Mushroom farming economic impact focus of Chester County hearing

(Jul 19, 2021)

LANDENBERG, July 20 – The intricacies of Pennsylvania’s mushroom industry, which provides most of the mushrooms consumed across the United States and millions in economic benefits to the state, is the focus of a scheduled hearing to be hosted by state Rep. Christina Sappey. The hearing will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 20 at the New Garden Township Building, 299 Starr Road, Landenberg, PA 19350. Media inquiries may be submitted via email to policy@pahouse.net . Sappey, D-Chester, will be joined by Vice-Chair Mary Isaacson and members of the House Democratic Policy Committee to discuss the difficulties faced by the mushroom industry in meeting demand, growing their facilities, and educating the next generation of leaders. Information about this and other House Democratic Policy Committee hearings can be found at www.pahouse.com/policycommittee . ### Read more

 

Ciresi bill would fund pandemic recovery trauma-informed training for teachers

(Jul 01, 2021)

“Now more than ever, we need schools and teachers to be educated on how the pandemic may have further impacted ACEs in their students and how they can better assist students in handling this unforeseen and widespread traumatic experience.” Read more

 

Guzman votes to pass budget, bring $176.7M in funding, including Level Up funds, to Reading School District

(Jun 29, 2021)

HARRISBURG, June 26 – State Rep. Manny Guzman, D-Berks, on Friday voted to pass a state budget that will bring $176,767,992 in vital basic, special, and Ready to Learn block grant education funding, including more than $6 million in “Level Up” funds that invest in the poorest school districts, back to Reading School District. “Investments in communities like the beautiful, burgeoning city of Reading will undoubtedly ripple beyond our city limits,” Guzman said. “And that is especially so when it comes to funding that will help our schools and invest in the children in our community and their education.” A new initiative called “Level Up,” through which $100 million will be allocated to each of the 100 poorest schools in Pennsylvania, will provide Reading School District with $6.5 million in funding. That’s on top of more than $150.7 million in Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding, more than $14.7 million in Special Education Funding and $4.7 million in Ready to Learn Block Grants. The Level Up money can be used to hire more educators, upgrade schools that were built more than a century ago and provide students and faculty with 21 st century technology. “The children in our community and their education must be a top priority,” Guzman said. “For too long, our schools haven’t received the funding they need to meet students’ needs. I Read more

 

Nelson: H.B. 1300 Built on False Narrative

(Jun 28, 2021)

The courts proved again and again that the November 2020 election was fair and secure, and Nelson wants to work in a bipartisan fashion to address genuine improvements to election operations. Read more

 

Ciresi votes ‘no’ on state budget, citing missed opportunities to invest surplus in education and infrastructure

(Jun 25, 2021)

“We should have done better. Just know that I will continue working tirelessly for students, for infrastructure and transit, for health care and reduced property tax burdens. The fight continues.” Read more

 

Shusterman backs legislation ensuring success of special education students

(Jun 24, 2021)

Shusterman’s bill (H.B. 909) was incorporated into S.B. 664. If enacted, S.B. 664 would give all students in the commonwealth the choice to repeat a grade level during the 2021-22 school year due to potentially lost educational opportunities in the last year due to COVID-19. Read more

 

Ciresi: Schools Need Equitable Funding

(Jun 24, 2021)

Schools like the Pottstown School District need more funding so they can survive events like the pandemic. Read more

 

Webster: Passing a State Budget for You

(Jun 23, 2021)

e wants to equitably fund schools, ensuring safe learning environments for kids and easing local property taxes. He says that by enacting the Pa. Rescue Plan we can create good-paying jobs, support local small businesses, and improve infrastructure across the state. Read more

 

Ciresi: Everything Our District Needs

(Jun 23, 2021)

He says the biggest fight is for equitable school funding to make sure his school districts have the money they need to invest in our children and save taxpayers money on local property taxes. In addition, he’s fighting hard for public transportation and a study to restore Reading-Philadelphia passenger train service. Read more

 

Webster: Reduce Methane Leaks

(Jun 23, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Joe Webster talks about methane gas regulations on low producing wells that leak, creating 50% of the methane in Pa. He says that today we know a lot better than we used to, and we know that leaks, waste products, and by-products of these wells are toxic and hurting families. Read more

 

Ciresi: Fair and Equitable Education Funding

(Jun 23, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Joe Ciresi introduces Julia Smith, a student at Pottstown School District, to talk about how her school district is underfunded. Read more

 

Webster: 2020 Election Was Fair And Secure

(Jun 17, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Joe Webster says we should be talking about education, jobs, economic growth, healthcare, equity, and quality of life. Instead we continue to rehash the 2020 presidential election. We know our election was fair and secure. We must move past this and get back to working for Pennsylvania. Read more

 

Webster: Support Every Child

(Jun 16, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Joe Webster talks about fair and equitable education funding in Pa. He says that we have a onetime opportunity with a budget surplus and money from the American Rescue plan to invest in our children and put all our education funding through the fair funding formula, not just new dollars. This will ensure that every child has the same opportunities, lower local school property taxes, and support our schools. Read more

 

Ciresi: Our Health Care Workers Deserve More

(Jun 16, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Joe Ciresi stood with healthcare workers from across Pennsylvania as they rallied at the state Capitol for better wages and safer staffing levels. Ciresi says their sacrifices helped us through the pandemic and they deserve better. Read more

 

Daley: Retraining for Renewables

(Jun 14, 2021)

Pa. state Rep. Mary Jo Daley wants Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. She says there's a big focus on workforce development, as coal plants are closing. For the many people that have spent their career in that industry, RGGI would raise funds to help retrain them and provide them with new opportunities. Read more

 

Webster: Path Forward with RGGI

(Jun 14, 2021)

We have an opportunity to create sustainable energy and use fees and developmental dollars from that transition to fund workplace development, environmental cleanup, and other efforts. Read more

 

Sanchez, Schlossberg officially introduce LGBTQ+ Panic Defense bill

(Jun 11, 2021)

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

 

Ciresi’s fair funding bill seeks to rectify disparities in PA school districts

(Jun 11, 2021)

“It’s time to commit ourselves to using real data based on actual need to fund education, which is the reason we created these formulas in the first place. H.B. 1595 would put Pennsylvania back on track to fairly distributing education dollars so that we can achieve equitable funding for every student.” Read more

 

Webster: Uphold the sanctity of democracy and the will of the voters

(Jun 10, 2021)

Ambition to create distrust is not a characteristic of an effective legislator, and it is not the job of a sitting Pennsylvania senator. Read more

 

O’Mara commemorates Delco Day with House citation

(Jun 09, 2021)

The citation will be presented at this year’s host for Delco Day festivities, Marty Magee’s Irish Pub, 1110 Lincoln Ave., Prospect Park. Live music and activities will take place from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, June 12 into Sunday, June 13. Read more