OHIO TOWNSHIP, July 26 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, announced that the Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Company of Allegheny County has received $270,000 in state funds from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. Ohio Township VFC will use the monies to purchase a new water tanker truck and replace a tanker truck that’s over 30 years old. “Firefighters save lives and protect our communities every day. They cannot afford to have resources that malfunction or break down on the job,” Venkat said. “The brave men and women of Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Company are better prepared to face the perils of their profession with this new vehicle.” These dollars are made possible by the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Loan Program, which provides funds to fire and emergency medical services companies for the acquisition, rehabilitation or improvement of apparatus, facilities and equipment. Read more

Bipartisan news conference highlights impact of PBM reform on local pharmacies, patients Read more

BRADDOCK, July 24 – Combined grant and loan funding totaling $6 million will support new work at the former Westinghouse Electric Corporation’s Braddock Avenue site so the industrial park can attract and support more business tenants, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said the funding to Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern PA – secured through the Commonwealth Financing Authority under the state’s Business in Our Sites program – includes a $2.4 million grant and a $3.6 million low-interest loan. “Over the years, RIDC has developed the site of the old Westinghouse company complex on Braddock Avenue so that Keystone Commons now houses more than 40 businesses employing more than 1,100 workers,” Salisbury said. “And the site – which attracts both manufacturing and tech companies – has the potential for additional development. “The new funding will allow RIDC to continue development efforts by demolishing a dilapidated building located next to the West Shop Industrial Mall and redeveloping that space for commercial use. The project will create an estimated 50 new jobs and broaden the park’s capacity to attract and support new commercial tenants. It’s exciting work that will result in new employers, new job opportunities and, ultimately, more money coming back to support our local economy.” Read more

Lawmakers tout pharmaceutical industry reform to help patients, local pharmacies Read more

Legislators hail new law with Cambria County pharmacists Read more

This law directly addresses concerns community pharmacy owners have expressed about pharmacy benefit managers and will help more small business owners keep their doors open." Read more

Newly enacted state budget makes major investments in education, communities Read more

BRADDOCK, July 16 – Combined tax credits and funding of more than $5 million will support work on two major housing projects in Homewood and Wilkinsburg, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. “Stability, security, easier access to jobs and community programs – all depend on the availability of affordable housing,” said Salisbury, D-Allegheny. “I’m excited about the new funding and reservation of tax credits to leverage investments in these projects because they are going to connect more residents with safe new living spaces and the benefits that go along with that.” Salisbury said the details of the projects and funding, awarded through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency are as follows: North Homewood development , 7206 Tioga St: Construction of one four-story, 79,478-square-foot, general occupancy building that will include 21 one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom units, and 15 three-bedroom units, including nine accessible units. The project is supported by conditional reservation of $1.43 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits, plus an additional $1 million in Pennsylvania Housing Tax Credits and $750,000 in National Housing Trust Fund funds. Legacy Wilkinsburg development , Hunter Street: Construction of four general occupancy two- to three-story buildings totaling 49,075 square feet that will include eight one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom Read more

HARRISBURG, July 16 – Health care providers will no longer be forced to shoulder credit card transaction fees just to receive reimbursement for their services, thanks to a newly signed law introduced by Reps. Arvind Venkat and Greg Scott that requires insurers to offer providers a variety of different reimbursement options. Act 58 of 2024 , signed yesterday by Gov. Josh Shapiro, provides that insurers may no longer limit reimbursement methods exclusively to electronic credit cards – which often carry high transaction fees – and must instead offer a variety of reimbursement options so providers can choose the method best suited to them. “No one should have to pay a fee just to be reimbursed for their services, but this has been the reality for many health care providers, who have been forced to accept insurer reimbursement payments through electronic credit cards that often carry transaction fees,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “It’s an unfair practice that prevents providers from receiving full compensation and penalizes patients, as well, when those costs are passed along as increased rates. “Under the new law, insurers may no longer limit reimbursement to being provided by electronic credit cards, but must offer health care providers a choice as to how they wish to be reimbursed. It’s time to make this aspect of health care fairer for providers and more cost-efficient for Read more

HARRISBURG, July 15 – State Rep. Matthew R. Gergely issued the following statement after voting Thursday to pass the 2024-25 Pennsylvania budget: “I was proud to cast a “yes” vote for the new state budget, which includes investments that can make a dramatic difference for our public schools. For far too long, our students have been forced to compete on an uneven playing field because of a flawed system that gives students in wealthier districts an unfair advantage. “The quality of a student’s education should never, ever depend on the wealth of their ZIP code. The new state budget allocates $1.3 billion in funding to all students, plus additional funding of more than half a billion dollars to level the playing field for students in chronically underfunded school districts, including many of our own. The plan is a promising step on the road to bringing the equality in public education we have sadly lacked for too long. “The new budget will also help us reform cyber charter funding so that these schools do not drain resources away from our brick-and-mortar schools. “The new plan also invests in ways that will help make higher education more affordable for students. Pennsylvania is nearly last in the country when it comes to funding for our state colleges and universities – a situation that has discouraged many students from attending and forced others to begin their careers with heavy Read more