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
PA state Rep. Chris Rabb joined his House Democratic Caucus colleagues and advocates to celebrate the advancement of his legislation that would eliminate the death penalty in PA. Rabb says our justice system is simply too fallible and the benefits too small to continue this practice. Read more
“Having people closest to the pain informed the policy — that will allow for justice for all,” Rabb said. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 19 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., announced today that he is preparing to introduce legislation ( H.B. 1773 ) that would establish a fair share tax plan in Pennsylvania, changing the state’s longstanding regressive income tax. According to a 2019 report from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, 20% of families with the lowest incomes pay roughly 14% of their income on state and local taxes, while those in the top 1% only pay 6%. “It’s truly absurd that the bottom 60% of income earners are, on average, paying nearly double the tax rate of what the richest Pennsylvanians pay,” Rabb said. “This legislation will not only make the tax system fairer, but it will help to reduce the overall budget deficit and raise $6.22 billion in new tax revenue. That’s a win-win-win.” Rabb said the legislation would reduce the state income tax on wages and interest to 1.9% and increase the tax on passive income to 12%, raising $6.22 billion in new revenue. “We have an opportunity to take Pennsylvania’s upside-down tax structure and turn it right side up,” Rabb said. “Everyone should pay their fair share.” Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb speaks on the importance of making sure ALL Pennsylvanians who are eligible to vote are informed of and afforded that opportunity. Read more
I grieve the loss of lives in Israel and Palestine. I condemn Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7th, which killed more than 1,300 Israelis — including at least 40 Arabs — and injured thousands more. I call for the release of the more than 200 civilian hostages taken back into Gaza and Palestinian political prisoners. I also grieve the thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, including hundreds of children, who have been killed by Israeli bombs since then. It is never acceptable to cause the deaths of civilians. All human life is sacred. We need to find another way to resolve this crisis. I stand in solidarity with my Jewish, Muslim and Arab siblings here and abroad who oppose the slaughter of civilians. If we are ever to end this generations-long cycle of violence, let us do so in good faith by addressing the root causes of this conflict, and ensure that both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security. I join my colleagues in Congress who have called for immediate de-escalation, ceasefire, adherence to International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian aid to Palestine commensurate with the devastation wrought upon Gaza. May our quest for enduring peace and justice prevail. Read more
Legislation to open Pennsylvania’s primaries, authored by state Reps. Jared Solomon and Chris Rabb, both D-Phila., was today voted out of the House State Government Committee. Pennsylvania has a closed primary system, meaning that only voters registered with a given party can vote in that party’s primary election. Voters who are unaffiliated are prohibited from voting in a primary election. Solomon said today’s vote is a step forward to embracing over 1.2 million disenfranchised voters in Pennsylvania, who are currently unaffiliated with any political party. “Open primaries would give these voters a voice,” Solomon said. “By disenfranchising these voters, we are losing a good opportunity to hear new ideas and fresh perspectives.” “I look forward to working with my House and Senate colleagues to ensure that everyone has a voice in our elections,” Solomon continued. “There should be no second-class among Pennsylvania’s electorate,” said state Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., and co-sponsor of the bill. “Over 1 million voters are unduly disenfranchised in our state because they have chosen to exercise their right to remain unaffiliated with our restrictive political duopoly.” “I’m very pleased with the first step taken today and the committee’s agreement to move this legislation forward,” said state Rep. Marla Brown, R-Lawrence. “I Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb welcomed grown and not-entirely grown folks alike to his annual Grown Folks Fall Festival. Rabb says community is what matters and events like this play a vital role in bringing people together. This year’s event featured live music, a DJ, free food, as well as health, government, and nonprofit organizations providing valuable information and resources. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 6 – In honor of the upcoming Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, state Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., is highlighting a series of wide-ranging legislation focused on honoring Native American culture and history while protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples. In 2021, Rabb authored a resolution that would have amended the rules of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to include a formal land acknowledgment at the beginning of each legislative week. He has reintroduced the resolution this session. “Symbolism matters — particularly when it’s tethered to substantive action. That’s why rhetoric must be followed by redress,” Rabb said. Rabb recently reintroduced legislation to protect Native American trademarks by preventing the use of Pennsylvania state trademarks by non-Native American groups to claim Native American patterns and tribal names as well as other cultural heritage and intellectual property. He is also drafting legislation that would establish an independent, autonomous commission on indigenous affairs that has the budget and authority to work with the commonwealth on programs and funding opportunities that address policy concerns, sovereignty issues and land back initiatives. More than 60 schools across Pennsylvania still utilize derogatory Native mascots. Despite calls from advocacy groups like the National Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 5 – Legislation ( H.B. 1531 ) introduced by state Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., that would strengthen Pennsylvania’s interdepartmental law enforcement misconduct database was adopted by the PA House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. “This closes the major loophole in state law, which allows the majority of bad actors with the worst records of serious misconduct to be hired without the prior knowledge of municipal or county government officials or the public at large, who they are sworn to protect and serve,” Rabb said. The legislation was drafted with the input of law enforcement and experts in the field. “This is a critical opportunity for the legislature to finish the work of substantive police accountability and community safety — particularly in rural and suburban areas where bad actors are most likely to sneak onto police forces,” he said. The bill would update the police misconduct database statute enacted in 2020 by enhancing transparency, accountability and compliance measures. Rabb is serving his third term as a member of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee, having taken office in 2017. His original bill in 2018 was the blueprint for what became Act 57 of 2020 . Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb’s Police Accountability bill is one step closer to becoming law.Rabb says HB 1531 will help law enforcement agencies hire the right people for the job & better filter out those applicants with a history of serious, documented misconduct. That was the goal of the bill he introduced in 2018, a version of which became law in 2020. That statute — Act 57 of 2020 — has been highly successful in keeping problematic applicants from getting new jobs in law enforcement elsewhere in the state. His new bill (HB 1531) would build on that solid foundation by assuring compliance by all law enforcement agencies while increasing transparency of the hiring process for the benefit of local officials and the public at-large. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 2 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., is reemphasizing the importance of compensating people wrongfully convicted on International Wrongful Conviction Day. “Today marks the 10 th annual International Wrongful Conviction Day,” Rabb said. “It is a day to remember Pennsylvanians who have suffered at the hands of an unjust criminal legal system, and to reaffirm our commitment to compensating exonerees.” Rabb has reintroduced legislation (H.B. 987) that would help exonerees re-enter society by: Providing monetary compensation to those wrongfully convicted and those wrongfully imprisoned. Providing additional monetary compensation to those wrongfully placed on the state sex offenders registry, on parole or on death row. Establishing a mechanism for additional supports including education, housing, and reasonable reintegrative mental and physical health services. Rabb said he has sought feedback from an array of exonerees to improve his legislation, thereby ensuring a fair and well-guided process from input from experts closest to the pain. “My legislation would do something that should have happened a long time ago: providing compensation and other resources to those who should have never been convicted,” Rabb said. “It’s time the state atones for the consequential Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 26 – Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and Pennsylvania Latino Caucus said they are disappointed to learn that a Philadelphia judge on Tuesday dismissed all charges against former police officer Mark Dial for his involvement in the shooting death of Eddie Irizarry last month but are encouraged to see that charges have been re-filed by the District Attorney’s office. “Yet again, another crime victim, another child, another sibling, another human being let down by our criminal justice system. It is our duty to stand together and demand justice for the family of Eddie Irizarry; they deserve nothing less,” said state Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus. “We are deeply disappointed by this decision. Dial, a former police officer, fired his gun six times at close range. The fact that all charges were dropped is enraging. We demand accountability and transparency in this process. This is not a closed case,” said state Rep. Jose Giral, D-Phila., who represents the district where the killing occurred. “We keep talking about the wrongful use of deadly force by the police, and this is an unfortunate example of that. We are on the victim’s family’s side; we are on the side of justice.” “Make no mistake, we are not surprised by this failure to deliver justice to the Irizarry family. Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 22 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., today announced that he has drafted legislation ( H.B. 1704 ) that would amend the Criminal History Record Information Act to ensure disclosure of public health and community safety risks. Public health reports from 2016 and 2023 revealed that there is an extensive list of contaminants in the Dimock water supply in Pennsylvania. However, CHRIA prohibits the Office of Attorney General from disclosing the results of its independent report analyzing the Dimock water supply. This legislation would provide exceptions for CHRIA that allow the public to be notified of public health and community safety risks and would require the Office of Environmental Justice to investigate information pertaining to potential or prospective harm to public health. Should the Office of Environmental Justice find there is a public health risk, it would be required to provide a notice on its publicly accessible website, which would state there is a public health risk and include a summary of the public health risk. “The public has a right to information regarding potential health hazards,” Rabb said. “We cannot allow polluters to pollute our environment anywhere across our commonwealth under the veil of benign government bureaucracy.” Rabb is a founding member of the Pennsylvania Climate Caucus and serves on the board of the National Caucus of Read more
Prestigious newspaper editorial boards, Pennsylvania’s past five governors and more have voiced their support for open primaries. As representatives of the people of Pennsylvania, we must ensure everyone’s voice is heard.We hope our colleagues in the General Assembly will realize that bringing more people into the electoral system ensures faith in the democratic process. Read more
Support continues to grow for voting access legislation authored by state Reps. Jared Solomon and Chris Rabb, both D-Phila. Philadelphia’s prestigious newspaper of record, The Philadelphia Inquirer, recently endorsed their bill to bring more voters into Pennsylvania’s election process. Rabb and Solomon said that the fastest growing group of voters in Pennsylvania are unaffiliated voters. Their proposed legislation would open primary elections to unaffiliated voters, which make up more than one million voters in Pennsylvania. “As a strong and established advocate of voters’ rights, I don’t believe there should be any one disenfranchised or a so-called second class of voters,” Rabb said. “Independent voters have a right to cast their ballot and be a part of the democratic process.” Solomon reiterated, “Opening the closed primary system in Pennsylvania would allow over one million more people to participate in the democratic process. An open primary system would go a long way to create more civic engagement, introduce fresh ideas and promote a healthy democracy.” Due to bipartisan support across the state, demonstrated in polling data, Rabb and Solomon are calling on the House State Government Committee to call this bill for a vote and move the bill to the House floor. According to Rabb and Solomon, 30 states have chosen to include unaffiliated voters in their primary elections, allowing voters who Read more
“It is our duty as legislators to secure fair treatment for all Pennsylvanians — regardless of circumstance,” Rabb said. “We must act with compassion and ensure that justice-involved individuals receive the rehabilitation and resources necessary to successfully reenter their communities.” Read more
Addressing the climate crisis cannot be separated from the fight for racial and economic justice. Whether it’s extreme heat , flooding or crumbling infrastructure, we know that our increasingly volatile climate is hitting our most vulnerable residents the hardest. That’s why it’s critical that we thoughtfully — and urgently — invest in protecting our communities from the impacts of our changing climate. According to a recent study by the Center for Climate Integrity, it will cost more than $15 billion to stave off a limited scope of climate impacts in Pennsylvania by 2040. While the report only calculated the cost of adapting to eight climate impacts, the scale of these costs on local governments is shocking. In Philadelphia alone, the annual cost of responding to eight climate change impacts will exceed spending for 40 of the city's 48 departments, including the Departments of Public Health and Human Services. Every summer, more cooling centers must be activated to protect our residents from extreme heat. Just a few weeks ago, intense rains caused flash flooding in my district of Philadelphia and beyond, killing at least six people in Bucks County. The impacts of this climate crisis are felt by our communities every day and will continue to get worse if we don’t act with urgency. Our state is projected to get hotter and rainier in the years ahead. The demand for cooling centers will Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb talks about his proposed legislation that would protect public school students from book bans. Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb says that though anti-hate crime statutes have been on the books for decades, there is no evidence they have deterred hate-based attacks on person or property. So, as hate-based violence continues to rise across the Commonwealth, existing laws meant to protect people against such harm have been largely ineffectual and disproportionately used by prosecutors against people of color. One of the challenges for those who support such measures is the lack of training and reporting of alleged hate crimes by law enforcement officers. Further, people from impacted communities often do not trust law enforcement to prioritize their concerns. That said, even with full coordination and involvement of law enforcement, the new training requirement put forth in HB 1024 lacks any discussion of the root causes of bigotry that fuels such violent attacks. Rabb will be authoring legislation to accompany HB 1024 and related bills to codify into law a definition of structural violence which is at the heart of the systemic sources of hate, often validated by government policies and practices. Further, his forthcoming bill will address these structural issues through community-centered, evidence-based, non-carceral measures. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, June 30 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila, issued the following statement in response to Moms for Liberty, a hate group with local chapters in Pennsylvania, holding its national convention in Philadelphia today. “A group with hateful views such as Moms for Liberty has no place spewing their hatred and extremist ideology in Philadelphia — the vaunted birthplace of liberty in our nation,” Rabb said. “As a parent, it galls me that there is a concerted effort to deprive children across the commonwealth of learning opportunities and the freedom to see themselves in books and curricula in their schools. “These groups are not motivated by a desire to protect children from age-inappropriate material. That’s merely the thin veil they hide behind. No, they are motivated by a bigoted desire to harm LGBTQ+ youth and students of color by fomenting hatred against their very personhood by deeming their existence to be wrong and unnatural and thus should not be present in books and media. “Groups like Moms for Liberty are exactly why bills like Rabb's anti-book ban bill H.B.1374 , establishing procedures to protect public school students’ right to read and learn, are so important and it is imperative that we pass them into law. Our children deserve to see themselves represented in the media and in books. It validates their experiences and shows them that they are beautiful and not alone in the Read more
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