State Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny, announced more than $313,000 in state investments has been awarded to several local communities that will help revitalize neighborhoods and fund important programs. Read more
"I voted against this budget because it irresponsibly hoards billions of dollars of surplus funding that could be used to lift millions of Pennsylvanians out of crisis -- some of which was exacerbated by COVID-19, but much of which was there long before the pandemic." Read more
HARRISBURG, June 24 – State Reps. Chris Rabb, Elizabeth Fiedler and Rick Krajewski, all D-Phila., and Reps. Sara Innamorato and Summer Lee, both D-Allegheny, have introduced a bill to update Pennsylvania’s tax code so it benefits working-class families over the ultra-rich. “For too long, the working people of Pennsylvania have been footing more than their fair share of taxes, with the most financially vulnerable people truly suffering,” Rabb said. “Our legislation seeks to correct that, to fix a broken system and, in so doing, generate funds from the ultra-rich – who are equipped to pay a little more – that can be invested into worthwhile expenditures, like removing lead pipes, growing in clean energy, and supporting child and senior care programs.” “Our neighbors across Pennsylvania are working harder than ever only to keep falling behind,” Innamorato said. “Under our current tax code these hardworking families, many frontline workers, are required to pay a higher percentage of their household budget than the wealthiest Pennsylvanians. This is simply unfair. “We need a tax code that is rooted in fairness, one that rewards work and ends the special loopholes for the richest,” Innamorato continued. “The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians would pay less in taxes or see no change under our proposal, but it will generate more than $6 billion in additional revenue. It would be good Read more
HARRISBURG, June 4 – State Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila., chair of the PA Legislative Black Caucus, along with members of the PLBC today condemned the actions of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala to ban plea deals for clients of attorney Milton Raiford because Raiford said publicly he felt the DA’s office was systemically racist in dealing with defendants of color. In an email made public, Zappala ceased plea deals for anyone Raiford is or would be defending moving forward, pending a decision by him. “For the district attorney of any county to say the office will cease plea deals across the board for an attorney’s clients because that attorney has disagreed with the DA publicly is abuse of power, period,” Bullock said. “But in this particular case, a Black lawyer and his clients, many of them people of color, are being treated differently because the DA refuses to face the criticism of systemic racism in our criminal justice system. This is disgraceful, appalling, disturbing and unacceptable, and needs to be remedied immediately. A full investigation needs to be launched as well with the findings made public.” “Over the past several years, we have seen the systemic inequality and bias of the criminal justice system laid bare,” said state Rep. Austin Davis, chair of the House Allegheny County Delegation and a PLBC member. “This past week, we have seen just how local this issue truly is in the Read more
PITTSBURGH, June 4 – State Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny, issued the following statement regarding Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala’s public comments against Milton Raiford, a Black attorney who spoke out against racism in the criminal justice system. “It is undisputed that our criminal justice system has real, systemic and systematic issues of racism and Allegheny County is far from immune. DA Stephen Zappala’s decision not to address these issues but instead to instruct his staff not to offer plea deals to attorney Milton Raiford’s clients after he voiced concerns about these issues betrays public trust in their ability to receive equal justice in Allegheny County, not to mention violating attorney Raiford’s free speech rights. “To potentially punish clients because of the statements their attorney made is beyond reprehensible and must be addressed immediately. This latest action raises additional concerns as to how the district attorney’s office has conducted its business, notably in how it has treated clients of other attorneys, including those with whom DA Zappala may have disagreed, now or in the past. “Several of my colleagues in the state House and Senate today have joined me in signing a letter , urging DA Zappala to take immediate actions that would work to restore public confidence in the district attorney’s office, including rescinding the action taken against attorney Read more
Rep. Summer Lee's newsletter for Fall 2021 Read more
Rep. Summer Lee's Spring 2021 Newsletter updates constituents on the latest news and programs in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania Read more
HARRISBURG, April 21 – Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus today called for continued action on policing and ending systemic racism after a jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges filed against him for the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. “The conviction of Derek Chauvin on all charges against him for the murder of George Floyd brings justice to George and his family, though my heart remains heavy,” said state Rep. Donna Bullock, chairwoman of the PLBC. “The more than nine and a half minutes Chauvin spent disregarding and taking the life of a Black man laid bare the truth of policing of Black and Brown people in America. “This heinous and very public crime against George Floyd at the hands and knee of Chauvin and the surrounding officers who did nothing to stop it was by no means an isolated incident of police brutality on people of color, but its raw and visible reality marked a point in our history where people who did not once see or believe, now see and believe. The verdict in this case gives me relief, but the families of Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Adam Toledo and many others are still waiting on this kind of justice. We need to continue to work together to bring about the change the PLBC, our Police Reform Working Group and lawmakers across the nation have been working toward for years,” she said. PLBC Vice Chair Summer Lee, D-Allegheny, said Read more
Multiple projects across the district represented by state Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny, are receiving money from several state grant programs. Read more
A local organization that works to protect the trails and riverfronts of Allegheny County has been awarded a state grant through the Pennsylvania Fish and Boating Commission, according to state Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny. Read more
Projects would open region for economic turnaround, investment in communities Read more
HARRISBURG, March 19 – The House Democratic Policy Committee’s Subcommittee on Progressive Policies for Working People hosted a roundtable discussion focusing on incarcerated parents and the impact of incarceration on families. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 18 – State Rep. Summer Lee today hosted a hearing of the Subcommittee on Progressive Policies for Working People, bringing together advocates statewide to highlight the need for eliminating cash bail in Pennsylvania. The hearing’s first panel included Larry Krasner, district attorney, city of Philadelphia; Bethany Hallam, at-large member, Allegheny County Council; Jessica Lopez, community activist and Lancaster County resident; and Muhammad “MAN-E” Ali Nasir, community activist and co-founder of Jailbreak PGH. Krasner highlighted reforms Philadelphia implemented that resulted in public health and safety improvements through the pandemic and called for reforms at the state level. Hallam, Lopez and Nasir shared their personal experiences with cash bail that exposed systemic racism and traumatic practices that ignored the presumption of innocence and implemented punitive detainment practices. Lee, D-Allegheny, said, “While we must eliminate debtors’ prisons, we cannot replace it with other pre-trial practices and conditions that impose unjust and harmful physical and financial barriers for folks who -- until convicted by a jury of their peers -- are presumed innocent! We have to proceed with caution to ensure we're not replacing one harm with another. Today’s discussion clearly showed the benefits to eliminating cash bail and making the system more fair and equitable.” “Cash bail punishes Read more
HARRISBURG, March 17 – State Reps. Rick Krajewski and Summer Lee will host a virtual hearing of the House Democratic Policy Committee’s Subcommittee on Progressive Policies for Working People where the rights of incarcerated parents will be the focus. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 16 – State Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny, will host a virtual House Democratic Policy Committee hearing this week where the impacts of cash bail will be discussed with experts including those personally impacted by the practice. The hearing will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 18. To view, the media and public can tune in to www.pahouse.com/policycommittee or the committee’s Facebook page -- @PADemPolicy. Media inquiries may be submitted via email to policy@pahouse.net . Lee will be joined by committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro and Democratic Policy Committee members to discuss why cash bail reforms are necessary, how they have been harmful to communities and to learn consider more effective alternatives. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 15 – Financial assistance is now available to help Allegheny County residents struggling to pay rent or utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a program that is partially funded by legislation members of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation helped to pass. The Allegheny County Emergency Rental Assistance program has a total of $79.9 million to distribute to eligible county residents. Of that funding, $43 million came from Act 1 of 2021, which Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law last month. Eligibility requirements for the program include: having at least one person who qualifies for unemployment, has lost income or suffered financially due to COVID-19. being at risk of experiencing homelessness. having a total income below 80% of the Area Median Income for Allegheny County. ACDD Chairman state Rep. Austin Davis, as well as state Reps. Jessica Benham, Dan Deasy, Tony DeLuca, Dan Frankel, Ed Gainey, Sara Innamorato, Emily Kinkead, Anita Kulik, Summer Lee, Brandon Markosek, Robert Matzie, Dan Miller, Nick Pisciottano and Jake Wheatley, issued the following statement: “People living in Allegheny County have been struggling for over a year during this pandemic. This program has been a long time coming and helps provide direct relief to those who’ve been scrambling to pay their rent and bills during this Read more
Major state grants announced just in time for holidays Read more
Bill would expand federal legislation, protect PA families Read more
Tax credits provide boost when funding sorely needed due to COVID Read more
Funding to help with major renovation project at library Read more
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