PITTSBURGH, Dec. 19 – Members of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation announced today that more than $3.4 million is coming back to the county to fund probation and parole services and programs supporting crime survivors and at-risk youth. The funding – secured through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency – includes more than $855,000 to the Center for Victims, which is based in the 36 th Legislative District but serves people throughout the county. “Our county organizations that serve crime survivors and the compassionate people who staff them help survivors forge a path through their trauma so they can go on to lead empowered, independent lives,” said state Rep. Jess Benham, who represents the 36 th District. “This new funding will help ensure that these essential community partners have the resources needed to continue their life-changing work.” The funding by source includes the following: Continuing County Adult Probation and Parole Grant Funds $1.38 million to Allegheny County chief executive officer for 2024-25 probation and parole programs. Federal Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Funds $150,000 to Swissvale for formation of the Swissvale Regional Police Department. Federal Project Safe Neighborhood Funds $37,068 to Allegheny County chief executive officer for Allegheny County Police PSN 4. $32,361 to The Pittsburgh Contingency Read more
CLAIRTON, Dec. 19 – State Rep. Matthew R. Gergely, D-Allegheny, announced that a $568,000 state grant was awarded to United States Steel Corporation – Clairton Works for several improvements to rail infrastructure at the facility. The funds will be used to replace four turnouts, which allow trains to be guided from one track to another, and rail on three siding tracks. “Steel production is synonymous with Pittsburgh’s history, heritage and cultural identity. All the pieces necessary to transport materials across the state and beyond must be in place to facilitate a safe and timely delivery,” Gergely said. “U.S. Steel’s Clairton Works is a key cog in the company’s efforts, and these dollars will help ensure its customers receive this homemade Pittsburgh product for all their needs.” More information on Pennsylvania Department of Transportation rail grant programs is available on the department’s Rail Freight and Ports page . Read more
Newly listed state grant programs Read more
“By transitioning to electric school buses, Plum School District is taking an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring students have a safe and sustainable way to get to school," state Rep. Brandon Markosek said. "I’m proud to support this funding for local renewable energy initiatives and its positive impact on protecting our environment.” Read more
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) State Parks Director John Hallas today announced that Point State Park in Pittsburgh will undergo significant upgrades to prepare for major events in 2026, including the NFL Draft and the nation's 250th anniversary. Read more
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 3 – Schools in the 23 rd Legislative District will benefit from more than $860,000 in new funding for school security and mental health resources, state Rep. Dan Frankel announced today. Frankel said the grants – awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency from funding secured in the 2024-25 budget – include a $528,221 noncompetitive grant to the Pittsburgh School District and nearly $331,800 in competitive grants to nonpublic schools. “Even as we work toward a world where children can learn without fear of gun violence, we must also do everything we can to make sure educational settings are as secure as possible,” Frankel said. "Thanks to this new funding, our schools will have the resources needed to maintain the security equipment, personnel, training, mental health supports and other elements that go into building a safe and supportive learning environment.” Frankel said that in addition to the funding to the Pittsburgh School District, the following nonpublic schools have secured these competitive grants: Oakland Catholic High School – $75,000. Yeshiva Boys School – $75,000. Yeshiva Girls Schools – $75,000. Kentucky Avenue School – $61,900. Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh – $44,900. The grants are part of a total package of $120 million in school safety grants awarded through PCCD and include $100 Read more
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 3 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, announced today that $771,323 in state grants was awarded to multiple local educational agencies in the 21st Legislative District to improve safety for students, teachers and staff and to address children’s behavioral health needs. Noncompetitive funds were allocated to the following public school districts and a charter school in Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh School District: $528,221 Shaler Area School District: $173,102 Provident CS: $70,000 “Our students deserve to be and feel safe in schools. These dollars are tremendous investments in their safety and success,” Powell said. “It’s an honor to advocate for their needs as a state representative, and I will continue to support all of our students in our communities.” These investments are made possible by Pennsylvania’s School Safety and Security Committee under the banner of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. They help advance the SSSC’s goal of ensuring that all students can learn in safe, healthy school environments by helping school entities address basic safety needs and mental health services identified in the committee’s Revised Baseline Criteria Standards . Lists with all noncompetitive and competitive grant awardees statewide are available here . Powell currently serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Children's Trust Fund . Read more
BRADDOCK, Dec. 3 – Schools in the 34 th Legislative District will benefit from nearly $1.1 million in new funding for school security and mental health resources, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury said the grants – awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency from funding secured in the 2024-25 budget – includes $826,304 in noncompetitive grants to public schools and another $271,760 in competitive grants to nonpublic schools. “Keeping students and staff safe requires a combination of planning, programs, protocols and resources – all tailored to meet each school’s specific needs,” Salisbury said. “The new funding will ensure that our schools have the necessary funding to maintain the training, equipment, resource officers, mental health supports and any other resources administrators deem necessary to provide the safest possible learning environment.” Salisbury said noncompetitive grants to public schools include: Pittsburgh School District – $528,221. Woodland Hills School District – $178,029. Wilkinsburg Borough School District – $120,054. Competitive grant funding to nonpublic schools includes: Western PA School for the Deaf – $75,000. Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy - $75,000. Pittsburgh Urban Christian School – $71,760. Pace School – $50,000. Read more
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 3 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, announced that $1.09 million in state grants was awarded to a school district and charter schools throughout Pittsburgh to make them safer for students, teachers and staff and address behavioral health needs. Noncompetitive funds were allocated to the following public school district and charter schools in the 19th Legislative District: Pittsburgh School District: $528,221 City CHS: $70,000 Manchester Academic CS: $70,000 Passport Academy CS: $70,000 Pittsburgh – Mt. Oliver I.U. 2: $70,000 Propel CS – Hazelwood: $70,000 Propel CS – Northside: $70,000 Urban Pathways 6-12 CS: $70,000 Urban Pathways K-5 College CS: $70,000 “Being a member of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee has magnified my resolve to ensure that the students I’m privileged to represent can excel in an environment conducive to learning,” Abney said. "Helping to secure these dollars means investing in our young neighbors, so they can plant the seeds of a sustaining and prosperous posterity for themselves and the commonwealth.” The state’s School Safety and Security Committee, under the banner of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, made the funds possible. They help advance the SSSC’s goal of ensuring that all students can learn in safe, healthy school environments by helping school entities address basic safety needs and Read more
McKEESPORT, Dec. 2 – State Rep. Matthew R. Gergely, D-Allegheny, announced that more than $1.15 million in state grants was awarded to several school districts and schools throughout the 35th Legislative District to make them safer for students, teachers and staff, and address behavioral health needs. Noncompetitive funds were allocated to the following public school districts, charter schools and career education center: McKeesport Area School District: $168,570 West Mifflin Area School District: $143,005 Steel Valley School District: $130,619 South Allegheny School District: $128,117 Clairton City School District: $118,148 Duquesne City School District: $116,719 Allegheny I.U. 3: $70,000 McKeesport Area Tech Center: $70,000 Propel CS – Homestead: $70,000 Propel CS – McKeesport: $70,000 Young Scholars of Greater Allegheny CS: $70,000 “Having managed the finances of a school district and community in previous roles, I know firsthand how important the allocation of dollars is to keep our students healthy and safe at school every day,” Gergely said. “Education is an ideal I strive to sustain and bolster as much as I can as a state representative, and I’m proud to help secure these investments in future generations of successful Pennsylvanians.” Pennsylvania’s School Safety and Security Committee, under the banner of the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, made the funds possible. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 2, 2024 – State Reps. Rick Krajewski and Dan Frankel announced Monday their co-sponsorship memo for landmark legislation to finally decriminalize cannabis in Pennsylvania , vowing to create a strong marketplace that centers public health, raises state revenue and supports individuals and communities harmed by the criminalization of cannabis. Krajewski, who led the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired five hearings to examine the successes and failures of cannabis programs in other states in the previous legislative session. “We’ve heard from public health experts. We’ve heard from criminal justice and social equity advocates. We’ve learned directly from states across the country how to get this done safely and efficiently, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue,” said Krajewski. “It’s time to move forward in Pennsylvania before we fall further behind.” Twenty-four other states – including nearly every state that shares a border in Pennsylvania – have already legalized recreational marijuana. Polls show that cannabis decriminalization is popular among Pennsylvanians across all political parties . Frankel, who is majority chair of the House Health Committee, said that the criminalization of cannabis has been disastrous for the commonwealth, particularly within communities of color. “We have a moral obligation to not Read more
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Dec. 2 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat announced that $803,064 in state grants was awarded to several school districts and schools throughout the 30th Legislative District to make them safer for students, teachers and staff and address behavioral health needs. A total of $672,864 in noncompetitive funds were allocated to the following public school districts, career education center, and charter school: North Allegheny School District: $250,133 Hampton Township School District: $147,525 Avonworth School District: $135,206 A.W. Beattie Career Center: $70,000 Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School: $70,000 Nazareth Prep High School also received a $75,000 competitive targeted grant, and a $55,200 grant of the same kind was presented to Eden Christian Academy. “The COVID-19 pandemic left an everlasting imprint on public education with remote learning and the rise in school shootings and related violence has compounded the stress and angst felt by students nationwide,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “I’m proud to be a physician-legislator and am privileged to help secure these dollars and to assist keeping our kids healthy and safe inside and outside of the classroom.” Pennsylvania’s School Safety and Security Committee, under the banner of the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, made the funds possible. They help advance the SSSC’s goal of ensuring that all Pennsylvania students can learn Read more
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Nov. 22 – The Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation announced today that a $150,000 state grant was awarded to the county for a climate action plan. The funds, allocated through the Municipal Assistance Program , will address extreme weather events and public health impacts, with the goal being to develop investment strategies for county facilities, assets and services alongside its comprehensive plan update. “Measurable ramifications of climate change grow every day across a host of sectors, and Allegheny County wants to ensure it does everything in its power to help stem the tide of its impact,” state Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny and chair of the Allegheny County Delegation in the Pennsylvania House, said. “These dollars will help ensure all the tools and resources are in place to invest in a safer and greener county, state, country and planet for countless generations.” The Municipal Assistance Program provides technical resources and assistance for municipalities, consolidation and regional efforts, as well as serving as a resource for local government officials, developers and residents interested in planning to improve, grow and enhance communities. Gov. Josh Shapiro helped secured $2 million for the program in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget. A full list of grant recipients statewide is available here . Membership of the Allegheny County Delegation include state Reps. Abney, Jessica Benham, Read more
“When a member of our community like Nick passes in our community it affects everyone,” McAndrew said. “Our paramedics dedicate so much to the people, doing everything they can to help those in their care. Nick was a special person who gave so much and to memorialize him in this way is a blessing. May his memory be carried on for years to come and his spirit be passed on to those who care for people in this new ambulance for years to come.” Read more
This Wednesday, Nov. 13, The Penn was honored with a legislative citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in recognition of its 100th anniversary. The citation was co-sponsored and presented by Reps. Matthew R. Gergely and James B. Struzzi II at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. Read more
MCCANDLESS, Nov. 18 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat announced that a $20,000 state grant was awarded to La Roche University in McCandless for multi-faceted efforts to connect students with food and food resources. The funds are made possible by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Hunger-Free Campus Grant program, which helps schools address food insecurity on campus and includes expanding access to food options, creating awareness initiatives, and upgrading facilities. “Students are more excited to learn and better equipped to excel inside and outside of the classroom when they receive the nutrition needed to fuel and sustain themselves,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “These dollars will help provide the ingredients they require every day and give them the energy they need to tackle the demands of their coursework.” All grant recipients are members of the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative , a coalition of PA institutions of higher education focused on addressing hunger and other basic needs for their students, creating opportunities for connection among student hunger advocates, providing resources and strategies for campuses, and supporting opportunities to apply for grants related to addressing food insecurity. The PA Hunger-Free Campus Initiative began in 2022 and is a focus of First Lady Lori Shapiro and part of her work to advocate for students and families to ensure they have the support they need to thrive and live Read more
State grants fund supports for autistic residents, community arts and higher ed Read more
McKEESPORT, Nov. 14 – State Rep. Matthew R. Gergely, D-Allegheny, announced that a total of $743,000 in state conservation grants was awarded to three projects in local communities and in Pittsburgh. Gergely joined a long list of state lawmakers who helped make possible a $600,000 Community Conservation Partnership Program grant for the coordination and funding of an Urban Wood Reuse Project and Urban and Community Forestry workforce development program by the Pittsburgh Conservation Corps. He also collaborated with state Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny, to secure $97,400 in C2P2 funds to rehabilitate Breznay Memorial Park in Lincoln Borough. Work will include: Renovation of ballfield. Construction of pedestrian walkway. Installation of fencing and bleachers. ADA access. Landscaping. Other related site improvements. Gergely and several state representatives and senators facilitated $45,600 in C2P2 dollars to prepare a Rivers Conservation Plan for the Youghiogheny River from Connellsville in Fayette County to McKeesport in Allegheny County, as well. “Safeguarding the environmental health of Pittsburgh and its communities is paramount, and these funds will go a long way to keeping both viable and vibrant across many walks of life. The monies will also help ensure the area remains a great place for neighbors and visitors to lay down roots and experience all that the Steel City and western PA have to offer, respectively,” Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 14 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, announced that he has been elected as the new chair of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation . “I’m grateful to my colleagues for giving me the honor to serve as chair and elevate the priorities of our delegation both in Harrisburg and across our region. With so much uncertainty facing our country and state, our region will need to display strong leadership focused on improving the quality of life for our residents,” Abney said. “I look forward to working with our government partners and other stakeholders alike to promote an agenda that is realistic, relevant and impactful.” Abney previously served as city vice chair on the delegation and assumes the role previously held by state Sen.-elect Nick Pisciottano. Abney has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since April 2022. Membership of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation is comprised of state Reps. Jessica Benham, Brandon Markosek, Dan Deasy, Dan Frankel, Matthew R. Gergely, Emily Kinkead, Anita Kulik, La’Tasha D. Mayes, Joe McAndrew, Dan Miller, Lindsay Powell, Abigail Salisbury, Mandy Steele and Arvind Venkat. State Rep.-elect John Inglis will fill the vacancy left by Pisciottano. Read more
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