PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 5 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced that a $1.5 million grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program has been awarded to The Williams Group for its Cobbs Creeks Commons project in the 192 nd district. “This project will bring economic growth to the area, and I’m excited to see these funds come to our community,” Cephas said. “Multi-use projects like this can bring great benefits for business owners and residents alike.” The $1.5 million grant is expected to fund repairs at the existing property where portions of the building will be demolished, reconstructed and renovated. The building will accommodate multiple tenants on two floors of commercial space and contain 40 residential units. “I am always grateful to see investments in development in the district, especially those that help sustain jobs and provide critical services to constituents,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, who also represents the neighborhood. “We are continuing to see the benefits of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program in the district and statewide, which is why I am hopeful the commonwealth can devote more resources to this wonderful program.” The state funds are administered by the Office of the Budget to assist in construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects. More information on the RACP program is available at Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 8 – Inspired by a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., state Rep. Morgan Cephas announced she will host a day of justice to help give people who have dealt with the state criminal justice system a second justice. The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 at Shepard Recreation Center, 5700 Haverford Ave., 19131. “Doctor King once said, ‘If America is to remain a first-class nation, it cannot have second-class citizens.’ I whole heartedly believe this, yet we have so many people in the commonwealth who are treated unfairly following their time behind bars,” Cephas said. “This event will provide an opportunity for people to get the information and resources they need to help clear their record and get on proper footing to lead productive lives for their families and their community.” Cephas said a news conference will be held to launch the soft opening of the Haddington Participatory Defense Hub. Those in attendance will be able to learn about the state pardon process and record expungement to determine if they may be eligible to get their record erased. Refreshments will be served. To RSVP, call Cephas' office at 215-879-6625. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 18 – In her continued effort to bring awareness to the disproportionate number of deaths of women of color during and after childbirth in the commonwealth, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced she has introduced a package of bills aimed at addressing maternal mortality rates. “Pennsylvania has seen an increasing, disturbing trend in pregnancy-related deaths, with 11.4 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2012 to 2016. For women of color during that time period, that rate was more than double, at 27.2 per 100,000 live births. This is a clear indication that regardless of income and education levels, women of color are at an even greater risk than white women to die from pregnancy-related complications,” Cephas said. The bills introduced by Cephas are: H.B. 2107 – Would add severe maternal morbidity to the list of reportable events within the Pennsylvania Department of Health. H.B. 2108 – Would extend Medicaid coverage for pregnancy related and postpartum medical assistance. H.B. 2109 – Would extend Medicaid coverage to doula services and create a Doula Advisory Board. H.B. 2110 – Would require training to address implicit bias and culture competency that impact care and quality of care for patients of color, including women of color during pregnancy and childbirth. “While the death of any mother is a tragedy, Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 16 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced she is introducing legislation designed to protect older Pennsylvanians from abuse while living in assisted living and long-term care facilities. “No one deserves to be a victim of abuse, and that’s certain for our commonwealth’s aging population,” Cephas said. “Our seniors have worked their entire lives to provide for and raise their families while making significant contributions to their community. They should not be denied the appropriate level of care and compassion that they deserve.” The two bills, known as the Assisted Living and Long-Term Care Resident Bill of Rights, would explicitly convey the needs and rights of residents, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, age or ethnicity, and ensure these needs are met. Some of these needs include mail privacy, access to health care, free from restraints, right to privacy, access to the local ombudsman, and the right to live free from neglect, intimidation and physical or verbal abuse. “While these things seem to be obvious, abuse against older Pennsylvanians is a far too common reality. More than 18,000 cases of abuse were reported between 2016 and 2017. For people of color and marginalized communities, the magnitudes of abuse are higher,” Cephas said. “My legislation would help address one of the most alarming health concerns Read more
Pa. state Rep. Morgan Cephas says applications are being accepted NOW for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Contact her office to see if you're eligible and for help applying. Read more
Lawmakers called on Republican leaders Wednesday to instead devote their time and energy toward legislation that would positively impact the lives of women and families in Pennsylvania. Read more
Rep. Morgan Cephas opened the hearing by discussing the nearly fivefold increase in the incarcerated population in America between 1970-2014, which included a fourteenfold increase of incarcerated women, growing from 8,000 in 1970 to 110,000 in 2014.“Like men in jail, these women are disproportionately people of color, overwhelmingly poor and low-income survivors of violence and trauma and have high rates of physical and mental illness and substance use,” Cephas said. Read more
Rep. Morgan Cephas is partnering with Gov. Tom Wolf on his Lead-Free PA Initiative. This release details ways our communities can report lead problems in neighborhoods across Philadelphia. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 31 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas and Sen. Vincent Hughes announced today that the Overbrook West Neighbors Community Development Corp. has been awarded a $268,055 state grant to purchase and renovate a building that will serve as the corporation’s headquarters. “This grant will provide a much-needed anchor location for the organization and the surrounding Overbrook Community,” Cephas said. “It will allow OWN to help more people in our community providing direct services and resources .” “Over the past several years, Senator Hughes and I have focused on helping neighborhood organizations, like Overbrook West Neighbors, to build capacity,” Cephas continued. “This grant award reinforces the many investments we’ve already made, and I’m hopeful about the continued growth and success of OWN and the local community.” The grant funding announced Thursday comes from the Local Share Account, or LSA, established by the Department of Community and Economic Development. Funds in the account come from slot machine license operation fees paid by casinos operating within the City of Philadelphia. Funds are available for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, community improvement and other projects in the public interest within the City of Philadelphia. Grant amounts vary, with a minimum award of $10,000 and a maximum award of $500,000. Read more
Step-by-step guide on using Philadelphia's new voting machines. Read more
“To me, a lot of people don’t know, so it really was basically to educate the people,” said Gwen Fortt, a legislative assistant for state representative Morgan Cephas of the 192nd legislative district, who helped run the demonstrations. “We have to teach our people because if we don’t teach them, they will never know.” Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 21 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas announced Monday that two schools in her legislative district have been awarded grants of more than $20,000 to put toward safety and security measures. “The safety of our children is of the highest importance,” Cephas said. “I’m glad to see this money coming to schools in my district and to have funds available to implement new and improved tools to keep our students safe.” The schools in the 192nd Legislative District awarded Safe Schools Targeted Grants are: • West Philadelphia Achievement Charter Elementary School, which was awarded $25,000. • Overbrook School for the Blind, which was awarded $23,238.60. The Safe Schools Targeted Grants are awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to schools to prevent and reduce violent incidents, to purchase safety and security-related equipment and to provide for the training and compensation of school resource and police officers. More information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs is available on the Department of Education’s website at www.education.pa.gov , or follow PDE on Facebook , Twitter , or Pinterest . ### Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 18 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, an advocate for improving maternal mortality rates across Pennsylvania, testified during a public hearing Tuesday on maternal mortality, drawing attention to the disproportionate number of deaths of women of color during and after childbirth and calling for continued action at the local and state levels to combat the issue. The hearing was held by the Public Health and Human Services Committee of Philadelphia City Council – bringing together over 15 testifiers and 50 attendees to speak on the issue of maternal mortality rates among African American women in Philadelphia. “This great nation of the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in developed nations, higher than some underdeveloped countries,” Cephas said during the hearing. “Maternal mortality disproportionately affects black women at three times the rate of white women, regardless of education level and socioeconomic status. It is time to address the core factors head-on including implicit bias, mental health, substance use disorder and access to care.” Cephas, who is chairwoman of the PLBC’s Subcommittee on Women and Girls of Color and co-chair of the Women’s Health Caucus, shared the story of a young woman from her district, La’Shana Gilmore, who left behind two young children when she died after delivering her baby daughter this summer. Edward Gilmore Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 9 – Rep. Morgan Cephas, chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus’ Subcommittee on Women and Girls, co-chair of the House Women’s Health Caucus, and advocate for improving maternal mortality rates across Pennsylvania will testify during a public hearing on maternal mortality before Philadelphia City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 15. “Far too many women in the United States are dying during and after childbirth, sometimes well after giving birth,” Cephas said. “Women of color, regardless of their income and education levels, are at an even greater risk than white women to die from pregnancy-related complications. While the death of any mother is a tragedy, the fact that many of these deaths are preventable is an absolute travesty. That is why we must take every step possible to save every life we can. That is why I am continuing to be a voice in this conversation, and I appreciate my colleagues at the local level for taking the time to elevate the issue. Thank you to Councilmember Cindy Bass for bringing this issue to fellow members.” The hearing will take place at 2 p.m. at City Council Chambers, City Hall Room 404, in front of the City Council Committee on Health and Human Services. Cephas, who also serves on the Mayor’s Commission for Women, will join area health practitioners, advocates and community members to testify about the issue of maternal mortality, sharing her legislative and Read more
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HARRISBURG, Sept. 26 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., chairwoman of the Women and Girls of Color Subcommittee for the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, today condemned the assault of two black women by male gas station owners at an Exxon Mobil on Brighton Road on Pittsburgh's North Side last Friday. “This public beating inflicted upon these two young women is absolutely vile,” Cephas said. “The motives for this gang-style free-for-all by these men are clear: they didn’t view their victims as humans worthy of respect. They were appalled that these women -- these black women -- dared to speak up for themselves and not back down. In these individuals’ minds, this warranted a savage beating on camera for all to see. “This situation is hardly an isolated incident and relates to many larger issues that reveal how much black women and girls are devalued in our society.” State Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny, added, “In the wake of this abhorrent assault, our collective pain as a community is instigated by the conviction of those who would be quick to justify such an offense, by the realization that no matter how many of these interactions we record, and no matter how much restraint we exhibit in the face of abuse, that our society has failed us in its incapacity to recognize our humanity. The frequency and blatant disregard with which these assailants batter black women reveals a deeper truth about our Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 18 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced today that a portion of a state grant is headed to Shepard Recreation Center, a community recreation center in the Haddington section of the 192 nd Legislative District. The center is among more than 400 neighborhood parks and recreation centers across Philadelphia awarded a $250,000 state grant for revitalization efforts. A portion of the quarter-million-dollar grant from the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program, funded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, will focus on the fields of Shepard Recreation Center and include fence installation surrounding the fields and replacement of goal posts, benches, bleachers and landscaping. The project will also include the construction of a concession stand with storage space for sports equipment. “Shepard Recreation Center has been a longstanding neighborhood park where many children in the neighborhood play,” Cephas said. “I am pleased to have worked with Coach Nate Reed of the local Panther’s football team to bring these resources to the center. We all know the role that a thriving recreation center contributes in the overall success of improving our communities and I couldn’t be happier to recognize Shepard one of those thriving centers. On behalf of the families in my district, I look forward to continuing to advocate for funding for resources to help prolong the existence of these many neighborhood centers Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 13 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila, vice chair of the House Democrats’ Women’s Health Caucus, today joined Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and others to applaud the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Philadelphia Health Federation for securing a $ 1 million grant from MERCK for Mothers to support efforts to decrease maternal mortality in Philadelphia. The grant will support the Philadelphia Maternal Mortality Review Committee and create a local action team to address the daunting, increasing maternal mortality rates and improve maternal health outcomes. “When it comes to maternal care, Philadelphia has abysmal maternal mortality rates, at 27.4 deaths per 100,000 live births. The city’s rising rates are among poor maternal mortality across the commonwealth,” Cephas said. “This grant is a great start to improve outcomes for women and families in Philadelphia. It will also support efforts that can help to provide a clearer understanding of the causes and correlations of maternal deaths, so we can better track them and save lives.” In addition to her leadership role on the House Democrats’ Women’s Health Caucus, Cephas chairs the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus’ Subcommittee for Women and Girls of Color and has been a stalwart at addressing the rise in pregnancy-related deaths. She has coordinated meetings with stakeholders in Philadelphia and across the Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 4 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., vice chair of the House Democrats’ Women’s Health Caucus, today applauded the Wolf administration for securing a $2.25 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support efforts in decreasing maternal deaths in Pennsylvania. Cephas wrote letters of support for the CDC grant that will fund the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee, a multidisciplinary committee tasked with addressing the pressing issue of growing maternal mortality rates across the commonwealth. “Nearly a thousand women die from pregnancy-related complications each year across the country and many of these deaths were preventable. It’s also a problem here in our commonwealth,” Cephas said. “I am proud that Pennsylvania was awarded this grant to protect women, mothers, infants and their families.” Cephas has been a staunch advocate for addressing the rise in pregnancy-related deaths. She has coordinated meetings with stakeholders and the five delivery hospitals in the Philadelphia area to discuss potential solutions, hosted a House Democratic Policy Committee public hearing, and sat on two panels to better assess the issue. In these discussions, Cephas said she also wanted to bring awareness to racial disparities and mental health issues as contributors to the increase in maternal deaths. “Black women are four times more likely to die from Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 23 – Joined by community leaders; the Philadelphia Department of Commerce; the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; Councilman Curtis Jones Jr.; and Felecia Parker-Cox, congressional aide to Congressman Dwight Evans; state Rep. Morgan Cephas announced more than $1.8 million in state and local grants that were awarded for various commercial corridor projects throughout the 192nd Legislative District . “The funding for these projects is providing a multitude of community development and jobs along our commercial corridors,” Cephas said. “I’m proud to see these investments being made to the district and honored to have been a part of making them happen.” Wynnefield Overbrook Revitalization Corp. received a $20,000 Keystone Communities Program Grant that will be used to revitalize and make improvements along commercial corridor and community properties. “"My organization has been working with Representative Cephas over a number of years and because of her support, you can now see the significant improvements in our business corridors and the neighborhood," said Gerald Murphy, president of the Wynnefield Overbrook Revitalization Corp. Overbrook West Neighbors was awarded a $200,000 Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency PHARE Fund grant for the West Philadelphia Handyman Project, which makes improvements to low-income senior housing. "Today, Overbrook West Neighbors CDC, Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 12 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas will host her third annual District Day from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 at Tustin Recreation Center, 5901 W. Columbia Ave. This free event will feature activities for the entire family, including a basketball tournament, live music and entertainment, including Philly’s own Beano French as headline performer, games, raffles, giveaways, food, and refreshments. Cephas and her staff will also be available to provide constituents with information on state programs and services. Read more
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