Today marks the two-year anniversary of the catastrophe in East Palestine. Two years. Despite promises from the companies and nominal rule changes from the federal DOT, nothing has really changed. Nothing has been done, by statute, to make our towns and families any safer.

In the PA House, we tried. Early last session, Democrats and Republicans alike passed comprehensive rail safety legislation with over 140 votes. Sadly, that died on the vine. And every indication from the new administration is that more and more will be left up to the states.

So, we’ll try again. Soon, I’ll be introducing legislation nearly identical to the bill we passed last session (the former HB 1028 if you want to refresh your memory). We can wait around for the next rail disaster, or we can try to prevent it. The choice is yours.