Join me for a Q&A; $16 million for district projects; ICE accountability; reader poll – and more!

Rep. Abigail Salisbury January 28, 2026 | 10:14 AM

Join me for a Q & A!

Please join me at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, for a Q & A on state legislative issues of importance to our district. The event will be held at the Forest Hills Westinghouse Lodge, 799 Barclay Ave. Parking is available, and light refreshments will be offered. I encourage everyone to attend!

$6 million will fund transportation and infrastructure improvements

New grants totaling $6 million will bring smoother roads and stronger water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure to our district. You can read more here.

More households will also see safer drinking water thanks to $10 million in new funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. The funding will allow Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority to replace residential lead service lines with copper lines. Visit this page to read more.

Greater accountability for ICE

To bring greater transparency and accountability to ICE actions in our state, I will be introducing legislation with several colleagues to empower the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to receive and document complaints from the public regarding civil liberties violations by federal ICE agents. Visit this page to read more.

Around the District

Our office is seeking applicants for a 10-week internship, working up to 20 hours per week at $15 per hour. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

The intern will be assigned a semester-long project and will work closely with me and members of the district office staff. Additional responsibilities include calling residents to inform them about services, answering incoming calls and directing callers to appropriate staff members, and interacting with people in the district office. To learn more, please contact our office at (412) 273-3400.

We had a productive mobile office last Tuesday at the Homewood Senior Center, where our staff helped residents obtain a senior ConnectCard, file for a property tax or rent rebate, and get help with other state services. I appreciated having a chance to present at the center’s lunch and learn. Thank you to everyone who stopped by!

Our staffer, Leslie, attended an NFL Draft Briefing and tour of Acrisure Stadium – where presenters offered updates about plans for hosting the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh!

Our district office director, Aaron, joined Chalfant Mayor Jim Perry, his family, and Sen. Jay Costa to honor the mayor on his retirement. We also presented him with legislative citations honoring nearly 50 years of service to the community.

Aaron joined talented local entrepreneur Cheryl Johnson, owner of Aunt Cheryl’s Café, and other PA business owners and hospitality professionals for a roundtable discussion on industry priorities and how lawmakers can help.

Speaking of entrepreneurs, I’m asking our district’s small business owners to participate in the following reader poll:

Reader Poll

We already offer an annual nonprofit symposium with educational sessions. Would you be interested in a similar event for small businesses?

Yes

Our office attended an event at Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Point Park University to celebrate a new partnership with HXOUSE. The think tank was founded by global artist The Weeknd and his creative director, La Mar Taylor, to open pathways into the entertainment industry for talented young people.

Point Park and HXOUSE are launching the nation’s first university credential in Creative Direction this spring. Visit this page to learn more and this page to see more photos from the event.

The PA State Education Association hosted a special education roundtable discussion to hear feedback from teachers on non-funding issues and challenges they are facing in classrooms, including class size and caseloads, student behavior, federal policy impacts, educator safety, and lease restrict environments. Visit this page to see other news from PSEA.

Pennie enrollment extended to Jan. 31

If you still need to sign up for private health insurance, please be aware that the deadline to enroll in a plan through Pennie has been extended to Jan. 31. You can read more here.

Home heating assistance is open

Please remember that if you need home heating help, LIHEAP provides cash and crisis grants (which do not need to be repaid) for eligible households. Please visit this page to learn more. Our office can also help you apply

Finding funding & help with state services

Please remember that our office can help with a wide range of state-related matters – from filing a Property Tax/Rent Rebate or obtaining a Senior ConnectCard, to navigating state benefits and more. Contact us to find out how we can help!

If you’re searching for a state grant, you can find a list of the latest program openings here and a state grant-finding search tool here.

You can read my e-newsletter in a way that’s preferable to you by visiting my legislative website here and clicking on the accessibility icon in the lower right corner.