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Kinkead announces $244,000 for local first responders

(1 day ago)

"Investing in the safety and well-being of our communities means investing in our firefighters and EMS heroes,” said Kinkead, D-Allegheny. “These dollars will ensure they have better equipment, safer working conditions, and ultimately help them deliver a stronger emergency response. I’m proud to support our local first responders by advocating for state investments like these.” Read more

 

Abney appointed to Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Board of Directors

(1 day ago)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 13 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, announced today that he has been appointed to Pittsburgh Regional Transit ’s Board of Directors by Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Joanna E. McClinton. “I want to thank Speaker McClinton for entrusting me with the responsibility to address transportation needs across Pittsburgh. This role, complemented by serving on the House Appropriations Committee, is a tremendous opportunity to help secure dollars that keep residents connected to home, work and other destinations through this year’s budget and future budgets,” Abney said. “I look forward to collaborating with government colleagues, community leaders and stakeholders on solutions that get neighbors where they need to go every day.” Abney’s term on the board will officially begin on March 1 and run exactly four years. PRT is comprised of 2,600 employees who operate, maintain and support bus, light rail, incline and paratransit services, which translates into providing 60 million rides per year. Until 2022, the agency was known as Port Authority. Read more

 

Powell secures $146,000+ in state grants for local fire & EMS companies

(1 day ago)

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 12 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, announced today that the Office of the State Fire Commissioner has awarded more than $146,000 in funding to fire and EMS companies in the 21st Legislative District. “Our first responders are committed to protecting us all and sacrifice a great deal of their time and energy. Reciprocating that same level of commitment to them is essential,” Powell said. “These dollars are investments in their ability to save lives and to keep themselves safe on the job every day. I’m honored to advocate on their behalf and will continue to work toward providing them with the tools and resources they need.” Grant recipients are: Bauerstown Volunteer Fire Department: $14,170.24 Cherry City Volunteer Fire Co.: $14,600.59 Elfinwild Volunteer Fire Co.: $14,815.77 Etna Volunteer Fire Department: $16,106.84 Millvale Volunteer Fire Department: $14,385.41 Reserve Volunteer Fire Department: $28,322.02 Shaler Area Emergency Medical Services Inc.: $15,000 Shaler Villa Volunteer Fire Co.: $12,663.99 Undercliff Volunteer Fire Co.: $16,322.02 The Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program is administered by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and is available for volunteer and career fire companies, emergency medical services and rescue squads. Eligible projects include facility upgrades, equipment, debt reduction, training and certification, Read more

 

Venkat secures nearly $160,000 in state grants for local fire & EMS companies

(Feb 13, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 12 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, announced that the Office of the State Fire Commissioner awarded nearly $160,000 in funding to fire and EMS companies in the 30th Legislative District. “Just as the men and women of our local emergency services keep us safe, we must do the exact same for them. These dollars will help provide them with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively,” Venkat said. “As a physician-legislator, I will continue to advocate for state support for our heroic first responders.” Grant recipients are: Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company Inc.: $14,385.41 Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company No. 1: $13,094.35 Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department 1: $12,448.81 Highland Firemans Association: $15,030.95 Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company No. 2: $12,458 McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority: $15,000 Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Company of Allegheny County: $13,739.88 Peebles District Volunteer Fire Company: $16,322.02 Ross West View EMS Authority: $31,322.02 (for fire and EMS services) Shaler-Hampton Area Emergency Medical Services: $15,000 The Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program is administered by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and is available for volunteer and career fire companies, emergency medical services and rescue squads. Eligible projects include facility upgrades, equipment, debt reduction, Read more

 

Salisbury: Nearly $185K in new funding for local fire and EMS resources

(Feb 12, 2025)

BRADDOCK, Feb. 12 – Grants totaling $184,790 will bring new resources to fire and EMS companies in the 34 th Legislative District, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. “Our fire and EMS workers answer the call 24/7, despite staffing and budgetary issues that make their jobs even more challenging,” Salisbury said. “The new funding will help keep critical resources flowing to these frontline heroes.” The funding includes the following: The funding was awarded through the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program, which is administered by the Office of State Fire Commissioner and is available for volunteer and career fire companies, emergency medical services and rescue squads. Eligible projects include facility upgrades, equipment, debt reduction, training and certification, education and public outreach, and recruitment and retention efforts. Additionally, fire companies were permitted to apply for construction savings accounts for the purposes of new facility construction. A full list of funding awarded statewide is available here . Read more

 

Markosek applauds $252,000 in state grants for local fire and EMS companies

(Feb 12, 2025)

"With so many of our emergency services relying on volunteers, these grants are a vital investment in public safety," state Rep. Brandon Markosek said. "This funding will help our local departments with everything from equipment upgrades to training costs, ensuring they can continue providing the outstanding emergency response our residents count on." Read more

 

Deasy announces over $97,000 for local fire and EMS companies

(Feb 11, 2025)

"Our fire and EMS companies provide life-sustaining support to our communities,” state Rep. Dan Deasy said. “They are vital to our everyday safety and these grants are just a portion of state dollars coming back to assist them in continuing to serve. I will always fight to bring these dollars home so they can have the equipment, facilities and training they need to be the best.” Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Health, Public Safety, Redevelopment and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Feb 11, 2025)

Newly listed state grant programs Read more

 

Kulik: Local fire and EMS companies awarded over $200,000 in state grants

(Feb 11, 2025)

"These grants represent a vital investment in our community's safety and emergency response capabilities," state Rep. Anita Kulik said. "Every dollar helps our volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel access the resources, training and equipment they need to protect our neighborhoods. Supporting these dedicated first responders, who selflessly serve our community day and night, remains one of my top priorities." Read more

 

Allegheny County lawmakers propose House bill to require food allergy warnings in restaurants

(Feb 10, 2025)

A bipartisan Pennsylvania House bill on food allergy safety authored by two Allegheny County lawmakers could see a floor vote this week. Read more

 

Two state lawmakers in Allegheny County working on legislation to require restaurants to add allergy warnings

(Feb 10, 2025)

Two Pennsylvania lawmakers who serve Allegheny County are trying to advance a proposed bill that would require restaurants to add allergy warnings for customers and employees. Read more

 

Abney extols $500,000 grant for urban farming and marketplace

(Feb 05, 2025)

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 5 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, announced that a state grant of half a million dollars was awarded to a local career training institute for establishing resources available to prospective urban farmers. Bidwell Training Center , located on Pittsburgh’s North Side, would utilize the funds to create an urban agriculture farm and market. “Cities across the country continue to break the mold of the stereotypical farm with hundreds of acres to contribute to PA’s agricultural output and economic strength their own unique way,” Abney said. “These dollars will help enable a great educational institute like Bidwell to provide students with a blueprint to what a vibrant and sustaining future in urban farming looks like.” Bidwell’s grant is part of a total of $10 million in state funding, which is made possible by Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Innovation Grant program. A first-of-its-kind in the nation, the program helps farmers and other agriculture businesses implement new agricultural technologies, conservation and renewable energy innovations – expanding their potential to generate profits, enrich soil and water resources, and produce energy on the farm. All grant recipients can be found here . Read more

 

Venkat and Mihalek food allergy safety bill passes House

(Feb 05, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – State Reps. Arvind Venkat and Natalie Mihalek’s legislation that would promote food allergy safety in multiple ways passed the Pennsylvania House today. House Bill 77 would mandate that menus in restaurants and food establishments contain a disclaimer regarding food allergies and that there are posters to make servers aware of food allergies present in food preparation and staff areas. “This bill would put in place commonsense food safety practices focused on preventing food allergy exposures and, most importantly, saving as many lives as possible,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “Thank you to Rep. Mihalek for her partnership on this legislation and to my fellow House members for putting the lives of Pennsylvanians first with your affirmative votes.” “Food safety continues to be an important topic, and for good reason, as our citizens deserve to have confidence that the food they are eating doesn’t pose a threat. This bill is just one important step in providing that confidence,” added Mihalek, R-Allegheny. “Rep. Venkat has been a strong advocate on this issue, and it was an honor to work with him.” More than 33 million Americans have food allergies, and it is estimated that food allergies lead to 200 deaths per year. Over a 13-year period, nearly half of fatal food allergy reactions were caused by accidental food allergen exposure at a restaurant or other food service Read more

 

Powell introduces bill to prohibit remote stalking

(Feb 05, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, has reintroduced a bill that would ban the unauthorized tracking of victims using AirTags and similar devices. House Bill 407 would forbid the use of AirTags and similar technology for any nefarious motive, with an emphasis on remote stalking. Bad actors have utilized AirTags to put trackers on vehicles and pinpoint the location of their victims, but Pennsylvania still hasn’t outlined penalties for abusing this technology. “This bill cannot undo the damage—physical and mental—that victims have endured, but it is a step in the right direction to ensuring that would-be stalkers will never again be able to perpetrate such abuse in Pennsylvania without being held accountable by the law,” Powell said. “By embracing a proactive approach to regulating technology, we can harness its potential to foster a society where innovation thrives, and our neighbors remain safe.” Multiple plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple in December 2022 for remote stalking and despite the company’s attempt to dismiss the case, it is moving forward. AirTags, launched more than three years ago, is intended to help individuals find items that are often misplaced, such as keys, wallets or bookbags. House Bill 407, previously H.B. 416, passed with a near unanimous vote in last year’s session. The bill has been referred to the body’s Judiciary Read more

 

Salisbury supports governor’s proposals to boost schools and affordable housing, reform cannabis laws, raise the minimum wage

(Feb 05, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – State Rep. Abigail Salisbury issued the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address Tuesday: “There’s a lot to like in the proposed plan, which makes our public schools a priority by delivering more than a half-billion dollars into our school districts and communities,” Salisbury said. “The education funding we passed in last year’s budget was a good start, but the impact of decades of underfunding doesn’t get fixed in one budget cycle. We need an ongoing, large-scale commitment to deliver on our promise to fairly fund our schools, and the new budget plan proposes that kind of investment. “The plan also addresses the negative impact of cyber charter schools – which have drained critical dollars from our public school budgets – by implementing a statewide cyber funding formula that would help save districts an estimated $378 million annually. There’s a continued focus on student mental health and school safety, with another $111 million proposed for those resources. “Beyond education, the plan includes commonsense proposals to help make life more affordable for residents. I strongly support the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Our minimum wage has stagnated at $7.25 an hour for the past 16 years and is the lowest of all our neighboring states. It’s time to stop shortchanging our workers and to put more Read more

 

Frankel cheers governor’s budget plans for cannabis reform, rural health care and more

(Feb 04, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 4 – Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel praised Gov. Josh Shapiro’s call during Tuesday’s budget address to finally legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania – and to do so in a way that puts Pennsylvanians first. “Very soon, the House Health Committee will hold the first votes in the history of the General Assembly to legalize and regulate cannabis, joining our neighbor states at the same time that we ensure that the benefits are enjoyed by Pennsylvanian communities, workers and businesses,” said Frankel, a prime cosponsor with Rep. Rick Krajewski of a legalization bill they are preparing to introduce . Frankel echoed Shapiro’s statement before the General Assembly, agreeing that Pennsylvania cannot afford to wait, now that 24 other states – including nearly every state that shares a border in Pennsylvania – have already legalized recreational cannabis. “We share the governor's vision of setting up a marketplace that will help small businesses and farms thrive in the long term, even within what we know is a cutthroat industry that heavily favors multi-state operators elsewhere,” Frankel said. The Health Committee held six hearings in the 2023-2024 legislative session to examine the successes and failures of cannabis programs in other states. The resulting bill would work through a hybrid system of bolstered state retail operations, privately owned on-site Read more

 

Mayes announces over $1.4 million for improvement projects

(Feb 03, 2025)

Gaming funds support ADA upgrades, affordable housing Read more

 

Powell introduces bills to help make home ownership possible for more Pennsylvanians and reduce displacement & gentrification

(Jan 30, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Jan. 30 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, has introduced legislation that would provide money to Pennsylvania individuals and families seeking to own their own home and utilize tax increment financing dollars to keep Pennsylvanians in their homes in TIF-designated districts. The first of Powell’s bills ( H.B. 275 ) would establish the Affordable Homeownership Program under the state Department of Community and Economic Development . The program would award grants to sponsoring organizations, who would then provide the funds to individuals or households with annual incomes between 60% and 120% of the area median income. “As the years go by, the median home price has nowhere to go but up. In March of last year, in fact, it reached nearly $225,000 and shows zero signs of decreasing. Owning a home has become that much more unattainable for Pennsylvanians,” Powell said. “Home ownership, however, helps to achieve a stable and sustainable livelihood for neighbors and their families. My bill would benefit everyone who calls this Commonwealth home.” Qualifying applicants would be able to use these funds for projects such as: Home purchasing assistance programs Home repairs Work force housing programs Acquiring residential properties Designing and constructing properties Asset management studies of properties Social and environmental studies of properties Homeownership education programs Land Read more

 

Powell: $810,000 for community infrastructure

(Jan 29, 2025)

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 29 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, today announced that $810,000 in state funds was awarded to multiple local entities to improve community infrastructure. Powell and state Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny, helped secure a $460,000 grant for Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh to purchase a blighted lot and convert it into their VisAbility Place. She also worked with state Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, and state Sen. Fontana to deliver $150,000 to Pittsburgh Symphony Inc. for the modernization of a passenger elevator at Heinz Hall to ensure its facility is ADA-compliant. State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny, partnered with Powell as well to help acquire a total of $200,000. A $140,000 grant went to North Hills Council of Governments for a sewer separation project in Etna, and the Shaler Township received $60,000 for flood levee maintenance. “Our neighbors deserve to feel safe in their communities, and these dollars will go a long way in modernizing our shared spaces. Not only that, local infrastructure and our cultural institutions will benefit too,” Powell said. “Thank you to my legislative colleagues in the state House and Senate for getting these funds to neighborhoods in need.” Three of these grants are made possible by the Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund, under the Commonwealth Financing Authority . These grants, funded through gaming revenue, provide Read more

 

Abney: over $637,000 for community safety and the arts

(Jan 29, 2025)

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 29 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, announced that more than $637,000 in state funds has been approved for several Pittsburgh institutions for safety measures and preserving the arts. More than $347,000 was secured by Abney and state Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny, for the following entities: Pittsburgh Opera Inc. : $187,605 for operating expenses. Carnegie Institute: $100,000 to purchase specialized entertainment and industry-grade equipment for The Andy Warhol Museum . YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh : $60,000 to install two elevators, a sprinkler system, HVAC, mechanical plumbing and electrical systems at the Allegheny YMCA. Abney collaborated with state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, and Fontana to help deliver $70,000 to POORLAW for a new HVAC system, phone system and PA system, along with upgrades to plumbing and the electrical system, at its Hazelwood One-Stop Shop Equity Resource Center. He also worked with state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, and state Reps. La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, and Frankel to acquire $70,000 for Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to construct ADA-accessible pathways at Schenley Park, improve stormwater infrastructure, and create new connections between the park and the Carnegie Mellon University campus. Abney, Fontana and state Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, helped procure a $150,000 grant to modernize a passenger elevator at Heinz Hall for Pittsburgh Symphony Inc. Read more

 

Kinkead announces $244,000 for local first responders
1 day ago

Abney appointed to Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Board of Directors
1 day ago

Powell secures $146,000+ in state grants for local fire & EMS companies
1 day ago

Venkat secures nearly $160,000 in state grants for local fire & EMS companies
Feb 13, 2025

Salisbury: Nearly $185K in new funding for local fire and EMS resources
Feb 12, 2025

Markosek applauds $252,000 in state grants for local fire and EMS companies
Feb 12, 2025

Deasy announces over $97,000 for local fire and EMS companies
Feb 11, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Health, Public Safety, Redevelopment and Additional Grant Opportunities
Feb 11, 2025

Kulik: Local fire and EMS companies awarded over $200,000 in state grants
Feb 11, 2025

Allegheny County lawmakers propose House bill to require food allergy warnings in restaurants
Feb 10, 2025

Two state lawmakers in Allegheny County working on legislation to require restaurants to add allergy warnings
Feb 10, 2025

Abney extols $500,000 grant for urban farming and marketplace
Feb 05, 2025

Venkat and Mihalek food allergy safety bill passes House
Feb 05, 2025

Powell introduces bill to prohibit remote stalking
Feb 05, 2025

Salisbury supports governor’s proposals to boost schools and affordable housing, reform cannabis laws, raise the minimum wage
Feb 05, 2025

Frankel cheers governor’s budget plans for cannabis reform, rural health care and more
Feb 04, 2025

Mayes announces over $1.4 million for improvement projects
Feb 03, 2025

Powell introduces bills to help make home ownership possible for more Pennsylvanians and reduce displacement & gentrification
Jan 30, 2025

Powell: $810,000 for community infrastructure
Jan 29, 2025

Abney: over $637,000 for community safety and the arts
Jan 29, 2025