PHILADELPHIA, March 28 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., joined Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and other city officials on Wednesday to honor actor and musician Will Smith in a street renaming ceremony in West Philadelphia. Smith is an Overbrook High School graduate and credits his upbringing in West Philadelphia as integral to becoming a successful celebrity and businessman. Cephas, herself a native of West Philadelphia, presented Smith with a PA House citation in honor of his career and his impact on the city and urban culture. “Will Smith’s impact goes beyond entertainment. He’s used his platform to uplift and inspire – beyond West Philadelphia where he was born and raised – shaping culture and opening doors for future generations of artists,” Cephas said. Philadelphia renamed the 2000 block of 59th Street, where it intersects with Lancaster Avenue, as “Will Smith Way.” The 192nd Legislative District comprises communities in West Philadelphia which are north and west of Market Street, including Overbrook, Overbrook Park, Wynnefield, Carroll Park and more. Read more

HARRISBURG, March 26 – Today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives recognized and honored Caseem Wongus of Kensington for his heroism during the Northeast Philadelphia plane crash in January. Wongus saved a 9-year-old boy who was on fire. He smothered the flames with his jacket and helped get the boy into a patrol car to be taken to the hospital. He was honored with a citation from state Reps. Sean Dougherty, Jared Solomon and Jose Giral, all D-Phila. Photos from the citation presentation can be viewed here: Rep. Sean M Dougherty | Photo Gallery Read more

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., made the following statement in support of today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Biden administration regulations on “ghost guns:”“I’m encouraged by the high court’s decision today,” Cephas said.“The regulations established by the Biden administration in 2022 have shown dramatic results in the reduction of ‘ghost guns’ being found at crime scenes. Not just in Philadelphia, but across the nation we’ve seen fewer untraceable weapons and weapon parts being associated in violent crimes.“I’m glad the court recognized that these regulations are working, but we still have a problem with untraceable and easily obtainable gun kits in our communities. Here in Pennsylvania, I’ve introduced legislation to crack down on the purchase of these firearms in multiple sessions. Last year, the House approved my bill, but it was never considered by Senate GOP leaders. I’m reintroducing legislation this year to ban ‘ghost guns’ and prohibit undetectable firearms, and I’m hopeful the General Assembly will make it a priority given the results we’ve seen from the Biden policies coupled with public support. We can strengthen federal law with commonsense regulations, end access to these deadly weapons, and ultimately save the lives of innocent Pennsylvanians.”The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 to leave in place the 2022 regulations to combat gun violence, which included directives to crack down on the sale and purchase of gun kits, and mandating... Read more

Pa. state Rep. Joe Hohenstein joined colleagues in celebrating the passage of multiple pieces of legislation that would help secure Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections here in the commonwealth. Hohenstein says that with all of the uncertainty happening on the federal level the #PAHouse needed to take action in order to protect everyone’s healthcare. Read more

Pa. state Rep. Joe Hohenstein joined colleagues and advocates to urge further support for increasing funding for disability and human service programs. Hohenstein says that those with disabilities often show us what it truly means to be human & those that care for them deserve to be paid a livable wage in order to continue their care for our disabled community. Read more

HARRISBURG, March 25 - Two bills that would help people and businesses impacted by the medical jet crash in Northeast Philadelphia cleared the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee today, according to the bills’ sponsor, state Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Phila. On Jan. 31, Med Jets Flight 056 crashed in and around the Castor Gardens neighborhood, immediately reshaping the lives of many residents. Solomon, who serves as the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee’s chairman, introduced legislation ( H.B. 1001 and H.B. 877 ) in response to the tragic crash. House Bill 877 would provide targeted grants and loans to businesses impacted by the crash. Under the bill, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority would issue grants to community development financial institutions to provide technical assistance, training and other support to affected businesses. CDFIs would also be able to provide loans to those businesses to help them repair and reopen. “As we look to rebuild a thriving thoroughfare of our city, we are focused on many recovery efforts, including ensuring our businesses can reclaim their footing and reopen as quickly as possible,” Solomon said. Additionally, H.B. 1001 would exclude recovery payments related to the Med Jets Flight 056 crash from state income for tax purposes. “It’s important that impacted residents Read more

Today, the PA House of Representatives approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware, that would increase the fines for violations of the state child labor law. As state legislatures nationwide are weakening their child labor laws, H.B. 118 would ensure that Pennsylvania employers are held accountable for exploiting children by doubling the penalties for a first offense to $1,000, and $3,000 for each subsequent offense. “Our highest duty as legislators should be to protect our most vulnerable people who are unable to protect themselves, especially our children,” said Young following the vote. “Child labor violations are still too common in our state, with too many employers chalking it up to ‘the cost of doing business.’ That is straight up exploitation and unacceptable as we should work to guide and mentor our young people toward gainful employment. These fines have remained unchanged for over a decade as violations increase, so it’s clear they are an insufficient disincentive. Exploitation of children in any circumstance should be abhorrent to all Pennsylvanians. I’m hopeful that these doubled penalties will act as a stronger deterrent to the illegal employment of Pennsylvania’s children.” The bill was approved in the House by a 117-85 vote and now heads to the state Senate for its consideration. The 185th Legislative District is comprised of communities in South and Southwest Philadelphia, along with Tinicum Township and Colwyn Borough... Read more

HARRISBURG, March 20 – In the face of the Trump administration’s vilification of immigrants and unlawful deportations of immigrants , state Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, Joe Hohenstein, D-Phila., and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, held a news conference on Wednesday to highlight the reintroduction of their legislation to create an Office of New Pennsylvanians to support, attract and retain immigrants in the commonwealth. “Pennsylvania welcomed William Penn from religious persecution in the 17 th century, Blacks fleeing slavery in the 19 th century, and today Afghans, Bhutanese, Ukrainians and others that are fleeing persecution, ethnic cleansing and war,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Instead of keeping to its values, Pennsylvania is scapegoating immigrant communities with punitive policies that are driving them out of the state. “Economically, we can’t afford to lose them as they make up over 8% of our state’s workforce and pay $3.3 billion yearly in state and local taxes. As our population ages and many residents leave our state for other opportunities, we need skilled workers, entrepreneurs, consumers and community leaders to make sure that Pennsylvania continues to grow and thrive economically, culturally and socially and retains its electoral power at the federal level. But even more than that, we can’t afford to betray the values on which our commonwealth was founded. Read more

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today adopted a resolution recognizing March 18 as National Transit Worker Appreciation Day in Pennsylvania, according to author House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Ed Neilson. Read more

“Every person deserves to be safe on the job, particularly the public workers that do the critical work of keeping the water running in our homes, making sure our electricity is on, keeping our kids safe when they walk to school and more,” Kenyatta said. “There is a constant threat that is hanging over the heads of these public workers as they do their jobs. It’s time to give them the protections they need and deserve.” Read more