LANCASTER, June 9 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El announced today that $1,250,000 in PHARE grants has been awarded to eight Lancaster organizations that provide affordable housing and services to the unhoused. “Housing is one of the most critical needs in our community – everyone deserves a safe, affordable home. These PHARE grants are going to help improve the lives of some of Lancaster’s most vulnerable residents,” Smith-Wade-El said. “As your state representative, I am proud of the deserving, hardworking people and organizations in the 49th District, and grateful for the support the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency provides. Our office works hard to bring state and federal funds back to the people of Lancaster City, Lancaster Township and Millersville, and we don’t intend to stop any time soon.” The following organizations received grant money: United Disabilities Services Foundation received $100,000 to renovate 33 units for low-income residents across six apartment buildings in Lancaster County prioritizing accessible features for independent living and safety. The Lancaster City Housing Authority received $100,000 to support critical electrical and HVAC updates to their 169-unit building on Farnum Street. BASE, Building and Supporting Entrepreneurship of Southeast Lancaster Inc., received $100,000 to support phase three of its Home Ownership Made Equal initiative. Community Basics Inc. Read more
LANCASTER, June 8 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El helped to secure $124,827 in state grants for two Lancaster organizations. The award money comes from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission’s Keystone Historic Preservation grant program. The grant awardees are: The city of Lancaster received a $25,000 grant to create a small area plan to develop the closed historic prison at 625 E. King St. and its surrounding area. The plan would include potential land uses, historic resource analysis, scale of future development, transportation improvements and more. The YWCA Lancaster YForward Historic Porch Restoration Project was awarded a $99,827 grant to remove the 1973, non-historic, masonry fire stair tower from the North Lime Street elevation so the Colonial Revival style porch can be restored to its historical, full length configuration. ““I am very proud to have helped secure these state grants to preserve the city’s history for its current and future residents,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Preservation projects like these enhance the distinctiveness of the city’s diverse neighborhoods and repurpose historic buildings and sites in creative ways to meet evolving community needs.” All grants require a 50/50 cash match and were awarded through a competitive selection process. Keystone Historic Preservation grants Read more
HARRISBURG, June 8 – Yesterday, House Resolution 128 introduced by state Reps. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., and Carol Kazeem, D-Delaware, urging Congress to end legal slavery was reported out of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee. While the 13 th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery, it left a loophole which allows for slavery/involuntary servitude as punishment for committing a crime. Kinsey’s resolution would urge the U.S. Congress to end this loophole. “Slavery is America’s greatest sin, and we can no longer allow it to continue any further in any shape or fashion,” Kinsey said. “The loophole in the 13th Amendment allows for America’s legacy of slavery and racism to continue- we must end it. No one should be forced to work involuntarily. Today’s committee vote for this resolution is a positive step towards fully abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude in our country.” “Slavery has no place in the world today. Yet here in the United States, through a loophole in the 13 th Amendment, we can still force labor on someone as punishment for a crime,” Kazeem said. “This is not what represents the America of today and it’s about time we finally got rid of slavery in our country. We hope our colleagues in the state House will join us in calling on our Congress in Washington to join us in this mission.” H.R. 128 Read more
HARRISBURG, June 5 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today announced the introduction of legislation (H.B. 1311) to increase Level Up funding to $400 million for fiscal year 2023-2024. “Our state’s inequitable school funding system has produced severely underfunded school districts where it is a challenge for students to get a good education,” Ciresi said. “The Commonwealth Court ruling this year declaring Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional is a call to action. We need to act by working to level the playing field for Pennsylvania’s children and ensure that every child has access to a high quality education. “Level Up has been one of our best tools for reducing inequity in education and ensuring all students have the opportunities to succeed, regardless of zip code. But without additional funding for Level Up, it will take decades or more for our underfunded school districts to reach adequate funding – too long for our children to wait.” According to Ciresi, Pennsylvania began leveling the playing field in 2016 by providing much-needed resources for public education: the enactment of a weighted formula for Basic Education Funding based on need and gradual increases in state education funding. Level Up has played a key role in providing dedicated funding for the 100 most underfunded school districts since it was implemented in FY 2021-2022 and expanded in 2022-2023. “Since its Read more
“I look forward to working with all my colleagues on important matters that affect the lives of all Pennsylvanians. A lot of important conversations need to happen within our state legislature, especially as we begin drafting this year’s budget, and it’s my honor to serve as a strong voice for the people of Delaware County,” Boyd said. Read more
“Veterans have served all of the United States, not just one state. Their ability to enjoy the great outdoors should be enjoyed nationally with as little hindrance as possible,” said Pielli, who is an Army veteran. Read more
“I am extremely grateful to have the full support of my colleagues from both sides of the House,” Shusterman said. “I thank Representative Kate Klunk for championing this bipartisan legislation during the last House session. Families settling legal disputes already have a tough time. We can help take the sting out of those proceedings by providing families more options to come to the best resolution that works for them, and House Bill 917 does just that.” Read more
“I am proud to be a part of a legislature that wants to see our state economy flourish, our local businesses grow, and to see more sustainable jobs created and remain here in the Commonwealth,” Shusterman said. Read more
HARRISBURG, May 24 – Legislation to expand and strengthen Pennsylvania’s anti-hate crimes statutes was approved by the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday, marking the first legislative step forward in two decades to address the universally recognized increase in hate-based crimes. Reps. Dan Frankel and Napoleon Nelson, original sponsors of the four-bill package, applauded their committee colleagues' support and vowed to keep advocating for the legislation until it becomes law. “Hate crimes are on the rise, and every day that Pennsylvania’s laws are left unequipped to deal with them is a day that those who would use violence and intimidation to diminish our vulnerable communities are further emboldened,” Frankel said. “Today, the House Judiciary Committee voted for a commonwealth that stands with vulnerable communities and aspires to promote diversity and tolerance.” Frankel noted that once the bills become law, Pennsylvania will join the majority of states that acknowledge the growing scourge of attacks on Americans for who they are, how they look or who they love. Nelson said, “This legislative package is of vital importance. As hate crimes increase across the country, we must protect those who are most vulnerable. I’m happy to have sponsored these pieces of legislation and look forward to doing more to ensure that everyone – regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual Read more
HARRISBURG, May 23 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today announced the introduction of legislation (H.B. 1244) that will make predictable the cost of recording documents charged by Recorders of Deeds. “My legislation would simplify the recordation process, eliminate the potential for user error, and guarantee predictability for fees, which will benefit consumers, lenders, businesses, attorneys, and others who record documents in the Commonwealth,” Ciresi said. The current method for calculating the cost of recording is dependent on page count, number of names, number of parcels, and number of marginal document references. According to Ciresi, the last-minute addition or removal of a page, or a miscalculation, can lead to the incorrect amount being included for a filing and subsequent rejection, causing uncertainty, delays, and potential harm to those involved in the transaction. In 2016, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee conducted a review of the fees collected by recorders of deeds. Its findings included: (1) “Fees charged by County Recorders of Deeds are difficult to predict because they can vary based on factors such as the number of pages and the number of names that need to be indexed” and (2) “Many states are moving toward predictable recording fees to avoid delays and penalties at settlement.” “Not only does the current method create potential for surprises Read more
Focusing on prioritizing people over profit, fighting social inequality Read more
HARRISBURG, May 23 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday passed historic legislation that would expand background checks for firearm purchases and provide emergency protection for gun owners who are at risk of harming themselves or others, said state Rep. Perry Warren, who sponsored the background-check bill. The bills, which are now with the Senate for consideration, are: H.B. 714 to enact universal background checks, passed 109-92. H.B. 1018 to create extreme risk protection orders, passed 102-99. “It has been a long time coming, but with a new direction in Harrisburg, we took two really big steps this week toward better protecting the public in the face of a growing gun violence epidemic,” said Warren, D-Bucks. “I’m proud to have sponsored the universal background check bill and happy to see it received bipartisan support in the House. We have a responsibility as representatives to do everything we can to make gun sales the safest and most comprehensive they can be in Pennsylvania." Federal and current state laws require checks for most sales by licensed gun dealers, but they do not cover all types of guns or those sold by unlicensed sellers, including online, at shows and to strangers. Warren’s bill would require checks on all avenues of sales and for long-barrel firearms, as well. “I hope that the Senate has the foresight to move this popular and much-needed Read more
“I introduced this bill because I lost my dad to gun suicide, and I want to do what I can to ensure no other family has to go through the tragedy that mine went through,” O’Mara said. Read more
LANCASTER, May 17 – The Luis Munoz Marin Senior Center will receive a $26,374 state grant, state Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El announced today. The center was one of 48 senior centers in the commonwealth that was awarded a 2022-23 Senior Community Center grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. The grant money can be used to update and modernize facilities, provide health and entertainment programs, upgrade technology, or enhance nutrition services. “For years, the Luis Munoz Marin Senior Center has offered our diverse and multi-lingual senior community a place to connect with others, to learn, to enjoy a hot meal, to receive wellness and mental health services, and more,” Smith-Wade-El said. “This grant money is richly deserved and will help Luis Munoz Marin Senior Center enhance its services to continue helping our seniors thrive and live independently.” The Luis Munoz Marin Senior Center is the largest social services center in Lancaster and the only one that cooks hot food on-site instead of using pre-packaged meals prepared at a different location. Annually, the center provides more than 32,000 hot meals – both breakfast and lunch – for seniors and other individuals in the community who otherwise would not have eaten that day. Named after the Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician who became the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico, the Luis Muñoz Marin Senior Center provides Read more
EDDYSTONE, May 15 – Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton highlighted the positive contributions the Delaware County Health Department has accomplished and ways it has impacted the community just a year after being launched in April 2022. “From West Nile Virus to tracking Delco health trends, the Delaware County Health Department is laying the foundation for a healthier county” said Speaker McClinton, who represents portions of Delaware County and Philadelphia. “With new threats to public health emerging every day, I’m proud to support the work of the Health Department to identify, educate, and lead in protecting our community” said McClinton, who brought the House Majority Policy Committee in for a roundtable and tour Monday in Delaware County. During the first days of the pandemic in Pennsylvania, on March 6, 2020, the governor held a press conference to announce two confirmed presumptive COVID-19 cases – including one case in Delaware County. The county had not yet developed its own health department, and it relied on neighboring Chester County to help inform citizens. It exposed a weakness in Delco and for many of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Before it created its own health department, Delco was the largest county – by population – without its own health department. Even after its creation, only Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia run their own county-wide health departments. Other counties Read more
“Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, states throughout the nation stripped the rights to access to reproductive health care and limited what had previously been readily available for nearly 50 years,” said Krueger, who represents portions of Delaware County and is a member of the House Majority Leadership Team, serving as the House Majority Caucus Administrator. “This decision not only threatens public health in states that limited access to reproductive health care, but it also threatens public health in states like Pennsylvania – where abortion is safe and legal – by overwhelming health systems with the increased demand coming from out of state to receive essential health care.” Read more
“Homelessness and its devastating aftereffects on families and children can no longer be overlooked,” said Rep. Melissa Cerrato, who co-hosted the event. “We know figures for children experiencing homelessness are under reported, so it’s promising to see the success of Family Promise, an organization that accepts and provides service to all people.” Read more
HARRISBURG, May 9 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, yesterday introduced legislation (H.B. 1137) to pay down the unfunded liabilities in the state and school employees’ pensions systems using state surplus funds to relieve tax burdens on local taxpayers and school districts. “While our teachers and state employees deserve the retirements they were promised, the unfunded liabilities in our state pension systems – accumulated years and decades ago – increases costs for our taxpayers and school districts as we work to pay that down,” Ciresi said. “My bill would help provide relief by using our state’s surplus funds to reduce these unfunded liabilities, saving taxpayers money in the long term and speeding up progress on addressing our public pensions.” According to Ciresi, the state pension systems— the Public School Employees’ Retirement System and the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System —generate billions of dollars for the economy every year. In 2020 for example, PSERS and SERS supported about 55,000 jobs and provided about $1.2 billion in state tax revenue . Although the pension systems provide a yearly financial windfall, local taxpayers and school districts are required to pay down the pension systems’ unfunded liabilities. These payments significantly increased since pension reforms in 2010 which, in addition to reforming benefits, prompted expanded pension Read more
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis visited Delco Tech to discuss ways the Shapiro Administration's proposed budget would benefit the school. He was joined by state Reps. Leanne Krueger, D-161, of Nether Providence; Dave Delloso, D-162, of Ridley Park; Gina Curry, D-164, of Upper Darby; Jennifer O’Mara, D-165, of Springfield; and Lisa Borowski, D-168, of Middletown. Read more
“Because of the Wage Tax, many surrounding suburban areas are losing significant tax revenue to support their police, fire, EMS and schools,” Munroe said. “My legislation would spread revenue across the region, which is home to many commuters and where their contributions ought to be shared.” Read more
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