HARRISBURG, Sept. 8 – State Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Chester, invites residents of the 158th Legislative District to her next presentation in a series of virtual panel discussions on race: “Institutionalized Disadvantage: Law Enforcement, The Community and Healing.” The discussion will stream live at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at www.RepSappey.com . Panelists include state Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan, Chief Gerald Simpson of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, and Rev. Annalie Korengel, pastor of Unionville Presbyterian and the police chaplain for Kennett Township, Kennet Square, and Southern Chester County Regional Police Departments. Those interested in participating should RSVP by emailing Sappey’s office at RepSappey@pahouse.net or signing up online at https://www.pahouse.com/Sappey/RSVP/?id=1277 . “Throughout this series of discussions, we have explored the origins of systemic racism in the American institutions of education, housing, health care and justice,” Sappey said. “This upcoming panel will focus on law enforcement changes, community healing and the path forward. I look forward to this event and hope that as many people as possible can join to help chart a new course together.” Questions and comments for panelists may be emailed to RepSappey@pahouse.net before or during the Read more
KING OF PRUSSIA, Aug. 18 – The global pandemic and upcoming presidential election demonstrate the critical importance of teaching media literacy, starting at a young age, said state Rep. Tim Briggs, who has been advocating for the establishment of media literacy curriculum in Pennsylvania schools. “As we are all bombarded with information on a daily basis, particularly through social media, it can sometimes be difficult to discern fact from fiction – and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critical to ensure we are consuming accurate information from reliable sources,” said Briggs, D-Montgomery. “I’ve reintroduced legislation to establish a media literacy curriculum in our schools because we need to prepare our youngest citizens with the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate information and sources. The health of our democracy – and right now, the health of our citizens – depends on it.” House Bill 992, assigned to the House Education Committee since March 2019, would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to develop an age-appropriate media literacy curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12 that would be made available to school districts throughout Pennsylvania. The curriculum may include, but would not be limited to: developing critical thinking skills; understanding how media messages shape culture and society; identifying targeted marketing strategies; naming Read more
H.B. 2791 would utilize federal CARES Act funding, focus on smaller, community businesses rather than chains and national conglomerates, and place a cap on assistance to help as many businesses as possible. Read more
“While the recent hazard pay grants provided important support to many of our frontline heroes, we need to do more,” Ciresi said. “Unfortunately, due to program guidelines and funding limitations, many of those putting themselves in harm’s way were left out, including firefighters and EMS. We have a responsibility to them – as fellow Pennsylvanians – to honor their long-term sacrifices and risks with financial assistance.” Read more
Pa. state Rep. Joe Webster says we demand that Black Lives Matter. This extends beyond policing reform and applies to any situation in which Americans, specifically Americans of color, are discriminately impacted by policy and legislation: intentionally or not. There is no time for diversion & deliberate misinformation. It is time to recognize Black Lives Matter in all things, so all of Pennsylvania can move forward. Read more
I read state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff’s recent column on the need to prioritize our children’s safety, not politicize it. While I believe Rep. Benninghoff is sincere in his concern for children throughout the commonwealth, I think he and many others in his party are missing the mark when they talk about what our children need from us as this school year gets underway. Read more
The WHC chairs called the actions of the nonprofit into question, writing, “For more than 20 years, an organization known as Real Alternatives has been enriching itself and its executives, mismanaging state-appropriated funding, and potentially misdirecting that funding for advertising and legal services, including using Pennsylvania dollars in other states.” Read more
“A student’s first off-campus apartment is an exciting and crucial step in his or her growth, but most student tenants are unaware of their rights as tenants or what to do if they experience an unsafe condition in their apartment,” Ciresi said. “This leads too many of our young people living in unsafe conditions or being treated unfairly by landlords.” Read more
HARRISBURG (August 7, 2020) – Today, a group of state lawmakers from Delaware County called for District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer to investigate violence and intimidation aimed at Black Lives Matter supporters during a march in Ridley Township on Saturday, August 1 st . State Sens. Tim Kearney and Anthony Williams as well as State Reps. Leanne Krueger, Margo Davidson, David Delloso, Brian Kirkland, and Joanna McClinton signed the letter, which details how peaceful protesters were met with violence and intimidation by a group of counter-protesters. The letter calls for Delaware County’s District Attorney to investigate the counter-protesters’ actions and the Ridley Township Police Department’s response. “I was proud to participate in the Black Lives Matter protest and stand with people of all races and all ages against systemic racism,” said Sen. Tim Kearney . “But I was disturbed by the hate and intimidation that I witnessed firsthand from counter-protesters. We are better than that. We need to make sure our community feels safe when peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.” “I join others across our community in expressing horror that this demonstration of love and support for Black lives was met by a menacing group with a mission to taunt and intimidate peaceful protesters,” said Rep. Leanne Krueger . “Instead of actively protecting the First Amendment rights of our Read more
RIDLEY, Aug. 5 – State Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-Delaware, released the following statement denouncing violence and intimidation aimed at Black Lives Matter supporters during a march over the weekend here. “I am in awe of our neighbors, especially the young people, who organized a peaceful march through Ridley in support of Black Lives last weekend. By all accounts — from community members with whom I have spoken and video I have seen on social media — the group marching in support of Black Lives was inclusive and peaceful. “I join others across our community in expressing horror that this demonstration of love and support for Black lives was met by a menacing group of predominantly white men, some brandishing weapons and openly intoxicated, standing outside of the Ridley Township Police Station. White men in trucks and on motorcycles were also seen driving recklessly on MacDade Boulevard, dangerously close to protesters. “Videos posted online clearly show hostile and vitriolic language hurled at our neighbors, some of whom marched with young children, and the violent act of ripping a BLM flag out of the hands of a protester. Other incidents captured on camera and by the media suggest a potentially unsafe situation for the protesters. “Instead of actively protecting the First Amendment rights of our neighbors, it appears that Ridley Police were both late to the scene and seemed to be protecting the white counter-protesters Read more
“With strained budgets, local governments and school districts throughout Pennsylvania are looking for ways to provide necessary services without raising taxes,” Ciresi said. “We have a real opportunity to improve local government and reduce property taxes through back-office reform and shared services, allowing us to do more with less while keeping our local representation and community identity." Read more
During my time as a state representative, I’ve been a strong advocate for the benefits of breastfeeding, and I continue my work to protect employees who are breastfeeding and to generally focus more attention on this subject. Read more
HARRISBURG – In response to reports of several earth subsidences or “sinkholes” near pipelines in Southeastern Pennsylvania, an investigation is under way involving engineers and experts from the Safety Division of the Bureau of Investigation & Enforcement (I&E) - the independent investigation and enforcement bureau of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). I&E has been, and continues to, closely monitor a string of events near the 400 block of East Lincoln Highway and Route 30/Lincoln Highway, in West Whiteland Township, Chester County. These events occurred near construction being conducted by Sunoco Pipeline LP (Sunoco). No active pipelines were exposed as a result of the subsidences and engineers from the Safety Division continue to closely monitor the situation. Safety Division engineers have been onsite gathering information for their investigation and monitoring the integrity of pipelines in the area. I&E has also been in communication with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and West Whiteland Township. The first subsidence occurred on July 10, with additional events developing over the next several days. Most recently, mid-afternoon today (July 17), growing cracks were reported in the pavement on business Route 30 near the first reported sinkhole location, impacting some traffic on that roadway. The subsidence locations have been stabilized with grout Read more
“Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve to know that their tax dollars are spent responsibly and that the funding of a government program is used for its intended purpose. It is therefore important to determine how charter schools were able to justify and obtain these forgivable loans, and whether taxpayer funds from all sources are being used for their legally intended purposes by recipient charter schools and management organizations.” Read more
House Bill 2703 will delay annual registration fees for Limited Liability Companies, Limited Liability Partnerships, Limited Liability Limited Partnerships and Restricted Professional Limited Liability Companies to Dec. 31, 2020. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 14 – A police reform bill sponsored by State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, that would bring about the most significant changes to Pennsylvania policing in at least 40 years was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf today as Act 59 of 2020. Williams’ H.B. 1910 will update police training in several areas, including recognizing and reporting child abuse; de-escalation and harm reduction techniques; interacting with individuals of diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds; and appropriate use of force. House Bill 1910 is one of 19 bills that members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus urged be considered by the House. The bill was recently passed unanimously by the House and the Senate, along with H.B. 1841 , which would require employers to disclose employment information to a law enforcement agency that is conducting a background investigation of an applicant. H.B.1841 was also signed into law by the governor. “A resounding cry for justice for all citizens has risen up throughout our commonwealth and our nation,” Williams said. “The General Assembly has responded to this impassioned demand to protect the vulnerable by passing these two police reform bills unanimously and by the governor by signing them into law. “I’m proud that my bill will enhance the training the police receive so they can better serve the public and expand the reporting system to Read more
“This extraordinary decision was a shameful abuse of legislative power,” Ciresi said. “While all bills deserve to be properly debated and discussed, and potentially improved through amendments, this is especially true for amendments to the constitution itself. To push through a bill of this magnitude without a public hearing or discussion, while refusing to even consider amendments that my colleagues worked hard to draft, is unacceptable.” Read more
“Bringing back the train is critical to reviving the downtowns of Pottstown and Royersford, creating new jobs, increasing property values, and improving quality of life. Everyone – not just train passengers – stands to benefit from these positive impacts. I am proud to continue to work with stakeholders on this important priority, and look forward to seeing further developments as we continue to move forward.” Read more
State Rep. David Delloso, D-Delaware, will host his free Shred and Electronic Waste Event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 11 at the Norwood Fire Company. The fire company is located at 336 Chester Pike in Norwood. Read more
COATESVILLE, July 2 – State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, hosted Wednesday night a successful Community Police Partnership Forum shedding light on police/community relations and systemic racism. Dozens of constituents attended while more than 100 tuned in via livestream to interact with Williams, area chiefs of police, Chester County’s sheriff and district attorney. “I want to thank everyone who participated as we attempt to take a step forward together,” Williams said. “We need to open the dialogue around policing to implement effective change. This is only the beginning – 400 years of racism cannot be addressed in only one night. Here in Pennsylvania, we’ve passed legislation, including my own House Bill 1910, to make historic changes that I’m confident will save lives and increase our police force’s efficiency for years to come.” A recording of the discussion is available on Williams’ Facebook page. For more information, those interested can contact Williams’ office at (484) 200-8256. Read more
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