PITTSBURGH, PA – April 10, 2025 – Today, Senator Jay Costa joins Representative Dan Frankel to announce the reintroduction of a package of bills meant to strengthen law enforcement’s response to hate crimes, improve tracking, advocate for victims, and prevent future hate-based crimes.
This legislation is a direct response to the 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life building, during which a white supremacist murdered eleven worshippers in three Jewish congregations. To this day, this was the single deadliest act of antisemitic violence in American history. However, since then, the instance of hate crimes has only risen against racial minorities, religious groups, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
As noted in the Senate co-sponsorship memorandum, “According to the Pennsylvania State Policy Uniform Crime Reporting System, between 2020 and 2021, hate crime incidents in Pennsylvania more than doubled statewide. Between 2021 and 2023, the Department of Justice reports hate crimes almost doubled again in Pennsylvania. Worse, hate crimes are often misreported because of a lack of training or tracking.”
Already, Senator Costa and Representative Frankel have championed the creation and growth of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Signed into law in 2019, Act 83 directs PCCD to administer grants to nonprofit organizations who principally serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication.
“I have been extremely proud to fight for legislation so that the people who call Pennsylvania home have safe communities, gathering spaces, and houses of worship,” said Senator Costa. “Hate-based crimes shake our community to the core, endangering our sense of belonging, safety, and identity. I remember vividly the immediate aftermath of the Tree of Life massacre, and I want to thank everyone who has collaborated on real solutions to protecting members of marginalized communities and ensuring we can prevent hate-based crime throughout our commonwealth. I look forward to delivering safe neighborhoods where everyone can live, dress, gather, sing, worship, and join in fellowship.”
Last session, a similar package was passed out of the House of Representatives, but Republican leadership in the Senate declined to take up the legislation.
“No one should ever feel unsafe because of who they are, where they come from, or how they look, love, or pray,” said Rep. Frankel. “With this legislative package, Pennsylvania has the opportunity to stand up for our most vulnerable neighbors and recognize the deep harm hate crimes inflict—not just on individuals, but on entire communities.”
The House version of the Anti-Hate Crimes Package, which Representative Frankel introduced along with Representative Napoleon Nelson, is accessible here.
PITTSBURGH, PA – April 9, 2025 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces the recipients of Main Street Matters funding, distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development who serve the 43rd senatorial district.
The 2024-25 budget included a $20 million investment in this program in order to position the commonwealth as a leader in good jobs, strong local economies, and downtown revitalization efforts. Per DCED, “These funds build on the success of the Keystone Communities Program, which has helped cities and towns across Pennsylvania repair historic buildings, improve pedestrian safety, and provide direct support to small businesses.”
“The Main Street Matters program is crucial to our local entrepreneurs, small businesses, and downtown economies here in Pittsburgh,” said Senator Costa. “The lifeblood of our neighborhoods is a thriving main street, where local entrepreneurs hire local workers who serve local customers and tourists alike. I’ve been proud to visit many such shops in my district and learn just how vital investments in our downtown are to our overall prosperity. I am so proud to have supported the creation of this critical program, and I look forward to seeing our communities continue to grow and thrive as a result of the investments from this program.
- Mt. Oliver Borough was awarded $100,000 for Façade Improvement Program.
- Pittsburgh Innovation District was awarded $213,326 for the S. Craig Street Corridor Development.
Senator Wayne Fontana added, “Investing in the Downtown is not only the smart thing to do, but the right thing to do. When we empower our local businesses to attract great workers and loyal customers, everyone benefits. I am proud to have advocated for these investments and I am excited to see these dollars get to work in Pittsburgh.”
Together, Senator Costa and Senator Fontana announce the following Main Street Matters grant recipients who serve constituents in both of their districts:
- Bloomfield Development Corporation was awarded $22,520 for the Liberty Avenue Business District Plan.
- Bloomfield-Garfield corporation was awarded $17,561 for the Penn Avenue Strategic Plan
A complete list of Main Street Matters funding recipients is accessible here.
Learn more about the PA Senate Democrats’ commitment to every Pennsylvanian here.
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Harrisburg, PA − April 2, 2025 − Senate Democrats held a press conference on Wednesday to kick off Fair Housing Month, observed nationally every April, and call for state action on Housing.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa was joined by Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes, Senator Wayne Fontana, Senator Tim Kearney, Senator Sharif Street, Senator Tim Kane, Senator Lindsey Williams, Senator Maria Collett, and Senator Amanda Cappelletti. Senator-elect James Malone, the first Democrat to represent Lancaster in the State Senate since 1889, also joined the press conference.
“Senate Democrats have long prioritized delivering safe, affordable homes for every Pennsylvanian, and we are here today to renew that commitment to the people of Pennsylvania amid federal chaos,” said Democratic Leader Jay Costa. “We are committed to delivering for working families by ensuring that they can raise their children in a safe home they can afford right here in Pennsylvania.”
National Fair Housing Month celebrates the passage of the Fair Housing Act, a national law that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, and gender. The Act was passed in 1968 and amended in 1988 to include protections for people with disabilities and families with children. However, the current presidential administration has begun to roll back the incredible progress of the Fair Housing Act and has terminated grants to organizations that enforce the Fair Housing Act nationwide.
“For the PA Senate Democratic caucus, housing discrimination is not acceptable,” said Senator Hughes. “We will do whatever we have to do to make sure housing is a right that is available to everyone, no matter who you are, where you come from, what your background is, or who you love.”
A few weeks ago, Senator Hughes protested the freezing of federal dollars to an organization in his district to enforce the Fair Housing Act at the behest of President Trump and Elon Musk.
“As lawmakers, we have a duty to build on the foundation laid by the Fair Housing Act with responsive, forward-looking policies that meet today’s challenges,” said Senator Cappelletti. “While we may not be able to eliminate every obstacle Pennsylvanians face, we have a responsibility to pass meaningful legislation that eases their burdens.”
During the conference, members of the Senate Democratic Caucus discussed the importance of protecting the progress made by the Fair Housing Act and discussed ways to keep up the momentum on the state level, from zoning reform to eviction sealing to repairing our aging housing stock to building more new affordable housing.
“As a realtor by trade, I am proud to recognize Fair Housing Month and the public, private, and non-profit organizations that work tirelessly to ensure access to safe and affordable housing to any person who wants it,” said Senator Wayne Fontana. “Equitable access to affordable housing benefits our entire commonwealth. Now more than ever, it is important that we all work to ensure the guarantee of the Fair Housing Act is fulfilled in the commonwealth.”
The 2024-25 Pennsylvania Budget included a number of important investments in the housing space, including $70M for the PHARE Affordable Housing Program, $2.5M for new Local Government Emergency Housing Support, over $23.4M for Homelessness Assistance, a $2.5M increase for Domestic Violence programs and services, and a $2.5M increase for Legal Services programs.
“Ending discrimination in housing means ending exclusionary local zoning regulations that make affordable and accessible housing all but illegal in too many towns across PA,” said Senator Tim Kearney. “We need all municipalities to allow for housing types the average Pennsylvanian can afford, and we need the state to lead our communities because the housing crisis is affecting all of us.”
Photographs and video footage of today’s press conference are available upon request.
Learn more about the Senate Democrats’ commitment to every Pennsylvanian here.
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HARRISBURG, PA – March 26, 2025 – Last night, Democratic East Petersburg Mayor James Malone won a special election for Senate District 36, which comprises northern Lancaster County, against Republican County Commissioner Josh Parsons. Of the 184,569 registered voters in SD-36, 53% are Republicans and 30% are Democrats.
James Malone’s victory brings the total membership of the Democratic Caucus up to 23, narrowing the gap with the Senate Republican caucus.
In welcoming the first Democratic State Senator from Lancaster since 1889, Democratic Leader Jay Costa releases the following statement:
“The people of Lancaster County were loud and clear: Decency and commonsense beats the Trump and Musk agenda of hatred, chaos, and misery. I am thrilled to welcome another outstanding champion for Democratic values to the Pennsylvania Senate Democrats, and I look forward to working with him to continue fighting for a government that works for every Pennsylvanian. As we go forward in our discussions of the future of education, transit, healthcare, housing, good jobs, and care for our elders, I know James Malone will be a champion of the values Lancaster holds dear.”
Learn more about the PA Senate Democrats’ commitment to every Pennsylvanian here.
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PITTSBURGH, PA − March 20, 2025 − Today, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order which begins the process of dismantling the US Department of Education.
In condemning this unconstitutional action, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic Education Chair Lindsey Williams issue the following joint statement:
“We are appalled that President Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire cronies have taken the unconstitutional and unprecedented step of dismantling the US Department of Education, and moreover, that they have barely attempted to disguise their flagrant raiding of our children’s futures to line their own pockets.
“The US Department of Education plays a critical role in ensuring that every single student, especially our students with disabilities, receives an excellent public-school education surrounded by adults who care about them. In Pennsylvania, we rely on the US Department of Education for $1.45 billion in education support funding, $3.3 million in mental health services funding, and $238.1 million in workforce development funding. On the higher education front, the destruction of the Department of Education stands to cost our Commonwealth $68.9 billion in federal student loans, which support over 1.8 million Pennsylvanians.
“Dismantling the US Department of Education will do nothing to improve students’ math and literacy skills, nor will it lower property taxes; on the contrary, this order will serve only to clear the way for rolling back the civil rights of our students and unleashing untold discrimination without consequences.
“Further, Executive Orders are not law. They cannot change existing law or our constitution. This Executive Order cannot eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Today’s action is unconstitutional, but the damage to our students, parents, and educators has already begun.
“Pennsylvania’s Department of Education will continue to diligently carry out its mission to provide a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system public education on the state level to the best of their abilities, but the future of necessary funding, technical education, and special education is in incredible peril. The Senate Democratic Caucus will be fighting harder than ever for our students, our educators, our parents, and our support staffers.”
Learn more about the PA Senate Democrats commitment to an excellent education for every Pennsylvanian here.
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HARRISBURG, PA – February 26, 2025 − Yesterday evening, the US House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that endorses slashing critical funding to Medicaid and Medicare to the tune of $880 billion.
In adding to the pleas of fellow Pennsylvanians, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) release the following statement:
“Last night, Republicans in Washington passed a budget that will result in catastrophic cuts to Medicaid so they can cut taxes for billionaires. This should have been a non-starter for any lawmaker who represents the people of Pennsylvania, yet ten Republicans from PA voted ‘yes’.
“We should be improving access to healthcare, not taking it away from seniors and vulnerable Americans who rely on Medicaid for life-saving treatments and care.
“For weeks, our offices have been flooded with calls from constituents who are scared and confused, wondering if they were one Congressional vote away from losing access to the healthcare they need. Now it’s clear that PA Republicans will not do anything to protect healthcare for Pennsylvanians.
“There is no excuse for cutting Medicaid to pay for a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. PA Congressional Republicans should be ashamed of their decision to turn their back on their constituents.”
Learn more about the Senate Democrats’ commitment to accessible, affordable healthcare for every Pennsylvanian here.
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