News Releases
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...
Senate Democrats React to Budget Line-Item Veto
Harrisburg – Dec. 29, 2015 – Senate Democrats provided the following reaction to Gov. Tom Wolf’s line-item veto of a Republican budget plan. The governor released six months of emergency funding for schools and human service programs, or $23.39 billion of the House...
Senate Approves General Fund Budget
Harrisburg – Dec. 7, 2015 –The Senate approved a $30.5 billion General Fund budget that provides for a historic increase in school funding, the restoration of job creation and human service program funds, and long-term fiscal stability without a broad-based tax...
Costa, Bartolotta Highway Worker Safety Legislation Heading to Governor for Signature
Harrisburg, Nov. 18, 2015 – Legislation geared toward preventing distracted and aggressive driving in work zones is heading to Gov. Tom Wolf for signature after unanimous concurrence by the Senate this week, according to the bill’s sponsors, Senate Democratic Leader...
Costa Comments of Announcement of State Budget Framework
Harrisburg - Nov. 10, 2015 - Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said today that he was pleased that a framework for the 2015-16 state General Fund budget has been crafted and that significant progress has been made toward a comprehensive agreement. Costa...
State Senate Roundtable in Pittsburgh Focuses on Integrating Arts into Math and Science Curricula
Pittsburgh - November 5, 2015 - At the request of state Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a roundtable discussion in Pittsburgh on integrating arts education into science and technology curricula. "Mixing arts into...
Senate Highway Worker Safety Legislation Clears House Committee
Bill Heads to Full House Chamber for Vote Harrisburg – October 27, 2015 – Legislation aimed at strengthening penalties and increasing fines for distracted and aggressive driving was approved by the House Transportation Committee today, according to the bill’s...
Scarnati Announces Special Committee on Senate Address
October 23, 2015 − Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25) today announced his intention to establish a bi-partisan Special Committee to pursue possible Senate action against Attorney General Kane, pursuant to Article 6, Section 7 of the Pennsylvania...
Senate Democrats Ask Treasurer to Withhold Payment to Charters
Harrisburg – Oct, 20, 2015 – State Senate Democrats today called on the Pennsylvania state treasurer to “stop payment” on a scheduled disbursement of property tax revenue headed to charter schools. They have sent a letter to state Treasurer Tim Reese formally asking...
Costa Condemns Republican Stopgap Budget
Harrisburg – Sept. 18, 2015 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today condemned the proposed four-month $11.22 billion Republican stopgap budget as a “political ploy” designed to thwart negotiations on a comprehensive budget agreement. “The Senate...
Costa Derides Republican Budget; Says Plan Doesn’t Add Up or Make Sense
Harrisburg – June 30, 2015 – State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today said that the $30.1 billion Republican budget approved by the Senate today “doesn’t add up and doesn’t make any sense.”
Senate Democrats: Eliminate Property Taxes for 2 Million Pennsylvanians
Harrisburg – June 24, 2015 – A new property tax plan that would eliminate school property taxes for 2 million homeowners, reduce property taxes by $ 1,990 for another 1.2 million homesteads and provide a $ 500 rent rebate for more than 800,000 Pennsylvanians was unveiled today by Senate Democrats.