Mr. President, I rise today in honor to honor also National Homeowner Month here in Pennsylvania and across this country.

Home ownership, Mr. President is such a crucial pillar of today’s American Dream and one we should be supporting here for every Pennsylvanian.

For many, for many families, homes are very significant financial investment giving them no.

However, an opportunity to generate and create wealth and pass it down to the next generation.

As I mentioned, homes are also the place we make our most cherished memories from family dinners at the table to birthday parties to holiday celebrations, and I’m proud of the work, Mr. President and my colleagues here in the Senate Democratic Caucus, along with our colleagues on the other side of the ALM, have done to remove barriers to home ownership for thousands and thousands of Pennsylvanians.

Mr. President, as you know, in this year’s budget, governor Shapiro has put forth division to increase home ownership and support low-income homeowners, and specifically including increasing the fair program.

Also, legislation led by our center Art Haywood, increasing the Fair Program funding cap to a hundred million dollars by 2027, 2028 with again, a $10 million increase each year. 

In addition, Mr. President, the governor’s recommended $50 million build upon what we’ve done in the past for a whole home repair program, which grants money to low-income homeowners to make crucial repairs to their homes, and to make them more accessible for those aging or disability homeowners and stabilizing our communities. 

A program that our colleagues center in IL Saval Advanced for the last several years, in addition to governor’s, put forth resources to be able to address legal services for those facing evictions and also putting resources together for homeowners’ assistance programs.

These are critical programs, part of the governor’s budget proposal that we should take very seriously, and my hope is that we will bring those to closure through this process over the course of this next month,

I’ve also introduced legislation referred to Senate Bill two 19, which referred to as a long-term owner-occupied tax relief program for the city of Pittsburgh, known as Loop, which would allow cities like a city this Pittsburgh, to offer property tax breaks to homeowners in the areas where the cost of property taxes and the cost have skyrocketed through no fault of their own. 

Put simply, the people who built our communities and built our neighborhoods deserve the opportunity to stay in those neighborhoods as things change around them.

Furthermore, Mr. President, our colleagues here in the Senate Democratic Caucus, have introduced additional bills to support the concept of home ownership.

Here in Pennsylvania, our colleague from the Northeast Senator Lisa Bosco, introduced four separate bills, Senate Bill 1802, which would help older Pennsylvanians receive relief through the property tax and rent and rebate.

First by increasing the income limits, but also by permanently extending the exemption of social security cost of loving Cost of living, adjustments from applicant’s definition of income. 

She also introduced Senate Bill 1803, which will provide for full property tax relief for Homestead and Farmsteads and his Commonwealth and Senate Bill 467, which direct all state revenues generated on table games to be deposited into the Property Tax Relief Fund.

As we know, most of the resources from slot machines go to now, this would allow further property tax reductions for homeowners and Senate Bill 4 68 will permit owners of Homestead Properties to deduct their real estate taxes from their state and income taxes.

A number of other measures Senate Democrats have introduced, we hope will be able to see Committee Action and Hope.

Action and Debate on this Senate floor include legislation introduced, as I mentioned by Senator Haywood, along with Senator Vogel, which would address the prop, the real estate transfer as it relates to the cap as relating to the fair program, which again, as I mentioned, is an important program to provide resources to our homeowners.

Senator Hughes has introduced Senate Bill 498, which establishes the Pennsylvania Community Retirement Act Reinvestment Act to provide additional safeguards and residential mortgage.

The bill wouldn’t mirror much of this federal CRA, but also provide additional safeguards to root out any racial disparities in lending practices.

And our colleague, Senator Moth introduced Senate Bill 31 would require homeowner associations to allow for the installation of solar panels and solar e energy systems on homes within those communities.

Finally, Mr. President, Senators Santarsiero, Miller and Hughes will soon be introducing a bill to provide student loan relief for individuals making their first home purchases in Pennsylvania. Mr. President, there’s so much more that we can be doing in this space of promoting home ownership.

We can remove barrier barriers to buying homes and support people to, to allow them the opportunity to stay in their homes.

As we mentioned with the whole home repair program, I look forward to joining all my colleagues in this senate for a good discussion to be able to make certain that we provide and work towards safe, affordable homes for all of us as this upcoming budget season.

These are all measures that I think deserve the attention of this body, and my hope is that through the various committees that these measures have been assigned to the Senate, Democrats have advanced in a bipartisan way, in some instances that will see the light of day and have the opportunity to be visited, uh, be addressed as we go forward in the coming weeks.

Thank you, Mr. President. 

Today I rise in honor of Small Business week. For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration has celebrated National Small Business Week, which acknowledges the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

In Pennsylvania, our small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Pennsylvania is home to 1.1 million small businesses and employs 2.5 million individuals — about half of the state’s private workforce. Small businesses play a vital role in Pennsylvania’s economy, accounting for 99.6 percent of businesses in the state.

In Allegheny County, we have a vibrant community of small businesses, spanning retail, food service, robotics, and more. I am always inspired to talk to the entrepreneurs who run these businesses. They are creative, brave, persistent, and crucial to ensuring our neighborhoods thrive.

The Governor proposed $25 million for a new Main Street Matters program in his budget to support small businesses, main streets, and commercial corridors that are the backbone of communities across our Commonwealth. This new program will build upon and modernize the Keystone Communities program and is also a critical part of the Governor’s economic development strategy. Other key proposed investments include:

$500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites online and ensure companies have options for attractive business environments where they can move quickly and thrive.

$20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets. This funding will be used to incentivize additional private venture capital, positioning Pennsylvania as a national leader in innovation while proactively investing in entrepreneurs who have historically lacked access to venture capital funding.

$3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge, which will incentivize regional growth and build vibrant and resilient regions.

In addition, our members are championing some incredibly important bills that will make it easier for entrepreneurs to start small businesses:

• Senator Street’s SB 334 would expand the Research and Development Tax Credit and establish an Angel Investor Tax Credit to encourage private investment and spur job creation in the Commonwealth.
• Senators Hughes, Dillon, and Miller have two bills that would support small businesses:

• • SB 663 would reduce or eliminate business startup fees for small businesses
  • SB 664 would create Small Business tax-deferred savings accounts and allow any small business in Pennsylvania to deposit profits into a small business tax-deferred savings account, subject to annual limits.

• Senator Anthony Williams’ bill SB 1031 would remove unnecessary and burdensome requirements for the licensing of natural hair braiders in Pennsylvania.
• SB 1158 (Fontana) – This bill would expand the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) cap to 20 years, which will incentivize redevelopment of aging or deteriorating properties.

As we move forward into the budget process, I look forward to making sure we support our small businesses and moving Pennsylvania’s economy forward. Thank you.

Today I rise in honor of Small Business week. For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration has celebrated National Small Business Week, which acknowledges the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

In Pennsylvania, our small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Pennsylvania is home to 1.1 million small businesses and employs 2.5 million individuals — about half of the state’s private workforce. Small businesses play a vital role in Pennsylvania’s economy, accounting for 99.6 percent of businesses in the state.

In Allegheny County, we have a vibrant community of small businesses, spanning retail, food service, robotics, and more. I am always inspired to talk to the entrepreneurs who run these businesses. They are creative, brave, persistent, and crucial to ensuring our neighborhoods thrive.

The Governor proposed $25 million for a new Main Street Matters program in his budget to support small businesses, main streets, and commercial corridors that are the backbone of communities across our Commonwealth. This new program will build upon and modernize the Keystone Communities program and is also a critical part of the Governor’s economic development strategy. Other key proposed investments include:

$500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites online and ensure companies have options for attractive business environments where they can move quickly and thrive.

$20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets. This funding will be used to incentivize additional private venture capital, positioning Pennsylvania as a national leader in innovation while proactively investing in entrepreneurs who have historically lacked access to venture capital funding.

$3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge, which will incentivize regional growth and build vibrant and resilient regions.

In addition, our members are championing some incredibly important bills that will make it easier for entrepreneurs to start small businesses:

• Senator Street’s SB 334 would expand the Research and Development Tax Credit and establish an Angel Investor Tax Credit to encourage private investment and spur job creation in the Commonwealth.
• Senators Hughes, Dillon, and Miller have two bills that would support small businesses:

• • SB 663 would reduce or eliminate business startup fees for small businesses
  • SB 664 would create Small Business tax-deferred savings accounts and allow any small business in Pennsylvania to deposit profits into a small business tax-deferred savings account, subject to annual limits.

• Senator Anthony Williams’ bill SB 1031 would remove unnecessary and burdensome requirements for the licensing of natural hair braiders in Pennsylvania.
• SB 1158 (Fontana) – This bill would expand the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) cap to 20 years, which will incentivize redevelopment of aging or deteriorating properties.

As we move forward into the budget process, I look forward to making sure we support our small businesses and moving Pennsylvania’s economy forward. Thank you.

Today I rise to observe National Teacher Appreciation Day.

The PA Senate Democratic Caucus is committed to delivering an excellent education for every Pennsylvanian, and we can only do that when we support our educators. I know the teachers I had as a young person made an enormous difference in my life, and I imagine many of us in this room can say the same thing.

Our appreciation for our teachers and educators must extend beyond words and into actions that support them as they deliver beautiful childhoods to our young people, and prepare them a vibrant future in Pennsylvania.

My very dear friend Senator Hughes has been doing tremendous work securing Student Teacher Stipend dollars for young people who are working towards their teaching degrees and need financial support to fulfil their student-teaching obligations.

Governor Shapiro’s budget includes record funding for public schools and teachers, including over $38M to support teachers and address our teacher shortage pipeline

Our caucus has also been hard at work with legislation to support our educators, including:

• Senator Brewster’s SB 856  Increases the minimum teacher salary in the Public School Code from $18,500 to $50,000 for the 2023-24 school year, with annual increases of $2,500 each school year thereafter until the minimum salary reaches $60,000 for the 2027-28 school year. Also establishes $20 per hour for education support professionals, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and paraprofessionals.
• Senator Comitta’s SB 826 Establishes a “Grow Our Own Educators” Program in Pennsylvania. The program would provide financial assistance, including pathways for educators to help support high-need schools in geographic areas that have hard-to-staff teaching positions.   
• Senator Hughes’ SB 300 with Sen. Aument Creates a new Educator Pipeline Program within the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to provide stipends for individuals enrolled in a teacher preparation program at an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to complete their student teaching requirement.   
• Senator Muth has circulated a cosponsorship memo which creates “American Sign Language (ASL) Teacher Certification and Classroom Instruction Grant Programs” –
• Senator Schwank’s SB 393 – Amends the qualifications of a teacher by adding that Department certified or permitted teachers who hold a valid immigrant visa, work visa, or valid employment authorization document which allows them to work in the United States are eligible to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth. 
• Senators Muth and Kane’s SB 864  would provide retired public school employees with a long overdue COLA.

As we move through this budget process, we must continue to put our educators front and center in this conversation as we work across the aisle to deliver an excellent education for every Pennsylvanian. Thank you.

Today I rise to observe National Teacher Appreciation Day.

The PA Senate Democratic Caucus is committed to delivering an excellent education for every Pennsylvanian, and we can only do that when we support our educators. I know the teachers I had as a young person made an enormous difference in my life, and I imagine many of us in this room can say the same thing.

Our appreciation for our teachers and educators must extend beyond words and into actions that support them as they deliver beautiful childhoods to our young people, and prepare them a vibrant future in Pennsylvania.

My very dear friend Senator Hughes has been doing tremendous work securing Student Teacher Stipend dollars for young people who are working towards their teaching degrees and need financial support to fulfil their student-teaching obligations.

Governor Shapiro’s budget includes record funding for public schools and teachers, including over $38M to support teachers and address our teacher shortage pipeline

Our caucus has also been hard at work with legislation to support our educators, including:

• Senator Brewster’s SB 856  Increases the minimum teacher salary in the Public School Code from $18,500 to $50,000 for the 2023-24 school year, with annual increases of $2,500 each school year thereafter until the minimum salary reaches $60,000 for the 2027-28 school year. Also establishes $20 per hour for education support professionals, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and paraprofessionals.
• Senator Comitta’s SB 826 Establishes a “Grow Our Own Educators” Program in Pennsylvania. The program would provide financial assistance, including pathways for educators to help support high-need schools in geographic areas that have hard-to-staff teaching positions.   
• Senator Hughes’ SB 300 with Sen. Aument Creates a new Educator Pipeline Program within the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to provide stipends for individuals enrolled in a teacher preparation program at an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to complete their student teaching requirement.   
• Senator Muth has circulated a cosponsorship memo which creates “American Sign Language (ASL) Teacher Certification and Classroom Instruction Grant Programs” –
• Senator Schwank’s SB 393 – Amends the qualifications of a teacher by adding that Department certified or permitted teachers who hold a valid immigrant visa, work visa, or valid employment authorization document which allows them to work in the United States are eligible to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth. 
• Senators Muth and Kane’s SB 864  would provide retired public school employees with a long overdue COLA.

As we move through this budget process, we must continue to put our educators front and center in this conversation as we work across the aisle to deliver an excellent education for every Pennsylvanian. Thank you.

Today I rise in observance of National Nurses Month, celebrated every year in May.

My colleagues and I in the Senate Democratic Caucus believe firmly in delivering excellent, affordable healthcare to every Pennsylvanian, and we know that supporting our nurses is critical to achieving that goal.

Senator Collett has been a leader in this space as a nurse herself, and I am proud to say that my daughter is a nurse.

This year’s theme is Nurses Make the Difference, and it couldn’t be more true. Across the commonwealth, patients rely on the nurses they trust to deliver necessary care.

In the healthcare space, the Governor’s budget includes a number of crucial proposals, including $4 million for Representative Venkat’s medical debt relief plan.

• A $10 million initiative to support the Long-Term Care Transformation Office, whose activities include building LTC workforce resiliency.
• A $2.6mm investment toward maternal health to reduce maternal health deserts throughout the state.

My colleagues from both sides of the aisle have some legislation in this chamber that would make the lives of our nurses easier, and empower them to deliver the best care possible.

• SB 25 from Senators Bartolotta and Boscola would expand access to high-quality health care by removing archaic restrictions on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses that no longer reflect modern medicine and the delivery of health care.
• SB 247 from Senator Collett would establish safe patient limits under the care of an individual nurse in Pennsylvania hospitals, to be known as the Patient Safety Act. 
• SB 378  from Senators Muth, Collett, and Cappelletti would ensure that operating rooms utilize surgical smoke evacuation systems to combat the negative health effects of surgical smoke and work towards creating a smoke-free environment for Pennsylvania’s healthcare workers and patients. 
• SB 668  from Senators Judy Ward and Collett would amend the Health Care Facilities Act by adding the position of Certified Medication Aide. Under the bill, the Department of Health will establish a medication aide training program that includes a minimum of eight hours of classroom training for CNAs. The training must be conducted by an approved trainer and utilize the state-approved written curriculum and examination. It also requires certification renewal every 24 months.
• SB 905  from Senators Collett and Boscola would amend the Professional Nursing Law that removes the process by the State Board of Nursing to review and approve applications for the ability to take the state board nurse licensure exam. This efficiency will benefit prospective nurses, desperate employers and consumers vying for healthcare. 
• And finally, Senators Pennycuick and Collett are working on a bill that would provide scholarship, administered by PHEAA, to students pursuing careers in nursing and healthcare at a community college in Pennsylvania. 

As we continue to work through this year’s budget process, it’s so important that we show our gratitude for Pennsylvania’s nurses by working collaboratively to support the profession. Together, we can address the nursing shortage, support our brave nurses, and ensure our patients get the best care possible. Thank you.

Today I rise to force action on three bills which deserve our consideration in order for us to serve the people of Pennsylvania. The majority party in this chamber has abdicated its responsibility to the values this commonwealth holds dear: community safety, equal rights, and dignity for all. I am saddened that we have to file these petitions and use brute force to even have a conversation about the impact they would have on our friends, neighbors, constituents, and families.

Today, I am filing these petitions for three bills:

• HB 300, known as the Fairness Act, would protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in Pennsylvania in the areas of housing, education, or access to public accommodations. This bill passed the House of Representatives 102-98 on May 2, 2023, and has sat in the Senate State Government Committee since May 3, 2023.
• HB 714 would close loopholes that allow certain gun purchases to happen without a background check. This bill passed the House of Representatives 109-92 on May 22, 2023, and has sat in the Senate Judiciary Committee since June 2, 2023.
• HB 1018 would establish Emergency Risk Protection Orders so that an individual experiencing a crisis can be temporarily disarmed after a hearing before a Judge. This bill passed the House of Representatives 102-99 on May 22, 2023, and has sat in the Senate Judiciary Committee since June 2, 2023.

The popularity of these bills flies in the face of the inaction they have seen in our chamber. A Pew report indicates that 70% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats favor background checks for private firearm and gun show sales. In 2019, an APM Survey indicated that 77% of Americans support Emergency Risk Protection Orders. Over three quarters of US adults want to see legislation protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination per a 2022 study from the University of Chicago. And just today, Spotlight PA noted the popularity of these bills, even across party lines, with 63% of respondents saying they strongly or somewhat agree with an agenda that includes gun safety and nondiscrimination legislation.  

The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic caucus invites our colleagues in the majority party to join us in this fight for every Pennsylvanian. Protecting LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians from hatred in housing, schooling, and community spaces is the bare minimum of what we owe them as fellow human beings. Expanding background check requirements for gun purchases will keep firearms out of the hands of bad actors and reduce violence crime. Emergency Risk Protection Orders will keep people we love alive when they are experiencing a crisis, from veterans to parents to students and beyond.

I implore my colleagues in the majority party to join us in a yes-vote and have a good faith conversation about how we best serve the people we represent. I ask my colleagues for an affirmative vote.