My most important bill: Dignity for Incarcerated Women Read more
HARRISBURG, May 26 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., along with state Reps. Tina Davis, D-Bucks; Mike Jones, R-York; and Lori A. Mizgorski, R-Allegheny, hosted a news conference today to unveil the Dignity for Incarceration Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to make comprehensive reforms to how women and femme-identifying people are treated in correctional institutions. “When we talk about the health and well-being of women, we mean all women and femme-identifying individuals including incarcerated women,” Cephas said. “We stand alongside one another today to send a message to our colleagues that dignity for incarcerated women transcends county and party lines and is an issue the state legislature should get behind. Our mothers, daughters and sisters deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and should not be forced to face inhumane treatment such as being shackled while giving birth or being denied necessary feminine hygiene or incontinence products. We must codify current state policy and enact this legislation to help prevent further mental and physical health implications for all of Pennsylvania’s incarcerated women, their children and families.” Over the span of three decades Pennsylvania has seen a significant increase in the number of incarcerated women, and the DFIW Act bill would provide well-vetted provisions at both the state and county level, with necessary oversight from children and youth services. Read more
HARRISBURG, May 26 – Reps. Mike Jones (R-York) and Lori Mizgorski (R-Allegheny) have introduced legislation with Reps. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia) and Tina Davis (D-Bucks) that aims to support incarcerated women. Pennsylvania has seen a significant increase in the number of incarcerated women in recent years. “This issue transcends partisanship and politics,” said Jones. “While these women need to serve their time like anyone else, they remain mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, and we should treat them with the same dignity we would our own.” Through extensive consultation and collaboration with the Department of Corrections, county wardens, corrections officers, various interest groups and subject matter experts, a list of best practices was developed that would benefit incarcerated women, their children and their families. Many of these practices are already in use—this legislation would formalize them in statute. “Women have unique needs and we must ensure that those needs are met for women who are incarcerated,” said Mizgorski. “Every woman deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.” This bill would provide for the following well-vetted provisions at both the state and county level, with necessary oversight from children and youth services, and limited exceptions where extenuating circumstances and/or capacity constraints prevent safe practice and enforcement. With common-sense Read more
On the Road with the PA Rescue Plan Read more
STATE COLLEGE, May 11 – The workers who have been hit hardest by the pandemic need support. The PA House Democratic leadership team is hosting a rally Wednesday to make the case for workers’ rights to a fair wage, hazard pay and paid family and sick leave and how the PA Rescue plan would do just that. The rally will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 12 at The Borough Building, 243 S. Allen St., State College . The media is encouraged to attend. The PA Rescue Plan includes more than $1.5 billion for job training, hazard pay, wage boosts for direct-care workers and job creation efforts to kickstart the economy in communities across the state. The PRP aims to ensure federal American Rescue Plan funding is invested for immediate impact and long-term success. Additional information about the plan is available at www.pahouse.com/parescueplan . Read more
HARRISBURG, May 5 – After weeks of gathering public support for the Pennsylvania Rescue Plan to invest federal dollars to do the most good for working families, the House Democratic Leadership team released the following statement on the next steps to discuss the plan and how it would help us recover, restore and reimagine a better future coming back from COVID-19. “Next week more than $7 billion is coming to the Keystone State as part of the American Rescue Plan, and we have to make sure that money is invested properly, not hidden away in a government vault for a rainy day – because it’s hard to imagine a storm that could hit harder than COVID-19. People need help now. “As USA TODAY network coverage noted, House Democrats have a plan that helps schools, workers, businesses, families, renters, landlords and more while Republicans have no plan to distribute the funds. We urge the majority party to get on board and do the right thing for people everywhere. “We’ve received an overwhelming response to the PA Rescue Plan so far, and next week we’ll be taking the plan to the people with a statewide tour – starting Monday in Philadelphia and Reading talking about investing in infrastructure and rebuilding our downtowns, continuing Tuesday in Pittsburgh and Erie discussing housing, Wednesday in Harrisburg and State College talking worker pay, and finishing up on Thursday in Scranton and Allentown to discuss helping Read more
You shouldn’t have to work until you die. You should know there will come a time where you can take off those work shoes – boots, heels, sneakers or whatever – and put your feet up for a well-earned break. But, in today’s America, only about two-thirds of workers have access to any kind of a retirement plan. In today’s America only half of workers have access to nothing but 401(k) plans. The Pennsylvanian who invented the 401(k) created them to supplement a pension, not be a retired worker’s only support beyond Social Security. Except almost nobody has a pension anymore – just a 401(k) account that doesn’t seem to get any bigger while billionaires get richer every day. So, instead of retirement we see what are supposed to be “heartwarming” stories about people who should be taking a well-deserved rest forced back on the job, a 79-year-old and a 19-year-old wearing the same uniform and sharing a shift. Or we hear stories about seniors cutting pills in half to stretch their supply, and seniors forced to sell their homes because they can’t afford their property taxes, or because they need health care. It’s not right. We need to do better. The Pa Rescue Plan would help. Pennsylvania is getting billions of dollars from the federal government. This money isn’t supposed to be hidden away for a rainy day. COVID-19 is the worst “storm” we’ve faced in more than a century, and Read more
newborns Read more
Bucks County opening COVID vaccine clinics to walk-ins starting Wednesday, 4/28 Read more
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal will reopen on Saturday, April 24. Updated documents and guidance will be available today (Friday, April 23rd) by clicking here . This is a grant program established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, and is administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue , with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. Eligible entities include: Live venue operators or promoters. Theatrical producers. Live performing arts organization operators. Museum operators. Motion picture theater operators (including owners). Talent representatives. Other requirements of note: Must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020. Venue or promoter who received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020, will have the SVOG reduced by the PPP loan amount. Read more
Bucks Delegation Demands Philadelphia Reimburse Suburban Commuters Read more
Pennsylvanians looking for relief from the hardships of the past year can look to the House Democrats’ Pennsylvania Rescue Plan for solutions that do the most good for the most people. The House Democratic Leadership team released the following statement on how the plan would strengthen communities, help working people and support businesses and families: “We have a unique opportunity to drastically improve the lives of millions of Pennsylvanians with smart investments in people, businesses, health care and our workforce. The Pennsylvania Rescue Plan does just that by directing federal funds to help businesses get back on solid ground, invest in our frontline workers who were essential to getting us through the pandemic, repair our crumbling public schools so students can learn and teachers can teach in a non-toxic environment and strengthen our workforce through training tomorrow’s in-demand employees. Read more
Vaccine rollout expanded, PUA Scam Alert, and more Read more
PA Schools to Receive Nearly $5 Billion in Funding Read more
HARRISBURG, March 29 – Responding to the Capitol insurrection in January and the signing of new restrictions on voting rights last week in Georgia, House Democrats are taking action to protect American democracy. Today, a website was launched that summarizes policy proposals to defend democracy as well as links to more information and the ability for people to quickly email their elected officials, noting their support of the bills. The House Democratic Caucus has been working on these proposals since a House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing in January, when members were briefed by legal scholars, hate crimes experts and members of Congress on the language of false conspiracy and election fraud being used to undermine democracy. That same language has shifted from encouraging outright attack to what many perceive as insidiously undermining basic voting rights. “We cannot allow the outrage and disgust of the American people watching an armed invasion of our government to be subverted by a slick rebranding into attacks on our right to fair and free elections” Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro said. Members of the House Democratic Caucus have introduced dozens of measures to expand voting rights, preserve election security, protect access to mail-in ballots and polling places, and to clarify and consolidate the often-outdated Election Code. Bizzarro said the site – www.pahouse.com/policy/defendingdemocracy -- will serve as a great Read more
Important information on UC benefit year ending & Emergency Rental Assistance Program Launched Read more
March 24 marks the extra amount of time into the new year that women must work until in order to earn what a man made the previous year. Read more
With time running out to provide a chance at justice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse through an emergency constitutional amendment, the House Democratic leadership team released the following statement calling on Republican leadership to commit to bringing the measure up for a vote on Monday:“In early February, Republican leadership made a public promise on the House floor to get an emergency constitutional amendment to the Senate and provide a chance at justice to the survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Due to their wavering and inaction this week, we’re now dangerously close to running out of time to get this in front of Pennsylvanians in the May Primary Election. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 17 -- State Reps. Melissa Shusterman, Jennifer O’Mara, Donna Bullock and Tina Davis will host a virtual news conference to discuss the gender wage gap and their legislation to help close it on Equal Pay Day, March 24. The public may livestream the event at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 24 by visiting PAHouse.com . “We’re going to talk about pay inequality on March 24 because this day marks how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man earns in the previous year, regardless of experience or job type,” said Shusterman, D-Chester/Montgomery. “Equal Pay Day should be January 1 for everybody. Pay disparities among women, especially women of color whose Equal Pay Day does not come until later in the year, cause them to annually miss out on tens of thousands of dollars. It is long overdue that we close the gender wage gap.” “On average, a woman who works full-time in Pennsylvania earns 20% less than our commonwealth’s working men,” said O’Mara, D-Delaware. “It’s time that we discuss what contributes to this wage gap and how we can close it so Pennsylvania women can better support themselves and their families. Our commonwealth has not updated its equal pay law in half a century, so this is a topic we desperately need to revisit to ensure that working women are protected.” “I know women who were paid less than men while performing the same Read more
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