HARRISBURG, June 9 – Today, the Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee voted 17-9 to advance the Return on Equity bill, which is co-sponsored by Committee Chair Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., and House Energy Committee Chair Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila.House Bill 2224 would create a default, formula-based return on equity for investor-owned utilities that reflects the true market-based cost of equity. It would ensure that ratepayers pay no more than what is necessary to attract capital investments. Read more

PHILADELPHIA, June 8 – On Saturday, state Rep. Anthony Bellmon, state Sen. Sharif Street, PA House Appropriations Chair Jordan Harris, all D-Phila., and Councilmember Anthony Phillips held a news conference where they presented a $4 million check to the Lawncrest Recreation Center. Bellmon and Street helped secure this $4 million in state funding that will be used to construct a new pool at the Lawncrest Recreation Center. Construction has begun. “Lawncrest Recreation Center is a centerpiece of the Lawncrest community, providing a safe space for children to grow, families to gather, and neighbors to build connections,” Bellmon said. “This pool is another reason for members of our community to gather at the rec center during the summers to cool off, stay active and interact with neighbors. I was proud to secure this funding, and as construction is currently underway, I look forward to seeing the finished product.” “Investing in safe places for children and families to gather is of the utmost importance, especially in the summer when school is not in session,” Street said. “I am proud to work with Representative Bellmon to provide support for the pillars of our community like Lawncrest Rec Center. This funding is about more than a pool, it is about showing folks that they are deserving of beautiful spaces to enjoy themselves. I will continue to work for them and fight for those spaces Read more

PHILADELPHIA, June 4 – The PA Department of Community and Economic Development recently announced a more than $1.9 million investment in five Pennsylvania schools through the Solar for Schools grant program. State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., who introduced the Solar for Schools legislation, celebrated the announcement. “We saw overwhelming demand in the first year of Solar for Schools, with schools requesting more than three times the funding available. I am so glad we have another opportunity this year to award funding to even more schools.” said Fiedler. “From right in my South Philly district all the way to Elk County, these awards show us that what connects Pennsylvania schools is the desire to do right by their communities and invest in their future.” "We are thrilled to celebrate the first round of the 2026 PA Solar for Schools grant program awards! This is a big win for clean energy, education, and local communities across Pennsylvania. We encourage more schools to apply as the DCED is accepting applications on a rolling basis. Every dollar a school district spends on a utility bill is a dollar that is NOT going toward a teacher's salary, a new library, or updated technology for our students," said Shannon Crooker, Generation180's Pennsylvania director. As energy prices rise nationwide, schools are struggling to keep up with utility costs, which are already their Read more

HARRISBURG, June 3 – The House Children and Youth Committee on Tuesday voted unanimously to report out two pieces of legislation reforming Pennsylvania’s child welfare system. The first bill ( H.B. 133 ) would create a process for reinstating parental rights after they’ve been terminated. Following the lead of 22 states, Pennsylvania would provide the opportunity to petition for the reinstatement of parental rights, in cases where the child has been unable to successfully find an adoptive home and the parent has resolved the cause of their prior termination. “While many states provide an opportunity to reinstate the parent-child relationship under specific conditions, in PA, termination is permanent,” said state Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., the prime sponsor of the legislation. “Even when parents do the work to address the issues that resulted in termination – building a career, finding stable housing, recovering from a substance use disorder or ending a period of incarceration – the loss of the parent-child relationship is a punishment that lasts a lifetime. We must be more compassionate, promote second chances and ensure that children are not left needlessly languishing in county care.” “At its core, House Bill 133 is about creating a pathway that represents the best interests of children and families,” said state Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, the bill’s Read more

HARRISBURG, June 2 – Today, lawmakers, labor leaders, environmental advocates and impacted workers gathered in the state Capitol to call on the legislature to pass Workplace Heat Protections ( H.B. 1580 ). Introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., and Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne, H.B. 1580 would require employers to implement heat illness prevention plans during extreme heat. The plans would require paid rest breaks, water and access to shade; education on signs and symptoms of heat illness, such as heat stroke; and training on emergency response procedures. "All workers share the desire to earn a good wage and support their families, whether they cook food in kitchens, build our commonwealth’s infrastructure on construction sites, or teach kids in classrooms. But Pennsylvania’s lack of heat protections is threatening that goal and endangering workers,” said Fiedler . “This bill provides basic safety measures for all Pennsylvania workers, regardless of sector or workplace, so they can return home safely to their loved ones at the end of each day.” “Currently workers in Pennsylvania have no workplace heat protections on the federal level or on the state level. Unbelievably, in Pa. we have laws on the books to protect our dogs and cats during extreme heat, but not humans. It is time to pass laws for our Pennsylvania workers, to protect them just like we do our furry Read more

House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris, D-Phila., and state Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware, hosted a Community Budget Briefing Thursday alongside the Philadelphia House Delegation. Read more

HARRISBURG, May 7 – Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation ( H.B. 2426 ) introduced by state Rep. Anthony Bellmon, D-Phila., that would allow larger draft vessels to access the Delaware River. Bellmon’s legislation would increase the maximum draft size from 27 feet to 29 feet. “With the deepening of the Delaware River in 2021, the limit for a maximum draft of 27 is too restrictive and provides unnecessary burdens for river pilots,” Bellmon said. “The change that this bill makes would ensure that our pilots are able remain competitive and work with larger draft vessels that are now able to access the river.” The Joint Pennsylvania and Delaware Apprentice Pilot Training Program is a rigorous, multi-year apprenticeship designed to train maritime pilots for navigating commercial vessels on the Delaware River, Bay and its tributaries. Apprentices must complete 500 or more trips over several years, pass the exam, and receive licensure from the state Navigation Commission. Currently, Class Six pilots are only allowed to pilot a vessel with a maximum draft of 27 feet; yet the pilots have 500 to 800 trips under a licensed supervisor for a similar or larger size vessel. H.B. 2426 now heads to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration. Read more

HARRISBURG, May 5 – Today, state Rep. Anthony Bellmon, D-Phila., and U.S. Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, PA-02, ranking member of the U.S. House Budget Committee, held a news conference at the Pennsylvania State Capitol to announce new legislation and a joint effort to stop the Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts from hurting Pennsylvanians. In 2025, the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress passed Trump’s so-called “One, Big Beautiful Bill Act” which implements over $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid and other safety-net programs. Pennsylvania is expected to lose more than 300,000 people’s Medicaid coverage. With these Medicaid cuts set to begin at the end of this year, Bellmon and Boyle announced legislation they are introducing in both the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives. They both are urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to work with states to issue operational guidance on the impending Medicaid cuts. “As public servants, it is our duty to ensure that the most vulnerable of those we represent have access to basic necessities like healthcare,” Bellmon said. “What Republicans in Congress are doing is not governance, it is malice that will be devastating for so many Pennsylvanians. If Pennsylvania is to adhere to this harmful law, we need to be able to communicate it and help those who are affected.” Read more

HARRISBURG, May 5 – On Monday, Pennsylvania school superintendents from across the state gathered in Harrisburg to celebrate the first successful year of the Solar for Schools program. The group was joined by education advocates who encouraged schools to apply for the bipartisan state grant program’s second year of funding . “With electricity prices rising quickly, schools need a solution to reduce operating costs. The 74 K-12 schools awarded Solar for Schools grants last year expect to save more than $5 million in electricity costs annually. We urge our legislators to continue funding this successful grant program that enables our schools to invest in student learning rather than utility bills,” said Shannon Crooker , Pennsylvania director of Generation180. In January, when the program reopened for applications, a bicameral, bipartisan group of legislators celebrated the program’s second year of funding. Solar for Schools legislation was originally introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila. “At its core, this project is about more than just energy. It’s about responsibility, innovation and opportunity,” said Willie Slade, superintendent of Steelton-Highspire School District. “As educators, our mission is to prepare students not just for the next test, but for the future they will inherit. That future demands that we think differently about how we use resources, Read more