Harrisburg – October 13, 2017 – Senator Costa’s office announced today that Angels’ Place Inc. located in Pittsburgh has been awarded the Seal of Excellence by the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO).
“I want to congratulate the Board and staff of Angels’ Place Inc. for this well-deserved recognition. Their work for mothers in the Pittsburgh community is awe-inspiring,” said Democratic Leader Senator Jay Costa. “They’re ensuring that young mothers are able to work, go to school, and raise their children. I’m glad a statewide organization has taken note of their huge contribution to Pittsburgh.”
Each year, nearly 600 Pittsburgh women under the age of 19 give birth. Teen mothers are statistically unlikely to complete high school, but Angels’ Place Inc. has filled a support void for them. They offer accredited child care at three locations, provide tutoring, support groups, counseling, and classes in parenting, nutrition, child safety and life skills.
The Seal of Excellence is granted to well-managed, responsibly governed organizations that deserve the public’s trust. Angels’ Place Inc. is one of more than 50 organizations in the Commonwealth to earn this distinction.
The program consists of six Guiding Principles and 67 Standards, a vast amount of educational resources and trainings and a voluntary certification program. The Guiding Principles include Mission, Strategy and Evaluation, Leadership: Board, Staff and Volunteers, Legal Compliance and Ethics, Finance and Operations, Resource Development and Public Awareness, Engagement and Advocacy.
Some of the areas reviewed as part of the evaluation include: how the board conducts itself, how conflicts of interest are avoided and disclosed, assurance of written and followed internal control and many of areas of management. The Standards also mandate that organizations evaluate their programs and are accountable to their donors.
“As much as we want to, and as much as we try – government is not able to provide all of the resources that we know our communities need. Nonprofit organizations fill many of the gaps that we leave. Angels’ Place is one such organization; and not only do they fulfill their mission, PANO has acknowledged their exception leadership, compliance, ethics and advocacy,” said Senator Costa.
The PA Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) is located in Harrisburg and represents over 900 organizations. The Association is committed to serving and strengthening nonprofits. PANO has adopted these Standards for Excellence to promote ethical practices and accountability in nonprofits throughout the state.
For more information about the Standards for Excellence program or to request a copy of the Standards, contact PANO directly at (717) 236-8584 or visit http://www.pano.org/Standards-For-Excellence/
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Harrisburg – September 20, 2017 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) released the following statement today concerning the downgrade of Pennsylvania’s credit rating by S & P Global Ratings due to failure to adopt a revenue plan with sufficient recurring revenues to balance the state’s budget.
Instead, House Republicans voted to approved a plan that included $630 million in special fund transfers, which resulted directly in this credit downgrade.
Costa’s statement follows:
“S & P took a step that many have been predicting would come for months, absent concerted action on a responsible and sustainable budget.
“Given the House Republicans’ inaction for months followed by the passage of an irresponsible plan, it is not surprising that Pennsylvania’s credit rating was downgraded. Their plan was revenue deficient and would fail to put Pennsylvania on solid financial footing.
“After review of the House Republican plan – including the $630 million in fund transfers – S & P took decisive action to downgrade our credit rating.
“The Senate passed a reasonable plan that, if enacted, would have avoided a credit downgrade. The action today was predictable. We already know that past downgrades are costing the state tens of millions of dollars annually in additional interest payments, and this downgrade will only add more.
“All parties need to return to the bargaining table and work through details of a plan that will sustain our budgetary needs.”
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Senate Democrats have been in the forefront of efforts to address exposure to lead
Harrisburg – Sept. 1, 2017 – State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes and Senate Democrats applauded Gov. Tom Wolf’s support of universal testing of children under the age of 2 to determine their risk of lead poisoning.
The governor has urged the state Department of Health to work collaboratively with the General Assembly and community partners on crafting legislation to compel testing of children under the age of 2 for lead exposure.
Hughes (D-Philadelphia), along with several Senate Democrats, including Sens. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) Judy Schwank (D-Berks), John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) and Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia) have been leaders in the effort to combat lead poisoning.
Senate Democrats have offered a comprehensive legislative package to help children, day care centers and home buyers deal with the threat of lead poisoning. Senate Resolution 33, which called for a task force to study lead exposure, was approved by the Senate in early June.
“The governor’s call for universal lead testing of children under the age of 2 is a huge step forward,” Hughes said. “Finding out the depth of the problem will enable us to better design a more effective strategy to deal with lead and help prevent problems associated with lead.”
According to the Department of Health, 28 percent of children in Pennsylvania under 2 years of age were tested for lead in 2015. Several years ago, lead seeping into Flint, Michigan’s public water system caused a devastating health crisis and spurred governments to examine the levels of lead exposure. Eighteen Pennsylvania cities tested higher than Flint for elevated blood lead levels.
Senate Democrats first introduced a comprehensive package of measures dealing with lead in 2016 following the Flint crisis. The legislative package included five bills that would establish a task force to study the issue and account for the age of the state’s housing stock, pipelines and school buildings; require school buildings to be tested for lead; require the licensing of lead testing centers; require property sales agreements to include an option for water testing for lead; and create a “Superfund for Lead Abatement” that would help pay lead remediation costs.
“We can do better and protect children and families from lead poisoning,” Hughes said. “The governor’s support is key to our success in addressing lead in our communities, homes and schools.
“My Senate Democratic colleagues and I are ready to move aggressively on legislation that gets to the root cause of the problem.”
Information about the incidence of lead exposure would enable families to access available services, Hughes said.
In December 2016, Hughes announced that $125,000 in state grant dollars were available to help Philadelphia deal with lead issues.
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Harrisburg – July 19, 2017 – State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Representative Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) today issued the following statement in reaction to the House Republican leadership’s continuing refusal to call the House into session to work toward closure on the 2017-18 budget:
“The House last met over a week ago without completing the work on revenue needed to finalize the state budget. Republican Speaker Mike Turzai has not advised lawmakers of when the House might reconvene.
“This ongoing failure to finish our work on the budget means the state-related schools – the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Temple University and Lincoln University are in danger of not receiving any state appropriations this year. In addition, the University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary School is unfunded.
“It’s disturbing that we have hit late July and still do not have a finished 2017-18 fiscal year revenue plan. Four parties in the budget talks have been around the table working toward an agreement, but consistently the House Republicans have refused to engage.
“This bizarre situation is unconscionable. We have an incomplete budget and Pennsylvania families are wondering what happens next, especially those families preparing to send their children to college in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, these families and our state-related universities are being used as budget pawns by the House Republicans.
“No one wins in this game House Republicans are trying to play. Holding university money hostage hurts students, their families and the communities that depend on them. It’s time for House Republicans to stop playing around and return to Harrisburg to finish the job we are obligated to do.”
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Harrisburg – June 26, 2017 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) issued the following statement after the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) acted today to move the Mon-Fayette Expressway project as a part of the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program.
The 47-4 vote by the SPC helps clear the way for the $2.2 billion road to be built from PA-51 in Jefferson to I-376 in Monroeville. The 14-mile segment is the final phase of the Mon-Fayette Expressway from I-68 to I-376 in Monroeville.
“The vote today reaffirms the commitment that was made to the taxpayers of the Mon Valley and the entire region,” Costa said. “To tap the economic development potential of the area, a state-of-the-art transportation network is necessary to aid development and create new jobs.
“Keeping the funding in this region and targeting it for the final leg of the expressway is a critical piece of a comprehensive transportation network.”
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HARRISBURG, June 26, 2017 — Lawmakers from the state Senate and House of Representatives, along with Wolf Administration officials and advocates, denounced the latest attempt in Washington to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act during a rally today at the State Capitol.
The lawmakers said the Republican-led efforts in Washington will have an immediate and devastating impact on Pennsylvanians’ health care and will add to an already-gaping budget deficit.
The so-called ‘Better Care Reconciliation Act’ is not better care, unless you’re part of the wealthy elite who will benefit financially from deep cuts to programs, service and critical care,” said Democratic Leader Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). “This is an attack on the working poor, elderly, children and Pennsylvanians with disabilities and we will not stand for it. We speak out today because we care too deeply.
“Removing health care coverage for hard working families, senior citizens and children is sickening. This effort out of Washington to repeal a landmark and historic health care act isn’t just playing politics, it’s risking lives,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “The only people who make out in all of this are the wealthiest individuals in the nation. Repealing Obamacare will hurt the Pennsylvania budget but, more importantly, it will jeopardize critical coverage for our most vulnerable citizens.”
“When the Affordable Care Act came out, people could actually get coverage and care. We must not go back to where we were before,” said state Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. “Health care is a right of every citizen. Ensuring that individuals and families have access to affordable coverage is a reasonable right. This is part of what a just and humane society does.”
“Both plans coming out of Washington will be disastrous for folks who need, want and deserve coverage. The plans dole out tax cuts to the rich on the backs of the poor, the middle class and the elderly,” said state Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. “We must stand up collectively and let Congress know that these health care efforts will be devastating to folks across Pennsylvania.”
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Pennsylvania’s uninsured rate is at its lowest point in history, and uncompensated care costs have dropped dramatically, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
One million Pennsylvanians rely on the Affordable Care Act for health coverage, including 716,000 individuals who have benefitted from the state’s Medicaid expansion and another 400,000 who have health benefits through ACA’s health care marketplace.
Both the Senate and House proposals in Congress phase out Medicaid expansion and inflict deep cuts to Medicaid. The Republican proposals will shift the cost of health care to state governments, make private insurance more expensive for older adults and lower income populations, cuts insurance subsidies for low-income and middle-class Americans in order to provide tax cuts for the rich, and defund Planned Parenthood for a year.
The lawmakers encourage constituents to share their health care story on social media using the hashtag #PASpeaksOut
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