State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced today that the Overbrook CDC has been awarded a $50,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the Overbrook Park Beautification Project. The funds are intended to replace fixtures such as benches, walkways and trash receptacle covers, and add new lighting to boost economic activity and help reduce crime in the community. Read more
If you are ever faced with an unwanted or nonviable pregnancy, make no mistake: You have the right to choose how to handle it. The ultimate decision must be yours, and we will fight to ensure that remains true. Read more
“It is dismaying that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle insist on bringing regressive anti-abortion legislation to a vote—legislation that stands to undo any progress in expanding reproductive health autonomy and cause more pain,” Cephas said. “For months, my colleagues of the Women’s Health Caucus, and those who stand with us have been investing time, energy, and resources to defend the rights of Pennsylvanians, and their personal healthcare choices. The people of Pennsylvania are deserving of so much better.” Read more
Mary C. Curtis sits down with Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the task force on health equity. They discuss why Black people suffer disproportionately and what is being done to change the equation. Read more
HARRISBURG, May 28 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., today announced that a $250,000 Commonwealth Financing Authority grant has been awarded to the Wynnefield Overbrook Revitalization Cooperation in the 192nd Legislative District. Cephas said the funding will go towards blight remediation efforts for two Brownfield parcels on Lancaster Avenue. Each site will be developed to include the Overbrook Urban Farm and Training Center (6122 Lancaster Ave.) and the Overbrook Farmacy Market (6150 Lancaster Ave.). Additionally, a building on 6150 Lancaster Ave. will be demolished and the site will be prepared for new development. “This grant aims to transform this former industrial site into a community showpiece that stands to benefit this West Philadelphia neighborhood,” Cephas said. “I am also proud to see that the pandemic hasn’t slowed down the commitment to making investments in our communities.” Cephas adds that interested parties should contact her office for more information about similar grant opportunities. Juveniles Active in Science & Technology (JASTECH) Development Services, Inc. in Overbrook served as a community partner in developing this grant application. The Commonwealth Financing Authority was established in 2004 as an independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development to administer Pennsylvania's economic stimulus packages. Read more
HARRISBURG, May 26 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., along with state Reps. Tina Davis, D-Bucks; Mike Jones, R-York; and Lori A. Mizgorski, R-Allegheny, hosted a news conference today to unveil the Dignity for Incarceration Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to make comprehensive reforms to how women and femme-identifying people are treated in correctional institutions. “When we talk about the health and well-being of women, we mean all women and femme-identifying individuals including incarcerated women,” Cephas said. “We stand alongside one another today to send a message to our colleagues that dignity for incarcerated women transcends county and party lines and is an issue the state legislature should get behind. Our mothers, daughters and sisters deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and should not be forced to face inhumane treatment such as being shackled while giving birth or being denied necessary feminine hygiene or incontinence products. We must codify current state policy and enact this legislation to help prevent further mental and physical health implications for all of Pennsylvania’s incarcerated women, their children and families.” Over the span of three decades Pennsylvania has seen a significant increase in the number of incarcerated women, and the DFIW Act bill would provide well-vetted provisions at both the state and county level, with necessary oversight from children and youth services. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, May 19 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced today that she will host a virtual Youth Town Hall on ways young people can manage their mental health in the wake of two public health crisis: gun violence and COVID-19, while offering resources and activities for staying engaged this summer. Cephas said her town hall stands to provide much needed resources for local youth as they become increasingly susceptible to the adverse impacts of social isolation stemming from COVID-19, and grapple with the gun violence epidemic across Philadelphia. The virtual discussion will take place this Saturday, May 22 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Attendees will also learn about the COVID-19 vaccine for youth, summer youth employment opportunities, and will be able to register for on-site assistance with employment applications from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. at one of the following local community centers: Shepard Recreation Center, 5700 Haverford Ave.,19131 Tustin Recreation Center, 5901 W Columbia Ave., 19151 Attendees must pre-register by calling Cephas’ district office at (215) 879-6625. Media is invited to attend . Read more
HARRISBURG, May 5 – To further protect workers from sexual harassment and retribution from exposing such behavior, the House today unanimously approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by state Reps. Kate Klunk, R-Hanover, and Morgan Cephas, D-Phila. Specifically, H.B. 938 would forbid employers from requiring employees and potential employees to sign nondisclosure agreements related to sexual harassment as a stipulation of employment. This would ensure workers who face sexual harassment in the workplace can exercise their voice to report such egregious offenses they may suffer at the hands of a co-worker or a superior. Employees and employers would still be able to voluntarily enter into such agreements. The bill also would clarify that nondisclosure agreements formed during the hiring process are to be considered involuntary, while those created during the settlement of a harassment case may be considered voluntary. “Far too often victims of workplace sexual harassment are dissuaded from coming forward with allegations because of nondisclosure agreements that essentially end investigations into these offenses before they even start,” Klunk said. “This leads to a culture that prevents justice from being served and aggressors being held accountable.” “Too many Pennsylvanians have had their sense of comfort and livelihoods ruined because they were victimized in the workplace and faced further abuse for speaking out. We Read more
We thank those Representatives on the committee who have continually stood up for reproductive justice throughout these hearings, including our own co-chair Representative Morgan Cephas, and one of the WHC’s founders, Representative Dan Frankel. Read more
“The accusations discussed today are abhorrent, and fortunately, they are untrue. Tissue donation is carefully regulated, and the process is entirely set up to help improve and protect human life. If an organization breaks the rules, there are, appropriately, consequences in place." Read more
HARRISBURG, April 26 – On the six-month anniversary of the tragic death of Walter Wallace, Jr, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila. announced that she is working to introduce legislation that would require police departments across the commonwealth to establish Behavioral Health Crisis Response Units that could respond to emergency calls in lieu of or as a complement to law enforcement when the nature of the call is related to a behavioral health issue. Cephas’ first introduced the idea immediately following the police shooting death of Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old West Philadelphia man, whose family had called 911 because he was experiencing a mental breakdown in October 2020. Responding officers fired 14 rounds at him, killing him, while he was standing in the street holding a knife. “Today, as we remember the life of our neighbor – a father, son, and friend – we must check in and ensure we continue the work,” said Cephas. “When someone calls 911 because their family member or neighbor is experiencing a mental health crisis, is battling addiction, or dealing with homelessness, they shouldn’t have to fear that the person they want to help will be killed by police. “Just a week after the verdict was announced in the police involved killing of George Floyd, we are hopeful that by making the right investments and demanding accountability, we can make our communities safer for all.” Cephas said her Read more
Improving women’s health care doesn’t require news conferences designed to parrot tired and untrue talking points. To make a positive difference for all women and children of Pennsylvania, let’s instead focus our energy and attention on evidence-based policies that address bona fide issues and move Pennsylvania forward. Read more
HARRISBURG, April 21 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., today announced that a $325,000 state grant has been awarded to the Cobbs Creek Foundation to improve roadway safety along two public roads leading to the Cobbs Creek Golf Course, located in her legislative district. The announcement comes days after Cephas announced a $3 million state grant from the Multimodal Transportation Fund awarded to Saint Joseph’s University for increased safety for students, commuters and residents on and near the campus. Cephas, who represents the 192 nd Legislative District in West Philadelphia, said the latest funding, which also comes from the Multimodal Transportation Fund, will be used for primary improvements to two tunnels for golf carts to access both sides of the course on Lansdowne Avenue and Cardington Road. Other improvements include a raised crosswalk with a traffic signal at the driveway entrances to the clubhouse, installing speed bumps, stormwater culverts with associated drainage and guiderails along Lansdowne Avenue and Cardington Road. “In just days, our community has received a total of $3.3 million in state funding — all of which will be used toward improvements in our community,” Cephas said. “Residents and visitors will soon be able to safely enjoy the recreations and accessibility of the Saint Joseph’s University and the Cobbs Creek Golf Course.” Read more
"I am proud to see this funding be used to bring this project to fruition. The safety of countless pedestrians relies on it.” Read more
HARRISBURG, April 20 – During the 20th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and falling in line with this year’s theme of “Creating Safe Spaces for All Communities,” state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., today announced that her bill that would bolster protections against workplace sexual harassment for all employees in the commonwealth was unanimously approved by the PA House Labor & Industry Committee. House Bill 938, a bipartisan bill Cephas co-introduced with state Rep. Kate A. Klunk, R-York, would ban the requirement of nondisclosure agreements related to sexual harassment as a condition of getting a job. The bill, however, would not prohibit nondisclosure agreements if both parties voluntarily agree to participate. The bill also would clarify that nondisclosure agreements formed during the hiring process are to be considered involuntary, while those created during the settlement of a harassment case may be considered voluntary. Cephas and Klunk pointed to a range of social media activism campaigns (#MeToo, #ItsOnUs, #TimesUp and #EndRapeOnTheNightShift) that have raised awareness of widespread workplace sexual harassment in various career fields, and the devastating retaliation victims have faced for speaking out. “Recent events that have spurred these key movements shine a light on how under-protected Pennsylvanians are from workplace sexual harassment. However, our bill would provide all employees across our Read more
In an effort to raise awareness of the maternal health disparities in communities of color, President Joe Biden signed a proclamation to officially recognize this week as Black Maternal Health Week, an action applauded by Rep. Morgan Cephas, D- Phila. Read more
“In an ideal setting, hearings like these would be better utilized to help usher critical legislation that places safety and body autonomy at the pinnacle all the while focusing on saving lives and bolstering access to quality health care.” Read more
Hearings a missed opportunity to improve Pa.’s maternal health Read more
HARRISBURG, March 18 – Continuing her efforts to quell maternal morbidity, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., has recently introduced several bills that would make maternal health care in Pennsylvania more equitable across racial and socioeconomic lines. The bill introductions come in the wake of the U.S. House of Representatives passing the American Rescue Plan, which allows states to extend Medicaid to up to 1-year postpartum. Cephas, who serves as vice-chair of the PA Women’s Health Caucus and treasurer of the Women’s Caucus, has been at the forefront in the fight to combat maternal mortality across Pennsylvania, said health care is the most disparate it has ever been, with race-based and class-based implicit biases and discrimination that results in compounding the effects of iniquity felt by marginalized and underserved patients. “Women of color are still three times as likely to die giving birth than other women -- this is racism in medicine at play and it’s unacceptable,” Cephas said. “Access to quality and affordable care should never be based on skin color, income or Zip code, and my legislation would help abolish these discriminatory practices that result in highly fatal outcomes from our medical systems. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the administration to ensure that we take advantage of the opportunity presented to us so that Pennsylvania’s women have access to Read more
HARRISBURG, March 18 – Continuing her efforts to quell maternal morbidity, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., has recently introduced several bills that would make maternal health care in Pennsylvania more equitable across racial and socioeconomic lines. The bill introductions come in the wake of the U.S. House of Representatives passing the American Rescue Plan, which allows states to extend Medicaid to up to 1-year postpartum. Cephas, who serves as vice-chair of the PA Women’s Health Caucus and treasurer of the Women’s Caucus, has been at the forefront in the fight to combat maternal mortality across Pennsylvania, said health care is the most disparate it has ever been, with race-based and class-based implicit biases and discrimination that results in compounding the effects of iniquity felt by marginalized and underserved patients. “Women of color are still three times as likely to die giving birth than other women -- this is racism in medicine at play and it’s unacceptable,” Cephas said. “Access to quality and affordable care should never be based on skin color, income or Zip code, and my legislation would help abolish these discriminatory practices that result in highly fatal outcomes from our medical systems. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the administration to ensure that we take advantage of the opportunity presented to us so that Pennsylvania’s women have access to the care they need and Read more
The letter from WHC co-chairs Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-Montgomery/Delaware, and Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, strongly supports reinstatement of the regulations that governed the Title X program before 2019. Read more
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