News Releases
Costa Applauds Passage of Legislation Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Harrisburg – Sept. 24, 2014 – State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) released the following the statement on the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 1182, the Medical Cannabis Act. Costa’s statement is as follows: “Senate Bill 1182 opens the door to a new course of treatment...
Corbett’s Action on Budget Illustrates Republican Dysfunction
Harrisburg – July 10, 2014 – Members of Senate Democratic Leadership issued the following statements concerning Gov. Tom Corbett’s line-item veto of funding for the General Assembly and his renewed call for lawmakers to consider pension reform: Senate Democratic...
Costa Slams Corbett Budget as Shallow and Insincere
Harrisburg – June 30, 2014 – State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, (D-Allegheny) slammed Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15 as “remarkably shallow and incredibly insincere because it manages to underfund schools, job creation and human services while being balanced by unsustainable budget gimmicks, rosy revenue projections, accounting tricks and fund transfers.
Costa: Governor Holding Funding Hostage for Students, Seniors, Jobs, Human Services
Harrisburg – June 29, 2014 – State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today called on Gov. Tom Corbett to stop holding new dedicated funding for students, job creation, senior citizens and human services hostage in exchange for his pension and liquor reforms.
Costa Issues Statement on the UPMC-Highmark Agreement
Harrisburg – June 27, 2014 – State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) released the following statement concerning the UPMC-Highmark transition agreement. The agreement specifies care options that will be available to health-care consumers in Western Pennsylvania beginning...
Costa’s Pooled Trust Bill Passes Senate
Harrisburg – June 17, 2014 – Legislation authored by the Democratic leader of the Senate, Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), which would improve how pooled trusts are administered, has been approved by the state Senate. “The measure changes the calculation of how funds are...
Costa to Host Live Telephone Town Hall on June 10
Harrisburg – June 6, 2014 – State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) will be hosting a live interactive Teletown Hall for constituents on Tuesday, June 10 at 7:05 p.m. “This is the first time that I will be hosting a telephone town hall and I am excited about using this...
Costa Seeks Legislative Input in “Patients First” UPMC-Highmark Talks
Harrisburg – June 6, 2014 – Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said today he has sent a letter to Gov. Tom Corbett asking for a meeting with lawmakers who have sought a resolution of the contract dispute between Highmark Inc. and UPMC. Specifically,...
Costa Comments on Corbett’s Decision to Drop Voter ID Appeal
Harrisburg – May 8, 2014 – State Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) released the following statement following the Corbett administration’s announcement that they would not appeal the court decision which struck down Pennsylvania’s controversial...
Costa, Dermody Say There should be No Votes on Bills after November’s Election
Harrisburg – April 28, 2014 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny) said that there should be no votes on bills after Election Day in November.
Costa Issues Statement on the Death of Sen. Ray Musto
Harrisburg – April 24, 2014 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) issued the following statement on the death of former Sen. Ray Musto. Musto served in the Senate from 1982 to 2010 representing Luzerne, Carbon and Monroe Counties. Musto began his career...
President Obama, Vice President Biden to Announce Refocused Job Training Initiatives
Harrisburg – April 16, 2014 – President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are scheduled to appear at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) West Hills Center to highlight a revised $500 million federal job-training program and trumpet new grants for industry apprenticeships.
Senate Democrats Unveil Pension Reform Proposal to Save Billions for Taxpayers
HARRISBURG, March 12, 2014 – State Senate Democrats today said they would save Pennsylvania taxpayers billions of dollars and solve the state’s pension problem if their proposal to further reform pension rules, refinance billions and help school districts avoid...
Senate, House Democrats Question Corbett Budget Assertions, Unveil Fact Check Website
Harrisburg – February 20, 2014 – Senate and House Democrats said today that Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget speech and follow up opinion pieces and interviews have painted a picture of Pennsylvania that is blurry, inaccurate and badly in need of correction. Senate...
Senate Democrats Deride Gov’s Budget as Election-Year Pandering
Harrisburg, February 4, 2014 – Senate Democratic leaders today called Gov. Tom Corbett’s 2014-15 budget proposal election-year pandering and woefully lacking on multiple levels. “The governor really needs to stop promising and start delivering for Pennsylvania.”...
Smith Offers ‘Rocco’s Law’ to Strengthen Penalties for Killing of Police Dog
MT. LEBANON, Feb. 3, 2014 — State Senator Matt Smith (D-Mt. Lebanon) announced that he will introduce legislation in the near future to strengthen the penalties for severely injuring or killing a police animal. The Senate delegation from Allegheny County – Senators...
Senate Democrats Press Corbett on Human Services Funding Failures
PITTSBURGH, January 30, 2014 – Flanked by people who have struggled due to state human services budget cuts, Senate Democrats today detailed their budget priorities and challenged Gov. Tom Corbett to produce a spending plan that is aligned with the needs of...
Costa Pleased that Court Strikes Voter ID Law
Harrisburg – Jan. 17, 2013 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) issued the following reaction to Commonwealth Court’s rejection of the controversial voter ID law. The law required all voters to produce approved photo identification prior to casting their...
Gov. Heeds Democratic Call to Drop Lottery Privatization Plan
Harrisburg – Dec. 30, 2013 – Gov. Tom Corbett’s decision to discontinue his attempt to privatize the state Lottery is good news for Pennsylvania taxpayers and it aligns with repeated Senate Democratic calls for him to drop the plan and stop wasting resources, Senate...
Sen. Costa Testifies at Healthy PA Hearing
The following are Sen. Costa's remarks at the Healthy PA hearing in Pittsburgh on Dec. 20: Thank you very much for providing me the opportunity to discuss Gov. Corbett’s Healthy PA plan. This is an important initiative and I am pleased to convey my thoughts about...
Costa Reacts to Supreme Court’s Decision Overturning Zoning Preemption of Drilling Law
Harrisburg – Dec. 19, 2013 – In a significant decision announced today, the state Supreme Court overturned portions of Act 13, a law that established an extraction fee and regulations regarding Marcellus shale drilling in Pennsylvania. Several members of the Senate...
Child Protection Legislative Package Clears Senate, Costa Says
Harrisburg – December 12, 2013 – A legislative package designed to help prevent child abuse and increase protections for children has now cleared the Senate and is headed to the governor for approval, according to Senate Democratic Leader, Sen. Jay Costa...
Grant Approved to Spur Development at Former Atom Smashers Site, Costa Says
Harrisburg – December 12, 2013 – The former Westinghouse Atom Smasher site that straddles Chalfant Borough and Forest Hills in Allegheny County will be the subject of an environmental site assessment funded by an $88,000 Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) grant,...
Senate Democrats Outline Billion Dollar Budget Savings and Revenue Plan
Harrisburg – December 10, 2013 – In advance of the governor’s planned mid-year budget briefing, state Senate Democrats today announced details of a plan to generate more than $1 billion in budget savings and revenues they say can be used to make key investments, avoid...
Senate Democrats Announce Legislative Plan for Veterans
Harrisburg – November 19, 2013 – At a Capitol news conference today, Senate Democrats outlined a comprehensive package of legislation designed to help veterans and their families deal with issues as they return to civilian life from military service. According to...
Senate Democrats Cite New IFO Report as Evidence of Corbett Leadership Failure
Democratic Leaders Outline Specific Revenue Initiatives Harrisburg – November 15, 2013 – On the heels of the Independent Fiscal Office’s (IFO) release of its budget outlook report suggesting that Pennsylvania is facing a structural deficit of $839 million next year,...
General Assembly Launches New Website
HARRISBURG – A completely revamped version of the General Assembly’s website was launched this morning to give the public better access to a wide array of legislative information, including bill text and history, votes in the Senate and the House, committee meetings...
Senate Democrats’ Small Games Plan Now Backed by Governor
Harrisburg – October 24, 2013 – State Senate Democrats said today they were pleased that Gov. Tom Corbett has now signaled his approval of their plan to direct revenues generated from small games of chance in taverns to the Lottery Fund. The Democratic plan would bolster lottery programs and create a potential funding source for a property tax freeze benefitting seniors.
Costa: Low Interest Loans Offer Economic and Environmental Benefits for Pittsburgh
Harrisburg – October 23, 2013 – More than $5 million in low-interest loans for sewer projects in the City of Pittsburgh were approved by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) today, according to state Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny.) “The new...
Costa: Failure to Adopt Mass Transit Plan has Economic, Public Safety Consequences
Harrisburg, October 10, 2013 – State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), the Senate’s Democratic Leader, today released the following statement reminding his House and Senate colleagues that funding for mass transit needs to remain a top priority as discussions continue on...