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PA House passes legislation allowing recycled materials in stuffed toys

(Jun 27, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, June 27 – A bill sponsored by state Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., that would allow recycled materials to be used in stuffed toys passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by a vote of 163-40. This legislation ( H.B. 1333 ) would bring Pennsylvania in line with all other global stuffed toy requirements, enabling manufacturers and retailers to make and sell stuffed toys with recycled materials in the commonwealth. “This is really just commonsense legislation,” said Dawkins, chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee. “Not only is the use of recycled materials commonplace because it is safe and the materials undergo the same extensive testing as new materials, but it also allows toy manufacturers to reach their sustainability goals and is better for the environment.” House Bill 1333 is a companion bill to S.B. 756 , introduced by Pennsylvania Sens. Devlin Robinson, John Kane and Art Haywood. The bill now goes to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration. Read more

 

Pennsylvania House passes bill to raise minimum wage to $15 by 2026

(Jun 22, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

"It's about time," Dawkins said. "No more games and no more waiting; the people of Pennsylvania deserve a minimum wage that is fair and competitive with our neighboring states. There's still a lot of work to do, but I'm pleased with the direction we're headed. Raising the minimum wage will raise the wage of more than a million people in the commonwealth, improve people's financial security and grow the state's economy." Read more

 

PA House Labor & Industry Committee approves infrastructure legislation

(Jun 22, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, June 22 – During a voting meeting Thursday, the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee reported two pieces of legislation, H.B. 1449 and H.B. 1465 , out of committee and to the House floor. House Bill 1449, sponsored by state Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh, would establish a statewide responsible contractor law, setting clear requirements that firms bidding on publicly funded infrastructure projects must meet and requiring firms to have a state or federal registered apprenticeship program and pay the prevailing wage rate. “One needs to look no further than the recent collapse of I-95 and its expedient repair by our skilled tradesmen and women to know we need to seriously invest in our infrastructure and in the continued training of skilled laborers in the commonwealth,” said state Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., majority chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee. “This legislation would ensure that Pennsylvania has a skilled craft labor workforce that will bolster our infrastructure and build our state’s future.” House Bill 1465, sponsored by state Rep. Dave Delloso, D-Delaware, would apply the Prevailing Wage Act to investor-owned utilities, such as water, sewer, gas and electric providers. The legislation would apply the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s prevailing wage rates and minimum safety standards to all contracted construction work completed on underground utility systems that Read more

 

Dawkins: Stand on the Side of Workers

(Jun 20, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

Chairman of the Pa. House Labor and Industry Committee Rep. Jason Dawkins addresses Republican arguments made against his bill that would raise the minimum wage for Pa. workers. Read more

 

PA House passes minimum wage increase legislation

(Jun 20, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, June 20 – A bill ( H.B. 1500 ) sponsored by state Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., that would increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $15 per hour by 2026 and set the tipped wage to 60% of the minimum wage passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives today. This legislation would increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $11 per hour by Jan. 1, 2024; $13 per hour by Jan. 1, 2025; and $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2026. The minimum wage would be indexed to inflation beginning in 2027. “It’s about time. No more games and no more waiting; the people of Pennsylvania deserve a minimum wage that is fair and competitive with our neighboring states. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m pleased with the direction we’re headed,” Dawkins said. “Raising the minimum wage will raise the wage of more than a million people in the commonwealth, improve people’s financial security and grow the state’s economy.” House Bill 1500 is a companion bill to S.B. 743 , introduced by state Sen. Dan Laughlin, chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. The bill will go to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration. Read more

 

‘Some people have three jobs’: All eyes on Harrisburg for a minimum wage hike

(Jun 20, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

“The people of the commonwealth deserve fair compensation for their work, and this is a step in that direction,” Dawkins said. “But make no mistake, this is a compromise. If it was entirely up to Democrats, we would do it for real and it would have all the bells and whistles that folks deserve because that’s what we believe in — people.” Read more

 

Dawkins Moving the Needle on Minimum Wage

(Jun 13, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

Pa. House Labor and Industry Committee Majority Chairman Jason Dawkins says workers earning minimum wage have waited long enough for a raise. Dawkins and his Democratic colleagues voted to advance legislation that would increase the minimum wage to $15/hr. over the next three years. Read more

 

Pennsylvania House Labor & Industry Committee votes on minimum wage increase and child labor protection legislation

(Jun 13, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, June 13 – During a voting meeting Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee reported three pieces of legislation, H.B.1333 , H.B.1354 and H.B.1500 , out of committee and to the House floor. H.B.1500 would increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania from $7.25 to $11 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2024; $13 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2025; $15 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2026 and indexed to inflation after. There would be annual cost-of-living increases beginning in 2027. The bill also sets the minimum wage for tipped workers at 60% of the hourly minimum wage. This is companion legislation to S.B.743 , introduced by Sen. Dan Laughlin, chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. “The minimum wage in Pennsylvania has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009, which is far too long. It’s not livable or viable and leaves us far behind our neighboring states,” state Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., majority chairman of the House Labor and Industry Committee said. “The people of the commonwealth deserve fair compensation for their work, and this is a step in that direction. But make no mistake, this is a compromise. If it was entirely up to Democrats, we would begin with a higher minimum for working people, because that’s what we believe in — people.” H.B.1354, sponsored by Rep. Regina Young, would increase the penalties for Child Labor Act Violations from $500 to $1,000 for Read more

 

Pennsylvania House Labor & Industry votes on paid leave legislation

(Jun 06, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, June 6 – During a voting meeting Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee reported two pieces of legislation, HB181 and SB226 , out of committee and to the House floor. The House bill would establish the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program and the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund in Pennsylvania. The bill also would establish the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Advisory Board to provide a public education campaign and assist the Department of Labor and Industry with the implementation of the act. “Paid leave means a stronger Pennsylvania. Forcing people to make the impossible choice between work and family is not only harmful to Pennsylvanians, but it also hurts our state economy,” said Rep. Jason Dawkins, chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee. “Passing this legislation and establishing a paid family and medical leave program is beneficial to families and the economy because people with peace of mind are better able to focus on the task at hand, both at home and at work.” The Senate bill would amend the Fire and Panic Act to allow Department of Human Services licensed family child-care homes until Sept. 6 or the expiration of their current license to comply with the Fire and Panic Act. Read more

 

Pennsylvania House Labor & Industry votes on worker focused legislation

(May 23, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, May 23 – During a voting meeting Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee reported two pieces of legislation, HB967 and HR60 , out of committee and to the House floor. The bill would increase protections for hotel employees by requiring hotel employers provide devices which serve as “panic buttons” for employees working alone servicing guestrooms. “The hotel and hospitality industry experiences some of the highest rates of workplace sexual assault and harassment. Due to the isolated nature of the work, certain guests feel empowered to take advantage of the unequal power imbalance and act in crude and criminal ways,” Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., majority chair of the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee, said. “And we have duty to those hospitality workers to take this issue head on and legislate the protections they need and deserve. Hospitality workers should be able to feel secure and protected in their working environment.” The resolution would designate June 5 through June 9, 2023, as “Union Organizing Week” to honor the workers who fought for their right to organize and bargain collectively at the workplace. “We are fighting for the working people of Pennsylvania in this committee,” Dawkins said. “And we will continue to celebrate working people while I’m majority Read more

 

Critics call for greater accountability in aftermath of allegations that Franklin Towne fixed its lottery

(May 09, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

“As taxpayers, we should not be funding schools that engage in such practices,” Dawkins said in a statement. “If found guilty, they should face severe penalties. We must hold our schools accountable for providing equal opportunities for all students.” Read more

 

Dawkins releases statement on Franklin Towne Charter school lottery fixing

(May 08, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

PHILADELPHIA, May 8 – State Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., said he is deeply concerned following reports that Franklin Towne Charter High School in Bridesburg had manipulated its lottery to deny acceptance to students based on ZIP code or history of academic or behavioral issues. “This is unacceptable. This discriminatory act is a violation of Pennsylvania law and denies children their right to a fair education,” Dawkins said. “As taxpayers, we should not be funding schools that engage in such practices.” The school is currently being investigated after a top administrator at the school alleged that the lottery was fixed. “If found guilty, they should face severe penalties. We must hold our schools accountable for providing equal opportunities for all students” he said. “It’s unacceptable that Franklin Towne Charter High School may have discriminated against students based on their ZIP codes during their admission lottery.” The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained data showing that 17 ZIP codes with 110 combined applicants had none selected, while 205 students were chosen from ZIP codes that had 702 total applicants. Dawkins said this raises serious concerns about the fairness and integrity of the lottery process. “Furthermore, reports of the school board's alleged favoritism towards former CEO Joe Venditti and the mistreatment of Read more

 

On a needle’s edge

(May 08, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

Safe injections sites — otherwise known as supervised injection facilities or overdose prevention sites — are a hot-button issue that produce strong opinions and reactions. That is just the nature of trying to tackle a complex and complicated issue that doesn’t have an easy answer. What’s not an answer is outright banning them, as lawmakers in the Pennsylvania Senate are proposing to do with SB165 . We should debate the efficacy, the positives and the negatives. An outright no helps no one. Let’s first talk about what safe injections sites do. The sites allow people struggling with addiction to use their drugs under the supervision of medical professionals. The drugs are not provided, nor are they purchased on location. Medical professionals that assist use it as an opportunity to expose users to recovery options they may not have had or known about. Supervised injections have been practiced in Europe, Australia and Canada for some time now. New York opened two sites in Manhattan in 2021. Here in Philadelphia, as we work to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic, the idea has picked up steam. Proponents of safe injection sites highlight the benefits, which include reducing the number of overdose deaths, providing access to healthcare and support services to people with substance use disorders — who are often some of society’s most vulnerable populations — and reducing the spread of diseases like Read more

 

Fiedler, Pisciottano Right to Organize legislation passes House

(May 03, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, May 3 – Today, H.B. 950 , introduced by state Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., and Nick Pisciottano, D-Allegheny, which would enshrine Pennsylvania workers’ right to organize in the state constitution passed the Pennsylvania House and now heads to the PA Senate for consideration. Currently, the Pennsylvania Constitution does not guarantee workers the right to organize and collectively bargain. This legislation proposes to amend Article I of the Pennsylvania Constitution to enshrine these rights for all workers in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the bill would prohibit any other laws that interfere with or diminish collective bargaining rights. Fiedler said that the passage of H.B. 950 by the House is a step in the right direction for Pennsylvania workers and expressed gratitude to her House colleagues who voted for the bill. “Workers fuel our economy. They are the mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles of our commonwealth. Workers deserve to be treated with respect and that’s exactly the goal of this legislation,” Fiedler said. “I am grateful to all my colleagues in the House who voted for the bill, and I now call on the Senate to show their support for Pennsylvania’s workers and move this amendment forward.” Pisciottano said it’s important everything possible be done to protect and support workers’ right to organize. Read more

 

Pa. House passes bills strengthening worker protections

(May 03, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, May 3 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed five pieces of legislation this week that will strengthen worker protections and make the state a safer place to work. “It is time we put working families first. These bills we passed — with bipartisan support, I might add — are a step in that direction,” said House Labor and Industry Committee Majority Chairman Jason Dawkins, D-Phila. “For far too long, the Labor and Industry Committee was concerned with corporate interests and putting employers over employees. And for as long as I am chair of this committee, legislation that benefits workers and invests in good jobs and working families will be a priority.” The Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee reported all five bills out of committee before they were approved by the full House. The legislation is as follows below: H.B. 299 ; which would create the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act to establish workplace safety standards for public sector employees that are consistent with federal OSHA requirements. H.B. 413 ; which would increase specifications for classifying employees as independent contractors in the construction industry. H.B. 760 ; which would allow workers' compensation claimants to receive benefits via direct deposit. H.B. 930 ; which would ensure that Read more

 

Pa. House panel approves bills to expand worker protections

(Apr 25, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

At the meeting’s start, Mr. Dawkins said the committee will give priority to bills that safeguard the rights, health and safety of workers. He said enacting a $15-an-hour minimum hourly wage is part of that agenda. Read more

 

Workforce Development, Infrastructure, and Housing Funding Opportunities

(Apr 13, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry: DEI in the Building and Construction Trades Grant (Funding Source: General Fund) Who May Apply : Organizations that serve as sponsors or intermediaries of Registered Apprenticeship and/or Pre-Apprenticeship in the building and construction trades. Use : To develop diverse talent pipelines and reach underrepresented populations within the building and construction trades. Funds : $1 million in total program funding. Application Deadline : April 26, 2023 More Information : Click on https://www.dli.pa.gov/Businesses/Workforce-Development/grants/Pages/default.aspx . Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT): Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Program (Funding Source: State, Federal, & Private Funding) Who May Apply : Private companies. Use : To develop innovative ways to deliver transportation projects across a variety of modes including roads, bridges, rail, aviation, and ports. Funds : Varies by award. Application Deadline : April 30, 2023 More Information : Click on https://www.penndot.pa.gov/ProjectAndPrograms/p3forpa/Pages/default.aspx . Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry: Youth Reentry Grant (Funding Source: General Fund) Who May Apply : Read more

 

Dawkins named Labor and Industry Committee chairman

(Mar 10, 2023) Rep. Jason Dawkins

HARRISBURG, March 10 – State Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., said he is honored and grateful to accept the position of chair of the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee. With the chairmanship comes responsibility for setting the committee’s schedule and choosing what legislation the committee will consider. “As chairman, I am ready to get busy doing the people’s business,” Dawkins said. “We will fight for workers’ rights and consider legislation that ensures the workers of Pennsylvania get the compensation, benefits and protections they are entitled to and deserve.” The Labor and Industry Committee’s role is to review legislation that tackles issues such as the state’s minimum wage, unemployment benefits and compensation, construction codes and workplace health and safety. The committee oversees the Department of Labor and Industry, State Civil Service Commission, Labor Relations Board, Unemployment Compensation Appeals Board of Review, Industrial Board, Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board and the Office for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired. Democratic members of the Labor and Industry Committee are Reps. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila.; David Delloso, D-Delaware; Kyle Donahue, D-Lackawanna; Roni Green, D-Phila.; Jim Haddock, D-Lackawanna; Sara Innamorato, D-Allegheny; Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh; Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware; Nick Pisciottano, D-Allegheny; Mark Rozzi, D-Berks; and Regina Read more

 

Dawkins applauds $500K grant for Frankford Community Development Corp.

(Dec 20, 2022) Rep. Jason Dawkins

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 20 – State Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., applauded today Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s decision to award $500,000 through the Keystone Communities Program to the Frankford Community Development Corporation for site preparation activities at 5113-17, 5119 and 5129-35 Frankford Ave. Grant funds through the Keystone Communities Program are designed to foster relationships between the public and private sectors that work to support local initiatives that grow and support neighborhoods and communities. “The Frankford Community Development Corporation is a great partner to the residents of the district,” Dawkins said. “These mixed-use developments will go a long way toward promoting and improving quality of life in the district. I’m glad to see the state investing in our community in this way.” Read more

 

Dawkins Expresses Concern and Disappointment over Krasner Impeachment

(Nov 18, 2022) Rep. Jason Dawkins

Pa. state Rep. Jason Dawkins points out that DA Larry Krasner was twice elected by the people of Philadelphia to serve as their District Attorney and says these efforts go against the will and votes of the people he represents. Read more

 

PA House passes legislation allowing recycled materials in stuffed toys
Jun 27, 2023

Pennsylvania House passes bill to raise minimum wage to $15 by 2026
Jun 22, 2023

PA House Labor & Industry Committee approves infrastructure legislation
Jun 22, 2023

Dawkins: Stand on the Side of Workers
Jun 20, 2023

PA House passes minimum wage increase legislation
Jun 20, 2023

‘Some people have three jobs’: All eyes on Harrisburg for a minimum wage hike
Jun 20, 2023

Dawkins Moving the Needle on Minimum Wage
Jun 13, 2023

Pennsylvania House Labor & Industry Committee votes on minimum wage increase and child labor protection legislation
Jun 13, 2023

Pennsylvania House Labor & Industry votes on paid leave legislation
Jun 06, 2023

Pennsylvania House Labor & Industry votes on worker focused legislation
May 23, 2023

Critics call for greater accountability in aftermath of allegations that Franklin Towne fixed its lottery
May 09, 2023

Dawkins releases statement on Franklin Towne Charter school lottery fixing
May 08, 2023

On a needle’s edge
May 08, 2023

Fiedler, Pisciottano Right to Organize legislation passes House
May 03, 2023

Pa. House passes bills strengthening worker protections
May 03, 2023

Pa. House panel approves bills to expand worker protections
Apr 25, 2023

Workforce Development, Infrastructure, and Housing Funding Opportunities
Apr 13, 2023

Dawkins named Labor and Industry Committee chairman
Mar 10, 2023

Dawkins applauds $500K grant for Frankford Community Development Corp.
Dec 20, 2022

Dawkins Expresses Concern and Disappointment over Krasner Impeachment
Nov 18, 2022