Harrisburg – Octubre 26, 2016 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) called on the state House of Representatives to pass – without any changes – legislation to restore the gaming industry’s local share assessment which was invalidated by the state Supreme Court. The local share is generated by an assessment on casinos.
The measure passed the Senate today and is headed for the state House of Representatives for its consideration.
Costa’s statement follows:
“I encourage the House to move quickly and pass the legislation that restores the local share assessment, without amendment. We (Senate Democrats) believe the consideration of complex internet gaming or gaming expansion that may be loaded into this measure by the House at the last minute would do a disservice to our communities.
“Amending this temporary fix that provides a level of predictability to our communities would jeopardize the legislation and imperil the continuation of the local share distribution.
“The passage of the legislation, in its current form and without amendment, would ensure that the local share continues to be available as we work toward a final resolution.”
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Harrisburg – Octubre 25, 2016 – More than half a million dollars in grant funds have been awarded to support the development of walkways, green space and streambank restorations in Allegheny County, according to state Sen. Jay Costa (D- Forest Hills) and state Rep. Paul Costa (D-Wilkins Township).
Three projects will receive funding made available by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA). The CFA is an independent state agency responsible for administering Pennsylvania’s economic stimulus packages including the Multimodal funds, Watershed Restoration and Protection funds and the Act 13 programs.
“These projects are critically important to the future of our communities,” Sen. Costa said. “Investing in local projects opens the door to new job opportunities and sparks continued economic growth and development. That’s an investment that will pay dividends for years to come.”
Through the CFA’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Funds program, the following grants were approved:
- Churchill Community Developments, $240,320 to construct a pond and boardwalk at The Shoppes in Pittsburgh Studios located in Churchill Borough;
- Riverview Apartments Inc., $240,000 for the construction of accessible walking pathways and multi-generational outdoor activity areas in Pittsburgh.
Rep. Paul Costa said that the former Westinghouse Research property in Churchill has significant economic potential and he was pleased that the funding was approved.
“The new state investment and development of the site will result in more jobs, commercial activity and business opportunities,” Rep. Costa said. “The redevelopment will help the economy of the entire region.”
“The funding will be used to add amenities that will enhance the value of the property and increase its attractiveness as a place to visit and conduct business.”
In Septiembre, Sen. Costa and Rep. Costa announced that $2.5 million in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds were approved for work on the project. Earlier this year, $1 million in state CFA multimodal funding was also approved to install traffic signals, build bus shelters, construct roads and a round-about at the site.
In addition to multimodal funds, the CFA announced grant awards from the Watershed Restoration Protection Program to:
- Borough of Oakmont, $85,000 for a gravel bar removal and streambank restoration on Plum Creek in the Borough of Oakmont.
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Monroeville - 13 de octubre de 2016 - A petición del senador estatal Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland), el Comité de Política Demócrata del Senado celebró hoy una audiencia sobre el papel de las escuelas chárter en la educación pública.
"Espero que la audiencia de hoy nos dé una mejor idea de cómo funciona el sistema de escuelas concertadas; cómo complementa -o desvirtúa- a las escuelas públicas tradicionales; y las formas en que podemos hacer que estas escuelas sean más eficientes, transparentes y responsables", dijo la senadora Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh), que preside el comité.
Brewster, que está presentando una ley de reforma de las escuelas concertadas, añadió: "Las escuelas concertadas deben rendir cuentas al contribuyente y demostrar que son fiscalmente sólidas y cuentan con el apoyo adecuado de la comunidad.
"Pedí que esta audiencia se celebrara en Monroeville para dar a los funcionarios escolares de nuestra región, así como a los representantes de la comunidad de escuelas concertadas, la oportunidad de ofrecer sus puntos de vista sobre esta importante cuestión."
Boscola se mostró satisfecha con la diversidad de la composición del panel, que incluía funcionarios estatales, superintendentes de escuelas públicas, administradores de escuelas concertadas y otros.
Calificando la ley de escuelas concertadas de Pensilvania como la "peor del país", el Auditor General del Estado, Eugene DePasquale, publicó el mes pasado una auditoría de 95 páginas que revelaba numerosos ejemplos de mala gestión financiera, conflictos de intereses y escasa supervisión. DePasquale testificó en la audiencia de hoy.
Muchas de las recomendaciones del informe de 2014 de DePasquale sobre las escuelas concertadas se incorporaron a la legislación de Brewster. El proyecto de ley requeriría una mayor supervisión del consejo escolar y del Departamento de Educación, endurecería los requisitos de viabilidad fiscal para los solicitantes de escuelas chárter, prohibiría a los miembros del consejo chárter tener un interés financiero en los acuerdos de arrendamiento, intensificaría la certificación de los profesores y requeriría la aprobación de todos los distritos escolares de los que una escuela chárter atrae a 25 o más estudiantes. La legislación de Brewster también impondría una moratoria a las nuevas ciberescuelas chárter.
Según el Departamento de Educación del estado, en Pensilvania hay 162 escuelas concertadas (20 en el condado de Allegheny) y 14 cibercolegios.
La Dra. Rula Skezas, superintendente del distrito escolar de Mckeesport, afirma que las escuelas concertadas perjudican de forma desproporcionada a los distritos escolares más pobres.
"Los dos efectos más obvios que las escuelas concertadas han tenido en nuestros distritos escolares son que han drenado significativamente los recursos disponibles para los estudiantes que permanecen en nuestras escuelas, y han creado un aumento considerable de los costes para nuestros contribuyentes", dijo Skezas.
El superintendente del distrito escolar de Woodland Hills, Alan Johnson, añadió que su distrito escolar gastará casi 15 millones de dólares de su presupuesto de 90 millones en matrículas de escuelas concertadas.
Ron Sofo, director general de la City Charter High School de Pittsburgh, rebatió que su centro ofrece una educación de calidad "a entre 6.000 y 8.000 dólares menos por alumno que nuestro distrito escolar autorizado". Sostuvo que las escuelas concertadas y los distritos escolares públicos deberían colaborar más y competir menos.
Junto a Brewster y Boscola en la audiencia fueron líder demócrata del Senado Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), y el senador John Wozniak (D-Cambria).
En la vista testificaron las siguientes personas:
- Matthew Stem, subsecretario del Departamento de Educación de Pensilvania;
- Auditor General de Pensilvania, Eugene DePasquale;
- Dra. Rula Skezas, superintendente del distrito escolar de McKeesport;
- Nathan Benefield, Vicepresidente de Política de la Commonwealth Foundation;
- Anthony Pirrello, vicepresidente, PA Coalition of Public Charter Schools Board, y director general, Montessori Regional Charter School, Erie;
- Ron Sofo, Director General de City Charter High School, Pittsburgh; y
- Richard Livingston, presidente del Consejo Escolar de la ciudad de Clairton
- Jeremy Resnick, Keystone Alliance for Public Charter Schools, director ejecutivo, Propel Schools, Pittsburgh
- Dolores McCracken, Vicepresidenta, PSEA
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Contacto: Charles Tocci
Teléfono 717-787-5166
Correo electrónico: ctocci@pasenate.com
Harrisburg – Sept. 30, 2016 – Efforts to redevelop the former Westinghouse site in Churchill will be bolstered by more than $2 million in grant funds announced today by Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Representative Paul Costa (D-Allegheny).
The $2.5 million grant for the project was approved through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).
“We are fortunate to be able to bring such critical investments to Pittsburgh,” Sen. Costa said. “Projects like this bring excitement, provide jobs and spark economic growth and development and are vital to the future of Churchill and communities throughout the East Hills.”
Sen. Costa said that once completed, the Westinghouse site will be home to Pittsburgh Studios along with retail and office space.
“I’m pleased the governor has chosen to invest in Pittsburgh and we share in his commitment to revitalize our communities,” Rep. Costa said. “When we invest in these projects, we’re investing in people, growing jobs and providing opportunities for families to grow and thrive in our communities. That shared vision is what makes projects like this so important.”
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Harrisburg – Sept. 30, 2016 – Redevelopment grant funds totaling more than $2 million will be used to support the Edge at South Side project, Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Rep. Jake Wheatley (D-Allegheny) announced today.
The $2.5 million grant for the project was approved through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).
“This grant provides an opportunity to revitalize the riverfront on the South Side, continuing the efforts that have been ongoing for a number of years,” Costa said. “The project brings new investment to South Side while maintaining the historic character of the neighborhood.”
Funding awarded to the project will be used for the development of office, retail and residential space as well as exterior building improvements and investments in multimodal infrastructure including bike and automobile parking.
“This grant award is exciting news for the city,” Wheatley said. “This project will expand and upgrade the existing location and help retain and attract new businesses to the South Side.”
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SCRANTON, Agosto 24, 2016 – State Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) today joined numerous members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees at a joint committee hearing at the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center in Scranton.
The hearing was convened to discuss the reauthorization of Title 35 – which contains the Emergency Management Services code which governs how the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) functions and provides the framework for how the Commonwealth and local governments prepare for and respond to disasters.
“Today’s discussion was very important to our panel of state legislators as we prepare to make critical revisions and updates to Title 35 to ensure that best practices are being utilized and required in our emergency response efforts across the Commonwealth,” Blake said. “Thank you to the committee chairman of both Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees – Sen. Randy Vulakovich; Democratic Leader, Sen. Jay Costa; and Rep. Chris Sainato – for coming to Scranton and convening this hearing in my 22nd District.”
The hearing included testimony from Richard Flinn, Jr., director of PEMA and a panel discussion with Robert Kagel, Executive Board Member of the South East PA Regional Task Force; Stephen Libhart, Chair of the South Central Regional Task Force; and Robert Werts, Program Manager of the Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Counter Terrorism Task Force.
“The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Code has not been received a comprehensive review and update nearly twenty years.” Sen. Jay Costa added. “As our first responders know all too well, threats, both natural and otherwise have intensified requiring a more sophisticated and comprehensive response. The House and Senate committees’ review of this, along with guidance from PEMA and regional, county and municipal emergency response coordinators will help us prepare a more current set of standards and tools for emergency responders.”
Blake noted that there are nine regional task forces across Pennsylvania which operate under Act 227 of 2002 – the Counter Terrorism Planning and Response Act – that was enacted following the terrorist attacks in 2001. The reauthorization and update of Title 35 would also refine the language pertaining to the nine regional task forces.
“While it is unlikely that the updates to Title 35 will be completed in the limited time remaining in this session, it is our hope that measures to legislate much needed updates to our public safety and emergency response laws will occur early next year,” Blake added. “Thank you again to the Gino Merli Veterans Center and Commandant Vito Ruggiero for hosting this important joint hearing and discussion.”
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