The members of the PLBC reflect on one of the darkest days in our country's history as a time to honor the strength and struggles of Black Pennsylvanians yesterday and today. Read more
Rep. Kinsey to welcome Gov. Wolf to Northwest Philadelphia Friday PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 27 – State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., will host Gov. Tom Wolf on a tour of the 201 st Legislative District to discuss funding measures for gun violence prevention. The event will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 with Parkway Northwest High School, 6200 Crittenden St., 19138 , as the starting location. Wolf’s visit is part of Kinsey’s recently unveiled initiative, Step Up, Stand Up, to combat gun violence across Northwest Philadelphia. Wolf gave his budget address earlier this month, in which he proposed allocating $6 million across the commonwealth and $4 million in Philadelphia for anti-gun violence efforts. Kinsey, chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, and PLBC members, led efforts to lobby for the funding. The media is invited to attend. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 27 – In celebration of Black History Month 2020, state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, hosted a panel discussion Saturday at Martin Luther King High School in Germantown featuring six distinguished influencers of color from across the commonwealth who shared their sacrifices and achievements in being the first to shatter the glass ceiling in their professions. In light of the upcoming elections and the 150 th anniversary of the passage of the 15 th Amendment, the panel also noted the importance of the national theme for Black History Month 2020, African Americans and the Vote. “We’ve blended the PLBC’s theme and the national Black History Month theme to both showcase our contemporary trailblazers who have made history in our Commonwealth and instill the importance of voting, especially in this critical year for our democracy,” Kinsey said, “Thank you to our panelists and moderator for providing this informative discussion.” Joining Kinsey in facilitating the event were PLBC members Reps. Jordan Harris, Democratic whip, Dan K. Williams, Carol Hill-Evans, Isabella Fitzgerald, Malcolm Kenyatta, PLBC associate member Rep. Maria Donatucci, and House colleague Rep. Joe Webster. The panelists included former Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr., Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols, Philadelphia Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 30 – State Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Phila./Delaware, today announced that she and Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., will soon introduce legislation to increase pardon opportunities for individuals currently serving a sentence of life in prison. House Bill 2262 would do away with the requirement for a unanimous vote by the state Board of Pardons, and instead, replace it with a required simple majority vote. This vote is needed in order to recommend a pardon or commutation of a sentence to the governor for final approval. “Criminal justice reform is front and center on the minds of legislators in Harrisburg and people all across the commonwealth,” McClinton said. “One way we can truly seek reform is to offer hope to persons who have served decades in prison and no longer pose a threat to their communities. By lowering the threshold to a three-fifths vote of the pardons board to recommend pardon or commutation to the governor, Pennsylvania can show that it is truly leading by example when it comes to reforming our criminal justice system.” “In 1995, the Pennsylvania Constitution was amended to require a unanimous vote by the pardons board. I believe we’ve come a long way in understanding that we must do more in order to provide true opportunities for rehabilitated offenders to be pardoned or have their sentences commuted,” Kinsey said. “Ultimately, the final decision will still lay with Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 5 – State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., applauded the 2020-21 state budget proposal outlined Tuesday by Gov. Tom Wolf. “Governor Wolf’s proposal is ambitious and is exactly what’s needed to lay the foundation that poises Pennsylvania to be a better, more equitable commonwealth,” said Kinsey, who serves as subcommittee chairman on education in the House Appropriations Committee. “My top committee duty will be to work relentlessly to ensure that these proposals become concrete and implemented.” Wolf’s budget proposal includes heavy investment in public schools and early childhood education, as well as new workforce initiatives to prepare more workers for in-demand jobs. Wolf proposed a new scholarship program to help students in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education avoid crushing student debt. “Student loan debt bounds college students to a life of misery and potential financial ruin,” Kinsey said. “I’m thrilled for these provisions that would not just provide financial relief for graduates, but also address every academic stage in the lives of young Pennsylvanians to prepare them for bright futures.” Reiterating his strong commitment to keeping Pennsylvanians safe, Wolf proposed additional measures to protect vulnerable populations and renewed his call for legislators to pass measures to reduce gun violence, including a “red flag” law and Read more
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