Harrisburg, PA − September 25, 2018 − Following the death of Antwon Rose, Jr. earlier this year, and other incidents around the state and nation, state legislators began work on legislation regarding police management and community relations. Today, Senators Jay Costa, Wayne Fontana, Jim Brewster, Art Haywood and Representatives Jake Wheatley, Ed Gainey and Austin Davis unveiled that work.
“Recent events have shown that we are at a crossroads in how we manage and interact with our police officers,” said Senator Costa. “We need to do more to improve the training, quality and support of officers. But our improvements need to extend beyond police departments and into communities. I believe the package of bills we are working on can do that.”
The legislation, now seeking cosponsors, focuses on three categories:
Police Administration & Management
- Municipal Police Officer Education and Training Commission Improvements
- Improved Police Pay
- Regional Policing Incentive Program and Study
Community Relations
- Professional Oversight and Policy Development Board
- Change the Standard for Police Using Deadly Force
- Police Diversity Recruitment
- Professional Oversight and Policy Development Board
Event Response
- Police Shooting Response Team
- Special Prosecutor
“We need to find ways to improve the level of trust and cooperation between citizens and police officers on a broad range of matters such as the use of force, diversity education, oversight and community relations,” said Senator Fontana. “This package of reform legislation is a step in the right direction in addressing these issues.”
“Exploring new ways to improve police services is extremely important,” Senator Brewster said. “Allowing municipalities to pursue voluntary and consensual police mergers — provided there are incentives to smooth the transition while ensuring citizen safety is not compromised– is a viable approach to addressing local police issues. These efforts, combined with other measures I have offered such as increasing pay for part-time police and changing the board composition of the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission to better reflect local policing, are important improvements that need to be acted upon.”
“Our criminal system is meant to be impartial and for prosecutors to discharge their duties free of personal or professional conflicts. However, in certain circumstances, there is the appearance of conflict that can lead the public to believe that justice is not being dispensed fairly,” said Senator Haywood. “My legislation, SB400, co-sponsored by Senators Leach, Costa, and Hughes would take the review the deadly force incident by police officers out of the hands of the attorney general and into the hands of a special prosecutor. This bill is not designed to punish law enforcement but to provide a neutral party to review the case when death has been caused by an officer.”
“ We are all deeply saddened and disturbed by the tragic and avoidable shooting of a young man, Antwon Rose Jr; no family should have to endure this type of loss. Two different departments already terminated this officer and there was documented evidence he was unfit to serve,” said Senator Street. This is why I plan to sponsor legislation that would mandate intelligence and information sharing among departments in the hiring of officers. While this is a reality in many jurisdictions , we must ensure that this standard is maintained across The commonwealth. every family should receive equal protection and every officer should know that the man or woman next to them is qualified to serve.”
“Since the tragic shooting death of Antwon Rose in June, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to address and provide solutions to police shootings and violence,” said Rep. Wheatley. “Our initiatives center on a three-prong approach including an overhaul of police management, more community inclusion and a better response to police shootings. I’m asking other lawmakers to join us in support of our legislation.”
“This is not to point the finger at or place blame on anyone, but rather to start an honest conversation about how we improve police community relations,” said Rep. Gainey. “We know that we have many great police officers; we also know that we have some bad actors within the organization, just as we do in all other professions. We need to work together and move forward together.”
“I can’t think of many other relationships as important to the unity and safety of our community than the one between police and citizens,” Rep. Davis said. “We have seen the devastating consequences when there is a breakdown in that relationship. I’m hopeful that the work I’ve been doing with my colleagues to draft legislation on police management and community relations will be a crucial step in the right direction. We need to ensure that police can continue in their mission to protect and serve, while citizens can feel confident in their ability to trust and support police actions.”
“The time has long since passed that we modernize policing and criminal justice in Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Miller. “By underfunding drug treatment, mental health, and our schools we have dumped a ridiculous amount of societal problems on their desks while giving them a woefully outdated playbook. We must do better, and working with law enforcement is key to raising standards across the board. We must ensure professionalism and accountability while eliminating the historically discriminatory impact of our criminal justice system on communities of color and on people of limited economic means.”
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PITTSBURGH, PA − September 18, 2018 − Senator Jay Costa and Representative Tony DeLuca today announced the award of more than $500,000 for local water and sewer projects.
“The quality of water infrastructure is a critical issue, at the national and local level,” said Senator Costa. “These municipalities submitted feasible plans to improve their sanitation systems, sewers, and pipes. I’m glad we could help those plans become a reality for our constituents.”
The Municipality of Penn Hills will receive $418,200 for Phase II of its Lime Hollow project; Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority (WPJWA) will receive $110,517 for a road storage tank and trihalomethane removal system; the Borough of Verona will receive $78,334 for improvements to its sanitary sewer lining.
“The funding awarded to Penn Hills, the Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority and the Borough of Verona, will allow us to replace sewer lines and address any archaic issues with our water system,” said Rep. DeLuca, D-Allegheny. “Water infrastructure can affect our public health, so it’s important that we make any necessary upgrades for issues up front before they become problematic.”
Municipalities and municipal authorities are eligible to apply for Small Water & Sewer grants for projects that have a total project cost of not less than $30,000 and not more than $500,000. The projects can include the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply or sanitary sewer system.
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PITTSBURGH, PA − September 18, 2018 − Senator Jay Costa and Representative Paul Costa today announced the award of more than $400,000 for local projects.
“Unfortunately, municipalities often lack the funds that they need to make critical repairs to their infrastructure and community resources,” said Senator Costa. “We were able to work with some local municipalities to bring their need to the attention of Governor Wolf and the Commonwealth Financing Authority, and I’m proud to say we are bringing major grants back to our constituents.”
The Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority will receive $193,307 for its Braddock Hills Trihalomethane removal system and West Homestead will receive $137,000 to improve its 8th Avenue sanitary sewer system under the Small Water & Sewer grant program. The Borough of Chalfant will receive $75,000 for rehabilitation of Chalfant Municipal Park; Rankin Borough will begin Phase I of the Rankin Ball Field with a $35,000 grant; and the Township of Wilkins will receive $25,000 for its township amphitheater.
“Parks and playgrounds are important spaces in our communities,” Costa said. “They are the places where we go not just for recreation or sports, but to meet our neighbors and to come together as a community. Both of these projects will be a great benefit to their respective towns.”
Municipalities and municipal authorities are eligible to apply for Small Water & Sewer grants for projects that have a total project cost of not less than $30,000 and not more than $500,000. The projects can include the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply or sanitary sewer system.
Act 13 of 2012 established the Marcellus Legacy Fund and allocates funds to the Commonwealth Financing Authority for planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks and beautification projects using the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.
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PITTSBURGH, PA − September 18, 2018 −Senator Jay Costa and Representative Ed Gainey today announced a state grant award for a water and sewer project in Wilkinsburg.
“Access to clean water and a reliable sewer system is something that every citizen of Pennsylvania should be guaranteed,” said Senator Costa. “We created the Small Water & Sewer Grant Program at the state level and provided it with $25 million so that we would be able to help municipalities with projects that their constituents need. Wilkinsburg submitted a top notch project, and I’m proud to have helped them secure the funding for it.”
Wilkinsburg will receive $246,658 for the rehabilitation of the South Avenue Area Sewer.
“It is no secret that many of our communities struggle when it comes to updating old infrastructure,” Gainey said. “Funding these projects is always an issue, and I am pleased to announce this grant which will help Wilkinsburg provide for the health and well-being of its residents.”
Municipalities and municipal authorities are eligible to apply for Small Water & Sewer grants for projects that have a total project cost of not less than $30,000 and not more than $500,000. The projects can include the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply or sanitary sewer system.
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Pittsburgh, PA − September 13, 2018 − Following the death of Antwon Rose, Jr. earlier this year, and other incidents around the state and nation, state legislators from Western Pennsylvania began work on legislation regarding police management and community relations. Today, Senators Jay Costa, Wayne Fontana, Jim Brewster and Representatives Jake Wheatley, Ed Gainey, Dan Miller and Austin Davis unveiled that work.
“Recent events have shown that we are at a crossroads in how we manage and interact with our police officers,” said Senator Costa. “We need to do more to improve the training, quality and support of officers. But our improvements need to extend beyond police departments and into communities. I believe the package of bills we are working on can do that.”
The legislation, now seeking cosponsors, focuses on three categories:
Police Administration & Management
- Municipal Police Officer Education and Training Commission Improvements
- Improved Police Pay
- Regional Policing Incentive Program and Study
Community Relations
- Professional Oversight and Policy Development Board
- Change the Standard for Police Using Deadly Force
- Police Diversity Recruitment
- Professional Oversight and Policy Development Board
Event Response
- Police Shooting Response Team
- Special Prosecutor
“Since the tragic shooting death of Antwon Rose in June, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to address and provide solutions to police shootings and violence,” said Rep. Jake Wheatley. “Our initiatives center on a three-prong approach including an overhaul of police management, more community inclusion and a better response to police shootings. I’m asking other lawmakers to join us in support of our legislation.”
“This is not to point the finger at or place blame on anyone, but rather to start an honest conversation about how we improve police community relations,” said Rep. Gainey. “We know that we have many great police officers; we also know that we have some bad actors within the organization, just as we do in all other professions. We need to work together and move forward together.”
“I can’t think of many other relationships as important to the unity and safety of our community than the one between police and citizens,” Rep. Davis said. “We have seen the devastating consequences when there is a breakdown in that relationship. I’m hopeful that the work I’ve been doing with my colleagues to draft legislation on police management and community relations will be a crucial step in the right direction. We need to ensure that police can continue in their mission to protect and serve, while citizens can feel confident in their ability to trust and support police actions.”
“The time has long since passed that we modernize policing and criminal justice in Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Miller. “By underfunding drug treatment, mental health, and our schools we have dumped a ridiculous amount of societal problems on their desks while giving them a woefully outdated playbook. We must do better, and working with law enforcement is key to raising standards across the board. We must ensure professionalism and accountability while eliminating the historically discriminatory impact of our criminal justice system on communities of color and on people of limited economic means.”
Senators Fontana and Brewster, who were not able to attend today’s event, will be offering legislation in this package.
“We need to find ways to improve the level of trust and cooperation between citizens and police officers on a broad range of matters such as the use of force, diversity education, oversight and community relations,” said Senator Fontana. “This package of reform legislation is a step in the right direction in addressing these issues.”
“Exploring new ways to improve police services is extremely important,” Senator Brewster said. “Allowing municipalities to pursue voluntary and consensual police mergers — provided there are incentives to smooth the transition while ensuring citizen safety is not compromised– is a viable approach to addressing local police issues. These efforts, combined with other measures I have offered such as increasing pay for part-time police and changing the board composition of the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission to better reflect local policing, are important improvements that need to be acted upon.”
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Download Co-sponsorship Memos →
On Clean Indoor Air Act’s 10th anniversary, elected officials, advocates call for extending its protections to all Pa. workers
PITTSBURGH, September 11, 2018 – On the 10th anniversary of the start of Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA), elected officials joined with advocates to celebrate the health benefits of a decade of the law and to call for extending those same benefits to all employees in Pennsylvania.
The law took effect on Sept. 11, 2008, creating standardized rules requiring most Pennsylvania businesses to go smoke-free. Since then, the vast majority of businesses in the commonwealth have gone smoke-free. However, due to broad exemptions for bars and casinos, thousands of employees at more than 1,700 businesses are still exposed to tobacco smoke in their workplace.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said, “This is a simple matter of fairness. If you work in most businesses in Pennsylvania, your lungs are protected. But if your job is one of the more than 1,700 that have asked to be exempt from the law, you’re not. It’s been a decade. We know the law works. Let’s make it work for everyone. All Pennsylvania workers have a right to breathe free.”
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said, “It’s simply unacceptable to improve working conditions for most Pennsylvanians, but selectively choose some workers to be exposed to the known dangers of second-hand smoke. Ten years is already too long. We should pass legislation to improve the health conditions of all workplaces.”
Allegheny County passed its own clean indoor air ordinance in 2007, before the legislature passed the CIAA. However, state law preempts this ordinance, which would have ensured smoke-free environments in all drinking and eating establishments. Electronic cigarettes are not included in the preemption, and since March 2017, the county treats e-cigarettes like tobacco products when it comes to indoor use — a step ahead of the state.
“Concerns about air pollution and its impacts is something I’ve heard from residents my entire career. It’s one of the reasons that we decided to challenge the state law and prohibit smoking in facilities throughout this county. While the state took action after that, it’s not enough,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who led the effort to make Allegheny County smoke-free as council president. “We made the decision to act on a county level because of our residents, and on their behalf. This is no exception. We cannot meet our goal of becoming the healthiest county in the country when employees are still exposed to tobacco smoke in their workplace.”
The elected officials were joined at the Morningside VFW today by representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Breathe Free Pennsylvania Coalition, Tobacco Free Allegheny and the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Bipartisan legislation to strengthen the protections afforded by the Clean Indoor Air Act has been introduced many times over the past decade, including H.B. 1309 and S.B. 519 in the 2017-2018 legislative session.
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