HARRISBURG, April 13 -- State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila, is advocating for formal acknowledgement of the extraordinary work of caregivers of Pennsylvania’s veterans through the Hidden Heroes campaign. “Many times, a veteran’s caregiver is a spouse, parent and other loved ones whose lives are transformed, their goals set aside, and they rearrange their lives to help the ones who sacrificed the most for us,” Rabb said. “We need to recognize that these women and men are heroes and sacrifice more than we currently understand.” The Hidden Heroes campaign is an initiative through the Elizabeth Dole Foundation that seeks to raise awareness of the struggles of these special caregivers. It also seeks to establish a national registry where veterans and their caregivers can access resources available to them. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 9 – State Rep. Chris Rabb has introduced legislation to fund all public schools throughout Pennsylvania fully and equitably to ensure that every child in the commonwealth can succeed. “Access to a high-quality education is the single best, long-term investment we can make in our children – and for our society – with public dollars,” said Rabb, D-Phila. “That many children throughout Pennsylvania are starting out their life’s path without the resources they need because legislators in Harrisburg haven’t done the work to ensure they have every opportunity for success is unacceptable. My legislation would ensure that public education funding is fully and fairly distributed to districts throughout our commonwealth.” Rabb has circulated a forthcoming bill he has introduced twice before that would require 100% of state funds to be distributed through the fair funding formula effective immediately, acknowledging that our most underfunded school districts need significantly more funding to ensure that they have enough resources to educate their students. The other bill in the package would expand the duties of the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission to ensure that the commission consider ways to provide for school funding that is both equitable and adequate, as well as make recommendations for ways to provide increased funding for Pennsylvania’s schools to be reflected in their upcoming Read more
As the deadline to speak out against a request by PECO that would raise the utility bills of many Pennsylvanians looms, Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb speaks with Joline Price of Community Legal Services about why public input matters and how to best be heard. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 3 – State Rep. Chris Rabb said he will introduce legislation to ban police from using crowd control agents like tear gas, pepper balls, mace and rubber bullets. “Debilitating weapons of war have no place being used against civilians,” Rabb said. “And crowd control agents like tear gas and rubber bullets are exactly that, weapons of war. But even some of those agents were banned for use in warfare by the 1925 Geneva Protocol, so there’s absolutely no reason they should be used on civilians in our communities in Pennsylvania.” Rabb said that until last year, during demonstrations by protestors after George Floyd was murdered by police in Minnesota, police in Philadelphia had not used tear gas in 35 years. His forthcoming legislation would ban the use of crowd control agents by law enforcement in Pennsylvania. As a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, I acknowledge this commonwealth exists on the tribal lands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Munsee, Shawnee and Susquehannock. Read more
“Critical Race Theory is not taught in k-12 schools. It’s an analytical approach to understanding inequality and how the law might address persistent inequalities,” Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Philadelphia, told the Capital-Star. Read more
HARRISBURG, May 5 – State House members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and supporters today outlined their legislative agenda for systemic equity at a Capitol news conference. Members spoke about bills that would resolve bias, create diversity and provide inclusion, bridging the racial divide and inequities in legislation, state government agencies and health care. “This agenda is a road map for changing the way we deliver services, distribute resources and otherwise do business in the Commonwealth in all matters so that everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, gender, or Zip code, will have the same access and the same expectation as residents of Pennsylvania,” said PLBC Chair and state Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila. “The inequities in health care, housing and employment that were exacerbated by the pandemic are not new. They are systemic and often rooted in generations of racism. To address these systemic inequities, we have to remove stigmas, address implicit bias, and invest in systemic equity in ways that provide fair and equitable access to wealth, health, safety and more. We cannot continue doing things as we’ve done in the past and expect the outcome to be different. I have said that before, it still holds true and will continue to be true until we make substantial changes. We won’t relent until we see these changes.” “I truly appreciate the leadership of PLCB Chairwoman Bullock to keep us Read more
The PA Legislative Black Caucus introduced a package of bills to address everything from equality issues in healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and more. Read more
DA Larry Krasner will announce the arrest and charging of an individual for their role in the theft of over a dozen properties in the West Oak Lane, Logan, Frankford, Cedar Brook, and Mt. Airy sections of the city, which stems from an investigation launched in 2019 by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Economic Crimes Unit and the Philadelphia Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. DA Krasner will also provide his weekly gun crimes update. Read more
Pa. State Rep. Chris Rabb (D., Philadelphia) introduced a slate of medical marijuana protection bills this month, including one that would shield medical marijuana patients who fail a work-related drug test. Rabb called Hudnell’s situation “absurd and entirely disheartening.” Read more
Face the State welcomes Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) to discuss issues such as the verdict in the Derek Chauvin case, possible death penalty legislation, and more. Read more
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal will reopen on Saturday, April 24. Updated documents and guidance will be available today (Friday, April 23rd) by clicking here . This is a grant program established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, and is administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue , with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. Eligible entities include: Live venue operators or promoters. Theatrical producers. Live performing arts organization operators. Museum operators. Motion picture theater operators (including owners). Talent representatives. Other requirements of note: Must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020. Venue or promoter who received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020, will have the SVOG reduced by the PPP loan amount. Read more
Sixteen Pennsylvania House legislators announced this week that they were forming a bipartisan group to build relationships between ideologically distant lawmakers and reform how the lower chamber works. Read more
HARRISBURG, April 20 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., has introduced a trio of bills designed to protect medical cannabis patients and dispensaries from eviction and workplace discrimination. “Medical cannabis is medicine, and we must ensure that people who are prescribed medicine don’t have that held against them by their landlords or by their employers, and we must ensure that the providers of that medicine will not be discriminated against by commercial landlords,” Rabb said. “My legislation serves to protect the providers of medical cannabis and their patients, and to help them live without fear.” Rabb’s three bills are: Employee Protections for Medical Cannabis Patients – Would provide protections for employees failing a drug test due to their use of medical cannabis as a qualified patient by forbidding employers from discharging, threatening, refusing to hire or otherwise discriminating against such employees, and allowing such employees to bring a civil action against their employer. Commercial Tenant Protections for Medical Cannabis Dispensaries – Would protect commercial tenants that legally sell or provide medical cannabis by amending the Medical Marijuana Act to prohibit landlords from evicting, threatening to evict, or otherwise discriminating against a commercial tenant for the lawful sale or possession of medical cannabis if the tenant is certified by the commonwealth. Tenant Read more
HARRISBURG, April 20 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., issued the following statement after a jury in Minneapolis, Minn. found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on three charges in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd: “While this verdict offers us a collective moment of relief, I am nevertheless angered to live in a country where there’s suspense about whether a white law enforcement officer will be convicted for being on camera killing a Black person with impunity. “Anything less than an overhaul of modern policing is complicity in a system borne of injustice, terror and surveillance, which for Pennsylvania has meant a 321-year track record of law enforcement protecting and serving the political interests and property of the most influential minority of our city and state without any history or commitment to transparency or accountability. “We are far passed the trite analogy of good or bad apples. We must finally acknowledge that we are dealing with a toxic barrel and commit ourselves to building a new vessel for change that centers on community safety and restorative justice.” As a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, I acknowledge this commonwealth exists on the tribal lands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Munsee, Shawnee and Susquehannock. Read more
HARRISBURG, April 20 – To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, state Rep. Chris Rabb has called for support of his legislation to transition Pennsylvania to 100% renewable energy by 2050. “Earth Day was founded in 1970 to bring awareness to environmental issues, and I could not think of a better way to truly honor the day than to take action to literally save our environment and our planet,” said Rabb, D-Phila. “Earth Day has long been a day when people plant trees, collect litter or take other small steps to help our planet. That action is a beautiful and important thing because we must all act to save our very existence. “But the Pennsylvania legislature has the power this Earth Day to take a huge step in helping our planet – a huge step in what will be a journey to save humanity from climate change – by working to enact my legislation and get our commonwealth to 100% renewable energy by 2050,” Rabb continued. “So, while you’re creating your action plan for how you celebrate this Earth Day, consider calling or emailing Pennsylvania legislators to urge them to enact my legislation, which I’m calling Go 100% Pennsylvania.” Pennsylvania residents can use this website to find their legislator. A list of members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is here , and a list of senators is here . Rabb, known for his climate activism and for regularly authoring and promoting progressive policies, Read more
HARRISBURG, April 12 — State Reps. Chris Rabb and Liz Hanbidge have reintroduced legislation to study the costs and benefits of electric vehicles to better understand the impact of the vehicles in Pennsylvania. “Studies have shown that electric vehicles emit significantly less greenhouse gas than gasoline-powered vehicles,” Rabb, D-Phila., said. “With climate change upon us, we know electric vehicles offer a huge benefit in that they mean cleaner air and less pollution. When it comes to the fees that electric vehicle owners will be charged – specifically regarding the motor vehicle tax – Representative Hanbidge and I believe additional information is needed, and that’s why we’re urging a study.” “Studying the impact of electric cars on our commonwealth allows us deeper insight into how we can best utilize this exciting technology to create better and cleaner transportation opportunities for our communities." Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, said. Despite their positive environmental impact, electric vehicles do not pay the state motor vehicle tax, which is attached to gasoline prices. Because the funds from the motor vehicle tax are used to repair and maintain state roads and bridges, the state legislature has considered proposals to create an annual electric vehicle road use fee to alleviate any discrepancy in this funding. Rabb and Hanbidge have reintroduced a resolution that would direct the Legislative Read more
Noting that capital punishment is not only an ineffective way to deter crime, but is also very costly to taxpayers and deeply flawed because people sentenced to death have later been exonerated, state Rep. Chris Rabb has reintroduced legislation that would repeal the death penalty in Pennsylvania. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 29 – Responding to the Capitol insurrection in January and the signing of new restrictions on voting rights last week in Georgia, House Democrats are taking action to protect American democracy. Today, a website was launched that summarizes policy proposals to defend democracy as well as links to more information and the ability for people to quickly email their elected officials, noting their support of the bills. The House Democratic Caucus has been working on these proposals since a House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing in January, when members were briefed by legal scholars, hate crimes experts and members of Congress on the language of false conspiracy and election fraud being used to undermine democracy. That same language has shifted from encouraging outright attack to what many perceive as insidiously undermining basic voting rights. “We cannot allow the outrage and disgust of the American people watching an armed invasion of our government to be subverted by a slick rebranding into attacks on our right to fair and free elections” Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro said. Members of the House Democratic Caucus have introduced dozens of measures to expand voting rights, preserve election security, protect access to mail-in ballots and polling places, and to clarify and consolidate the often-outdated Election Code. Bizzarro said the site – www.pahouse.com/policy/defendingdemocracy -- will serve as a great Read more
HARRISBURG, March 22 – State Rep. Chris Rabb on Monday lauded Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement of a major clean energy initiative that will produce nearly 50% of state government’s electricity through seven new solar energy arrays – the largest solar commitment by any government in the U.S. announced to date – and called for support to get Pennsylvania to 100% renewable energy by 2050. “I was thrilled to hear the news of this historic initiative by Governor Wolf to invest in renewable energy,” said Rabb, D-Phila. “Science has made it clear that climate change is real, it’s happening and the consequences to Earth and its inhabitants – our children, grandchildren and future generations – will be severe if we don’t take immediate measures to change course. “This action from Governor Wolf deserves applause, but the climate crisis that’s underway requires more from us,” Rabb continued. “Which is why I’ve previously introduced bipartisan legislation to transition Pennsylvania to 100% renewable energy by 2050 , and why I’m still asking for support for that goal.” Rabb said a transition to 100% renewable energy is what’s best for the environment and it would be a boon to the economy, creating family-sustaining, green-collar jobs by harnessing a newly skilled workforce and giving Pennsylvania’s academic institutions and other stakeholders the Read more
State Rep. Chris Rabb, along with Reps. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny; Manuel Guzman Jr., D-Berks; Carol Hill-Evans, D-York; Sara Innamorato, D-Allegheny; Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny; Rick Krajewski, D-Phila.; Summer Lee, D-Allegheny; Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester; Joe Webster, D-Montgomery; and Napoleon J. Nelson, D-Montgomery, has introduced legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour and expand it to apply to vulnerable members of the workforce. Read more
I will be hosting a virtual town hall on March 25 where we will be honoring the Phenomenal Women of the 200 th who are essential workers. Frontline/essential professions include: health care professionals, hospital workers (maintenance staff, cafeteria staff etc.), SEPTA drivers/workers, Gig workers (Uber/Lyft drivers, delivery drivers), warehouse workers, personal caregivers, sanitation workers, grocery store employees, mail carriers and retail sales/cashiers. Read more
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