Harrisburg, PA – Julio 7, 2023 − Domingo, Julio 9th, marks seventeen years since Pennsylvania lawmakers last raised the minimum wage.
On Julio 9th, 2006, Governor Ed Rendell was joined by Senator Christine Tartaglione, Senator Vincent Hughes, and Senator Jay Costa, to sign Senate Bill 1090, Senator Tartaglione’s legislation that raised PA’s minimum wage to $7.15.
“When Senate Bill 1090 was signed into law in 2006, it was a promise to continue to fight for our Commonwealth’s lowest earners and ensure that the needs of Pennsylvanian’s lowest earners are never forgotten or cast aside,” said Senator Tartaglione. “I reintroduced Senate Bill 12 because I, like so many of my colleagues refuse to sit idly by as the Pennsylvanians that earn our poverty level minimum wage continue to struggle to make ends meet. Pennsylvania needs its government to act swiftly and decisively on behalf of our Commonwealth’s workers that need it most.”
Senate Democrats continue to support a higher minimum wage. In Junio, House Democrats passed a bill that would raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Senator Christine Tartaglione (D- Philadelphia) introduced Senate Bill 12, a similar bill.
“Pennsylvania is failing our workers,” said Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery). “For seventeen years now, Republican state lawmakers have done nothing to guarantee hard working people get paid fairly and adequately for contributions to our economy. I was proud to join Governor Rendell in 2006 to support pay that benefited workers and families. I hope to join Governor Shapiro one day to end seventeen years of inaction for minimum wage workers in Pennsylvania.”
Pennsylvania’s current minimum wage sits at the federal requirement of $7.25. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is far from a livable wage in the state. The cost of housing and other living expenses has continued to rise while Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has remained stagnant for over a decade.
A minimum wage increase to $15 an hour would impact one million workers who are currently making less than $15 an hour in Pennsylvania.
“Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a living wage, and the current minimum wage in PA is not one. It is long past time to do right by our working families and make sure we can raise our children on one good job,” said Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). “I have been proud to champion a living wage for every Pennsylvanian, and I look forward to working alongside fellow legislators, workers, and activists to deliver on this crucial value.”
Senate Democrats stand ready to vote on the House bill, but Senate Republicans, who are in the majority, must bring it to the floor for a vote. Meanwhile, every state surrounding Pennsylvania has raised the minimum wage. New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio, all pay a higher minimum wage. Pennsylvania is in last place when it comes to delivering for workers.
“Raising the minimum wage is critical to respecting the dignity of hardworking people so that they can afford housing and food, and so that they don’t have to choose between food, heat, clothing, and other basic needs,” said Senator Art Haywood (D-Phila./Montgomery), who has also been a fierce advocate for raising PA’s minimum wage.
He continued, “This is about helping parents and allowing them to be parents, no longer having to work two or three jobs and having greater freedom to provide their children with a better education, enrich their young ones with opportunities like recreational activities, be more active in their communities, and spend time with their families.”
Harrisburg, PA – Junio 30, 2023 − Today, State Senator Jay Costa, D-43, released the following statement on House Bill 611:
“The plan we voted on today is not a final agreement and is just one more step in negotiations.
“As we move through the process, it is imperative that we pass a budget that meets the adequacy and equity goals set out in Governor Shapiro’s budget and in the recent Commonwealth Court fair funding decision for funding public education. Head Start and Pre-K programs and investing in environmental remediation in our school buildings in particular are woefully underfunded in this version, as is funding for our institutions of higher education.
“We were also disappointed in the deep reduction in funding to sufficiently assist our communities to address gun violence, as the Governor proposed in his original plan and as passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month.
As discussions continue, we will advocate for a responsible spending plan that meets the moment.”
The text of the bill is available here.
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Harrisburg, PA – Junio 30, 2023 − Today, State Senator Jay Costa, D-43, proudly voted Yes on HB1100, a bill amending the Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program to increase income thresholds to qualify for the program to expand eligibility and to increase the amount of the rebates that each senior property owner or renter is eligible to receive.
Regarding his Yes vote, Senator Costa releases the following statement:
“This program has proven successful for our seniors, disabled individuals and renters so that they can afford to stay in their homes and I’m thrilled we are able to expand eligibility requirements so that more individuals can benefit from it. I will continue to champion legislation alongside my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus to ensure our seniors, our families, and our neighbors can stay in communities they built in the homes they love.”
The text of the budget is accessible online.
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Harrisburg, PA – Junio 29, 2023 – Today, the Supreme Court decided in a 6-3 decision to strike down affirmative action in the case of Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College.
Democratic Leader Jay Costa, representing the 43rd senatorial district, releases the following reaction:
“I am extremely disheartened that the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, a much-needed tool for ensuring young people of every race and background get a shot at a great college education and a full, happy life,” said Senator Costa. “Along with my colleagues in the PA Senate Democratic Caucus, I will continue to champion legislation that delivers a great higher-education experience for every Pennsylvanian.”
At 1 PM, Pennsylvania legislators will attend a press conference to add their voices to the chorus of disappointment regarding this decision. The livestream can be viewed here: PLBC Affirmative Action Response – YouTube
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Pittsburgh, PA – Junio 16, 2023 − Today, a jury found Robert Bowers guilty of 63 charges related to the deadliest antisemitic attack in recent history, which left eleven Jewish worshippers dead in Squirrel Hill.
State Senator Jay Costa, whose senatorial district includes Squirrel Hill, releases the following statement in response:
“Today’s guilty verdict marks the beginning of delivering justice for this terrible tragedy, but not the end. Our Jewish friends and neighbors will spend decades to come healing from this attack and mourning the loss of the community members whose lives were lost. While we now have a guilty verdict, we must also continue fighting to end the hatred and secure safe, welcoming spaces for all of us, no matter how we pray or worship.”
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PITTSBURGH - 19 de mayo de 2023 - La senadora estatal Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks), presidenta del Comité de Política Demócrata del Senado, se unió hoy a la senadora Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) y al senador Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) para organizar una audiencia pública en Pittsburgh sobre la seguridad ferroviaria.
La audiencia, celebrada hoy en el edificio de la Federación de Maestros Local 400 de Pittsburgh, contó con tres paneles de testimonios que se centraron en las prácticas inseguras en la industria ferroviaria y en cómo Pensilvania puede mitigar los impactos de un descarrilamiento de tren.
"Muchas familias de Pensilvania viven a escasos metros de vías férreas muy transitadas, con trenes de mercancías que circulan a gran velocidad y contienen materiales peligrosos a cualquier hora del día y de la noche. Como hemos visto aquí en esta región, es un desastre a punto de ocurrir", dijo Muth. "El descarrilamiento ocurrido en East Palestine ha puesto de manifiesto lo frecuentes que son los descarrilamientos y ha hecho hincapié en la respuesta de emergencia, la seguridad pública y la seguridad de los trabajadores. La audiencia de hoy nos permitió aprender más sobre cómo Pensilvania puede estar mejor preparada y cómo nuestra legislatura puede actuar para mejorar la seguridad ferroviaria y responsabilizar a los ferrocarriles."
Según datos de la Administración Federal de Ferrocarriles, en 2022 se produjeron más de 1.100 descarrilamientos de trenes en Estados Unidos, lo que supone una media de unos tres descarrilamientos al día. Las empresas ferroviarias solo están obligadas a notificar a los estados los trenes que transportan grandes cantidades de líquidos inflamables, pero no los productos químicos incluidos en las otras ocho clasificaciones de materiales peligrosos.
"Capacitar a los trabajadores ferroviarios para operar los trenes de forma segura y proteger a esos trabajadores cuando informan de problemas de salud o de seguridad no es sólo lo correcto, sino que salvará vidas y evitará accidentes catastróficos", dijo Williams. "Pensilvania puede ser un líder en la protección de nuestra gente, nuestras comunidades y nuestro medio ambiente mediante la promulgación de fuertes protecciones de denunciantes para todos los empleados que trabajan dentro de nuestras fronteras."
Según datos de la Asociación de Ferrocarriles Estadounidenses, Pensilvania es el estado con más empresas ferroviarias en funcionamiento y el tercero con más kilómetros de vías férreas del país: más de 8.000 kilómetros. La Comisión de Servicios Públicos de Pensilvania (PUC) indicó que, en la actualidad, carece de autoridad legal para ordenar a los ferrocarriles que apliquen las recomendaciones para mejorar la seguridad ferroviaria.
"Tengo entendido que las autoridades gubernamentales de Pensilvania son prácticamente impotentes a la hora de hacer cumplir la ley y regular los ferrocarriles, lo cual es lamentable, ya que la mancomunidad cuenta con el mayor número de compañías ferroviarias de Estados Unidos", declaró Fontana. "Soy optimista de que después de celebrar esta audiencia y escuchar las recomendaciones de los panelistas, ahora tenemos cuáles son nuestras opciones como mancomunidad para avanzar en la mejora de la seguridad ferroviaria en el estado".
Entre los participantes en la audiencia de hoy se encontraban Randy Padfield, Director de la Agencia de Gestión de Emergencias de Pensilvania (PEMA); Paul Pokrowka, Director Legislativo del Estado de Pensilvania, Sindicato del Metal, Aire, Ferrocarril y Transporte; Stephen DeFrank, Vicepresidente de la Comisión de Servicios Públicos de Pensilvania (PUC); Brian Moore, Director de Respuesta a Emergencias, Departamento de Protección Ambiental de Pensilvania (DEP); Don Bialosky, Director del Programa de Respuesta a Emergencias, DEP; Tim Leech, Bomberos de Pittsburgh; y el Dr. Andrew Whelton, Profesor de Ingeniería Civil, Medioambiental y Ecológica de la Universidad de Purdue. Andrew Whelton, catedrático de Ingeniería Civil, Medioambiental y Ecológica de la Universidad de Purdue.
"La audiencia de hoy sobre la industria ferroviaria en Pensilvania fue una parte importante de una conversación en curso, y quiero dar las gracias a los testigos que ofrecieron respuestas reflexivas y exhaustivas a nuestras preguntas", añadió el líder demócrata del Senado Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). Espero con interés aprender más acerca de lo que podemos hacer en Harrisburg para seguir luchando por la seguridad de cada Pennsylvanian."
Todos los testimonios presentados en la audiencia y el vídeo completo están disponibles en SenatorMuth.com/Policy.
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Testimonio
Panel 1: Impactos medioambientales
Panel 2: Prácticas industriales inseguras
- Paul Pokrowka - Director Legislativo, Sindicato del Metal, Aire, Ferrocarril y Transporte
Panel 3: Primeros intervinientes
- Tim Leech - Vicepresidente, Bomberos de Pittsburgh, IAFF Local No. 1
- Matthew Brown - Jefe de los Servicios Médicos de Urgencia del condado de Allegheny
- Periodo de preguntas y respuestas
Panel 4: Agencias estatales