News Releases
Costa Reacts to SCI Pittsburgh Closure Decision
Harrisburg – January 26, 2016 – State Senator Jay Costa today issued the following statement in reaction to Governor Wolf’s decision to close SCI Pittsburgh. “Now that the decision has been made and SCI Pittsburgh is scheduled for closure by the end of June, it...
Senate Democrats Announce Committee Assignments for 2017-18 Legislative Session
Harrisburg, January 20, 2017 − Senate Democrats today announced committee memberships for the upcoming 2017-18 legislative session. Members assigned to standing committees are as follows: AGING & YOUTH Chair - Haywood Sabatina Schwank Yudichak AGRICULTURE &...
RACP Grant Applications Period Opens
Harrisburg – January 4, 2017 – Applications for grants available through Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) are now being accepted through Feb. 3, state Senator Jay Costa announced. RACP is a commonwealth grant program...
Senate Democrats Announce Committee Chairmanships for 2017-18 Legislative Session
Harrisburg, December 29, 2016 – Senate Democrats today announced committee chairmanships for the upcoming 2017-18 legislative session, set to begin on Jan. 3, 2017. “Our Senate Democratic committee chairs have the breadth and depth of experience, expertise and...
Costa: Application Process for Medical Marijuana Organizations Set to Open in Early 2017
Harrisburg – December 21, 2016 – New details regarding the availability of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania were released by the Wolf administration today marking the first major step in the legalization process since the landmark legislation (Act 16) was signed...
State Grant Funds Secured to Support Two Local Projects
HARRISBURG, December 6, 2016 – Two local projects will benefit from more than $300,000 in state grant funds State Rep. Paul Costa, D-Allegheny and State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) announced today. The grants were funded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority...
Costa, Gainey Announce Grant Funds for Wilkinsburg Borough
Harrisburg – December 6, 2016 –Grant funds from the state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund will be used for a local community improvement project, Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Rep. Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny) announced. The $350,000 grant awarded to Wilkinsburg...
Grant Funds Secured for Redevelopment Project in Homewood
Harrisburg – November 29, 2016 – Redevelopment of the site at 7800 Susquehanna Street in Homewood will be bolstered by $1 million in state grant funds, state Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Representative Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny) announced today. The $1 million...
Senate Democrats Announce Leadership Team
Harrisburg – November 16, 2016 – Senate Democrats today elected leaders for the 2017-18 legislative session. State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) was re-elected Democratic Floor Leader. “It is an honor and a privilege to once again be chosen to serve the caucus as...
Costa: Local Share Legislation Approved by Senate, Awaits House Action
Harrisburg – October 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...
State Grants Support Key Projects in Allegheny County
Harrisburg – October 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....
State Senate Hearing in Monroeville Focuses on Charter School Reform
Monroeville – October 13, 2016 – At the request of state Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland), the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a hearing on the role of charter schools in public education. “I hope today’s hearing gives us a better sense of...
Grant Funds Secured to Support Former Westinghouse Site Redevelopment Project
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...
Grant Awarded for Redevelopment of The Edge at South Side
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...
Joint Committee Hearing Focus on Emergency Preparedness in Scranton
SCRANTON, August 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....
Costa Backs Beemer Appointment as Interim Attorney General
Harrisburg – Aug. 18, 2016 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) released the following statement in support of Gov. Tom Wolf’s nomination of Bruce Beemer to serve as interim attorney general. Former Attorney General Kathleen Kane resigned on Wednesday...
Joint Legislative Hearing in Pittsburgh Focuses on Eradicating Blight
Wilkinsburg, August 4, 2016 – At the request of state Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, a joint state Senate-House Democratic Policy Committee hearing was held today on efforts and resources to fight blight within our communities, including the successes and...
Blighted Property in Squirrel Hill to be Renovated for Residential Use
Harrisburg – July 14, 2016 – Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) and Pittsburgh Councilman Corey O’Conner today thanked the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, (PHFA), and ACTION-Housing for their efforts in helping develop new affordable...
ACTION-Housing Bringing New Housing Opportunities for Seniors, Veterans in Forest Hills
Harrisburg – July 14, 2016 – Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Rep. Paul Costa (D-Allegheny) today lauded ACTION-Housing’s plans to renovate blighted property in Forest Hills and turn the structure into affordable housing options for seniors and veterans....
Bipartisan Revenue Plan Approved, Key Investments Funded, Costa Says
Harrisburg – July 13, 2016 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) issued the following statement after the Senate approved a revenue package that closes a $1.2 billion hole in the $31.5 billion 2016-17 General Fund budget. The new funding eliminates the...
Costa, Hughes Support Budget Becoming Law; New Funds for Education, Opioid Treatment
Harrisburg, July 10, 2016 - Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) released the following comments in support of Gov. Tom Wolf's announcement that he was allowing the...
Costa Secures $1 Million Grant for Development of Former Westinghouse Site
Harrisburg – July 5, 2016 – Grant funds from the state’s Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) will be used to support the redevelopment of the former Westinghouse Research site in Churchill, state Sen. Jay Costa (D- Forest Hills) announced today. Funds for the more...
Senate Unanimously Approves Reforming Pittsburgh Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority
Harrisburg – June 28, 2016 – Legislation establishing accountability and transparency at the Pittsburgh Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) received unanimous support in the Senate today, said Senators Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) and...
Senate Democrats Call for More Funding for Human Relations Commission
June 22, 2016 - State Senate Democratic Whip Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) today said that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) has been devastated by recurring state budget cuts and that the state spending plan now under consideration...
Senate Democrats Outline Legislation to Combat Opioid and Heroin Crisis
Harrisburg, May 18, 2016 – With drug overdose deaths reaching epidemic levels, Senate Democrats unveiled legislation today to address the opioid addiction crisis from prevention through recovery. “Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate and there is no easy...
Democratic Senators, Community Leaders Call for State Tax Reform
HARRISBURG, May 11, 2016 – At a news conference held at the state capitol today, State Senator Art Haywood joined Senate Democratic colleagues and community leaders calling for tax reform to protect middle and low-income Pennsylvanians. At the event, Haywood...
State Senate Hearing in Erie Focuses on Gas Drilling in the Lake Erie Watershed
Erie – May 5, 2016 – At the request of state Sen. Sean Wiley, the state Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing today on problems related to gas drilling in the Lake Erie watershed. “We need to make responsible and measured decisions about where we can...
State Senate Hearing in Pittsburgh Focuses on Opiate Addiction Treatment
Pittsburgh - April 7, 2016 - At the request of state Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, the state Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a hearing on ways to improve access to treatment for people suffering from addiction to opiates, such as heroin, opium and...
Costa, Fontana Call For Removal of ICA Director, Criminal Investigation
Harrisburg, April 5, 2016 - State Sen. Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Caucus Chairman Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) called today for the removal of Pittsburgh Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) Executive Director Henry V. Sciortino and...
Senate Democrats Say Wolf’s Budget Focused on Education, Deficit Reduction
Harrisburg – Feb. 9, 2016 – Facing an unfinished 2015-16 budget with the need to reconcile a 2016-17 spending plan that has a looming $2 billion deficit, Gov. Tom Wolf was forced to focus his second state budget proposal on education and deficit reduction, according...