HARRISBURG, June 26 – On the heels of a new report detailing racial biases in the U.S. healthcare system, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., today emphasized the need for her legislation that seeks to resolve the subconscious biases of healthcare providers in the state so they can improve patient care and adapt practices for the diverse communities they serve. A lengthy report released today by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine laid out the harms of structural racism in the U.S. healthcare system to minority populations and offered solutions to combatting the problem. Cephas’ legislation ( H.B. 2178 ) to address the biases of healthcare providers in Pennsylvania was introduced in April. Under Cephas’ bill, each person applying for a license or certification issued by a health-related board within the Department of State would be required to complete training regarding implicit bias and cultural competence. Such training would, at minimum, include an understanding of implicit bias and include practical techniques to reduce unconscious bias and improve cultural competence. “There is extensive evidence and research of implicit bias in our healthcare system, resulting in the unequal treatment of patients based on race, gender, weight, age, language spoken, income and insurance status, and most often leading to negative health outcomes for poor people and communities of Read more

PHILADELPHIA, June 21 – Nearly 10,000 people of all ages braved the heat to connect with their neighbors, support local businesses and have some family-friendly fun, according to state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., a coordinator of West Philadelphia’s annual street food festival held last night. “I am so grateful to the many community partners who make The Overbrook Night Market a great event year in and year out,” Cephas said. “Despite the heat, the people came out again this year to celebrate their neighborhood, have some fun and support local businesses, talented artists and our culture. I look forward to its continuing success.” Now in its fourth year, and co-hosted by Overbook West Neighbors Inc., the event featured 35+ food trucks and vendors, a family zone with kids’ activities and three DJs. There was a special appearance by Miss Philadelphia, Tynecia Wilson, and local leaders including City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore-Richardson, Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr. and District Attorney Larry Krasner. Residents also had the opportunity to connect with resources and local businesses and organizations including PCOM, PECO and MainLine Health, along with Penn Medicine, Independence Blue Cross, Xfinity and Cobbs Creek Foundation. Cephas and her staff also were on hand to help people with state-related programs, services and issues. The mission of The Overbrook Night Read more

“This has been a terrible time for the University of the Arts students, staff and alumni,” said Policy Committee hearing host state Rep. Ben Waxman, who represents portions of Philadelphia including the UArts campus in Center City. “They have been treated in such a way that is frankly unacceptable. The University of the Arts’ leadership has refused to provide information, even after throwing the lives of thousands of people into chaos because of their incompetence.” Read more

HARRISBURG, June 13 – State Reps. Ben Waxman, D-Phila., and Bob Merski, D-Erie, announced today that they will be introducing legislation to help prevent abrupt closures of higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. This announcement comes roughly one week after the sudden closure of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. This legislation would require colleges or universities to provide financial information yearly if they receive commonwealth funds or federal funds distributed by the commonwealth. The lawmakers believe that this proposal would ensure transparency for the commonwealth, students, and staff of higher education institutions and continued good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The University of the Arts is located in Waxman’s legislative district, covering center city Philadelphia. “When I heard about UArts’ closure, I immediately shared feelings of anger and disappointment with the students who won’t have the same school to attend and faculty who will be losing their jobs,” Waxman said. “I want to ensure no student or school faculty member in Pennsylvania has to go through what those at UArts are going through right now. By requiring these schools to regularly notify us of their financial information, we can create greater accountability and transparency across the board.” The lawmakers say that having this information from schools on a yearly Read more

HARRISBURG, June 12 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, hosted a rally today with other legislators, legal experts and community advocates from across the state in support of fair housing in Pennsylvania. “The lack of affordable housing in Pennsylvania has resulted in evictions and homelessness for many Pennsylvanians,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Every person has the right to a roof over their head. Our rally today called out the continuing inequities in housing in our commonwealth and the legislative and budget initiatives devised to address them. “As Democrats in the PA House, we’re fighting for a person-centered approach to fair housing, from helping the unhoused get back into a safe home, to my bill that would seal no-fault eviction records so people can find housing, to increased support for the Whole Home Repairs program so seniors can fix and stay in their homes,” Smith-Wade-El said. “We understand that having a home to call one’s own is a human right, a matter of justice. I and my colleagues will fight to make sure that every Pennsylvanian can enjoy their fundamental right to a safe and secure place in which to live.” The rally focused on the PA House budget proposal (H.B. 2324), which would increase funding for fair housing initiatives; the need for increased funding for the homelessness assistance program; a House-led proposal to increase PHARE funding to $100 million dollars; the LLC Read more

HARRISBURG, June 12 – Today, legislation ( H.B. 2403 ) introduced by PA House Human Services Chair state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., was approved by the committee and advanced to the full House. House Bill 2403 would update the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ existing annual reporting requirements. Kinsey said the updates are needed in response to DDAP significantly increasing its coordination with many other state departments to focus on innovations to the drug treatment system, support for grassroots recovery organizations, and emerging harm-reduction strategies with proven outcomes. “With the opioid epidemic in our state, I commend DDAP for expanding its responsibilities and efforts to help combat this epidemic,” Kinsey said. “As DDAP takes on these additional responsibilities, it’s important that we update the requirements of how they annually report to us in the General Assembly. This increased transparency and communication will facilitate meaningful input and contributions to policy discussions, increase awareness of DDAP’s efforts, and ultimately support their initiatives more effectively.” This bill now heads to the full House for consideration. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 11 — Today, H.B. 2338 , introduced by state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila. , was approved unanimously by the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee. The bill would update the duties and powers of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, which was chartered in 1982 with the purpose of financing energy and energy-related projects. If enacted, H.B. 2338 would enable PEDA to apply for and leverage billions of federal dollars available through the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize investments in Pennsylvania clean-energy projects. With the federal government now implementing the $550 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the $783 billion Inflation Reduction Act, Fiedler said she believes this presents an incredible opportunity for Pennsylvania. “These federal investments can jumpstart energy production in Pennsylvania, create good local jobs, and reduce energy costs for consumers, but only if we have the right vehicle to seize the funds,” Fiedler said. “PEDA, our state’s public energy financing authority, is well-suited to play this role, but first we must modernize PEDA to ensure it can maximize its role as an energy accelerator and job creator.” The legislation’s co-prime sponsor, state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Allegheny, placed the legislation within the context of the state’s long history of energy production. Read more

Call for state Senate to act on legislation to fight hair discrimination Read more

State Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware, today announced that the PA House of Representatives has approved her House resolution recognizing June 8, 2024 as Marian Anderson Day in Pennsylvania. Read more