HARRISBURG – May 25, 2022 – Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa issued the following statement on the tragic mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas:
“As we find our nation amid another senseless tragedy at the hands of gun violence, our hearts are broken as parents, siblings, families and friends suffer the unimaginable task of grieving the loss of 19 precious children. It is always difficult to say a premature goodbye to a loved one, but the circumstance that these families have been dealt is unfathomable to most of us.
My hope for the children who survived the shooting is that they may find peace and comfort someplace within the darkness of this gruesome act of violence to which no child should ever have to bear witness. Our youth should never have to endure the terror of watching a gunman invade the safe space of their school, witness the massacre of their classmates, and be burdened with this trauma.
We find ourselves in this endless cycle of watching in horror as mass shootings play out across our nation. To date, the total number of mass shootings in America during 2022 alone is 215. It was just nine days ago that a grocery store in Buffalo was the 198th violent gun attack, followed by one of the most violence weekends throughout the country. And then life goes on without any action. The silence is deafening once more.
I am calling on my colleagues in the General Assembly to act. While I believe this issue is best addressed at the federal level to ensure uniformity from state to state, partisan deadlock in Washington always blocks deliberation. The US Senate’s failure to do their job and advance commonsense safety measures is why it’s upon us to do what’s right for the health, safety, and welfare of our citizens.
We are well past time for the Republican majority to come together with us. Even after this nightmare came to pass in our own backyard at the Tree of Life Synagogue, there were thoughts, but no progress. Prayers, but no action.
For those who might predictably say that we are politicizing a tragedy – particularly fellow elected officials – we say that your inaction and resistance to improvements in our laws is politics at its very worst. No one seeks or wishes to infringe upon any law-abiding citizens’ rights. The perpetrators of gun violence on our communities are the ones who infringe upon the constitutionally protected rights of the victims. And keep in mind our Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are three examples of our unalienable rights which governments were created to protect. To continue to sit by and do nothing is a dereliction of duty. It is ignoring our most fundamental responsibility to our citizens.
Our constituents deserve much more than ignorance and complicity. We oftentimes call for lawmakers to be courageous in the wake of these shootings. Doing what’s right to address what has become a public health and safety crisis is not exactly courageous. It’s just the right thing to do. Working to secure the safety of our people is not a divisive issue. It’s why we were elected to serve.
We cannot let the aftermath of this event become another stain on our nation. And that starts right here at home in Pennsylvania. We owe it to the victims of this latest tragedy and all those before it. We owe it to their families and friends. We owe it to their neighbors and congregations. In their names, we must come together to protect others from their own fate. Senate Democrats stand ready to get to work immediately.”
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PITTSBURGH – May 15, 2022 – Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa issued the following statement on the passing of former State Senator Jim Ferlo:
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our former colleague Senator Jim Ferlo. Jim represented the 38th Senatorial District, serving portions of the City of Pittsburgh, parts of Allegheny, Armstrong and Westmoreland Counties, from 2003 until 2015. He served as the Democratic Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee and was the Democratic Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Prior to his election to the Senate, Jim served on Pittsburgh City Council from 1988 to 2003 and was Pittsburgh City Council President from 1994 through 1998.
To anyone who served with him, I think it’s safe to say that he was the progressive conscience of the Senate during his tenure, and maybe the entire General Assembly. He was a staunch fighter and a champion of the people, especially of those whose voices were often ignored, and was known for his soring rhetoric and his never-back-down style. He always had an eye on community development and helped to found untold numbers of organizations to that end.
He served in elected office for decades, but his involvement in politics goes back to the 1960’s including organizing, marching, and protesting for causes that he believed in. This was always Jim’s true passion. He always advocated for working people, minority groups, women, and the LGBTQ community; the least heard voices in politics.
The son of Italian immigrants, Jim was born in Rome, New York and often credited is ability to be an effective legislator as being one of 10 siblings.
No matter what side of an issue someone fell, having Jim Ferlo as part of the conversation kept you on your toes and made you become more educated and thoughtful. For that, I know he made so many of us better public servants, myself included. It was a true honor to have served with Jim, but even more so, I’m so glad to have called him a friend. On behalf of the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
May 13, 2022 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announced a $500,000 grant to support clean-energy job training for underserved communities in Allegheny County. The award comes from the Clean Energy Workforce Development Grant Program, which is designed to:
- Create opportunities for individuals from underserved communities
- Provide access to clean-energy job training
- And bolster Pennsylvania’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
“This investment in clean-energy jobs is an investment in long-term careers with good pay,” said Senator Costa. “The grant program provides opportunities in a sector that will continue to grow and allow workers with a variety of skill sets to grow with it. As the industry expands, it will need more fabricators, assemblers, manufacturing workers, construction workers, mechanics, electricians, and installers. We need to ensure individuals have the access and information they need to fully take advantage of clean-energy workforce opportunities, now and into the future.”
The grant was awarded to Partner4Work to fund a collaboration between Partner4Work, Pittsburgh Gateway, Omicelo, a real estate investment firm, and PA CareerLink alongside employers, businesses, and additional community partners in Allegheny County. The project will create a pipeline for individuals from underserved communities to access training and quality jobs available within the clean-energy sector.
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HARRISBURG – May 12, 2022 – Legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system is set for action according to Senator Lisa Baker (R-20), Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and Senator Jay Costa (D-43), who have been working to implement reforms needed to improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities, with a continued focus on protecting public safety.
The Senators are advancing a package of bills intended to achieve taxpayer savings that can then be reinvested to implement more effective research-based policies. The effort includes changes to standardize the expungement process and shorten the timeline for eligibility in certain cases, and provide funding for alternative sentencing and juvenile defense expenses.
“Making substantial and impactful changes to long-held policies requires comprehensive examination and focus,” Senator Lisa Baker said. “It is critical that we hold juveniles accountable for their actions, but also put in place policies that offer the chance for positive growth. From the beginning, the issue of reforming Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system has been a joint, bi-partisan effort. No matter if young people live in rural, suburban, or urban areas of our state, the system and processes in place should be fair and equipped with the tools to strengthen families and reduce recidivism rates.”
Last year, Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice Task Force issued its Juvenile Justice Task Force Report containing 35 policy recommendations following a comprehensive review of current practices. The 30-member panel assessed the state’s juvenile justice system and reviewed data from court and state agencies and examined how current practices can better align with what research says works best.
Senator Lisa Baker, who leads the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chaired the Juvenile Justice Task Force, said a public hearing will be held on May 23 to give proponents and opponents a final chance to comment on the reforms before full committee action.
“These bills will help ensure that all juveniles are treated fairly during all stages of their interactions with the justice system,” Senator Steve Santarsiero said. “The justice system should not create a permanent impediment to the success of the juvenile offender after their debt to society has been paid. Together, this package of bills will help youth in the juvenile justice system move smoothly and justly through the process and give them a chance at success in the future.”
“I am proud to join my senate colleagues on the introduction of these bills as well as other recommendations of the task force being introduced,” said Juvenile Justice Task Force co-chair Senator Jay Costa. “It is the beginning of a process that will include the review of the proposals by several committees as well as both houses of the General Assembly. I look forward to working with all of the sponsors, task force members and other stakeholders on improving our juvenile justice system.”
The specific bills introduced in this package are:
- Senate Bill 1227 – Addresses JJTF Recommendation 2, by amending the Human Services Code to include both juvenile justice and child welfare funding goals.
- Senate Bill 1229 – Addresses JJTF Recommendation 5, by amending the Human Services Code to provide funding for indigent juvenile defense services.
- Senate Bill 1228 – Addresses JJTF Recommendation 16, by keeping youth in out-of-home placement no longer than the timeframe supported by research.
- Senate Bill 1226 – Addresses JJTF Recommendation 23, by creating a standardized statewide expungement process.
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HARRISBURG – May 11, 2022 – Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa issued the following statement on today’s vote by the United States Senate on the Women’s Health Protection Act:
“Not only is today’s vote by the US Senate disappointing but it is completely out of step with the will of the vast majority of Americans, including here in Pennsylvania. When reproductive rights are threatened, women’s healthcare on all levels is at risk.
We know that if access to abortion is overturned at the federal level, it is incumbent on the states to protect these rights. Senate Democrats will always fight to protect the safe, legal access to maternal and women’s health in Pennsylvania and preserve an individual’s right to privacy and bodily autonomy.”
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May 5, 2022 – Senator Jay Costa, State Senate Democratic Leader, and Senator Vincent Hughes, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statements in response to Governor Wolf’s announcement on historic state revenues in April and the 2022 fiscal year.
While State Republicans have expressed disinterest in using excess budget to fund tax cuts and education funding, saying they’d prefer to put the money in the commonwealth’s Rainy Day Fund, Sen. Costa and Sen. Hughes are calling for historic investments to help PA families and address issues Republicans have ignored for far too long.
Senator Jay Costa:
“Pennsylvania has $2.8 billion sitting in the Rainy Day Fund and $2.2 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan funds sitting in the State Treasury. And by June 30, it’s estimated that we will have almost $9 billion in extra revenue on hand. That’s billions of dollars that can be used to make generational investments in education that could allow local school districts to lower property taxes and a cut to the Corporate Net Income Tax to bolster businesses.
I hear my Republican colleagues say it would be fiscally irresponsible to use this money to better the lives of Pennsylvanians. They’ve said these funds would be better saved for a rainy day. That’s not entirely true- Republicans are laying out a false choice. We can do both! We can use the surplus budget to better schools for both students and teachers. We can use these extra funds to cut taxes for businesses, making it more viable for companies to thrive in the commonwealth and attractive for both large and small businesses to set up shop in Pennsylvania. We can put the money we have, right now, into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. We can spend a portion of the money for these investments and still have billions for the Rainy Day Fund.
As we start to enter budget negotiations, I’d ask state Republicans to explain why we wouldn’t take advantage of this win-win scenario. In my opinion, we can’t afford not to.”
Senator Vincent Hughes:
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in Pennsylvania and put money back into the pockets of taxpayers.
I’ve looked at current revenue, projections for the rest of the year, and forecasts for years to come, and I’m energized about the strong financial foundation we’ve built. I’m excited to see Pennsylvania have such a strong financial footing, but I’m more excited to have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians. We have billions already in our Rainy Day Fund and billions available to invest in toxic schools, cut school property tax, fund anti-violence programs, cut business taxes, make investments in higher education and efforts to cut student loan debt, build more housing to increase inventory and lower overall home costs, and put $2,000 in people’s pockets. There are so many possibilities!
One of our biggest responsibilities as lawmakers is to use taxpayer money wisely and to the benefit of the taxpayers. Yet, budget negotiations haven’t even started yet and I’m hearing from Republicans it would be irresponsible to invest this money in the people. How about: it’s irresponsible to hoard the money.
The beauty of our current fiscal situation is we can make investments that will have real effects on the lives of Pennsylvanians and maintain a strong Rainy Day fund. We can do both! Let’s not play politics at a time when there are so many ways we can impact our taxpayers, our hardworking constituents who deserve to be priority number one as we negotiate next year’s budget.
To my Republican colleagues, this does not need to be a bipartisan issue. Let’s agree to put the people first and responsibly allocate funds. We can do both, all we need are willing partners.”
Total General Fund collections for this fiscal year so far come to $40.7 billion for the Commonwealth, which is 12.4% percent higher than projected. In addition, Pennsylvania revenue collections have met or exceeded estimates for 15 months in a row. And over the past seven years, revenues have grown steadily by $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion a year. Forecasts from nationally recognized economic forecasting firms Moody’s Analytics and HIS Markit project continued, steady revenue growth for the commonwealth over the coming years.
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