Pittsburgh, PA − July 21, 2022 – Pennsylvania State Senators from Allegheny County including Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Senator Wayne Fontana and Senator Lindsey Williams announced a $200+ million dollar loan for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).
“I’m thrilled to see PENNVEST support the infrastructure of Pittsburgh’s drinking water in such a substantial way,” said Senator Cota. “These funds support PWSA’s plan to modernize a key function of our area and ultimately prioritize the continuous accessibility of clean water to every resident and visitor of Allegheny County.”
The PENNVEST loan of $209,005,329 will be used to support PWSA’s Water Reliability Plan, an effort to modernize and improve the region’s water system. According to PWSA, the plan will take about six years and invest nearly $470 million in large-scale water improvement projects which include replacing a 114-year-old clearwell and reducing contaminant infiltration at the Highland No. 2 Reservoir.
“This loan will support once-in-a-generation upgrades to water infrastructure in Allegheny County,” said Senator Fontana. “There’s too many examples of the harm and damage that can occur when we let infrastructure needs go unmet and then scramble to fix the problem after it’s too late. PWSA’s plan gets us ahead of that scenario. The thoughtful effort to make their system more modern, reliable, and sustainable will ensure that residents always have access to clean drinking water.”
“Investing in the water infrastructure of our region is a huge priority for me, so it’s wonderful to see the largest loan in PENNVEST history go to PWSA to rehabilitate and replace the facility at Highland No.2 Reservoir,” said Senator Williams. “Ensuring that we have clean, safe drinking water without imposing rate hikes is absolutely crucial, especially as inflation and rising utility costs impact working families.”
In addition to improving the reliability and long-term sustainability of Pittsburgh’s water system, the project will also address a Department of Environmental Protection Consent Order and Agreement to maintain the volume, quality, and disinfection of the system’s water.
PENNVEST serves communities and citizens of Pennsylvania by funding sewer, storm water and drinking water projects. These projects not only contribute to improving Pennsylvania’s environment and the health of its people, but also provide opportunities for economic growth and jobs for Pennsylvania’s workers. More information is available on the PENNVEST website: https://www.pennvest.pa.gov.
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Rankin, PA – July 19, 2022 – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa announced $7.5 million in state funding for a project located in the Rankin Borough. The redevelopment of the Carrie Furnace site will receive a $3 million dollar grant and a $4.5 million dollar loan from the Commonwealth Financing Agency’s (CFA) Business in Our Site (BiOS) program.
“The Carrie Furnace is a historic landmark in the Mon Valley and an important economic development opportunity for the future of Rankin,” said Senator Costa. “This funding will kick off construction of a regional attraction for film production which will be a one-of-a-kind facility for Southwest PA, creating many immediate and long-term jobs.”
This funding goes toward Phase II of III for the complete redevelopment of the 65-acre site that will consist of the acquisition of 4 acres and the development of a 52,000 square foot Film Ready Tech Flex Spec building. Specifically, BiOS funds will be used for acquisition, excavation, grading, sidewalks, and construction of the parking fields associated with the film production building.
BiOS grants are intended to empower communities to attract growing and expanding businesses by helping build an inventory of shovel ready sites. These sites must be previously utilized property or undeveloped property that are planned and zoned for development.
For more information on this funding project and other grant opportunities, visit dced.pa.gov.
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Harrisburg, PA – July 8, 2022 – Pennsylvania State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa today voted in support of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23.
“Given our unprecedented revenue surplus, Senate Democrats fought tirelessly to ensure an agreement that would provide historic investments in education, support safer neighborhoods and more secure schools, and put money back in the pockets of all Pennsylvanians so families and communities can thrive.
While I feel this budget does not take full advantage of the resources we have, this is a process of compromise and there is a lot here that I support, including several initiatives proposed by Senate Democrats.
This budget utilizes more than $2.1 billion in American Rescue Plan dollars that will be used to fund a variety of critical programs that support school safety, mental health, and anti-violence initiatives; long term care workers and childcare assistance; affordable housing; clean water and infrastructure upgrades; higher education; and increases in property tax rebates to homeowners.
Most notably, this plan provides historic investments in education from pre-K through college, including career and technical education, something our caucus has advocated for many years.
Our work on helping the citizens of this Commonwealth is not done as we continue our recovery from the pandemic and face the challenges of global inflation, but today’s actions are a good start.”
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Pittsburgh, PA – June 27, 2022 – Today, State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) commended the agreement that has been reached between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) to expand passenger rail access in western Pennsylvania. Investments from PennDOT and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will enable train service to increase between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg on the NS-owned corridor.
“I’m thrilled to see tangible infrastructure improvement result from Pennsylvania’s strong state-funding position and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Senator Jay Costa. “This is a big deal for western PA, and a perfect example of what can be achieved when the public and private sector work together to deliver for the people of Pennsylvania. Our Commonwealth has the most operating railroads of any state in the country, something we should be proud of. It’s an asset for both the supply chain and Pennsylvanians. The more we invest in this critical mode of transportation, the more we bolster our economy and mobility for folks across our 67 counties.”
The agreement was announced by Governor Tom Wolf today, about 5 months after PennDOT and NS initially announced they would work together to improve Pennsylvania’s rail system for both freight and passenger transportation. Expansion construction will be guided by an operation feasibility study that was released by NS in September 2021. The project will include upgrades to rail lines, passenger platforms, sidings, and necessary communications signals infrastructure.
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Harrisburg — June 27, 2022 — Today, the four co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus were joined by senate and house Democratic Leaders Sen. Jay Costa and Rep. Joanna McClinton to talk about the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the need to preserve abortion access.
The group of lawmakers vowed to protect the access to abortion Pennsylvanians currently have and warned that efforts to restrict abortion in the commonwealth will only intensify after last Friday’s decision.
“Safe and legal abortion is still the law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said WHC co-chair Rep. Morgan Cephas. “The place where American democracy was forged is still a place where a uterus does not make a person a second-class citizen. For now. While we stand here there are closed-door meetings going on all over this building. In those meetings, the right-wing extremists who turned the United States Supreme Court from an impartial body into the most partisan and authoritarian force in the nation are giving their marching orders to the men – and, sadly, women – who control the legislature.”
“I am committed to protecting access to abortion in Pennsylvania, along with every other facet of reproductive health care,” said WHC co-chair Amanda Cappelletti. “We need to be expanding access to healthcare, not stripping it away. However, being in the minority means that pro-choice legislators can’t fight back against these threats alone. Senate Bill 956 is a dangerous constitutional amendment that the Governor will not be able to veto. We need Pennsylvanians to pay attention as this proposal to deny a person’s access to abortion moves through the legislature.”
“While we stand together to speak for the majority of people, we have to remember the Republicans control the house as they’ve done for 23 of the last 27 years,” said WHC co-chair Mary Jo Daley. “Republicans also control the Senate like they’ve done unbroken since 1994. They can bring up and pass an abortion bill or amendment any time they want. We know abortion is still safe and legal in Pennsylvania. But our fight is not over. It’s time to look to the brave people of the past that fought together for their rights and work together so that future generations regain the full right to make their own decisions about their bodies.”
“Roe has protected my ability to make decisions about my own body for my entire adult life,” said WHC co-chair Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th). “I can’t tell you how difficult it is for me to think that my granddaughters will grow up in a country that affords them fewer rights than it did their grandmother. That’s the very definition of going backward.”
“The Republicans have shown us they don’t believe in women’s rights,” said McClinton. “They’ve shown us that they don’t believe it should be up to each and every birthing person in the commonwealth to decide what happens to their own bodies. They’ve shown us that time and time again. But we’re not here crying with tears, we’re here ready to rumble.”
“With this one decision, American life was so fundamentally altered in a way I have not seen at any other point in my career as a public servant – probably in my entire lifetime,” said Costa. “We stand firm in our commitment to do everything we can to preserve and maintain legal and safe access to abortion in Pennsylvania as it stands today. What we have to do is take that dark nightmare of Friday’s decision and do everything we can to secure this right. We have to turn this frustration into advocacy.”
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Harrisburg, PA – June 24, 2022 – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Senator Jay Costa issued the following statement in response to the US Supreme Courts’ decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:
“I am disheartened by the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade. Despite today’s action, Senate Democrats stand firm in our commitment to do everything we can to preserve and maintain legal and safe access to abortion in Pennsylvania.
Abortion is healthcare. Any decision by the Supreme Court to take away healthcare and an individual’s bodily autonomy is, in our opinion, a violation of the Supreme Court’s authority and interpretation of our Constitution. The fact that this is the first time SCOTUS has taken away a fundamental constitutional right—a right that has been in place for nearly 50 years – illustrates the unprecedented and misguided nature of this decision.
The overturning of Roe is not only an extreme disappointment, but it is completely out of step with what the majority of Americans support, including here in Pennsylvania. When reproductive rights are threatened, women’s healthcare on all levels is at risk.
Instead of restricting healthcare for women, Senate Democrats are committed to making the healthcare system work even better for women and their specific health needs. Instead of stripping women of their rights and opening the door for others to lose fundamental rights as well, Senate Democrats will use our positions to identify real health challenges and solutions for women in this Commonwealth. Proactive, unbiased, convenient, and supportive healthcare can easily be a reality for women, and we will continue to make it a priority.
While this is a sad day for our country, we will remain steadfast in our resolve to preserve and protect the rights and safety of women in our Commonwealth.”
