HARRISBURG, March 8 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, introduced legislation to create signage requirements for subdivision and land development. The legislation would amend the Municipalities Planning Code to ensure that posted signs meet minimum size standards, are conspicuously posted, and include required information on the development and construction schedule. This signage would be required for land undergoing subdivision and land development. “Currently, property developers can provide ‘notice’ with nothing more than an 8½-inch by 11-inch sheet of paper, which is often easy to miss for anyone passing by and leaving many residents unaware of development happening near them,” Ciresi said. “My bill would guarantee more transparency with specific requirements for posted signage on property under development, giving residents a better understanding of what is happening in their community.” The legislation has been introduced as H.B. 2375 and referred to the House Local Government Committee. Read more
Act 77, which created mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, was introduced as a simple bill to eliminate straight ticket voting. While introduced by a Democratic senator, Republicans leapt to support it, and the bill became anything but the bipartisan victory the Republicans claimed it as. In 2019, when the bill was introduced, Pennsylvania was one of only seven states permitting straight ticket voting in presidential elections. Initially a simple voting reform, the Republicans turned Act 77 into something far less noble. The Republican senators on the State Government Committee made what turned out to be a very astute observation – then-president Donald Trump was an albatross around their party’s electoral neck. By eliminating straight ticket voting, the Republicans figured they could improve the chances of their candidates down ballot by distancing them, however subtly, from a president less than popular with many of their voters. In a bid to assuage any partisan opposition, the bill was amended to include the creation of no excuse mail-in voting. However, the majority of Democrats voted against what was ultimately more electoral smoke and mirrors than genuine voting reform, leaving the bill an example of anything but the triumph of bipartisanship it was claimed to be. Not only did the Republicans not raise any legal or constitutional objections to mail-in voting at the time, but they also pushed the idea from the jump, with only two Republican House members Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 9 – State Reps. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester/Montgomery, have introduced H.B. 2327, which would exempt at-home COVID-19 tests from the state sales tax. “As the pandemic rages on, we need all the tools in our arsenal to fight the virus,” Ciresi said. “By exempting at-home COVID-19 tests from the sales tax, we can help our residents and improve access to convenient diagnostic testing by removing this financial barrier. These tests are vital to public health and should not be taxed when Pennsylvanians are fulfilling their duty to their neighbors by testing themselves for the virus.” “Accessing at-home COVID-19 tests allows people to quickly get results so they do not put others at risk,” Shusterman said. “These important medical devices should be exempt from sales tax because they serve the greater good of the community.” Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 9 – In recognition of his success fostering economic development projects in the 74 th district , State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, has been named to the House Professional Licensure Committee. “Since I was elected to the house in 2018, I have made economic development a priority as it is the primary way to uplift our communities,” Williams said. “As a member of the powerful House Professional Licensure Committee, I will be able to advocate for bills that will foster job development and business growth in our district and throughout Pennsylvania. As a bridge builder, I will work across the aisle to ensure that bills that would help our businesses and workers thrive will come up for a vote on the House floor.” In the House, the Professional Licensure Committee reviews bills related to the state’s diverse professional and occupational licensing boards located administratively in the Department of State. The scope includes businesses as diverse as funeral homes, doctors, vehicle sales and crane operators to auctioneers, pharmacists and beauticians. Williams also serves on Aging & Older Adult Services , Human Services, Urban Affairs, Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness committees, as well as in the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. Williams’ office can be reached by calling (484) 200-8256 . Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 8 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, released the following statement regarding Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed 2022-23 budget unveiled today: “Governor Wolf’s budget outlines a clear vision to make up for years of underfunding education and local development with historic investments in public education and our communities that will improve our schools, reduce property taxes and breathe new life into the 146th,” Ciresi said. “This funding would be a major help to all of our local districts and have a transformative effect on Pottstown, which has long been one of the most underfunded in the state.” The budget includes an additional $2.1 billion for public education statewide, achieved through increases in basic and special education funding and cost savings through comprehensive charter school reform without raising taxes. It also expands on the “Level Up” funding included in this year’s budget, designed to help Pennsylvania’s most underfunded school districts such as Pottstown School District. The charter school reform that Ciresi and Wolf have partnered on would achieve over $373 million in savings statewide. These reforms include using the same special education funding formula used by school districts and setting a data-driven statewide tuition rate for cyber charter attendance. The local impact of these investments in education for the 146 th Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 1 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, introduced H.B. 2321, which would provide grant money to build sustainable community safe houses so that residents would have shelter in case of natural disaster. “This past year, many families in our communities have been left without shelter in the wake of serious storms like Ida,” Ciresi said. “Our residents need to have somewhere to go when their homes have been damaged by floods, wind or other types of natural disasters that we’re increasingly seeing in Pennsylvania.” If passed, H.B. 2321 would allow counties, municipalities and councils of governments to apply for grants to develop and maintain community buildings powered by and storing green energy. Grants of up to $250,000 would be issued to create emergency systems and centers, sustainably and reliably backed up by renewable energy, that would be there for our communities in their time of need. Money for these grants would be appropriated to the already existing State Sustainable Energy Fund to help get these projects off the ground. As they would be powered by renewable energy backup systems, Ciresi said these sustainable community safe houses would remain operational even when the power in the community goes out. Volunteers would be able to plug in refrigerators and fans, residents could charge their cell phones, and all sorts of other needs could continue to be met. Read more
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Our democracy is at risk. A year after that act of domestic terrorism on the U.S. Capitol, our country continues to be a battlefield over the legitimacy of our elections and the right to vote. Believing the lies spread by the former president, elected Republicans and the right-wing media, thousands lay violent siege to our seat of American government, determined to stop the certification of the rightfully elected winner, Joe Biden. At least seven people lost their lives in connection to that day. The forces of authoritarianism and minority rule didn’t win that day, but Jan. 6 spelled the beginning of an attempted coup to overturn American democracy that has taken place in our state houses every day since. Hundreds of voter suppression bills have been introduced and nearly three dozen laws passed which will enable state legislatures to undermine their elections and subvert the will of the people. These laws in particular have sought to disenfranchise Black and Brown people’s right to vote We have to protect American democracy and every citizen’s constitutionally guaranteed right to vote here in Pennsylvania. That is why I am supporting the K. Leroy Irvis Voting Rights Protection Act (House Bill 2090), which aims to make casting a ballot easier by continuing to allow early voting; providing for more ballot drop boxes; and permitting same day registration, which have all been adopted in other states. Named Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 30 – A fervent advocate for outdoor recreation and the conservation of natural habitats in the 152 nd Legislative District, state Rep. Nancy Guenst proudly announced today that Upper Dublin Township was awarded $249,100 to develop Twining Valley Park, and Upper Moreland Township was awarded $335,000 to restore Farmstead Park. The Community Conservation Partnership Program grants are from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). “This state investment in our local recreation areas in Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland townships will enhance the quality of life for our residents, giving them areas to engage in physical activities outdoors,” Guenst said. “I am in particular glad that this money will help restore Farmstead Park’s natural habitat and safeguard the creek, while providing pedestrian walkways so people can enjoy the natural beauty of the area.” Upper Dublin Township was awarded $249,100 to develop Twining Valley Park. The money will be used to construct a dog park, pump track, pickleball courts, pedestrian walkways, parking area and stormwater management measures; install play equipment with required safety surfacing, lighting and utilities; ADA access, landscaping, project signage, and other related site improvements. Upper Moreland Township was awarded $335,000 to restore Farmstead Park along an unnamed tributary to Pennypack Creek. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 30 – State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, today announced that $473,991 in Community Conservation Partnership Program funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has been awarded for various conservation projects in Chester County. “These state grants will help protect our land and water supply in Chester County by enabling us to update our river conservation plan and construct riparian buffers along our rivers,” Williams said. “Our communities’ health and well-being are dependent on the safeguarding of our water, and this money will help ensure the integrity of our watersheds and rivers.” The awards include: $60,000 to Chester County to prepare a countywide trail plan. $80,000 to the Community Chester County Commissioners Water Resource Authority to prepare an update to the 2002 River Conservation Plan for multiple watersheds in Chester County. $333,991 to the Stroud Water Research Center Inc. for the construction of approximately 60 acres of riparian forest buffers along waterways in the Lower Susquehanna River and Lower Delaware River watersheds in Chester, Berks, Lancaster, Montgomery and Lehigh counties. The work includes landowner outreach and engagement; buffer plantings and post-planting establishment; project sign and other related site improvements. The Community Conservation Partnership Program grants provide local Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 30 – A passionate advocate for the development of outdoor recreation and trails, state Rep. Joe Ciresi announced today that Limerick Township was awarded $250,000 to develop Limerick Community Park and Montgomery County $397,800 to extend the Schuylkill River Trail in Pottsgrove Township and Pottstown Borough. The Community Conservation Partnership Program grants are from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). “I’m glad to see that the vital work of community improvements will be possible thanks to this state investment in the 146 th District,” Ciresi said. “These grants will enhance the quality of life in our communities for residents and increase the economic potential of this area by making the possibility of living here even more attractive to potential residents.” Limerick Township has been awarded $250,000 for the development of Limerick Community Park. The funding will help construct softball fields, a pedestrian walkway, a parking area and stormwater management measures, install equipment with required safety surfacing and provide ADA access, landscaping, project sign and other related site improvements. This funding award follows a $225,000 DCNR grant for improvements to Limerick Community Park, which Ciresi announced in September 2020. Montgomery County has been awarded $397,800 for the development Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 21 – State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, today announced two important sets of grants have been awarded to develop the area’s infrastructure and talent. The grants include a Keystone Communities Program grant of $ 12,500 to plan for the re-establishment of an Enterprise Zone in West York and North York boroughs and Spring Garden and West Manchester townships, and a competitive C areer and Technical Education Equipment Grant program award of $50,000 to the York County School of Technology from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to purchase new equipment aligned to training students in high-demand occupations. Hill-Evans said, “I was proud to support this grant application as this money will help economically develop an Enterprise Zone in West York and North York boroughs and Spring Garden and West Manchester townships. This money will bring economic opportunity and revitalization and strengthen the quality of life in these areas.” The Keystone Communities Program is designed to encourage the creation of partnerships between the public and private sectors to jointly support local initiatives such as the growth and stability of neighborhoods and communities, social and economic diversity, and a strong and secure quality of life. The program allows communities to tailor the assistance to meet the needs of their specific revitalization effort. Hill-Evans Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 21 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, announced today that competitive Career and Technical Education Equipment Grant Program awards were given in the amount of $50,000 to the Pottstown School District and $50,000 to Western Montgomery CTC from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to purchase new equipment aligned to training students in high-demand occupations . “I’m very glad that Montgomery County’s career and technical education programs are receiving this needed financial support to help our students get the critical skills and training they need to enter into meaningful, family-sustaining careers,” Ciresi said. “This is a win-win for the county as our students will have access to first-class equipment and experiences, which in turn will make Montgomery County even more attractive to companies seeking to locate to an area where there are highly skilled workers.” Each grant must be matched dollar for dollar from a local source, which could include local school funds or contributions from business and industry partners. Since 2015, the number of career and technical education students earning industry-recognized credentials has increased by 38.7 percent and the number of credentials earned by students enrolled in CTE programs has grown by 33.6 percent. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 20 – A forceful advocate for economic development in the 146 th District, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, was instrumental in securing a Keystone Communities Program grant of $320,400 for renovations to the former PNC Bank building in Pottstown. Ciresi, who has successfully secured funding for other Pottstown redevelopment projects, praised the grant to renovate the former PNC bank building. “ The instrumental redevelopment of this 7,550-square-foot building, which has lain vacant for over 15 years in the middle of Pottstown’s downtown business district, will be a significant boost to the town’s ongoing revitalization,” Ciresi said. “With the return of this site to economically productive use, this redevelopment project will provide significant benefits for the borough and regional community and continue the momentum that Pottstown is experiencing.” The Keystone Communities Program is designed to encourage the creation of partnerships between the public and private sectors that jointly support local initiatives such as the growth and stability of neighborhoods and communities; social and economic diversity; and a strong and secure quality of life. The program allows communities to tailor the assistance to meet the needs of its specific revitalization effort. Since January 2015, the Wolf administration has Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 14 – An advocate for the Pennsylvania tourism industry, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, applauded the Wolf Administration’s dedication of $17,086,197 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to kickstart the recovery of the tourism industry in Pennsylvania in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a member of the House Tourism & Recreational Development Committee, I’ve been pushing for the state to invest in Pennsylvania’s tourism industry, as too many marketing opportunities were going to waste,” Ciresi said. “This money will provide opportunities to promote Pennsylvania’s destinations to diverse audiences, and so increase the numbers of people interested in visiting--and perhaps moving to--our beautiful state. This grant money will help the tourism industry build back better, supporting the wide range of jobs and businesses that benefit from tourism. I applaud Gov. Wolf’s decision to make this strategic investment in Pennsylvania’s future.” Pennsylvania’s travel and tourism industry supports over 490,000 jobs and generates $4.3 billion in annual tax revenue. Over 200 million people visit Pennsylvania each year, creating an economic impact of $46 billion. After consulting with tourism stakeholders across the state and colleagues around the nation, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office at the Department of Community and Economic Development will invest the $17,086,197 in the Read more
I was dismayed and disgusted when I heard that Tower Health was going to close Brandywine Hospital on Jan. 31, along with Jennersville Hospital on Dec. 31, due to the company’s gross negligence and betrayal of the public trust. These closures will negatively impact the lives of more than 100,000 Chester County residents – including all who live in the 74 th District. Additionally, we will lose our only inpatient behavioral health facility in the region . Most troubling is that this horrible situation has been caused by unfettered corporate greed incompetently administering a vital community asset. As the state representative for the 74 th District, I had been working with state, county, and local authorities to help keep Brandywine Hospital open. During these discussions we had been assured by Tower that a closure was not imminent. When news that these hospitals were being sold broke, Tower again clearly told us the behavioral health facility at Brandywine would remain open. Tower’s abrupt announcement of an about-face leaves us scrambling to find an 11 th hour solution to clean up their mess. As a member of the community, the losses I truly fear are the compounding impacts of a lack of nearby hospital care. You will have to travel further for emergency care when every minute is critical. Will you get there in time? Those who suffer from mental illness will lose the one place you could receive inpatient treatment Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 8 -- State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, was instrumental in securing a $2 million state redevelopment grant for the C oatesville Redevelopment Authority/City of Coatesville to construct the multimodal commuter parking facility adjacent to the city’s new train station and $1 million for Chester County Immediate Unit 24 to construct a new Toddler Center in Caln Township. Williams said the funding, awarded through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, will help realize the plans for new Coatesville train station parking facility to support access to the existing rail system and allow for expanded commuter service, and to demolish the existing Toddler Center in order to construct a new, expanded building. “I’m very proud that I was able to secure this $3 million in redevelopment grants that will help bring increased economic opportunity by building a multimodal commuter parking facility next to Coatesville’s new train station and invest in our future by building a bigger and safer Toddler Center for our young residents in Caln Township,” Williams said. “This state grant money will transform what was once a brownfield into the Coatesville new train station’s multimodal parking facility that will support current and expanded commuter service. The state redevelopment money, by facilitating the building of this commuter parking structure, will help spur on the City of Coatesville’s Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 7 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, introduced legislation to establish a State Emergency Supplemental Grant Program for disaster relief. As representative of the 146th Legislative District, Ciresi has been particularly concerned how Hurricane Ida had devastated the commonwealth, causing over $100 million in public infrastructure damage and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses, leaving many Pennsylvanians struggling to pay for the damages. Currently, Pennsylvania residents rely on the Federal Emergency Management Agency for financial assistance to help cover the cost of storm damage. Unfortunately, FEMA often can only cover a portion of the costs associated with damage deemed eligible for aid. In cases when only a state disaster declaration has been issued, Pennsylvania residents are not eligible for FEMA aid. “With each passing year, we are seeing increasingly dangerous weather,” Ciresi said. “We need to put a safety net in place to protect and support Pennsylvanians when natural disaster strikes. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to establish a State Emergency Supplemental Grant Program, which would provide individuals who have maximized their federal assistance grants from FEMA with supplemental grants from the state to cover recovery costs. In addition, when there is only a state disaster declaration, affected individuals and businesses would still be eligible for financial assistance to Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 6 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, was instrumental in securing a $1 million state grant for Royersford Borough’s Riverfront at Royersford LLC redevelopment project. Ciresi said the funding, awarded through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, will help realize the plans for the Riverfront at Royersford LLC, a mixed-use development that will include living, restaurant and entertainment venues and retail opportunities. “I’m very proud that I was able to secure this $1 million redevelopment grant that will help bring back social life and economic opportunity to this stretch of Schuylkill riverfront,” Ciresi said. “This state grant money will help transform what was once industrial brownfields into a vital economic, leisure and residential hub for the 146 th District. The Riverfront at Royersford will be a pioneer of mixed-use development in southeastern Pennsylvania, while expanding amenities and opportunities for all area residents.” “We are extremely thankful to Representative Ciresi for his unwavering advocacy of this project and to the borough council, mayor and staff for being excellent public partners in this process,” said Richard Lewis, president & CEO of The Lewis Group. "This team has repeatedly proven its commitment to the continued revitalization of Royersford through careful collaboration and action to mitigate barriers to Read more
The Commission voted 3-0 to approve a petition filed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, which is the neutral third-party entity that allocates telephone numbering resources. Read more
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