Kristin's Corner

Join Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill as she explores the history of Camp Security, a Revolutionary War prison camp in Springettsbury Township. Guests Carol Tanzola and John Crawmer from Friends of Camp Security discuss ongoing archaeological efforts and the site's rich history. Learn about the lives of English and German troops held there and how the community is working to preserve this historic site. Discover how you can get involved in uncovering this fascinating chapter of American history.

Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill sits down with Danielle Wells and Karen Roberts Conley to discuss the origins and history of the Rehoboth Welsh Chapel, located in Delta, Pennsylvania. They discuss the significance of “Gymanfa Ganu,” which is a festival of the Welsh church where the congregation sings sacred hymns. The annual event brings worshippers with Welsh ancestry from all across the country to the Rehoboth Welsh Chapel. The church is celebrating its 170th anniversary and today continues to hold bilingual (Welsh and English) worship services.

York College of Pennsylvania formally inaugurated Dr. Thomas Burns to serve as its fifth president over the past weekend. Dr. Burns brings an extensive and impressive resume as a leader at growing enrollment at other higher education institutions. His outside-the-box approach and collaborative nature with the entire community are his recipes for success. He joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss his vision for York College of Pennsylvania.

Women’s History Month honors and recognizes the legacy of female trailblazers over the years. Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) is joined by Sarah Messer, the recently appointed President of the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, to talk about Sarah’s background and plans in this leadership role.

Sarah shares her vision for the Chamber and how the greater Hanover community can continue to grow and thrive. Kristin and Sarah also share advice on the importance of role models to grow professionally and personally and advice to young women who will be future leaders.

Learn more about the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber at https://www.hanoverchamber.com.

March is recognized as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Liz Lanza serves as director of the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. She joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to talk about her background and how she is proactively working to address problem gambling across the Commonwealth. Sen. Phillips-Hill and Ms. Lanza cover a variety of topics, including signs to look for with someone who may have a gambling addiction and steps to take to help someone with a gambling addiction. They also review legislation that would drive all new gaming revenue to school property tax relief and a measure to provide additional treatment to problem gamblers.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, please call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit ResponsiblePlay.pa.gov.

Even before graduation, high school students are inundated with financial decisions – from student loans for college to the purchase of a first vehicle. However, equipping those students with the knowledge to make informed decisions has proven to be a big challenge.

Latest studies show recent high school graduates (18 years of age) through 29-year-olds carry average credit card debt totaling $2,900. As these students grow older, so does their credit card debt. Gen X carries the highest credit card debt load with more than $8,000 in credit card bills. This does not include mortgages, vehicles or other items that are financed.

Sen. Chris Gebhard wants to build a better foundation for future financial decisions starting in high school. He authored a new law that will give students basic money management skills and long-term financial planning through a mandatory course every Pennsylvania student will take in high school. The half-credit personal finance course will be a graduation requirement under the new law he authored.

He joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss his effort, why he sponsored the bill and what it means for the future financial health of everyday Pennsylvanians, starting with the next generation of high school graduates.

You can learn more about Sen. Gebhard’s new law here: https://senatorgebhard.com/2023/12/13/gebhard-bill-to-improve-financial-literacy-set-for-enactment/

One of Pennsylvania’s great traditions is back and bigger than ever with the 108th annual Farm Show held in Harrisburg Jan. 6 – 13. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Lisa Graybeal sits down with Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to preview the nation’s largest indoor agricultural expo.

To learn more about the upcoming Farm Show, please visit: https://www.farmshow.pa.gov/pafarmshow/Pages/default.aspx

Sen. Ryan Aument joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss Senate Bill 7, legislation that would empower parents to protect their own child from accessing sexually explicit content at school, without impacting the books available to other students.

Sen. Aument walks through what the bill does and does not do and addresses many misconceptions and myths about his legislation.

Sen. Aument recently launched a website to help educate Pennsylvanians about the extreme and graphic content contained in the materials. You can learn more about the issue here: https://www.senatoraument.com/parental-control-of-sexually-explicit-content/

Earlier this year, the Philadelphia Inquirer broke the news about out-of-county developers seeking to take 1,000 acres of land to build a pumped storage facility along the Susquehanna River near Chanceford Township.

The developers, who are based in Reading, Pennsylvania, sought the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin the multi-year process of building a massive pumped storage hydroelectric facility. The process would require taking and flooding of many properties, including farmland as well as recreational and historical sites along the Susquehanna River.

Joining Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill is Mark Platts, president of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. Mark discusses the adverse impact of the proposed project along the river.

Since the podcast was recorded, FERC rejected the initial application, however, the developers indicated that they will re-apply.

The Susquehanna National Heritage Area has been a catalyst for major improvements to York County’s natural resources along the Susquehanna River. Leading this effort is Mark Platts, who was the first employee of the heritage area. He joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss York County’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

The Susquehanna Heritage Area is our nation’s 55th national heritage area, which brings great exposure to the region, as well as drives greater resources to improve areas along the Susquehanna River. Mark discusses some of the latest additions to the heritage area, and some family-friendly “must-dos” as summer turns into fall along eastern York County.