HARRISBURG, June 25 – State Rep. Mike Schlossberg said he voted for the 2021-22 state budget citing the inclusion of his Level Up education funding proposal for the poorest school districts in Pennsylvania. “This is a monumental breakthrough in the ongoing fight for fair education funding for the school districts that need it the most,” said Schlossberg, D-Lehigh. “This funding will benefit some of Pennsylvania’s hardest hit districts in Allentown, Philadelphia, Scranton, Reading, Harrisburg, York and Erie which have been grossly underfunded for too long and help give every student the chance to succeed.” Schlossberg said the Allentown School District, in his district, will see an increase in Basic Education funding, totaling $15.9 million. $9.5 million from Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding formula and $6.4 million made possible from his Level Up proposal. The school district will also see an increase in Special Education funding totaling $1 million. The Parkland School District, also in Schlossberg’s district, will see a 12.8% increase in Pennsylvania’s Basic Education funding and a 4.6% increase in Special Education funding. According to Schlossberg, the 2021-22 state budget includes language that is identical to his H.B.1167 , and will provide $100 million to the 100 poorest school districts in Pennsylvania. The money can be used to hire more educators, upgrade schools that were built more than a Read more
This program will send $100 million to the 100 poorest school districts in the commonwealth, helping urban and rural districts alike. We can use this program in the future to better fund our poorest school districts – this is a major win. Read more
Stepping into the voting booth, pen in hand, I think I had the same expectations that you did the last time you went to vote: That my vote would be counted fairly, that my ballot would be handled by professionals, and that my friends and neighbors would be able to vote in the manner that was easiest for them. Read more
Seeking a bipartisan solution to a growing need, state Reps. Mike Schlossberg and Jeanne McNeill, both D-Lehigh, have joined with state Reps. Rosemary M. Brown, R-Monroe/Pike, and Jason Ortitay, R-Washington/Allegheny, to introduce legislation aimed at addressing the shortage of mental health services in underserved areas. Read more
While similar bills have been introduced in previous legislative sessions, the Sanchez/Schlossberg legislation would extend beyond the “gay” and “trans” terminology to include all members of this marginalized community by prohibiting the court system from allowing a defense of this nature in consideration of serious provocation or insanity. Read more
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Harrisburg — in a quest to improve care for those with mental health and drug abuse problems — have unveiled proposed legislation that would give insurance companies “targeted” access to the so-called Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 2 – As part of his ongoing efforts to improve access to mental health treatment in Pennsylvania, state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, and colleagues are unveiling a package that would modernize mental health and substance use disorder laws and promote “whole person” health care initiatives. “Right now, many Pennsylvanians who are seeking mental health treatment are encountering roadblocks from our own insurance laws and by making a few simple changes, we can remove these barriers to high quality care,” Schlossberg said. “This would be a big step in the right direction to ensure people with mental illnesses and afflictions are able to get the treatments they need.” The legislative package includes three bills, two would amend both Pennsylvania’s Mental Health Procedures Act and Drug and Alcohol Abuse Control Act to align with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 standards to allow providers, facilities and health plans to share patient’s mental health and substance use disorder-related information more easily. The third bill would amend the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescription Program Act to enable data sharing with insurers and to strengthen Pennsylvania’s efforts in combatting the opioid crisis. Under current Pennsylvania law, mental health and physical health information cannot be fully shared among providers. The proposed changes would Read more
LEHIGH, May 13 – At a tour of the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living, PA House Democrats saw first-hand the strain on nonprofits that provide services to people living with disabilities and shared how the PA Rescue Plan could alleviate some of those challenges with an investment of federal funding. The tour, led by the center’s executive director, Amy Beck, highlighted how empowering people living with disabilities is an integral component of operation. LVCIL is one of 17 centers for independent living in the state. Centers are governed, managed and staffed at all times by a majority of people with disabilities. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg said, “This pandemic has exposed significant injustices and shortfalls in our world. In most of our communities, access to emergency resources starts with the friendly face and compassionate heart of community-based nonprofit organizations. While performing miracles, these organizations have seen their bottom lines take enormous hits. The staff are overworked and underpaid. Volunteers have put their health on the line with no expectation of personal gain. The Pennsylvania Rescue Plan will offer these organizations, serving our most vulnerable neighbors, extra support to offset increased expenses and lost revenue from contributions or events so they can meet demand in our community.” “The PA Rescue Plan provides a unique opportunity for us to invest in humans, not government,” added state Read more
ALLENTOWN, May 11 – The pandemic further strained those providing services to our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians and state Reps. Mike Schlossberg and Pete Schweyer will explain how proposed investments of over $350 million via the PA Rescue Plan would close the service gap by helping the helpers provide much-needed services. The media are invited to join members for the tour of Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 13, followed by a 2 p.m. opportunity to discuss the impact investments with legislators and Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living. The PA Rescue Plan aims to ensure federal American Rescue Plan funding is invested for immediate impact and long-term success. Additional information about the plan is available at www.pahouse.com/parescueplan . Read more
STATE COLLEGE, May 11 – The workers who have been hit hardest by the pandemic need support. The PA House Democratic leadership team is hosting a rally Wednesday to make the case for workers’ rights to a fair wage, hazard pay and paid family and sick leave and how the PA Rescue plan would do just that. The rally will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 12 at The Borough Building, 243 S. Allen St., State College . The media is encouraged to attend. The PA Rescue Plan includes more than $1.5 billion for job training, hazard pay, wage boosts for direct-care workers and job creation efforts to kickstart the economy in communities across the state. The PRP aims to ensure federal American Rescue Plan funding is invested for immediate impact and long-term success. Additional information about the plan is available at www.pahouse.com/parescueplan . Read more
HARRISBURG, May 5 – After weeks of gathering public support for the Pennsylvania Rescue Plan to invest federal dollars to do the most good for working families, the House Democratic Leadership team released the following statement on the next steps to discuss the plan and how it would help us recover, restore and reimagine a better future coming back from COVID-19. “Next week more than $7 billion is coming to the Keystone State as part of the American Rescue Plan, and we have to make sure that money is invested properly, not hidden away in a government vault for a rainy day – because it’s hard to imagine a storm that could hit harder than COVID-19. People need help now. “As USA TODAY network coverage noted, House Democrats have a plan that helps schools, workers, businesses, families, renters, landlords and more while Republicans have no plan to distribute the funds. We urge the majority party to get on board and do the right thing for people everywhere. “We’ve received an overwhelming response to the PA Rescue Plan so far, and next week we’ll be taking the plan to the people with a statewide tour – starting Monday in Philadelphia and Reading talking about investing in infrastructure and rebuilding our downtowns, continuing Tuesday in Pittsburgh and Erie discussing housing, Wednesday in Harrisburg and State College talking worker pay, and finishing up on Thursday in Scranton and Allentown to discuss helping Read more
The Lehigh Valley has wonderful trails, but they aren’t equally available to all neighborhoods. Allentown, as the heart of the Lehigh Valley, is surprisingly disconnected from some of the great opportunities north of the city. Projects like this will help to increase equity within our region. Read more
ALLENTOWN, April 20 – As part of the ongoing efforts to assist people and families experiencing homelessness in the city of Allentown, seven organizations will share a portion of $100,000 in federal CARES Act funding. “There is no question that life during the pandemic has been especially challenging, but the difficulty of those challenges has risen exponentially for those Pennsylvanians facing homelessness,” state Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh, said. “This is critical funding to ensure these entities can continue their dedication to helping those in need.” The following organizations will each receive a portion of the grant funding: Allentown City: Valley Youth House - Rapid Rehousing. The Lehigh Conference of Churches - Rapid Rehousing. Allentown Rescue Mission - Emergency Shelter. Salvation Army Hospitality House - Emergency Shelter. Sixth Street Shelter - Emergency Shelter. YMCA Warming station - Emergency Shelter. Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Turning Point of Lehigh Valley - Emergency Shelter. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, also D-Lehigh, added, “Health and housing are so critically connected. When somebody’s housing is in doubt, it makes it difficult to stay safe and healthy. In the midst of a pandemic, this becomes more pronounced as families in crisis end up in overcrowded Read more
Pennsylvanians looking for relief from the hardships of the past year can look to the House Democrats’ Pennsylvania Rescue Plan for solutions that do the most good for the most people. The House Democratic Leadership team released the following statement on how the plan would strengthen communities, help working people and support businesses and families: “We have a unique opportunity to drastically improve the lives of millions of Pennsylvanians with smart investments in people, businesses, health care and our workforce. The Pennsylvania Rescue Plan does just that by directing federal funds to help businesses get back on solid ground, invest in our frontline workers who were essential to getting us through the pandemic, repair our crumbling public schools so students can learn and teachers can teach in a non-toxic environment and strengthen our workforce through training tomorrow’s in-demand employees. Read more
HARRISBURG — Fifth grade teacher Mike Faccinetto sees the effects of school underfunding in his Allentown classroom every day. Read more
“It is no secret that hundreds of public schools across the commonwealth are grossly underfunded as a result of Pennsylvania’s property tax scheme and chronic underfunding at the state level,” said Rep. Mike Schlossberg. Read more
ALLENTOWN, April 16 - State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, announced a grant totaling $830,750 to the City of Allentown for traffic signal and safety improvements at four heavily travelled intersections between Highland Street and Summer Avenue. Schlossberg said the improvements include installation of a new traffic signal, traffic signal upgrades and installation of a pedestrian flasher. Read more
“Let’s be honest: There are people who look for an excuse to hate and hurt others,” Schlossberg said. “It’s awful that we need to provide protections like this, but it’s our reality. There is no place in our society for fear-based attacks on another person.” Read more
HARRISBURG, March 31 – Continuing his commitment to helping victims of domestic violence get away from their abusers, state Rep. Mike Schlossberg is introducing legislation that would expand the reasons for granting a mutual consent divorce to include violence against children in the home. Read more
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