PA State Rep. Joe Emrick

This week, I had the honor to meet with Jonathan Bright and Michael Lucas, both Boy Scouts with Troop 76, in advance of their Eagle Scout Court of Honor that will be held this weekend.

Jonathan, his mother Julie, Michael and his mother Lori visited my district office where I presented the two scouts with Pennsylvania House of Representatives citations acknowledging their accomplishments.

For his service project, Jonathan built an additional pergola for the Jacobsburg Historical Society. Michael created a grill area – including the installation of pavers, a firepit, two benches and two planters – for the Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire company for his service project.

Jonathan and Michael represent the spirit and essence of what it means to be a Boy Scout, and I extend my warmest wishes for their future success.

On Memorial Day, I attended the Nazareth Borough Memorial Day Service and got the chance to hear former U.S. Marine J.R. Rubio provide the keynote address. It was a powerful message about his personal experience serving our country and what Memorial Day means to him.

Additionally, Eagle Scout and graduating Nazareth High School senior Brody Muthard delivered the Gettysburg Address as part of the service.

Memorial Day stands as a solemn cornerstone of American life.

It is a day when the nation pauses to honor the brave service and sacrifice of our fallen heroes.

In Pennsylvania, this observance carries a particular weight, as the Keystone State has long shouldered a profound share of that burden, from the battlefields of the Civil War to conflicts abroad.

Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians have paid the ultimate price across our nation’s wars, including more than 26,000 during World War II alone. These lives, given so selflessly, remind us that our liberties were purchased at an immeasurable cost.

On this day, we remember them with deep gratitude and renewed commitment to the freedoms they died to preserve.

We had a great visit with students from Nazareth’s Holy Family School in the Pennsylvania Capitol recently.

While visiting Harrisburg, the students toured the historic state capitol building, where they learned about how state government works and the role their legislators play in representing their communities. I enjoyed answering the students’ questions and discussing both the legislative process and the value of getting and remaining involved in civic life. We were joined by PA State Rep. Ann Flood, who also represents students who attend Holy Family School.

During Wednesday’s legislative session day in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Claire Dos Santos, who is in eighth grade at Nazareth Area Middle School, served as a guest page. Claire has a strong interest in politics and told me she may pursue a career as a lawyer, following in the footsteps of her father, Chris, who accompanied her to the state Capitol.

I recently attended Northampton Community College’s spring legislative luncheon with NCC President David Ruth, which allowed me to talk with President Ruth and students about how we can make college more affordable.

NCC is in the heart of the 137th District and offers a multitude of educational options that ultimately strengthen our region’s workforce and economy. We should always prioritize continued and increased access to high-quality education.

That’s why we were thrilled to announce that same morning NCC received a $401,907 state grant to help expand access to dual-credit programs for high school students who want to pursue higher education. Dual-credit courses allow high school students to satisfy their curriculum requirements while also earning college credits. These classes have proven to be highly successful in preparing students for college while also improving their academic performance overall.

The funding was made available through the PA Dual Credit Innovation Grant, which was created by the General Assembly in 2024 and receives its funding through General Fund appropriations approved by the General Assembly.

On Saturday, April 18, a few days before Earth Day 2026, I hosted a document shredding event in the parking lot of the Palmer Park Mall.

The extremely successful free event for 137th District residents saw nearly 400 vehicles drop off approximately 20,000 pounds of paper documents containing sensitive personal information, all of it securely destroyed by Shred-it.

Congratulations to Peyton Walker of Freedom High School, recipient of the 2026 Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) Superintendent’s Moravian Scholarship. Peyton and his proud parents, Matthew Walker and Brenda Wacik, are 137th District residents. Peyton was awarded a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to attend Moravian University.

In the picture with me are, from left to right, BASD Superintendent Jack Silva, Peyton Walker and Moravian University President Byron Grigsby.

On Tuesday at the state Capitol, I had the opportunity to meet with Bethlehem Catholic High School junior David Gomez-Acuna.

David has a strong interest in engineering, particularly in the fields of energy, transportation, and aerospace. He hopes to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.

He started his day in Harrisburg with a tour of the Capitol. He then attended an Environmental and Natural Resources Protection Committee voting meeting, an Energy Committee informational hearing, and was introduced on the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. After I met with him, David also visited the Pennsylvania State Archives.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a House Republican Policy Committee hearing not far from the 137th District to address an issue that impacts so many Pennsylvania families: the rising cost of back-to-school supplies.

The focus of our discussion was House Bill 1596, which would create an annual back-to-school sales tax holiday in Pennsylvania. This legislation is designed to provide meaningful, targeted relief so families can afford essential school supplies when they need them most.

The hearing, titled “Affordability for Families,” was held at Crayola’s world headquarters in Forks Township, a fitting location given Crayola’s deep ties to education, our community and back-to-school traditions.

I’m committed to working toward policies that make life more affordable for hardworking families across our Commonwealth.