HARRISBURG, March 20 – State Reps. Danielle Friel Otten and Aerion Abney have begun circulating House legislative sponsorship memos advancing the Shapiro administration’s bold new energy plan for Pennsylvania, which was announced last week . The legislators each introduced a core component of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s initiative: the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) and Pennsylvania Climate Emission Reduction (PACER) Program . PRESS would continue the successful elements of Pennsylvania’s forward thinking but outdated Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards while making them more inclusive -- adding nuclear power and next-generation technologies such as fusion, as well as incentivizing lower emissions for gas-fired power plants. It would require Pennsylvania to get 50% of its electricity from a diverse range of energy resources by 2035, including 35% from solar, wind, small modular reactors, and fusion; 10% from sources like large hydropower and battery storage; and 5% from natural gas and other alternative fuels. “Sustainable standards are a conversation that’s been underway since my first year in the legislature, and I’m extremely glad that a serious discussion has come to the forefront,” said Otten, D-Chester . “The collective attention on this issue is promising. As a lead sponsor on the governor’s proposed plan in the House, I feel well positioned to assure that Read more
State Rep. Paul Friel, D-Chester, announced today that his bipartisan legislation crafted with Rep. Kristin Marcell, R-Bucks, to encourage Pennsylvania employers to contribute to employees’ PA 529 tuition savings accounts has passed the House of Representatives unanimously. Read more
“As a former Court Appointed Guardianship Attorney, I saw clients who lost their homes as a result of unpaid property taxes,” Pielli said. “Too often, these were individuals with cognitive impairment or those who were otherwise incapacitated and could not pay tax bills without assistance. Tragically, these same individuals sometimes had the financial means but were so impaired they were unable to keep up with payments. It is simply unfair to leave these people to try and pay these bills alone." Read more
HARRISBURG, March 15 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, today announced that the Lancaster School District has been awarded more than $1.83 million in grant funding though the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and hate in schools. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 15 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi today announced that the Pottstown School District had received $1,057,482 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence and hate in schools. “You can’t succeed in an environment where you don’t feel supported or safe,” Ciresi said. “This funding will help the Pottstown School District ensure that its schools are safe and welcoming so kids can focus their energies on the thing they are supposed to do in school -- learn.” Through the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections Grant, high-need local education agencies can use funding to promote the social, emotional, physical and mental well-being of students and staff; address family and community engagement; and promote equitable and inclusive policies and practices. A high-need LEA is defined as a school district or charter school that received ESEA Title IV, Part A funding in fiscal year 2022 and meets one or more of the following "high-need" criteria: a high rate of poverty, a lack of mental health supports available to students, high rates of violence and/or traumatic incidents in the school or community, and high rates of school exclusion. “I am very happy that the Shapiro Read more
STOWE, March 14 – Equipped with voice-activated features, plenty of maneuverability for wheelchairs, and small robots that can feed people and offer remote monitoring, a “SMART home” in West Pottsgrove Township opened its doors to state Reps. Joe Ciresi and Joe Webster, both D-Montgomery, this week for a tour of its facility. Joined by staff members from PA Department of Human Services and service provider KenCrest, Ciresi and Webster met with advocates and services providers for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities community to discuss how SMART homes can help more people with disabilities to live independently. “SMART homes help people with disabilities live independently during a time when there is a critical home care worker shortage,” Ciresi said. “Unfortunately, this technology can be cost-prohibitive. For example, a device that can assist with eating independently costs approximately $8,600, and under current Pennsylvania law, there is an individual lifetime cap of $10,000 for assistive technology purchases. That’s simply not enough money to help someone live independently. “We need to change the current law to make assistive living technology more affordable for Pennsylvanians with disabilities so they can live on their own during a time when there is a critical home care worker shortage,” he said. “Either through legislation or changes to administrative directives, we are looking to Read more
State Rep. Regina Young, D- Phila./Delaware, today presented a check for $425,000 to Colwyn Borough for Walnut Street sanitary sewer improvements. Read more
State Rep. Regina Young, D-Delaware/Phila., today presented a check for $400,000 to Tinicum Township leaders for the replacement of the Jansen Avenue water main.The funds were awarded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority's H2O PA Program, Small Water and Sewer Program, a division of the Department of Community and Economic Development.“So much of our infrastructure in Southeastern PA is rapidly aging. When these systems fail, it causes major interruptions for residents and businesses, ultimately affecting our economy,” Young said. “These investments are crucial to maintaining water service for our communities, which is essential to public health and safety.” Read more
ROYERSFORD, March 8 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, on Saturday presented to the North End Fire Company in Pottstown a ceremonial check for a $30,000 grant award from the Department of Community and Economic Development. “Our firefighters risk their lives every day to protect ours, and they need and deserve gear that will keep them safe while keeping us safe from deadly fires,” Ciresi said. “I’m glad that we were able to help with this important need, and I will continue to support our volunteer fire companies and first responders to make sure they have what they need to perform their vital service.” Funding from this state grant will be used by the North End Fire Company to purchase National Fire Protection Association-approved gear for structural firefighting. "On behalf of everyone at our organization and the communities we serve, thank you to State Representative Joe Ciresi and his hard-working team for making the purchase of 10 new sets of turnout gear to protect our firefighters,” said North End Fire Chief Andrew Pyles. “This turnout gear will ensure that we get to safely help our communities in their times of need and would not be possible without the help and support of government officials like Representative Ciresi and his team!” Read more
“Children participating in the Imagination Library show increased readiness for kindergarten and maintain higher reading achievement scores through ninth grade compared to their non-participating peers,” Hanbidge said. Read more
State Reps. Paul Friel (D-Chester), Roni Green (D-Philadelphia), and Nancy Guenst (D-Montgomery) heard workers testify about the challenges of working in a state where the minimum wage hasn’t budged since 2009. Read more
After years of chronic underfunding, experts detail issues, need for change Read more
“Enduring depression or PTSI should never be normalized as part of the job. Mental health care should be accessible and encouraged, especially to first responders whom we depend on to keep us safe,” O'Mara said. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 23 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today introduced House Bill 2063 which would reform the commonwealth’s educational tax credit programs, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit, to ensure they are better serving those who need them. According to Ciresi, although funding for Pennsylvania’s educational tax credit programs has increased significantly over the past few decades, there has been little oversight to determine their effectiveness or how the money is spent, which has resulted in those in need not getting necessary assistance. “The state has awarded billions of dollars in state tax credits for private and religious school vouchers, but because of how the programs have been set up, it’s been difficult to determine their success and whether the money has been spent properly,” Ciresi said. “My legislation would reform our educational tax credit programs and ensure this money is serving its intended purpose by refocusing the programs on those truly in need of assistance, freeing up more money for scholarships, closing loopholes that have diverted money from students, and expanding data collection.” Ciresi’s legislation would seek to implement multiple recommendations that the Independent Fiscal Office made in 2022 after reviewing the programs’ operations. First, the IFO found that statutory limits on the programs’ data available Read more
“Public transportation is a critical lifeline for residents in my district, it is the one thing that connects us as a community,” said Rep. Waxman, who requested and hosted the hearing. “What makes my district in Philadelphia unique is we have more residents that rely on public transit to get to work and their daily needs like doctor appointments, but we also have one of the most active districts for visitors traveling into our district through public transportation.” Read more
State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, announced today that the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center has been awarded a grant of $85,000 and the Pottstown School District a grant of $61,949 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the purchase of new equipment to help train students in skills required for high-demand occupations. Read more
READING, Feb. 8 – State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, today praised Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 state budget and emphasized that the spending plan excludes new tax hikes. Cepeda-Freytiz said she is particularly excited for the proposed investments in education, mental health and small, disadvantaged businesses. “This budget invests in education at every level. We are talking about the largest increase in K-12 basic education funding in Pennsylvania history,” Cepeda-Freytiz said. “I hail the $1.1 billion increase in basic education subsidies and significant funding for special education, school safety improvements, and universal free breakfast for 1.7 million students it calls for,” Cepeda-Freytiz said. “I applaud the inclusion of feminine hygiene products at no cost to students. The overall allocations for education would certainly help address decades of disinvestment in this area,” she added. The legislator highlighted that Shapiro continues to support mental health services by proposing investing $10 million for 988 crisis line operations to boost Pennsylvania’s crisis intervention services, among other provisions. “Our community is experiencing challenging times when it comes to mental health,” she said. “I am proud to say that I, along with my colleagues, secured $100 million in the current budget Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 6 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, released the following statement regarding Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 budget proposal, unveiled today before the General Assembly: “Today’s budget address included a strong plan for public education that will help our students, taxpayers, and communities,” Ciresi said. “In addition to proposing a historic investment in education, I was glad to hear the governor’s support for cyber charter reform that would align payments to the actual cost of cyber education. These changes level the playing field for all schools and students, invest in public education, and give a much-needed break to our property taxpayers.” Ciresi said the proposed budget includes an additional $1.1 billion for basic and special education statewide, delivering an increase of almost $9 million to school districts in the 146th Legislative District, including: Pottsgrove School District: $2.9 million. Pottstown School District: $4.8 million. Spring-Ford Area School District: $1.3 million. This includes savings from setting a standardized statewide cyber charter tuition rate, which would return $262 million to public school districts and taxpayers. The reform was part of Ciresi’s legislation (H.B. 1422) that passed in the House with bipartisan support last year. “These investments in education are a first step on a path to making sure every school has the resources Read more
READING, Jan. 25 – State Rep. Manny Guzman today announced that he has been appointed to serve as chair of the Pennsylvania House Central Pennsylvania Democratic Delegation. Guzman indicated that he is overjoyed with the appointment as it represents a new platform to amplify his efforts for the region, as well as represents a vote of trust from his colleagues. “My colleagues in Harrisburg know that I am a tireless and persistent advocate for the needs and wants of my district here in Reading and Berks County,” he said. “l am looking forward to continuing to be that voice not only for Reading and Berks County, but for all the members of the Central PA Delegation,” he added. “I am ready to embrace the new challenges and responsibilities that this position entails.” The legislator also explained the fact that he is now chair of the Central PA Delegation can be seen as a positive indicator of the Latino community advancement in the Commonwealth. “As a proud Latino, I feel that I reflect a growing, diverse community. I want to make it easier for kids in Reading and all across the state to see themselves in roles like this one; I want to empower them through my work,” he said. “I hope that seeing someone who looks just like them, who attended their school and ran around on the same playgrounds, will encourage them Read more
Borowski joined State Reps. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiuz, Justin Fleming, and Kyle Donahue propose legislation that would require schools to put panic alarms in classrooms. Read more
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