HARRISBURG, May 3 – State Reps. Gina H. Curry, D-Delaware, La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, and Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia, said that they were proud to host Delta Day at the state Capitol on Tuesday. Delta Day is celebrated by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, which was founded in 1913 by 22 collegiate women on the campus of Howard University. Today, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated is one of the preeminent service-based sororities, with predominantly more than 300,000 Black members and more than 1,000 chapters worldwide. The sorority has maintained a commitment to social activism, academic excellence and civic engagement. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated has 29 chapters in Pennsylvania. On Delta Day, members from throughout the commonwealth come to the Capitol to connect with elected officials, advance legislation and serve as a voice for others. “The women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated continue to be magnificent examples of servant-leaders with their commitment to their communities,” Curry said. “That is why I introduced H.R. 100 to recognize and honor the members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated on Delta Day.” “This was the first year back after three years of meeting virtually for Delta Days in Harrisburg,” Mayes said. “It was a great opportunity for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated members to come to our Capitol to lead the conversations Read more
HARRISBURG, May 3 – State Rep. Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, praised yesterday’s passage in the House of the PA Fairness Act, which would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “I’m honored to be a co-prime sponsor of this important legislation—The PA Fairness Act,” Smith-Wade-El said. “This moment is 22 years and hundreds of elections in the making as Democrats have repeatedly tried to pass legislation that would make Pennsylvania a more equitable place to live and work for our LGBTQ+ community. During this time, many LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians have found themselves to be second-class citizens, at best, in the commonwealth—worried if they would lose housing or a job or their lives because of who they love or who they are. “Pennsylvania for too long has lagged behind other states in outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. That must stop. Thanks to the Democratic majority in the House, we have been able to pass this historic legislation. We’ve got to keep fighting so this legislation passes the Senate. The Fairness Act gets Pennsylvania closer to a place where everyone's rights are protected, where citizens would be wrapped in freedom, equality, fairness and justice which is love spoken out loud. I look forward to that day when the Act is signed into law, and Read more
HARRISBURG, May 2 – Today, the Fairness Act (H.B. 300) passed out of the Pennsylvania House and is headed to the Senate for a future vote. Below is a quote that can be attributed to the co-prime sponsors of this bill: Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila; Jessica Benham, Dan Frankel and La’Tasha D. Mayes, all D-Allegheny; Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster; and Greg Scott, D-Montgomery. “Today is a historic day, as we take a critical step to make Pennsylvania fairer. The Fairness Act is as simple as it is substantive. H.B. 300 would protect LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians from facing discrimination and allow all individuals in the commonwealth to file complaints with the PA Human Relations Commission. “Now, we call on the Senate to quickly consider and pass this legislation and send it to Governor Shapiro’s desk.” Read more
HARRISBURG, May 2 – The House yesterday passed state Rep. Joe Ciresi’s red-tape cutting legislation that would make it easier for relatives to claim a deceased person’s property being held by the state. According to Ciresi, the Pennsylvania treasury holds some $4 billion in unclaimed property, such as uncashed checks, lost stocks or bonds, or closed bank accounts. Due to an inconsistency in inheritance law, some categories of relatives have a harder time legitimately claiming that property on behalf of their deceased relatives. Under current law, surviving spouses, children, parents and siblings can file for unclaimed property using a notarized sworn relationship affidavit, saving them the effort and expense of having to open or re-open the deceased’s estate. But grandchildren, nephews, nieces and others cannot claim by affidavit even if they are the closest surviving relative. “My legislation would change Pennsylvania’s law for claiming unclaimed property to match the existing intestate succession law, making it easier for grandchildren and other relatives to claim money held in the name of their deceased relatives,” Ciresi, D-Montgomery, said “This would only apply to situations where an affidavit can already be used to claim: for properties under $11,000 and when no estate was ever opened or five years have passed since it was opened.” Ciresi learned about this issue from the work his staff was doing trying to Read more
HARRISBURG, April 28 – State Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, will join legislators, community members and fellow Asian Americans to celebrate the start of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month on Monday, May 1, in the Capitol’s East Wing Rotunda. Dancing will precede the opening remarks at 10:40 a.m. The program will officially begin at 11 a.m. The following is the run of show. Pennsylvania Legislative Asian Pacific American Caucus RUN OF SHOW – AAPI Heritage Month Celebration/PLAPAC Formation 11 a.m. Monday, May 1, 2023, PA Capitol Building, East Wing Rotunda TIME ACTIVITY 10:40-10:50 AM Performance - Nandanik Dance Troupe 10:50-11:00 AM Performance - Nandanik Dance Troupe 11:00-11:05 AM Chair. Kim – Welcome/Resolution/Caucus Announcement 11:10-11:15 AM LT. Governor Austin Davis – Brief Remarks 11:20-11:25 AM House Speaker Joanna McClinton – Brief Remarks 11:30-11:35 AM Secretary Akbar Hossain – Personal Story/Acknowledge Staff 11:35-11:40 AM Senator Saval/Senator Maria Collett - AAPI Curriculum 11:40-11:45 AM Representative Tarik Khan – Legislation/Personal 11:45-11:50 AM Read more
HARRISBURG, April 28 – State Reps. Joe Ciresi and Joe Webster, both D-Montgomery, held a road dedication ceremony today in Trappe to unveil a memorial sign in honor of Trooper Branden T. Sisca, who was killed in the line of duty in 2022. “Branden Sisca dedicated his life to protecting others in service of the community he loved,” Ciresi said. “Although nothing can fill the void that Branden’s tragic passing left, Rep. Webster and I thought weaving Branden’s legacy into the fabric of the community through the road dedication would help us all heal. From this day forward, everyone traveling through Trappe will be reminded of Branden’s life of public service as a volunteer firefighter and Pennsylvania State Trooper. Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to make today’s ceremony a tremendous success.” The memorial sign designates a portion of State Route 4031 (Main Street) between Fifth Avenue and State Route 4048, also known as Seventh Avenue, in Trappe as the Trooper Branden T. Sisca Memorial Highway. “Today we honor the life and service of Trappe Fire Chief and PA State Trooper Branden Sisca who dedicated his life to public service and protection of our community,” Webster said. “This dedication stands as a show of our sincere gratitude for his service and our pledge to honor his memory and sacrifice. Thank you to everyone who ensured today’s ceremony was a fitting tribute.” Read more
“My legislation simply aims to modernize the home care industry’s hiring process and have a further reach when attracting quality care providers,” Sanchez said. Read more
“Teacher Pipeline Scholarship recipients would be required to stay here in Pennsylvania for however many years they received the scholarship. This ensures that these state dollars go hard at work for local K-12 students while simultaneously addressing our state’s worsening teacher shortage,” Rozzi said. Read more
HARRISBURG, April 25 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today announced the introduction of legislation that would ensure the proper use of electric vehicle charging spots in Pennsylvania. There are currently more than 2 million electric vehicles on the road nationwide, with more sold each year, but there is a limited availability of public charging stations. According to Ciresi, the blocking of charging stations for reasons other than charging is a common frustration among many EV owners and has been cited by planners in Pennsylvania as a challenge to EV deployment. His legislation, H.B. 1043, would ensure that spots clearly marked as reserved for electric vehicle charging are properly utilized and cannot be used by non-electric vehicles or vehicles not connected for charging, similar to existing laws restricting improper use of reserved disability parking spaces. “We want to make it easy for people to adopt electric vehicles to alleviate our reliance on fossil fuels to support a clean environment and reduce the impact of climate change,” Ciresi said. “Unfortunately, too often EV drivers find the reserved and marked EV charging stations blocked when they need it, leaving many electric vehicle owners struggling to find places to charge their vehicles. The lack of charging station availability is a serious impediment, impacting EV owners from everything from planning a trip to going about daily errands.” Eighteen states, including Read more
“The sale of this public water authority is bad news for any resident of Pennsylvania who values their ability to access clean water and open green spaces,” said state Rep. Carol Kazeem, who hosted the event and represents portions of Delaware County – including the city of Chester. “For the more than 200,000 paying customers of Chester Water Authority, this sale could result in skyrocketing rate hikes. People who enjoy the outdoors can also expect access to the 2,000 acres of land currently owned by Chester Water Authority to change dramatically – including access for boaters, hikers and anglers. The bottom line is the only one who benefits from this sale is the for-profit company trying to purchase Chester Water Authority.” Read more
“This is a very serious conversation about a crisis happening across our country and throughout Pennsylvania,” said hearing host Rep. Gina H. Curry, who represents portions of Delaware County. “The purpose of today’s hearing is to shine a light on this issue. We are asking people to listen and take this issue to heart, realize action is needed and make transformation possible. Our end goal is to save lives.” Read more
MARPLE, April 13 – State House Democratic Southeast Delegation Chair Jennifer O’Mara said today that she welcomes the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ investment of $4 million into regional recovery hubs across the commonwealth. Announced by DDAP on Wednesday , The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania Inc. will receive $500,000 for the establishment of a regional recovery hub covering Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Delaware and Schuylkill counties as part of the investment. “As we fight new stronger drugs with fentanyl and other deadly characteristics, addiction services are sorely needed across Southeast PA,” said O’Mara, D-Delaware. “DDAP’s investment of state funding brings our tax dollars back to our communities – providing hope in recovery for not only individuals but entire communities now reeling from the effects of addiction. “On behalf of the region’s state government representatives, I applaud the Shapiro administration for its forward-thinking approach to a problem facing us all.” Each grantee will create a hub-and-spoke model to provide recovery supports in their region. The “hubs” will support community-driven services that will serve as “spokes.” The hubs will provide technical assistance and collaborate with a variety of community entities, sectors and systems to enhance a Read more
HARRISBURG, March 31 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, introduced H.B. 725 and H.B. 726 to support the mental health workforce. “Pennsylvania’s children need adequate mental health support, but the mental health profession has been depleted by underfunding, provider and staffing shortages, and insufficient programs and access,” Ciresi said. “Especially as the need for mental health services challenges the system’s capacity, we need to address the profession’s recruitment and burnout. My two bills would help retain and recruit highly qualified individuals into the mental health field and ensure that our children receive the quality care they need.” The bills were produced in response to the Joint State Government Commission’s study on the shortage of mental health care professionals in Pennsylvania. The commission reported that Pennsylvania has a below-average number of mental health care providers per capita, and the trend is worsening. The commission recommended greater financial assistance for mental health professionals to reduce the cost barrier of higher education and attract more individuals to the field. The issues highlighted in the commission’s 2020 report only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw higher demand for mental health services and added to the workforce shortage. H.B. 725 would establish a student loan forgiveness program specifically for students seeking undergraduate or Read more
HARRISBURG, March 31 – State Reps. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny; Izzy Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster; and Malcom Kenyatta, D-Phila., have introduced legislation (H.B. 575) to protect minors from conversion therapy. “There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that tells us efforts to change an individual’s sexual identity through so-called ‘therapy’ causes serious harm to their mental health,” said state Benham, who co-chairs the PA LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. “It is shameful that in 2023 Pennsylvania still allows the abhorrent practice known as conversion therapy to occur, and I am looking forward to outlawing it to protect and affirm LGBTQ+ youth across our Commonwealth.” “Conversion therapy is anti-gay bias masquerading as science,” said Smith-Wade-El. “This abusive practice has caused immense harm on patients, including depression, trauma, drug use, homelessness and suicide. It reinforces the idea that there is something psychologically wrong with LGBTQ people because of their sexual identity. It’s long past time that PA joins 20 other states and the District of Columbia in banning this abhorrent practice to protect the physical and psychological well-being of LGBTQ minors.” The legislation, the Protection of Minors from Conversion Therapy Act, seeks to address harms associated with conversion therapy by prohibiting a mental health professional from engaging in this archaic treatment with an Read more
HARRISBURG, March 30 – Following the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee hearing on gun safety last week, state Rep. Perry Warren reintroduced three bills directly addressing the gun safety concerns heard during testimony. The committee hearing, called by the new Democratic majority, included testimony relating to the pressing needs for safe-storage, lost-and-stolen, and background-check legislation. After the hearing, Warren promptly reintroduced bills he had introduced in the prior legislative session, each of which would address an aspect of the recommendations of the testifiers at the hearing. House Bills 712, 713 and 714 would address these widely supported measures, said Warren, D-Bucks. “Majority Chairman Tim Briggs organized this hearing as the first hearing of the House Judiciary Committee this session. Pennsylvanians support policies that will reduce violence and unnecessary loss of life involving guns,” he said. “Guns are involved in suicide, domestic violence, accidents, gang violence and mass shootings – and all signs point to these three basic policies as proven life savers.” Victims, second victims and advocates took turns Thursday outlining support for laws in Pennsylvania to ensure that stolen or missing guns are reported to law enforcement, guns in homes are safely stored and that long-gun sales at shows, stores or private sales are included in standard background checks. “The experts and advocates who Read more
HARRISBURG, March 30 – State Rep. Greg Scott, D-Montgomery, attended the House Majority Policy Committee hearing on Tuesday on the housing crisis in Pennsylvania, which is negatively impacting Pennsylvania’s residents and economy. “Our community is in an unprecedented housing crisis,” Scott said. “At this week’s policy hearing on the issue, I learned that one of the big problems we are facing is the fact that the housing crisis is seen as a ‘low-income issue’ and often disregarded. In fact, the housing crisis is negatively impacting residents from all income levels throughout the state. By changing the narrative to focus on the breadth of people affected by this crisis, we will be able to garner political support for creative solutions to resolve this problem. No one in Pennsylvania should be without an affordable and safe place to live.” A report in 2022 faulted communities failing to produce enough housing options to meet housing needs for the widespread growth of the crisis. Tuesday’s House Majority Policy hearing featured testimony from Michaela Allwine and Jocelynn Ritchey from Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Holly Beck from the Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, and Lisette Rivera and Stephanie Thomas from Families in Transition. The committee pointed out that the housing crisis is having adverse effects on all income levels, not just low-income Pennsylvanians. Read more
“There is not a corner of our commonwealth or a corner of our nation not affected by a lack of affordable housing,” said hearing host Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, who represents portions of Lancaster. “While our caucus continues to lead the way on issues, including education and employment, all of that work will be undermined if we cannot address the affordable housing crisis and ensure our families will be able to a find a place to lay their head every night.” Read more
HARRISBURG, March 28 – State Reps. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and R. Lee James, R-Venango, introduced legislation on Monday to create the Historic Homeownership Preservation Incentive Tax Credit in Pennsylvania. The proposed legislation would allow homeowners with a plan to rehabilitate their historic home located in a qualified census tract to receive tax credits towards the rehabilitation project. “Historic preservation preserves our cultural and historic resources for future generations, and plays a key role in revitalizing communities, creating jobs, supporting local tax bases, and improving quality of life,” Ciresi said. “Currently, Pennsylvania has a Historic Preservation Tax Credit that supports the rehabilitation of income-producing properties but has no equivalent for owner-occupied historic structures despite the benefits to our economy and society. It’s time we changed that.” The representatives say that research shows that similar tax programs are great economic engines for communities. The representatives found that Maryland’s Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Program helped rehabilitate over 4,000 historic buildings since 1996, creating 25,000 jobs in the process. They also learned that studies have repeatedly found that historic preservation creates more jobs for each dollar than other public investments, including new construction and manufacturing. “So much rich history has passed here in the Read more
“Too many people have worked too hard for too long to not be able to pay their bills,” hearing co-host Rep. Patty Kim said. “We want to tag a cost-of-living adjustment on this, so we never have to wait years and years – or wait for a once-in-a-century pandemic – for this issue to have a bright light shined on it.” Read more
HARRISBURG, March 24 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, introduced legislation (H.R. 41) this week to replace the Pennsylvania state song. In 1990, the state legislature adopted the current state song, “Pennsylvania” by Eddie Khoury and Ronnie Bonner. State law establishes this as Pennsylvania’s official song for all public purposes, and the song is often performed at public events, such as gubernatorial inaugurations. “State symbols bring us together,” Ciresi said. “When we see our state flag and hear our state song, we should be able to share our commonality and celebrate our heritage as fellow Pennsylvanians. Unfortunately, our current state song is known by few and does not reflect the dynamic and diverse Pennsylvania of today.” “In the three decades since the state song was adopted, Pennsylvania has changed greatly, and our state song should embody the spirit of our great state,” Ciresi said. The resolution would establish an independent commission to study the history of the state song, solicit submissions from the public, and recommend changes to the state song. The legislature would then have the option of passing legislation to change the state song based on the commission’s recommendation. Read more
Please use the form below to sign up for email updates. By completing this form you are acknowledging your request to receive periodic email updates.
By completing this form, you are verifying your request to opt in for email updates.
Thank you. Your email signup has been sent. You should start getting emails within 24 hours.