News Releases
Senator Jay Costa, Representative Dan Frankel Reintroduce Hate Crimes and Victims’ Rights Package of Legislation
PITTSBURGH, PA – April 10, 2025 – Today, Senator Jay Costa joins Representative Dan Frankel to announce the reintroduction of a package of bills meant to strengthen law enforcement’s response to hate crimes, improve tracking, advocate for victims, and prevent future...
Senate Democratic Caucus Rallies for Fair Housing Month, Calls for State Action on Safe, Affordable Homes for All
Harrisburg, PA − April 2, 2025 − Senate Democrats held a press conference on Wednesday to kick off Fair Housing Month, observed nationally every April, and call for state action on Housing. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa was joined by Democratic...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Education Chair Lindsey Williams Decry Dismantling of Federal Department of Education
PITTSBURGH, PA − March 20, 2025 − Today, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order which begins the process of dismantling the US Department of Education. In condemning this unconstitutional action, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $2.4 Million in Multimodal Transportation Fund Grants for the 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – February 24, 2025 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $2,424,410 in Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant money benefiting the 43rd senatorial district. Per the Department of Community and Economic Development, “The Multimodal Transportation Fund...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $200,000 in Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services 24-25 Grant Awards
PITTSBURGH, PA – February 12, 2025 − Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $238,424.75 in Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services 24-25 Grant Awards benefitting the 43rd senatorial district. “I am always proud to announce support for our brave first responders, and...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Applaud Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 Budget
HARRISBURG, PA – February 4, 2025 – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro laid out his vision and priorities for the 2025-26 Budget. In it, the Governor proposed an agenda for solving the problems facing Pennsylvanians and increasing opportunities for Pennsylvania’s families...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund Grants for the 43rd District
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 29, 2025 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $1,175,000 in Gaming Economic Development Tourism money and Act 13 money benefiting the 43rd senatorial district. “I am delighted to be announcing funding that supports our parks, our trails, our...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $5 Million Violence Intervention Prevention Funding for the 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 16, 2025 – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa announces $5,717,807 in funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) benefitting the 43rd district, encompassing parts of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Celebrates Hommrich v. Boscola Decision from Commonwealth Court as Victory for Elected Officials, Democratic Process
HARRISBURG, PA – January 4, 2025 − Yesterday, the Commonwealth Court issued a ruling in the Hommrich v. Boscola defamation case, reversing the trial court and holding that the statement in Senator Boscola’s net metering co-sponsorship memo is protected by legislative...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Circulates Co-Sponsorship Memos on Campaign Finance, Water Safety, Oral Healthcare, and More for 2025-26 Session
PITTSBURGH, PA – December 2, 2024 – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa circulated Co-Sponsorship Memoranda for bills he intends to introduce for the 2025-26 Legislative Session. Those memoranda include: Campaign Finance Reform Electric Shock Drowning...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Elects Leadership Team for 2025-26 Legislative Session
HARRISBURG, PA – November 13, 2024 – The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus today elected its leadership team for the 2025-26 legislative session. The Senate Democratic Caucus also proudly welcomes two new members: Senator Patty Kim representing Senate District 15,...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces RACP Funding for Projects in Swissvale and Wilkinsburg
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces over $1 Million in RACP funding benefitting Swissvale and Penn Hills. “I am so proud to live in a community with organizations doing incredible work to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors, and I’m honored...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Joins Senator Wayne Fontana To Announce $750,000 for The Clemente Museum
PITTSBURGH, PA – With State Senator Wayne Fontana, Senator Costa announces that The Clemente Collection at Engine House 25 was awarded $750,000 for Museum Infrastructure Renovations. This project involves several areas. The primary components are elevator...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Joins Representative Joe McAndrew to Announce $2 Million in RACP Funding for Penn Hills
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $2 Million in RACP funding benefitting Penn Hills for two projects in the area. “I am so proud to live in a community with organizations doing incredible work to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors, and...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $1 Million in LSA Dollars Benefiting the 43rd district
PITTSBURGH, PA – October 28, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces funding for three critical projects benefitting key projects in the 43rd senatorial district. In total, these funds add up to $1,349,366. “These three projects are near and dear to my heart, and...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Recipients of Main Street Matters Grant Funding Benefitting the 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – April 9, 2025 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces the recipients of Main Street Matters funding, distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development who serve the 43rd senatorial district. The 2024-25 budget included a...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Welcomes Senator-Elect James Malone to Democratic Caucus
HARRISBURG, PA – March 26, 2025 – Last night, Democratic East Petersburg Mayor James Malone won a special election for Senate District 36, which comprises northern Lancaster County, against Republican County Commissioner Josh Parsons. Of the 184,569 registered voters...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Add to Chorus of Pleas to Protect Medicaid Funding
HARRISBURG, PA – February 26, 2025 − Yesterday evening, the US House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that endorses slashing critical funding to Medicaid and Medicare to the tune of $880 billion. In adding to the pleas of fellow Pennsylvanians, Senate...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Applaud Governor Shapiro’s Lawsuit to Unfreeze $1.2 Billion in Federal Funding for PA’s Families
HARRISBURG, PA – February 13, 2025 – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he will be filing suit to challenge President Trump’s unconstitutional freeze on $1.2 billion that the US Congress appropriated to Pennsylvania, along with an additional $900 million...
Crossing City Lines, Penn Hills Elected Officials and City of Pittsburgh Officials Team Up to for Much Needed Road Repairs for East Hills Community
PENN HILLS – February 11, 2025 – State Reps. Joe McAndrew and La’Tasha D. Mayes, both D-Allegheny, joined city of Pittsburgh officials for a news conference on to present a $250,000 award for the paving of East Hills Drive in Penn Hills, which will connect the East...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Lauds Governor Shapiro’s Energy Policy, Calls for Swift Passage to Lower Costs for Consumers
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 30, 2025 − Today, Governor Josh Shapiro unveiled The Lightning Plan, a sweeping energy policy aimed at unleashing Pennsylvania’s energy potential, creating good jobs, reducing costs for energy consumers, and positioning our commonwealth as a...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Mourns the Passing of Allegheny County Representative Matt Gergely
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA – State Representative Matt Gergely, D-Pittsburgh, passed away on January 19, 2025, at the age of 45. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2023, Representative Gergely hailed from the 35th district, comprising of McKeesport, Clairton,...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Announces Committee Chairs for 2025-26 Legislative Session
HARRISBURG, PA – January 8, 2025 − The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus announces its committee chairs for the 2025-26 legislative session. The Senate Democratic Caucus also proudly welcomes two new members: Senator Patty Kim representing Senate District 15, and...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Nearly $3 Million in PCCD Grant Funding for the 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – December 11, 2024 – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa announces $2,753,914 in funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) benefitting the 43rd district, encompassing parts of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. “I am...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Over 600 Laptops Awarded to Eight Organizations in the 43rd Senatorial District via the Digital Connectivity Technology Program
PITTSBURGH, PA – November 21, 2024 − Today, the PA Broadband Development Authority met to award grants from the Digital Connectivity Technology Program (DCTP). This grant program will provide laptops to non-profits, community anchor institutions, and governments who...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $800,000 in RACP Funding for Projects with Representative Benham
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $850,000 for a project in Pittsburgh. “I am so proud to live in a community with organizations doing incredible work to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors, and I’m honored to do my part to deliver the...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces $11 million in RACP Funding with Representative Dan Frankel
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $11 Million in RACP funding benefitting Senate District 43. “I am so proud to live in a community with organizations doing incredible work to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors, and I’m honored to do my...
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Denounces Racist Depictions of Vice President Harris at Mount Pleasant Parade
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus condemns in the strongest terms the offensive and racist depictions of Vice President Kamala Harris at a Mount Pleasant Borough Halloween Parade last night. Vice President Harris, who is of Black and...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $2 Million in LSA Dollars Benefiting Wilkinsburg
PITTSBURGH, PA – October 28, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $2,236,500 in LSA funding for projects in Wilkinsburg. “I am delighted to be announcing the recipients of these LSA dollars to benefit our communities,” said Senator Costa. “Wilkinsburg is a...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $900,000 in LSA Dollars Benefiting the Borough of Swissvale
PITTSBURGH, PA – October 28, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $935,000 in LSA dollars benefitting Swissvale Borough. “I am delighted to be announcing the recipients of these LSA dollars to benefit this great corner of the 43rd district,” said Senator Costa....