HARRISBURG, Oct. 26 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., today announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Health will administratively introduce changes to the birth certificate process, as proposed in legislation he has introduced that would allow disadvantaged minors to access their birth certificates . “Disadvantaged Black youth are at highest risk of being victims of gun violence in our city,” Krajewski said. “I heard their stories of how the inability to access their birth certificates were holding them back from seeking opportunities to improve their lives, and I knew I needed to act. We introduced House Bill 1475 to remove one of many barriers preventing them from being able to better their lives, and I am grateful for the Department of Health’s partnership on this critical issue.” “This regulatory change is a huge win for my clients who are in foster care or transitioning out,” said Saumya Ayyagari, public health nurse home visitor for Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership. “Now they can claim their identity and take charge of their financial, educational and career goals.” “This is a transformational change that impacts young people in our state in a positive way,” said Kendra Van de Water, co-founder and executive director for YEAH Philly. “Not only can working-age youth now have the autonomy and access to get their own birth certificates, but now we’ve helped make Read more
PHILADELPHIA, March 16 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., today announced three projects in his legislative district that were awarded a combined $1.75 million in state funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The projects awarded this funding include: $1 million to PIDC Financing Corporation on behalf of the Public Health Management Corporation to upgrade the Public Health Campus on Cedar's parking garage. $500,000 to the city of Philadelphia for the construction of a synthetic sports field at the corner of Kingsessing Avenue and South 49th Street. $250,000 to PIDC Financing Corporation on behalf of The Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia for renovating a historic building at The Woodlands. “I am proud of the $1.75 million in state grant funding that will be coming to our district and excited for how these funds will contribute to West and Southwest Philly being a place where people are cared for and can thrive,” Krajewski said. “The improvements at the Cedar Ave Health Campus are essential to ensuring that our residents receive the world class care they need right in their neighborhood. Kingsessing Recreation Center is an essential public resource, and these funds will provide improved spaces for our youth to play safely. The Woodlands is a beloved treasure and provides outdoor green space for our community to exercise, relax, and reflect. Public money Read more
Expungement Clinic Read more
Pa. state Rep. Rick Krajewski believes Governor Shapiro’s commitments to investment in Pennsylvania schools, homes, and working-class communities are a good start. Highlighting efforts to increase school funding and fix toxic schools, Krajewski is excited about the emphasis on our students in the classroom, and enabling the Whole Home Repairs program which he helped to create. Krajewski is committed to working with the Governor to pass a budget that fully funds our schools, ensures recurring funding for Whole Home Repairs, and investing in our communities and green spaces. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 8 – Yesterday, PA Commonwealth Court ruled that the state’s current school funding system is unconstitutional. The ruling is the result of a 2014 case brought by the William Penn School District against the PA Department of Education, a lawsuit that was filed on behalf of parents, school districts, and statewide organizations arguing that the commonwealth’s funding of K-12 public education is inadequate and violates the Pennsylvania Constitution. State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., has been an advocate for fair and equitable school funding since taking office in 2021. He said he is excited about the ruling. “Access to a quality public education should be a fundamental right! For far too long, Pennsylvania public schools have been unfairly funded based on Zip codes, and districts with a higher proportion of Black and brown children have been most adversely impacted. Yesterday’s court ruling affirms that. Now we must do the work to ensure public schools that have been underfunded for so long get whatever they need to provide their students a valuable education,” Krajewski said. Read more
STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs: Regional Recovery Hubs Grant Program (Funding Source: General Fund) Who May Apply : Nonprofit organization or governmental entity. Use : To support a Recovery-Oriented-System of Care (ROSC) by establishing a Recovery Hub and Spoke model. Funds : Nine grants up to $500,000 each will be awarded.. Application Deadline : February 24, 2023 More Information : https://www.ddap.pa.gov/Documents/Funding%20documents/GIFA%2023-01%20Regional%20Recovery%20Hubs_2023.01.11_FINAL.pdf . Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency: Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction Category 1 Funds (Funding Source: SAEDR Fund) Who May Apply : Nonprofit organizations may partner with governmental entities, including school districts, provided the nonprofit organization is the applicant. Use : To provide research-based or evidence-based approaches to prevention, intervention, treatment, training, and education services to reduce substance use or to provide resources to assist families in accessing the services needed to reduce substance use behavior, as well as strategies aimed at combating opioid/heroin overdoses. Funds : Grants up to $150,000 over a two-year project period. Application Deadline : February 24, 2023 More Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 19 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski announced a total of $9.56 million in state funding has been awarded to multiple organizations in his district from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for violence intervention and prevention. The organizations in Krajewski’s district that were awarded grants include: Anti-Drug & Alcohol Crusaders Inc. - $169,000 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - $1.93 million Drexel University - $1.2 million University of Pennsylvania – Center on Treatment & Study of Anxiety - $1.52 million University of Pennsylvania – Injury Science Center- $2.33 million University of Pennsylvania – Penn Trauma - $1.91 million YEAH Philly - $500,000 “Gun violence has been a very pervasive issue in Philadelphia and taken far too many lives,” said Krajewski, D-Phila. “I am very happy to see this funding come to the district and look forward to seeing the deserving recipients use it to keep our communities safe from further tragedy.” Read more
Recap of 2022 community events, legislation, state funding brought to the 188th district and much more! Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 8 – This morning during the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission’s regularly scheduled meeting, state Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., was unanimously elected by the members to serve as vice chair. Per new by-laws adopted during the same business meeting, Krajewski will serve a one-year term until December 2023, when he will be up for reelection. Krajewski issued the following statement: “Over the past two years while serving on the Sentencing Commission, I have gained a deeper understanding of Pennsylvania’s criminal legal system and the Sentencing Commission’s important role. I appreciate the variety of perspectives that each of the commission members brings to the work of establishing Pennsylvania’s guidelines on sentencing, parole, and probation. “In this new role as vice chair, I hope to bring my experience as a community organizer to this role. I believe I offer an important and unique community perspective both from my experience as an organizer advocating in the criminal legal space, and as someone who has family who have been involved in this system. I look forward to continue working with the members of the commission to bring this community perspective into the work of the Sentencing Commission.” Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 16 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., issued a statement following the unprecedented vote by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. "Today is a dark day in Pennsylvania,” said Krajewski. “This afternoon the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to impeach Philadelphia DA Krasner. The impeachment of DA Krasner is a direct extension of efforts by extremist Republicans to undermine voters, decimate our democracy, and steal power to advance their right-wing agenda. But in this country, and in Pennsylvania, voters decide. What we saw today, was emboldened extremists strip away the rights of all Pennsylvanians. And we could see this happen again to our constituents. To any of us. “This impeachment is a distraction from GOP legislators’ failure to address the leading cause of gun violence: guns. And a failure to deliver material support to Pennsylvania communities. Philadelphians have made their voices heard loud and clear: they want gun control, good-paying jobs, and do not want more of their loved ones in jail. GOP legislators are shamefully using the pain of victims and survivors as part of their own desperate power grab. If the General Assembly wanted to protect Philadelphians, they would listen to Philadelphians and help meet these clearly expressed needs.” More information is available by contacting Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 1 – On the last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot in Pennsylvania, state Reps. Rick Krajewski and Chris Rabb, both D-Phila., and civil rights groups reacted to a new report, which found that 42,976 people in Pennsylvania will be formally disenfranchised. The report is by The Sentencing Project, which found that across the country, 4.6 million people, or one in every 50 adults, will be barred from voting in the 2022 midterms due to a felony conviction. In Pennsylvania, only those incarcerated for a felony conviction are ineligible to vote. The 45.4% who will be disenfranchised are African American in a state that is less than 12.2% Black. In addition, advocates warned that thousands of Pennsylvanians currently held in local jails will be unable to vote despite being legally eligible to cast a ballot. A 2021 report by All Voting is Local, Committee of Seventy and Common Cause PA found that only 52 people had requested mail-in ballots in the 2020 general election using an address associated with one of 18 county jails. At the time, nearly 25,000 people were held in jails across the 67 counties. Reactions to the report included: "Felony disenfranchisement is a manifestation of how we dehumanize people in the carceral system,” Krajewski said. “We value retribution over rehabilitation. Punishment over restorative justice. And because we believe people who make mistakes should be penalized, it also means that we Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 27 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., today announced $2.75 million from a state grant approved by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program that will support the city of Philadelphia and the Christy Recreation Center. “Christy Recreation is a staple of the community located right in the heart of my district providing dozens of community programs, places to play and recreate, outdoor ball fields, basketball courts, a pool, game room, and community meeting spaces,” Krajewski said. “Whether you’re old or young, we all have stories of the experiences we’ve had at the Christy, and many of us have been heartbroken that such a vital cornerstone has been in disrepair. This investment of $2.75 million provides hope for a grieving community that suffered an immense loss when a young man lost his life to gun violence at this site at the age of 16. This community has come together, and now Christy has the chance to become a cutting-edge recreation center that West Philly residents deserve.” $2.75 million will be provided to the city of Philadelphia for the Christy Recreation Center project, which will involve renovating the existing center building and grounds, including ADA access to and throughout the facility. The facility will become more accessible, better lit, and greener, with better lines of sight and more efficient use of interior and exterior spaces. It will feature better and Read more
Pa. state Rep. Rick Krajewski is recognizing Climate Action Week by prioritizing communities and people over businesses and profits. He knows that 1 out of 5 children suffering from asthma due to air pollution in Phila., and he saw first hand the impacts that fracking has had in Pennsylvania. He's working to establish a comprehensive task force to study the public health impacts of fracking and provide solutions to the negative impacts of careless and deadly polluters. He is doing everything he can to hold these polluters accountable and demand justice. Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 20 – State Reps. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., and Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, and state Sen. Carolyn Comitta, D-West Chester, led a Climate Caucus news conference celebrating Climate Action Week Tuesday in the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda. “One of the biggest issues facing Pennsylvania is that our polluters are not held accountable for their actions and the effects they have on public health,” Krajewski said. “We have an underfunded and under-resourced DEP that has had to make significant staffing cuts, whilst the fracking industry the DEP is tasked to regulate has flourished with the aid of technology. This has become a growing problem that demands concrete actions and I believe H.B.1467 is a step in that direction.” “Every day in the news, we see stories that should serve as red-flag warnings about the very real and present impacts of climate change,” Otten said. “Seeing the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Fiona; the growing threats throughout the United States from historic droughts, fires and floods; and the communities that are too often impacted first and hit the hardest by the economic and public health effects of climate change, we need to expand the conversation and the scope of what climate action means. During Climate Week, we’re lifting up the dozens of bills and solutions proposed by Climate Caucus members that would help Pennsylvania advance environmental justice, hold Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 15 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., today issued the following statement in response to the House Republican majority’s efforts to impeach and undermine Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, most recently holding Krasner in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena. “The Republican Party’s recent attacks against Larry Krasner are just another attempt to disenfranchise Black and brown voters and further a racist narrative on criminal justice,” Krajewski said. “I stand in support of District Attorney Larry Krasner and condemn these attacks against his office. “The Republican Party launched an impeachment process against Krasner simply because they don’t like his policies. The recent subpoena inquiry is illegal and is being properly challenged in court. By requesting that the DA provide grand jury testimony to the House Select Committee – notably, grand jury testimony about a police prosecution – the committee is asking DA Krasner to break the law. Until the Commonwealth court rules, Krasner and the Philly DAO don’t have to produce anything before the state legislature. “Republicans who live hundreds of miles away of Philadelphia have identified no grounds under which they can impeach Krasner. They cite ‘rising crime’ in Philadelphia while ignoring crime in other counties. They don’t experience the violence our Read more
Hello Neighbor, Summer is coming to an end, and I want to let you know what we’ve been up to around the district and in Harrisburg over these past few months. I always enjoy meeting with young people, and I spent some time speaking to two different youth summer programs about the sciences, democracy, and voting rights. Our office held a job fair in July at Christy Recreation Center and in August we co-hosted a backpack giveaway. Legislators from Harrisburg came to Kingsessing Rec Center for a policy hearing to discuss the need for funding our community infrastructure. On Your Porch is back for a second season and we are still looking for hosts. Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 8 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., today announced $1.1 million in Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants for projects in his district that will help create new recreational opportunities, conserve natural resources, and help revitalize local communities. “I’m excited to share the news with my neighbors that our community is about to receive $1.1 million to develop the Kingsessing Recreation Center and add more community gardens,” Krajewski said. “Governor Wolf has prioritized funding for parks and open spaces, which is a priority that I share. This money means the Kingsessing Rec Center gets to have state of the art facilities for our children and ADA access so that every child has a chance to learn, grow and play together. It also means we get to have more community gardens, to grow our own food and help alleviate the food deserts and lack of accessible nutritious foods. These are big changes that better our communities, and I am happy to help bring this money back home.” The grants approved allocate: $900,000 for the Philadelphia City Treasurer Managing Directors Office to be used in the rehabilitation and further development of Kingsessing Recreation Center in Philadelphia. Work will include construction of pedestrian walkways, synthetic turf multi-sport fields and stormwater management measures; installation of Read more
Ideas to support and grow local parks and other open spaces took center stage during a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing Monday afternoon in Philadelphia. Read more
"Housing is a human right,” Krajewski said. “Having the Whole Home Repairs funding included in the state budget is a huge step in ensuring that all Pennsylvanians have a safe, secure place to call home. This is transformative change that protects our communities from environmental wear and profit-driven overdevelopment." Read more
Pa. state Rep. Rick Krajewski doesn’t think the legislative majority should be introducing measures that undermine the will of Philadelphia voters to elect their own District Attorney. He believes that we need to solve gun violence by passing stronger gun laws and passing a budget that robustly funds our public institutions – our schools, our parks, our recreation centers, and homes. Read more
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