HARRISBURG, April 17 — At a Capitol news conference, state Reps. Carolyn T. Comitta, D-Chester, and Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery, joined state Sens. Art Haywood, Thomas H. Killion and Steven J. Santarsiero to call attention to climate change, its grave impacts and the urgent need to modernize the commonwealth’s renewable energy standards. Comitta and McCarter are both members of the bicameral, bipartisan Pennsylvania Climate Caucus. Comitta is vice chair; McCarter is its founder and chair. Their bill and a Senate companion bill introduced by Haywood, Killion and Santarsiero both seek to implement stronger renewable energy goals within the commonwealth to create good jobs, cut pollution and ensure a sustainable and prosperous Pennsylvania for future generations. “I am proud to join the calls for modernizing the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards,” Comitta said. “Our state has already made important investments in alternative and clean-energy technologies, but we must do more. Adjusting our electrical energy requirements to 30 percent by 2030 will solidify our path to reducing our carbon footprint and advance Pennsylvania toward becoming a national energy leader.” The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act was a forward-looking policy when it was enacted in 2004. But in the intervening years, Pennsylvania has fallen behind neighboring states like New Jersey and Maryland, which have enacted stronger energy standards, creating Read more

EXTON, March 22 – Mariner East Town Hall: Know Your Rights! will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 in the Shamona Creek Elementary School Gymnasium, 501 Dorlan Mill Road in Downingtown. State Reps. Danielle Friel Otten, Kristine Howard and Carolyn Comitta organized the town hall to help ensure that residents know how to protect their homes and property during pipeline construction. As Mariner East construction continues, temporary workspace easements are beginning to expire. Uwchlan Township Solicitor Mark Freed will explain property rights and easement agreements. Friel Otten, Howard and Comitta will hear and address concerns from their constituents. The three state lawmakers are members of the General Assembly’s newly formed Pipeline Safety Caucus, whose mission is to keep Pennsylvanians safe as pipeline infrastructure grows across the commonwealth. All community members are invited to attend. For more information, contact Friel Otten’s office at 484-200-8259. Read more

HARRISBURG, March 11 – Pennsylvania lawmakers representing 11 House districts and three Senatorial districts across Chester and Delaware counties have signed a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf asking him to impose a moratorium on the transmission of natural gas liquids products through the Mariner East pipeline system until the mandated protocols are in place for local responders to properly manage a pipeline emergency. Chester County Emergency Services and local school districts along the pipeline, including Downingtown Area School District, Rose Tree Media School District and West Chester Area School District have requested Energy Transfer Partners' subsidiary SPLP to provide its Emergency Response Plan for the Mariner East project, which the responders and school districts need to complete their comprehensive All Hazards Emergency Response Plans and fulfill their statutory requirements under Title 35 of state law . The letter urges Wolf to preserve the health, welfare and safety of constituents who live, work and raise their families in the high-consequence areas of Chester and Delaware counties within the impact radius of Mariner East. “We have pipelines currently transporting highly volatile products through our communities, and our local first responders are not able to adequately plan their emergency response or mitigate our risk because the operator has failed to cooperate with repeated requests for their Emergency Response Plan,” said Read more

HARRISBURG, Feb. 8 – State Reps. Carolyn Comitta, Danielle Friel Otten, Kristine Howard, Leanne Krueger, Christina Sappey and Melissa Shusterman met with Gov. Tom Wolf and his staff last week to address the growing problems with Energy Transfer’s Mariner East project. Today, those representatives have issued the following statement regarding news that the Department of Environmental Protection has suspended review of all permit applications and other pending approvals for Energy Transfer due to noncompliance: “We applaud the unwavering efforts of community members who continue to make their voices heard and draw attention to serious hazards and areas of oversight that need improvement. "The action taken by the Department of Environmental Protection today is a step in the right direction. "We are grateful for the opportunity to have a seat at the table for our communities and we look forward to continued collaboration with our state agencies and the governor’s staff to put the interests of the people of Pennsylvania first and foremost. There is still a lot of work to be done and we will use every tool available to us to make our community’s voice heard." The same six representatives sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission earlier this week, urging action related to a recent sinkhole along the Mariner East 1 pipeline. The letter can be found here. A statement sent last week by the legislators to the Read more

HARRISBURG, Feb. 8 – State Rep. Carolyn Comitta said today that she looks forward to reviewing Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed 2019-20 budget as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I’m pleased to see the governor’s plan to continue to boost our investment in education, starting with early childhood programs. Providing children with quality education programs from an early age is key to preparing them for a successful future,” said Comitta, D-Chester. “With my recent appointment to the Appropriations Committee, I’ll be reviewing the entire budget proposal in more detail and look forward to helping the legislature adopt a plan that works for all of us.” The House Appropriations Committee, which reviews bills that regulate state spending, will hold a series of hearings on the governor’s budget proposal beginning Monday, Feb. 11. Comitta was also recently appointed to the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. As pipeline projects have cut through her district, Comitta has been a strong advocate for putting the health and safety of residents first. She recently convened a meeting of multiple state and federal agencies to give residents the opportunity to ask questions about the safety of pipeline projects. “Serving on the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee gives me a greater opportunity to advocate for pipeline safety on the community’s behalf,” Comitta said. Read more

WEST CHESTER, Jan. 23 – State Rep. Carolyn Comitta and Sen. Tom Killion will hold a public Q&A session with state agencies on Mariner East safety concerns. At the request of East Goshen Township, Comitta, D-Chester, and Killion, R-Chester/Delaware, will hold the session with representatives from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (invited, but not confirmed due to the federal government shutdown). The session, open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in the auditorium at Fugett Middle School, 500 Ellis Lane in West Chester. The event is an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about siting, permitting, construction, safety, pipeline accidents, eminent domain, and environmental risks and damages. Anyone with questions should call Julia Loving at 610-696-4990. Read more

WEST CHESTER, Jan. 17 – State Rep. Carolyn Comitta will hold an open house from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, Feb. 1. Residents of the 156 th District are invited to stop by her West Chester office, at 21 Washington St., Suite A, inside the Washington Square Apartment Building. Attendees can meet Comitta and her staff and learn more about the services offered through her office. Light refreshments will be available. “I am delighted to again welcome residents to my district office,” said Comitta, D-Chester. “Our office is within walking distance for borough residents or up to a 15-minute drive from anywhere in our district, with abundant parking in the lot in front of our office. If anyone is unable to come to our open house, we are here Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I look forward to seeing everyone on Feb. 1!” Anyone with questions should call Comitta’s office at 610-696-4990. Read more

HARRISBURG, Jan. 1 – State Rep. Carolyn Comitta was sworn in to represent Pennsylvania’s 156 th Legislative District for a second term during a Capitol ceremony today. A former educator, councilwoman and mayor of West Chester, Comitta said she seeks to focus on issues including commonsense gun safety reform, community revitalization and development, education and the environment. She also said she’s committed to working in bipartisan coalitions to achieve successes that benefit everybody. “I’ve dedicated my life to public service: first as a teacher, then as a council member, a mayor, now as state representative,” Comitta said. “I have found the most important thing a public servant can do is bring people together to improve our community.” Comitta served on several important committees her first term, including Environmental Resources & Energy and Aging & Older Adult Services, and was appointed to the Pennsylvania Joint Legislative Air & Water Pollution Control & Conservation Committee. She also was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. Comitta’s efforts blend with the broader Plan for PA , which seeks to build a stronger economy for working families instead of serving special interests. More information about her is available on her legislative website at www.pahouse.com/Comitta . The Pennsylvania House of Representatives swearing-in ceremony corresponds with Read more

WEST CHESTER, Dec. 6 – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation awarded a $150,000 competitive grant to the Brandywine Regional Airport to improve the airfield with new hangar space, state Rep. Carolyn Comitta said today. Twenty-six airports across the commonwealth will make infrastructure and equipment upgrades to maintain safety and expand aviation-related operational and economic opportunities with the help of over $6 million in targeted state investments announced by Gov. Tom Wolf today. “I’m pleased that the Brandywine Airport is getting this attention from the state – it’s an amazing economic multiplier for our region – and the development there is sure to create jobs,” said Comitta, D-Chester. “I look forward to supporting more development at Brandywine, as officials there continue to grow and improve its services and infrastructure.” State funding from PennDOT’s Aviation Development Program comes from the state’s jet fuel tax, and $4 million from the Multimodal Transportation Fund. Read more

As we reflect on the 2018 midterm election results, there is a notable trend nationwide and in Pennsylvania. A record number of women ran for office and won seats at both the national and local level. According to data acquired by the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University, the number of women in the Pennsylvania General Assembly will rise from 19 percent to about 25 percent. A total of 134 women ran for the General Assembly this year, and 63 won – 52 in the House and 11 in the Senate. In the state House where I serve, Democrats picked up 11 seats to make the count there 110 Republicans to 93 Democrats. The 116 th Congress will have at least 125 women serving, where women will represent 23 percent of total seats, reaching a step closer to Vision 2020’s goal of a 50-50 shared representation among men and women. In Pennsylvania, we will go from having no women in our congressional delegation to having four represent our southeast region in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2010, I was the first woman elected mayor in the borough of West Chester. Since then, I have continued to work and promote women’s issues. After I was elected as state representative for the 156 th Legislative District, I was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to serve on the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. The commission is a bipartisan organization that works as an advocate and advisor to the governor on policies and legislation that impact women; supports Read more