Featured News

State Rep. Chris Rabb to introduce resolution that would designate Pennsylvania as a Hidden Heroes state

Honoring the National Day of Mourning

(Nov 23, 2021)

The National Day of Mourning, a counter-commemoration to Thanksgiving which has been celebrated since 1970, is a recognition of the dark and shameful past imbedded in colonial history. The holiday honors Indigenous ancestors and Native resilience in Pennsylvania and across the nation. To recognize the perspective of Native peoples and to draw attention to the genocide of their people, theft of their lands, and assault on their culture, I plan to introduce a concurrent resolution recognizing November 25, 2021, as the National Day of Mourning in Pennsylvania. Read more

 

Summer 2021 Newsletter

(Nov 16, 2021)

Read my summer 2021 newsletter now. Read more

 

Rabb: House Emerging Tech Caucus on EV Policy

(Nov 15, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb hosts a Fireside Chat on the Electric Vehicle Policy Landscape in Pa. with special guests Christine Knapp, Director of the Office of Sustainability for the City of Phila., and Cher Griffith Taylor, Senior Programs Manager from the Electrification Coalition. More at http://www.pahouse.com Read more

 

Kinsey hosts public safety meeting to discuss solutions to gun violence

(Oct 29, 2021)

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29 – State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., hosted a public safety meeting last night to address solutions to the gun violence that is occurring in Philadelphia. The meeting was held in partnership with U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Phila.; Councilmembers Cindy Bass, Cherelle Parker and Derek Green; State Reps. Isabella Fitzgerald, Darisha Parker and Chris Rabb, all D-Phila.; and State Sens. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery/Phila. and Sharif Street, D-Phila. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner were present as well as Police Inspector Jerreau Thomas, Police Captain Nicholas Smith of the 14 th Police District and Captain Michael Zimmerman of the 35 th Police District. There were also representatives from Governor Tom Wolf’s Office, Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s Office, and Mayor Jim Kenney’s office present to hear the potential solutions offered by the audience. Kinsey noted that the meeting was moderated by the Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, which helped the meeting flow smoothly along. Roughly 400 community members attended the meeting with ideas and solutions to stop the gun violence in their communities. Some of the solutions presented were community policing, emphasizing skilled trades, teaching history in a different way, a citywide campaign against gun violence and better role models for children in the community. “We had a great Read more

 

Ahead of Election Day, Rabb promotes various bills designed to make elections more equitable, accessible, fair

(Oct 29, 2021)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 – Keeping in mind that free, fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy, state Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., is promoting several bills he’s introduced ahead of Election Day, which are designed to ensure a more equitable, accessible and fair election process for all eligible voters. “Every single vote cast in an election is the voice of a person in that democracy exercising their right to shape that democracy,” Rabb said. “Voting in our country is an almost sacred right. People have died for this right. For too long, more than half the people in this country didn’t have the right to vote and couldn’t make their voices heard. Now, more people have the right to vote, but that doesn’t mean voting is accessible for everyone, nor does it mean that our election process is fair. I want to change that.” The following are just some of the pieces of elections-related legislation that Rabb has introduced: Making Election Day a state holiday : This legislation would remove Columbus Day as a holiday and make Election Day an official holiday. Ranked choice voting : This legislation would enable voters to rank candidates by order of preference rather than simply choosing one candidate. National popular vote : This legislation would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Establishing rotating ballot positions Read more

 

LIHEAP: Expanded Home-Heating Assistance is Available to PA Renters, Homeowners

(Oct 21, 2021)

As winter approaches and we prepare to spend even more time indoors, utility bills are only going to get more expensive. Additionally, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn have made it difficult for many to keep up with home energy bills. No Pennsylvanian should ever have to worry that their heat will be shut off during the coldest and darkest months of the year. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS) that provides assistance for home heating bills so Pennsylvanians can stay warm and safe during the winter months. Assistance is available for both renters and homeowners. LIHEAP helps some of the commonwealth’s most vulnerable citizens — children, older Pennsylvanians, people with disabilities, and low-income families — make ends meet. Anyone who may need help, or anyone who has loved ones or neighbors who could benefit from this program, is encouraged to apply for LIHEAP today. APPLY FOR LIHEAP LIHEAP FACTS How do I apply for LIHEAP? Depending on preference, different options are available to apply for LIHEAP: Apply online: Pennsylvanians can apply at www.compass.state.pa.us . Paper applications: Call the LIHEAP Helpline at 1-866-857-7095 to request a paper application. Paper applications can also be downloaded from the DHS LIHEAP web page . County Assistance Office (CAO) services are available if clients Read more

 

Rabb will host virtual town hall today on Native American history, racialized mascots and allyship; plans to introduce legislation to ban Native American mascots in schools

(Oct 14, 2021)

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 14 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., is hosting a virtual town hall on Native American history, racialized mascots and allyship from 7 to 8 p.m. today, and has announced he will introduce legislation to ban Native American mascots in schools. “As a commonwealth borne of a colony that would not have existed without the Penn’s Treaty at Shackamaxon in 1683 between British immigrants and the Lenape Turtle Clan, Pennsylvania must commit itself to ending the extended era of collective disregard for indigenous heritage and egregious cultural appropriation,” Rabb said in a memo he circulated about the legislation he intends to introduce . Rabb noted that many public schools and sports teams across Pennsylvania use or refer to indigenous culture in their mascots and logos, and social science research has shown that derogatory mascots have a negative psychological and social impact on people with indigenous heritage. Department of Justice data shows that American Indians are more likely than people of other races to experience violence at the hands of someone of a different race, and it’s been well established that mascots, logos and the like that stereotype or fetishize Indigenous peoples highly correlates to the high suicide rate among Native youth. “At its core, the use of ‘Indian’ mascots is a denial of the personhood of Native peoples, which has real consequences,” Rabb’s memo said. Read more

 

Rabb introduces legislation to remove Columbus Day holiday, replace it with Election Day holiday

(Oct 07, 2021)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 7 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., has introduced legislation to remove Columbus Day as a holiday and replace it with a holiday on Election Day. “We ought to be naming holidays after people who deserve honor as determined by our collective values and collective lens,” Rabb said. “Christopher Columbus not only didn’t ‘discover’ America, his accidental landing in the Bahamas in 1492 led to a legacy of enslavement and genocide. “Celebrating a man who is connected to such atrocities might have been something people in power in the past were interested in doing, but now, people like me, people who want to lift the legacies of those from our history who deserve that recognition, want to right the wrongs of the past.” Rabb’s legislation would remove Columbus Day, which is observed on the second Monday in October (Oct. 11 this year), as a state holiday in exchange for adding a state holiday on Election Day, the first Tuesday in November (Nov. 2 this year). “If we want to acknowledge a day truly deserving of our collective respect, I can think of no better day than Election Day, when the masses, the people our government was designed to serve, take part in one of our most valuable democratic practices, and cast their ballots for the people who will represent them,” Rabb said. “The added benefit of making Election Day a holiday is that it makes the sacrosanct act of voting even Read more

 

PA Lawmaker Gets Snippy With Proposed Vasectomy Legislation

(Oct 07, 2021)

One state representative is taking the reproductive rights battle to a new level, suggesting that men take responsibility.State Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) has proposed legislation that would require “inseminators” to undergo a vasectomy within six weeks of the birth of their third child, or their 40th birthday, whichever comes first.The vasectomy bill is satire, Rabb said. But it’s also highlighting a double standard. Read more

 

US: 'Satire bill' proposes curbs on male reproductive rights

(Oct 06, 2021)

Following the outcry over tough abortion laws in Texas and elsewhere, a Democrat politician in the state of Pennsylvania, Chris Rabb, is proposing a "satire bill" to restrict male reproductive rights - the headline being compulsory vasectomies for the over 40s or any man who already has three children. Cue uproar, and the most homophobic and racist abuse he's ever received in his political life. Read more

 

Memo detailing bill to require vasectomies in Pennsylvania written to parody Texas abortion law

(Oct 06, 2021)

A month after a restrictive Texas abortion ban went into effect, a Pennsylvania state representative circulated a sarcastic memo saying he intended to propose a startling bill: all men over 40 or who have more than three kids would be required to get vasectomies. Read more

 

Democratic Pennsylvania State Rep. Proposes Requiring Vasectomies at Age 40

(Oct 05, 2021)

A Pennsylvania House Democrat proposed legislation that would require men to undergo vasectomies at age 40 or after their third child. Read more

 

Rabb announces parody legislation enforcing reproductive responsibility among men to highlight gendered double standards regarding reproductive rights

(Oct 04, 2021)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 4 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., has circulated a public memo promoting a forthcoming bill , inspired in part by Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s innovative TExAS Act , which seeks to enforce reproductive responsibility among men through a series of means. Rabb’s bill would require men to get a vasectomy within six weeks of having their third child or their 40 th birthday, whichever comes first; codify into state law a definition of “wrongful conception” to include when a person has demonstrated negligence toward preventing conception during intercourse; would allow Pennsylvanians to take civil action for unwanted pregnancies against men who wrongfully conceive a child with them or who do not comply with the statute; and it would provide a $10,000 reward for reporting to the proper authorities those scofflaws who have not complied with the statute in the allotted timeframe, allowing for Pennsylvanians to take civil action against “inseminators.” “As long as state legislatures continue to restrict the reproductive rights of cis women, trans men and non-binary people, there should be laws to address the responsibility of men who impregnate them,” Rabb said. “My sincere hope in introducing this legislation is that my colleagues in the General Assembly consider the egregiously gendered double standard when it comes to curtailing reproductive health care as it applies to women.” Read more

 

Kenyatta, Rabb introduce bill to limit military equipment going to local law enforcement

(Sep 28, 2021)

HARRISBURG, Sept. 28 – State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Chris Rabb, both D-Phila., on Monday introduced legislation (H.B. 1923) that would limit local law enforcement’s ability to procure military-grade weapons and equipment. Kenyatta said his bill would prohibit local law enforcement’s access to certain military-grade weapons and equipment they have been able to access under the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997. The Department of Defense has been providing military equipment to law enforcement agencies through the 1033 program, which transfers excess military equipment to U.S. police forces. Tear gas and rubber ammo are the types of items law enforcement agencies would be limited in acquiring from federal military surplus, and local police would be required to maintain a database and be approved by local authorities. “Law enforcement can protect and serve the communities in which they operate without military-grade weapons and equipment, which only increases tensions between communities and law enforcement and lead to distrust,” Kenyatta said. Rabb agreed. "Law enforcement agencies do not need military-grade weapons and equipment to achieve their primary responsibility, which is to keep safe the communities they take an oath to serve," Rabb said. "We have enabled our law enforcement agencies to become militarized and create war zones in our communities over the past several decades. “Our Read more

 

Rabb, Polinchock introduce bill to remove DUI penalties for legal medical cannabis use

(Sep 21, 2021)

HARRISBURG, Sept. 21 – State Reps. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., and Todd Polinchock, R-Bucks, have introduced legislation that would ensure the rights of the more than 500,000 medical cannabis patients in Pennsylvania, protecting them from DUI penalties. “I believe that people with a medical need for cannabis, who have acted courageously to seek help for their medical condition and have been granted use of medical cannabis, should be protected from DUI penalties for their legal medical cannabis use,” Rabb said. “I know I’m not the only lawmaker in the General Assembly who has been contacted by constituents concerned that their responsible use of medical cannabis may expose them to targeting by law enforcement when they drive. “A medical cannabis user can take a miniscule amount of medicine for their ailment and weeks later, with traces of cannabis still in their system, be subject to arrest on a DUI charge if pulled over — not because they’ve driven impaired, but because our state laws haven’t caught up with the science,” Rabb continued. “And, if you think you don’t know someone who falls into this category – a person who has been prescribed medical cannabis and who drives and is fearful of the potential DUI charge they could face – you’re wrong. I am a card-carrying medical cannabis patient, and I drive regularly, including in and around Philadelphia and to Harrisburg conducting the Read more

 

Rabb to host Grown Folks Fall Festival Oct. 9, offering state government services, free shredding, food, music and games

(Sep 15, 2021)

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 15 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., will host his annual Grown Folks Fall Festival on Oct. 9, offering a variety of services for seniors with fun for the whole family. The event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at St. Raymond’s School Yard, 1350 E. Vernon Road, Philadelphia, PA, 19150 . There will be oldies music, vendors, line dancing, snacks, flu shots and COVID-19 testing and vaccination, with no appointments necessary. Rabb and his staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about state government services. Additionally, free shredding will be available from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. , so that people can have their outdated or unwanted personal documents securely discarded. There is a limit of one bag of documents per person. Guests are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Rabb is partnering with the following officials to host the event: Councilpersons Derek Green, Isaiah Thomas, Kendra Brooks, Helen Gym and Cindy Bass; state Reps. Isabella Fitzgerald and Stephen Kinsey, state Sen. Art Haywood; and Congressperson Dwight Evans. For more information, call Rabb’s office at 215-242-7300. Read more

 

A recent win against gerrymandering must be the first of many steps to make elections fairer, more equitable

(Aug 25, 2021)

The Legislative Reapportionment Commission on Tuesday took a huge step to make voting in Pennsylvania fairer and more equitable by ending the practice of prison gerrymandering. The commission’s action changes the current practice where the U.S. Census counts incarcerated individuals as residents of the prison location rather than their previous residential address. This unintentionally inflated the weight of a vote cast in districts that contain prisons at the expense of voters in areas that do not host a prison. This also dilutes the power of the vote for Black and Brown communities whose citizens are disproportionately incarcerated. Pennsylvania has 23 state correctional institutions and one motivational boot camp facility located in 19 different counties. The combined population count for these facilities in April was 37,284 people. More than 9,000 of those people – almost 25% of the total – are from the city of Philadelphia but are not counted as residents of the city. Conversely, 31% of the total population of Forest County – more than 2,200 of the 7,300 people counted by the census there – are actually incarcerated people in state correctional institutions in the county. While this step is incredibly important in the overall mission of ensuring free and fair elections for all eligible voters in Pennsylvania, it doesn’t go far enough in that it does not apply to federal or county prison facilities – only Read more

 

Rabb: Police Misconduct Database was Long Overdue

(Jul 23, 2021)

In the months following the shooting of Antwon Rose by police in East Pittsburgh, Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb introduced legislation to establish a police misconduct database. The interdepartmental system would make it harder for bad cops to jump from department to department. It took almost three years and a peaceful takeover of the House chambers to make this idea a reality, but on July 14, 2021, the database went live. Rep. Rabb commended his colleagues for passing this legislation, but cautioned that the database is only a start to police reform; more still needs to be done. Read more

 

Rabb: We are Making Strides Toward Police Accountability

(Jul 16, 2021)

Pa. state Chris Rabb joined Governor Tom Wolf, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, House and Senate Colleagues, and representatives of various police organizations to announce the launch of a new database to help keep bad cops from jumping from one department to the next. The new database holds separation records of all PA law enforcement officers seeking employment at a law enforcement agency. This follows last year’s signing of Act 57 of 2020, which Rabb was instrumental in authoring. Read more

 

Guest Opinion: Medical cannabis is medicine, and we must protect patients, like me, who need it to manage their medical conditions

(Jul 15, 2021)

A column by state Rep. Chris Rabb about medical cannabis in Pennsylvania. Read more

 

Honoring the National Day of Mourning
Nov 23, 2021

Summer 2021 Newsletter
Nov 16, 2021

Rabb: House Emerging Tech Caucus on EV Policy
Nov 15, 2021

Kinsey hosts public safety meeting to discuss solutions to gun violence
Oct 29, 2021

Ahead of Election Day, Rabb promotes various bills designed to make elections more equitable, accessible, fair
Oct 29, 2021

LIHEAP: Expanded Home-Heating Assistance is Available to PA Renters, Homeowners
Oct 21, 2021

Rabb will host virtual town hall today on Native American history, racialized mascots and allyship; plans to introduce legislation to ban Native American mascots in schools
Oct 14, 2021

Rabb introduces legislation to remove Columbus Day holiday, replace it with Election Day holiday
Oct 07, 2021

PA Lawmaker Gets Snippy With Proposed Vasectomy Legislation
Oct 07, 2021

US: 'Satire bill' proposes curbs on male reproductive rights
Oct 06, 2021

Memo detailing bill to require vasectomies in Pennsylvania written to parody Texas abortion law
Oct 06, 2021

Democratic Pennsylvania State Rep. Proposes Requiring Vasectomies at Age 40
Oct 05, 2021

Rabb announces parody legislation enforcing reproductive responsibility among men to highlight gendered double standards regarding reproductive rights
Oct 04, 2021

Kenyatta, Rabb introduce bill to limit military equipment going to local law enforcement
Sep 28, 2021

Rabb, Polinchock introduce bill to remove DUI penalties for legal medical cannabis use
Sep 21, 2021

Rabb to host Grown Folks Fall Festival Oct. 9, offering state government services, free shredding, food, music and games
Sep 15, 2021

A recent win against gerrymandering must be the first of many steps to make elections fairer, more equitable
Aug 25, 2021

Rabb: Police Misconduct Database was Long Overdue
Jul 23, 2021

Rabb: We are Making Strides Toward Police Accountability
Jul 16, 2021

Guest Opinion: Medical cannabis is medicine, and we must protect patients, like me, who need it to manage their medical conditions
Jul 15, 2021