustration with Gov. Tom Wolf and with the planning of alternatives to in-person learning this school year, I think we owe it to the tens of thousands of teachers and administrators across our state to include them in this conversation.

We have entrusted these teachers and administrators with our children every school year to this point. They have spent their lives serving our children. Many spend their own money on school supplies to provide the tools necessary to our children because they don’t get adequate funding. They work into their evenings – taking time away from their own families – to help our children excel.

When we talk about schools reopening, the least we can do is make sure our teachers and administrators, whose well-being will also be affected by the decisions we make with regard to school reopening plans, are included in that conversation and given the consideration that they, and the family members they live with, deserve.

As for what our children “need,” or “what’s best for our children,” I believe that is subjective and dependent on factors that can change.

Benninghoff wrote that the American Academy of Pediatrics recently noted that, “Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue reopening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff.”

But that is not the full statement issued by the AAP.

One other notable part of the AAP’s statement, which it issued jointly with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and The School Superintendents Association after President Donald Trump and members of his administration misconstrued a previous statement by the AAP about reopening schools, is this:

“Local school leaders, public health experts, educators and parents must be at the center of decisions about how and when to reopen schools, taking into account the spread of COVID-19 in their communities and the capacities of school districts to adapt safety protocols to make in-person learning safe and feasible. For instance, schools in areas with high levels of COVID-19 community spread should not be compelled to reopen against the judgment of local experts. A one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for return to school decisions.

That last line is very poignant when applied to the message in Benninghoff’s column that parents and students need all schools in Pennsylvania to open this fall and stay open. Benninghoff calls for a “uniform plan” for reopening schools, but that’s the opposite of what the AAP is advocating.

Benninghoff also said in his column that, “Children and parents need assurance and predictability.”

While that might be an ideal, I think our children could stand to have models of adaptability and resiliency. We’ve all heard it a million times that change is inevitable. Many of us have heard the saying, “We make plans and God laughs.”

Life is full of challenges and unexpected setbacks.

We can choose to dig our heels in and be angry about what’s happened to us – maybe even look for a villain on whom we can pin the problem and direct our anger.

Or we can choose to exercise a little humanity. Maybe we can use the challenges of this pandemic to show our children that they can be adaptable, that while they might not have control over a given situation, they absolutely have influence over how they respond to challenges. We can choose to teach our children that pointing fingers won’t solve their problems.

I believe that is very much a function of our human condition to want to direct our anger, our frustrations and grief at someone or something tangible. But no one person is responsible for the devastation this virus has caused. The virus is the enemy in all of this. Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, who have done their very best to be adaptable in managing this virus – the likes of which no one working in government has ever seen before – are not our enemies.

Let’s lead by example, take the blame game off the table and show our children that even in the middle of a pandemic, we can be adaptable, we can overcome challenges, and we can do that by working together.

July 28, 2020 – By Rep. Mary Jo Daley 

Can breastfeeding your baby help save the planet?

Health benefits of breastfeeding are well documented. But many do not yet realize it also has environmental benefits.

World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is just around the corner (Aug. 1-7), and the theme this year is “Support Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet.”

During my time as a state representative, I’ve been a strong advocate for the benefits of breastfeeding, and I continue my work to protect employees who are breastfeeding and to generally focus more attention on this subject.

That’s why, during this 2019-2020 legislative session, I’ve introduced H.B. 1177 and H.R. 773.

The former would fix two loopholes in federal law and would ensure private, sanitary space for exempt and non-exempt employees to express milk for up to one year after birth of a child. H.B. 1177, which has bipartisan support, was referred to the House Labor & Industry Committee in April 2019 and has remained there.

The latter seeks to recognize the week of Aug. 1-7 as “World Breastfeeding Week” in Pennsylvania and support breastfeeding as a way to enhance the well-being of all individuals worldwide. That resolution was introduced in February 2020 and was referred to the Health Committee, where it remains.

Breastfeeding is among the best investments in saving lives and improving the health of mothers and future generations. It protects children against a wide variety of infections and diseases, including sudden infant death syndrome, diabetes and respiratory illnesses. It can also improve maternal health, lowering the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Additionally, breastmilk lowers your carbon footprint because it is natural, renewable food that is environmentally safe. It is produced without pollution, packaging or waste, whereas formula production and consumption generate greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global warming.

Pennsylvania has made marked improvements in breastfeeding rates, but our commonwealth still falls behind many other states in benchmarks set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recognizing World Breastfeeding Week helps improve protections and support for breastfeeding across the world, highlighting its critical importance for the reasons stated above.

We must protect working mothers by providing them safe and sanitary breastfeeding options, and I will continue my pursuit of legislation to offer these commonsense protections and bring attention to this wonderful, natural and healthy action.

July 1, 2020 – State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, announced a $20,000 Environmental Education Grant for Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne.

According to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, this funding is part of a statewide initiative to engage youth and adults in environmental justice, climate change and/or water quality improvement, expanding their understanding of these issues and providing skills to take responsible action to protect their environment.

“I am thrilled that right here in the 148^th Legislative District, Riverbend’s comprehensive program that includes teacher professional development, direct student classroom lessons and a STEM-based Aquaponics program benefits directly from this grant,” Daley said. “It increases the capacity for schools to build environmental literacy and engage students in high-quality, inquiry-based science lessons aligned to Pennsylvania academic standards.”

Grants were awarded to schools and colleges, environmental and community organizations, and conservation district offices that applied in 2019 and met project criteria for funding. In total, the DEP distributed $434,168 across 55 recipients.

“This impressive list of funded projects speaks to the innovation and dedication of Pennsylvania’s environmental educators and their significant reach in helping to develop environmental stewards among Pennsylvanians of all ages and backgrounds,” DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said.

Riverbend’s website says it teaches environmental principles to children in southeastern Pennsylvania “through a direct connection with nature, inspiring respect for our natural world, and action as aware, responsible and caring citizens.”