Central PA News

State Representative Kerry Benninghoff, a Republican from Centre/Mifflin, has been appointed to serve again as the chairman of the House Transportation Committee for the 2025-26 Legislative Session. This marks his second consecutive term in this position.

Benninghoff expressed his enthusiasm about continuing his leadership role. "I’m honored to be asked to again lead this committee, especially after the work we did during the 2023-24 session," he stated. He highlighted that during the previous session, the committee moved 61 pieces of legislation, with 17 becoming law. He looks forward to collaborating once more with state Rep. Ed Neilson, a Democrat from Philadelphia.

The challenges facing Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure were emphasized by Benninghoff. "We have some unique transportation challenges compared to our neighboring states," he said, citing over 120,000 linear miles of highways and more than 25,400 state-owned bridges as areas needing attention due to wear and tear and seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Benninghoff also noted how changing work habits and the shift towards electric vehicles are affecting funding for transportation infrastructure maintenance. He mentioned major companies like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon making significant commitments to integrating electric vehicles into their fleets as an example of industry change.

"Transportation is very much a changing industry," Benninghoff remarked. He stressed the importance of working with the General Assembly and administration to address these changes equitably for all Pennsylvanians.

Since being elected, Benninghoff has held various leadership roles including majority leader, majority whip, and majority chairman of the Policy Committee. He has also chaired both the State Government and Finance committees.

For inquiries related to this announcement or other legislative matters, constituents can contact Benninghoff’s Bellefonte district office at 814-355-1300 or his Reedsville office at 717-667-1175.