Pittsburgh, Pa. − October 30, 2018 − Sen. Jay Costa (D- Allegheny County) today announced that $150,000 in School Safety and Security grants were awarded to school districts in the 43rd district through the School Safety and Security Committee within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
“We must confront the epidemic of gun violence with a comprehensive strategy. These safety grants are one important piece of that strategy,” said Senator Costa. “We’ve seen too many tragedies in our schools, and I believe these grants can help prevent future ones.
Each school district received a $25,000 grant allocation:
- Penn Hills School District
- Pittsburgh School District
- Riverview School District
- Steel Valley School District
- Wilkinsburg Borough School District
- Woodland Hills School District
After Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 44 into law in June of 2018, the School Safety and Security Committee was established. The Committee develops the criteria schools use when performing school safety and security assessments, issues surveys that allow schools to measure their safety and security preparedness and administers grants to schools to improve safety and security.
The Committee established criteria for conducting a security assessment, which is a strategic evaluation of a school’s facilities and programs used to identify potential safety and security threats. Assessments include consideration of the safety and security of a school’s physical environment, climate and behavioral health environment, and related school safety policies and trainings.
Across Pennsylvania, a total of $52.5 million has been allocated to the School Safety and Security Grant Program for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
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HARRISBURG, October 17, 2018 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. released the following statement on what transpired tonight on the legislation regarding the grand jury recommendations on child sex abuse:
Since first reading its report, I have been a supporter of the four recommendations of the Grand Jury on church sex abuse. The Pennsylvania House, the Attorney General, the Governor and victim advocates also supported these recommendations – but unfortunately, the bill containing these recommendations was not considered by the Senate and our legislative session ended tonight.
None of those recommendations will be enacted for the many victims of child sex abuse this year, and that is unconscionable.
I would urge the victims who are disappointed today to not lose hope yet. My Senate Democratic colleagues and I are going to keep fighting for you to get justice, and you have many advocates in the Capitol that won’t give up either.
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HARRISBURG, October 17, 2018 – State Senators Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny) today announced $49 million in state funds to replace 28,000 residential lead lateral connections in Pittsburgh.
“I am pleased that state dollars will be used to fund and expedite this important lead lateral and service line replacement work,” Fontana said. “This is a public health issue and needs dealt with as quickly as possible.”
“Access to clean water should be guaranteed to every citizen of the Commonwealth,” Costa said. “This grant will go a long way in fulfilling that need in the City of Pittsburgh.”
“This is an important project for our area,” said Sen. Vulakovich. “By replacing these lead service lines, it will substantially increase the reliability of safe drinking water for our residents.”
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) will receive $13.6 million in grant dollars and the other $35.4 million through a 1 percent low-interest loan. The funds were awarded today at the PENNVEST (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority) board meeting in Harrisburg.
The line replacement work will take part in various parts of Pittsburgh based on density of young children, documented higher blood-lead levels and concentration of antiquated lead water lines. Anticipated replacements are slated for Morningside, Homewood, Perry, Mt. Washington, Southside and Greenfield neighborhoods. The project is expected to impact 7,000 people.
In recent years, Pittsburgh has struggled to replace old and decaying lead water lines, which have exceeded maximum health contaminant standards. The state Department of Environmental Protection issued a consent order last November calling for the laterals and service line replacement.
PWSA estimates that about 25 percent of the city’s water lines are made of lead. By 2022, it plans to inspect all 81,000 water lines and compile a database that identifies where the lead lines are.
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Harrisburg – October 3, 2018 – State Sen. Jay Costa released a statement on HB2060, Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence:
“Today is an historic day. We have finally passed substantive legislation to protect the victims of domestic violence, and it goes to Governor Wolf for his signature.
HB 2060 will save lives, and I’m proud to have supported it. The bill will take firearms out of the hands of most abusers within 24 hours of a final PFA being issued.
In a commemorative ceremony on Monday morning, I read the names of people who lost their lives in 2017 to domestic violence. There were 117 total casualties in our state last year to domestic violence, and there are 1 million American women who have been shot or shot at by their intimate partners. A firearm is often the weapon of choice for domestic abusers when their violence reaches lethal levels.
We must do everything in our power to protect victims before they become a name that we read at the annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month ceremony.”
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HARRISBURG, PA, October 2, 2018 − After years of debate, today the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 172 which allows for automated speed enforcement for active work zones.
“Active construction zones on highways can be dangerous places – both for drivers and for workers,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. “If everyone followed the speed limit, they would be much safer and I believe this bill will make drivers think twice about stepping on the gas.”
SB 172 goes to the Governor’s desk now for his signature, and if it passes, automated speed enforcement cameras would be set up in active work zones on state highways. Drivers would be sent a speeding ticket with a photo of their speeding vehicle; for the first offense, there would be no fine, for the second offensive there would be a fine of $75 and for a third offense the fine increases to $150.
In 2015, there were 1,935 crashes in work zones, including 23 deaths, across Pennsylvania.
“With stricter speed enforcement in work zones, I expect the number of crashes and fatalities to be much lower next year. I hope Governor Wolf signs this bill right away,” said Senator Costa.
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HARRISBURG, PA, September 25, 2018 – The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting in Pittsburgh today regarding a proposal to eliminate fuel economy standards on vehicles; Senator Costa submitted written testimony in opposition as he was unable to attend the meeting due to Senate session.
“Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are set to double the mileage for cars and light trucks per gallon of gas, in turn slashing global warming pollution in half for cars sold in 2025 and beyond,” wrote Senator Costa. “Removing these standards would pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to more intense and costly wildfires and extreme weather disasters. Conversely, keeping these standards in place would mean that, in 2030, U.S. drivers would save more than 3 million barrels of oil per day.”
Download Senator Costa’s full testimony →
