News Releases
Senator Jay Costa Announces PHARE Funding Recipients in the 43rd District Totaling Over $5 Million
PITTSBURGH – June 13, 2024 – Today, State Senator Jay Costa announces $5,375,000 in funding from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) for Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) applicants. Money to fund this round of PHARE...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Senator Camera Bartolotta Introduce Legislation to Prevent Instances of Electric Shock Drowning
HARRISBURG, PA – June 11, 2024 – Today, State Senators Jay Costa and Camera Bartolotta circulated a co-sponsorship memo ahead of legislation to prevent Electric Shock Drowning (ESD). ESD has become the catch-all phrase that encompasses all in-water shock...
State Senator Jay Costa Reacts to Trump Guilty Verdict in “Hush Money” Case
PITTSBURGH, PA – May 30, 2024 – Today, a jury found Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts in his criminal trial. State Senator Jay Costa offers the following statement: “Today’s thirty-four count guilty verdicts mark an enormous moment for Donald Trump and his decades of...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Over $800K in Keystone Communities Program Grants Benefitting Senate District 43
PITTSBURGH, PA – May 22, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces three recipients of Keystone Communities Program grants in the 43rd district through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) totaling $823,004. In total, DCED awarded nearly $7...
State Senator Jay Costa Mourns the Loss of Dr. Cyril Wecht
PITTSBURGH, PA – May 13, 2024 – Today, State Senator Jay Costa mourns the passing of longtime family friend and Allegheny County leader Cyril Wecht, who died earlier today per the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Senator Costa releases the following...
State Senator Jay Costa Announces $2.3 Million in PA SITES Funding for 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – May 8, 2024 − Today, Governor Shapiro and DCED Secretary Risk Siger awarded seven projects across Pennsylvania a total of $10.6 Million in PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) funding in order to develop shovel-ready...
State Senator Jay Costa Announces $300,000 in Parent Pathways Grants benefitting the 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA − May 2, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa is proud to announce $300,000 in Parent Pathways Grant funding to benefit the 43rd district. “Parents seeking undergraduate degrees are balancing a tremendous load, from accomplishing schoolwork to raising...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Recipients Of School Safety And Mental Health Supports For Students And Staff In The 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa is proud to announce $2,310,782 in school safety and mental health money from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency benefitting the 43rd Senatorial District. “This funding is absolutely crucial to ensuring...
PA Arts and Culture Caucus Celebrates Arts Advocacy Day, Features Local Artists, Calls for Continued Investments in the Arts
HARRISBURG, PA – March 19, 2024 − Today, members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus gathered to celebrate “Arts Advocacy Day” along with Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, a nonprofit advocacy group. The four co-chairs of the...
Democratic Leader Jay Costa Applauds Governor Shapiro’s Energy Plan
PITTSBURGH − March 13, 2024 − Today, Governor Josh Shapiro outlined his new Energy Plan, which is intended to cut costs and create jobs. In response, Democratic Leader Jay Costa releases the following statement: “I applaud the Governor for restarting a...
State Senator Jay Costa Reaffirms Commitment to IVF, Reproductive Healthcare
HARRISBURG, PA − March 4, 2024 − On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that declared embryos “children” under Alabama law, an unprecedented step in narrowing crucial reproductive healthcare access for thousands of women. In response to this action,...
State Senator Jay Costa Praises PA Supreme Court Decision in Favor of Voter Data Privacy
PITTSBURGH, PA – February 22, 2024 – Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a per curium order, dismissing the appeals in Pa. Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee v PA. Department of State. This action was initiated by the...
Joint Policy Hearing Focuses on Legislation to Seal Eviction Records
WILKINSBURG, February 15, 2024 – State Senator Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks), chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, today joined Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Senator Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia), Senator Judy...
Costa, Robinson Bill Creating Western PA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Passed by Senate
HARRISBURG – Legislation to create a western Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue task force was approved unanimously by the Senate today, according to Sens. Devlin Robinson (R-37) and Jay Costa (D-43). Senate Bill 792 would establish a western...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Praise Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 Budget
HARRISBURG, PA – February 6, 2024 – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro laid out his vision and priorities for the 2024-25 Pennsylvania Budget. In it, the Governor proposed historic increases in basic education spending, economic development, housing, community safety, and...
Policy Committee Highlights Whole-Home Repairs Program in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH − February 3, 2024 – The Senate Democratic Policy Committee traveled to Pittsburgh yesterday to host two events to highlight the successes of Pennsylvania's groundbreaking Whole-Home Repairs Program. Less than a year after the distribution of funds, the...
State Senator Jay Costa Celebrates PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement Dollars to Benefit 43rd District
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 30, 2024 – Today, Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) announces three projects in his senatorial district that will benefit from Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) funding. This program is designed to improve safety at intersections...
State Senators Jay Costa, Vincent Hughes, and Judy Schwank Praise Governor Shapiro’s Higher Education Blueprint, Call for Continued Stakeholder Conversations
HARRISBURG, PA – Today, members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic caucus praise Governor Shapiro’s new blueprint for higher education, which seeks to expand access to higher education for Pennsylvania’s learners while consolidating governance and moving towards a...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Over $1.4 Million in Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund Grants for the 43rd District
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 16, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $1,468,000 in Gaming Economic Development Tourism money benefiting the 43rd senatorial district. “I am delighted to be supporting the organizations that support our community, especially...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Over $500k in Act 13 Grants Benefitting the 43rd Senatorial District
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 16, 2024 – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $565,403 in Act 13 grant funding benefitting the 43rd senatorial district. “It’s a great honor to be delivering crucial state funding to the green spaces that allow the people of...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Over $1 Million in Arts Funding for the 43rd District
PITTSBURGH, PA – December 20, 2023 − Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $1,048,567 in CFA Arts and Culture Grants benefiting the 43rd senatorial district. “As a co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Arts and Culture caucus, I am extremely delighted to be delivering...
Senator Jay Costa, Representative Abigail Salisbury Announce Over $1.7 Million in H2O and Small Water & Sewer Grants
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa and Representative Abigail Salisbury announce $1,743,930 in H2O Grants and Small Water and Sewer Grants benefitting their districts. “Today’s grant announcement is excellent news for the folks who rely on our water...
Senator Jay Costa, Representative Joe McAndrew Announce Over $4.6 Million in H2O and Small Water & Sewer Grants
PITTSBURGH, PA – December 19, 2023 –Today, Senator Jay Costa and Representative Joe McAndrew announce $4,657,528 in H2O Grants and Small Water and Sewer Grants benefitting their districts. “I am extremely proud to be delivering this grant funding to crucial...
Senator Jay Costa Announces Over $1 Million in PCCD Funding for Nonprofit Security, Children’s Advocacy, Violence Prevention Benefiting the 43
PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, Senator Jay Costa announces $1,150,637 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) awarded to Allegheny County. These funds were drawn from various grant programs that seek to prevent violence against...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Lauds Passage of Funding for State Related Universities
Pittsburgh, PA – November 15, 2023 − Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed HB 1461, a bill to fund state-related universities, by a vote of 45-5. This was well above the constitutionally required two-thirds vote necessary to fund Penn State, the University of...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Lauds Passage of Increased Nonprofit Security Grant Funding in House, Calls on Senate to Finish the Job
Harrisburg, PA - October 31, 2023 - Today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 1772, which increases the total funding for the hugely successful Nonprofit Security Grant Program from $5 million to $10 million. Senator Costa and Representative Dan...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, State Government Committee Chair Amanda M. Cappelletti Call for Continued Negotiation on Primary Election Day to Accommodate Observers of Passover
Harrisburg, PA − October 26, 2023 – Today, State Senator Jay Costa joins calls from Jewish constituents in his district and across the commonwealth to adjust the date of Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election to respect Passover. If the primary date remains April 23,...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Announces Over $12 Million in PHFA Funding for 43rd District
Pittsburgh, PA – October 13, 2023 − Today, State Senator Jay Costa announces over $12 million in funding for affordable housing projects in his district in Allegheny County. This funding comes from the 2 022 Fiscal Year budget and utilizes ARPA funding to help fill...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa Praises the Passage of HB27
Harrisburg, PA – September 20, 2023 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate advanced HB 27, a bill to distribute crucial school mental health funding and community violence prevention funding. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) personally advocated an amendment...
Senate Dems Discuss Skill Games at Radnor Hearing
RADNOR, August 24, 2023 – State Senator Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks), chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, and Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D-Montgomery/Delaware) co-hosted a public hearing yesterday in Radnor to discuss skill games...