Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his office is rolling out a new texting program to improve government communication with state residents.
With the new texting program, residents will both be able to get real-time updates from government agencies, as well as share their thoughts with the government. For the two-way communication system, Pennsylvania partnered with Community, an SMS engagement platform that connects elected officials and others through unique 10-digit phone numbers.
In a message to Pennsylvania residents, Gov. Shapiro said, “Whether I’m visiting small businesses in Scranton, making a major announcement in Erie, or coming to your area to meet with you and your neighbors – I want to share it with you directly.”
Gov. Shapiro added, “to best serve the people of Pennsylvania, we have to meet people where they are – and do it effectively and efficiently. No matter how you choose to access government, you need to know you’re going to get help, whether you’re walking into a building or sending me a text. More importantly, I want to hear what you think, what my Administration and I can help with, and your stories. Shoot us a text at 717-788-8990 to sign up.”
The governor’s office stressed that the Community platform allows text messages to be delivered directly to subscribers without relying on an algorithm and without selling user data.
