Pittsburgh, Pa. − August 4, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr will be the first elected official to participate in the civic engagement mobile application “Be The Change.” Senator Costa will be part of a several month pilot period on the new app.
“Even before COVID-19, more and more of our communication had become virtual, and now – the majority of our contact is done that way,” said Senator Costa. “Be The Change is an exciting tool for my constituents to let my office and I know what’s happening in their neighborhoods. I can’t wait to work through this pilot period and help folks with their concerns on a new platform.”
The app, which will be available for a free download in the Apple Store on August 6, allows users to report issues in their community and interact directly with Senator Costa’s office to resolve the problem.
Users can share their concerns by adding a title, description, and photo to their post. Neighbors are able to see the issues shared in their community as well as the responses provided by the elected officials office. Using real-time community generated input, the goal of the app is to facilitate safe and meaningful civic action through issue advocacy and direct outreach to elected officials.
“People are moving away from a top-down approach to civic engagement towards a more digital community-driven form of democratic participation,” said Bhavini Patel, co-founder of BeamData. “I think COVID-19 has accelerated and made these changes necessary at the local and state level. Senator Costa has always been an advocate for supporting tech innovation. I’m thrilled we’re kicking off the launch of Be the Change with him in the 43rd District.”
Learn more about the app and Senator Costa’s involvement at https://beam-data.com/jay-costa/
Harrisburg – July 1, 2020 – State Senators Jay Costa (D- Allegheny) and Art Haywood (D- Montgomery/Philadelphia) joined Pennsylvania House Representatives Summer Lee (D- Allegheny) and Liz Hanbidge (D- Montgomery) for a telephone town hall hosted by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) to discuss a Just Recovery for Pennsylvania.
“Not only have communities across Pennsylvania been grappling with the losses and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also seen these communities rise up in protest of the unjustifiable killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement,” said Costa, Democratic leader of the Pennsylvania Senate. “Pennsylvania needs a Just Recovery from this pandemic, but we as legislative body must also pass legislation to address the systemic racism that existed prior to COVID-19.”
This telephone town hall comes on the heels of several press conferences held Thursday, June 18, 2020, emphasizing the need for economic and racial justice across the state. Democratic legislators in the Pennsylvania House and Senate announced their bicameral support for a plan that provides ‘A Just Recovery’ to all Pennsylvanians.
“We can’t afford to return to normal as it was, because that normal simply wasn’t working for thousands and thousands of Pennsylvanians,” said House Democratic Whip Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia). “We must demand real reforms that will ensure the health and well-being of our residents, strengthen our small businesses and protect our communities, specifically our communities who are often marginalized and overlooked when it comes to recovery plans.”
Costa said that the Senate Democratic Caucus not only advocated for the passage of $3.6 billion of federal CARES Act money to be allocated to support small business grants, housing assistance programs, funding for education and childcare, utility assistance, and support for frontline workers across Pennsylvania struggling because of COVID-19, the Senate Democrats have also laid out a legislative police reform package.
“Ending racism and police brutality is our mission,” said Haywood.
Haywood said that he has introduced Senate Bill 611 to require a Special Prosecutor be appointed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General whenever a police officer uses deadly force. Costa also had introduced Senate Bill 458 to create a database to track all disciplinary actions and reports against police officers in the state, as well as requiring more training for municipal police.
The PA Senate Democrats have laid out their entire plan for a Just Recovery at pasenate.com/COVID19. This includes how to protect our frontline workers and best prepare our healthcare systems, how we can provide the much-needed assistance to working people and families, and the economic stimulus Pennsylvania will need as we continue to recover from COVID-19.
“Decades of inequities have led to over-policing of the Black community while simultaneously leading us to poorer health and economic outcomes, which leaves us as sitting ducks when it comes to COVID-19. We have to act swiftly to reimagine and rebuild our communities in a just way, which requires putting the appropriate amount of resources where it is needed the most. Addressing these dual pandemics will help create a society where we no longer expect our communities to be over-policed and over-incarcerated,” said Lee.
There was also a consensus among legislators during the town hall that the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for our state and revealed the thin margins that individuals have been operating on. A Just Recovery for Pennsylvania is necessary to ensure the financial and physical health of all communities, as well as ensuring that all Pennsylvanians have the right to quality healthcare, education, housing, and social services. The systemic racial challenges that Black people face are also essential to these conversations.
“Our nation is going through a crucial period of reflection and change right now, and Pennsylvania is no exception. From ensuring that we have the tools we need to beat COVID-19 in every corner of our commonwealth to addressing systemic racism at its core, it’s going to take a great accounting just to know what specifically needs to be fixed,” said Hanbidge. “It’s going to take strong political will to commit resources for the work, and it’s going to take open hearts and minds to mount a truly Just Recovery.”
###
HARRISBURG – June 8, 2020 – Members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus announced the direction of $225 million in federal CARES Act funding to aid small businesses across the commonwealth. This funding was authorized by the recently enacted COVID-19 Emergency Supplement to the General Appropriation Act of 2019 and was a centerpiece of the caucus’ PA CARES Plan.
The aid will be distributed as follows: $100 million is set to go to the Main Street Business Revitalization Program, $100 million to the Historically Disadvantaged Business Revitalization Program, and $25 million for loan payment deferment and loss reserves for loans impacted by COVID-19. The aid will be directed by the Department of Community and Economic Development to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), which are intimately familiar with the needs of the most vulnerable small businesses in our communities.
“I want to thank Governor Wolf for engaging leadership in the General Assembly to inform the process of moving federal aid out to those who have been most harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I also want to thank the leadership of the Senate Democratic caucus who worked with our members to formulate a strategic plan for the deployment of nearly $4 billion in federal assistance,” said state Senator John Blake (D-Lackawanna). “The Main Street Business Revitalization program is a reflection of that cooperation and leadership and it will meet Pennsylvania’s small business owners where they are, on Main Street, after nearly three months of lost or no sales. It will enable small business owners throughout the commonwealth to meet their insurance payments, rents, health insurance premiums, local taxes and other expenses that they otherwise could not meet due to lost sales. Finally, I want to thank the 17 CDFIs throughout the state as well as DCED for their professionalism, agility, urgency and dedication to getting this federal funding to the small businesses who need it most as quickly as possible.”
Eligible businesses will apply through one of the CDFI Network partners and will have to have been operating on or before February 15, 2020, and must have paid taxes to state and federal governments. Qualifying main street and historically disadvantaged small businesses must have 25 or fewer employees and experienced losses as a result of Gov. Tom Wolf’s March 19 stay-at-home order. Organizations seeking grants from the historically disadvantaged small businesses program must also be 51 percent owned and managed by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
“The announcement of the Main Street and Historically Disadvantaged Business Revitalization Programs will provide welcomed relief for mom and pop businesses in neighborhoods across the commonwealth,” said State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery). “Since this pandemic began, we have heard the needs of the auto body shops, the barbershops, the beauticians, the pizza shop owners, the soul food establishments and other businesses in our communities. The needs of these businesses that were unable to get much needed help from other state and federal programs were a priority in our Senate Democratic Caucus’ April 29 PA CARES Program announcement. For months, my office has worked with a network of trusted community organizations that have a proven track record of working with our small CDFIs to find a solution to assist our neighborhood businesses. I believe these programs are that solution. There is still more work to be done, but these programs are a win for Pennsylvania and its small businesses.”
Businesses will be eligible for up to $50,000 in grants. Grants can be used to cover operating expenses during the shutdown and in the transition period to reopening, technical assistance and training, debt payment relief for CDFI borrowers and loan loss reserves.
“Our small businesses all across the state made sacrifices so that we could flatten the curve of COVID-19 and save lives,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. “Now as we begin to recover, our businesses will need and deserve assistance to reopen their doors, rehire their staff and serve our communities again. We thank them for their patience through this difficult time, and are ready to offer the programs, loans and assistance they need.”
Businesses will be required to submit proposals for review documenting sales losses, projected revenues, the duration of closure as a result of COVID-19, and relief receipts for other federal, state and local government aid. Eligible businesses will apply directly through a local CDFI.
“One of the goals of the pandemic-recovery stimulus plan that I offered in March, was to jump-start business operations and speed the economic recovery by making resources readily available to get more men and women back to work quicker,” Brewster said. “Using federal CARE dollars to bolster business and smooth the back-to-work transition is critically important. The caucus CARES initiative includes one piece of the plan and will be especially useful to small businesses as they cover expenses and manage start-up costs. Plus, it will usher in help for small businesses who may not have been able to access other state or federal business assistance programs.”
Distributed funds will be monitored by DCED to track the total number of grants awarded under these programs including county, the number of jobs saved by the grants, the total amount of loan payment and deferment, administrative costs and more.
“Thank you to Governor Wolf and his administration for recognizing the need for our Main Street Business Revitalization Program and incorporating that proposal into the Commonwealth’s plan to support our small businesses, which represent nearly half of the private sector workforce in Pennsylvania – 2.5 million jobs,” said Senator Iovino (D-Allegheny/Washington). “Small businesses are the job creators in our communities, the revenue generators for our Commonwealth, and the cornerstone of vibrant main streets. As small business owners are struggling to hang on, this $225 million grant package is exactly the kind of lifeline that these economic drivers need to support our recovery.”
For more about the caucus’ comprehensive, people-focused COVID-19 recovery plan, visit pasenate.com/pacares.
Harrisburg, Pa. − May 28, 2020 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. today voted in support of House Bill 2387, a General Appropriations bill that funds state operations through November, and fully funding education through the entire fiscal year. The bill passed with broad, bipartisan support (44-6).
“We’ve never done a 5-month budget here before, but we’ve also never seen a public health crisis quite like COVID-19,” said Senator Costa. “It was important to me that we fully fund education at every level so that our schools can plan for the coming school year. We are waiting on additional resources from the federal government, and we still do not know the full fiscal impact of COVID-19 and it would have been irresponsible to attempt a full year budget at this time. I’m proud of the bipartisan work we did on this package that will provide stability to critical state services and programs as we continue to navigate a crisis.”
Pennsylvania was granted nearly $4 billion in CARES funding from the federal government, and today passed the necessary legislation to spend it. The priorities reflected in that legislation nearly mirror a proposal from the Senate Democrats in an April presentation.
Senator Costa voted in support of the bill to allocate those funds, Senate Bill 1108, which passed unanimously in both the Senate and the House and now makes its way to the Governor’s desk.
The money must be spent before December 31st of this year, and has to be used for COVID-related purposes. The funds have been allocated to:
- $722 million for health and human services
- $175 million for housing assistance
- $29 million for safety net programs
- $125 million for child care and early education
- $150 million for school safety
- $625 million for county and municipal relief
- $50 million for worker hazard pay
- $100 million for EMS
- $72 million for higher education
- $245 million for small businesses
- $50 million for agriculture
- $259 for community ID waiver
“The Senate Democrats were the only caucus to present a plan on how to spend the relief money we received from the federal government, and I’m pleased to see our priorities reflected in this final, bipartisan plan,” said Senator Costa. “Our communities need these resources to begin the long road to recovery, particularly our working families and small businesses.”
If approved by the Pennsylvania House, these bills will go to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
###
Harrisburg, PA − May 22, 2020 − Senators Jay Costa, Vince Hughes, John Blake, Jim Brewster and Pam Iovino today called for $550 million of funds allocated to Pennsylvania through the federal CARES act to be used for a program they are calling the Main Street Business Revitalization Initiative, which will issue grants.
“This pandemic has exposed the fragile ecosystem and slim margins that small businesses and their workers function within every single day,” Costa said. “As Pennsylvania begins to recover both economically and physically from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must make sure that our business owners have the resources they need. We must seek a just recovery from this pandemic.”
The Senators are calling for $425 million to go to traditional main street businesses, and a separate $125 million to be allocated to historically disadvantaged businesses.
Pennsylvania has received $4 billion from the federal government that must be spent or allocated by December 31, 2020. The Senate Democrats have proposed a robust plan for those funds called PA CARES (more info at pasenate.com/pacares)
“These main street businesses did not cause this pandemic, but they are feeling its worst financial effects,” Sen. Hughes said. “Our plan gets these small businesses the financial assistance they deserve. Money has been sitting in Pennsylvania’s account for six weeks, which is money intended, by the direction of the federal government, to assist small businesses, and that money needs to go out immediately. The question is: Why are we waiting? The answer is: We can wait no longer. Small mom-and-pop, main street, and neighborhood businesses — especially those businesses in historically disadvantaged communities who have born the financial brunt of this pandemic — need this help. Our plan gets it to them immediately. All grants and no loans. They need this cash now and our plan gets it to them now. From the barbershop in North Philadelphia and to the nail salon in Pittsburgh, and from the pizza shop in Scranton and to the auto body shop in Erie; our plan sees their pain, especially those in historically disadvantaged communities, and responds to it. Real money in real time.”
This initiative will be run by Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who are committed to providing flexible loans, debt relief and business technical assistance to support the recovery and sustainability of Pennsylvania businesses. CDFIs are known to be “first responders” during periods of economic turmoil because of their keen knowledge of and connection to the communities they serve. More importantly, they have a demonstrated capacity to focus on the critical needs of small businesses.
The Main Street Business Revitalization Initiative is a retroactive way to address the serious challenges of the main street small business community caused by the COVID-19 and the devastating but necessary closures ordered in Pennsylvania to protect public health.
“Our small businesses – restaurants, barbershops, cafes, bakeries, boutiques – are the heartbeat of our communities and the backbone of our economy,” said Senator John Blake. “Throughout the pandemic, their bills have continued to mount despite limited or no sales at all, insufficient income and, to-date, inadequate support and funding from the federal stimulus package. Our proposal will provide $550 million in grants to Main Street small business owners throughout the state using Pennsylvania’s share of the federal CARES Act COVID-19 relief package. It will allow small business owners to pay health care premiums, insurance policy premiums, rent, loan payments, real estate tax payments, as well as covering some of the costs that must be incurred to ensure the safety of workers and customers as businesses reopen.”
Eligible businesses will include barbers, salons, restaurants, bars, and taverns, retailers, coffee shops, neighborhood hardware stores, garden shops, realtors, childcare facilities and the numerous other small businesses who have suffered economically during this challenging time.
Previous business assistance programs have inadvertently disadvantaged many main street businesses who were unprepared to tap into the network of assistance. Through the assistance of CDFIs, main street businesses will have access to job protection and initiatives through financial institutions they are comfortable with.
“To spur a vigorous economic rebound, state and federal resources must be deployed effectively including using federal CARES dollars to help small businesses that have been severely impacted by the pandemic,” Brewster said. “Driving funds out now to help businesses get their operations underway, cover costs, and navigate the regulatory environment in the immediate aftermath of a government-mandated closure is an excellent approach.
“The stimulus plan that I offered earlier this year to re-ignite business activity and speed the economic recovery once the pandemic’s health risk was addressed included elements to aid small business. Pushing financial assistance while promoting safety and security for workers and consumers is the way to reengage our economy in a meaningful way.”
“Small businesses represent nearly half of the private sector workforce in Pennsylvania – 2.5 million jobs. They are the job creators in our communities, yet they were glaringly overlooked by federal business relief programs,” said Senator Iovino. “While small business owners are making difficult decisions about how long they can hang on, they need to know that a lifeline will be available to them. We do not want to see any of these businesses fail, and the $550 million Main Street Business Revitalization Initiative is exactly the kind of lifeline that these economic drivers need.”
As many Pennsylvania counties are now in the Yellow phase of reopening and on their way to Green phase, businesses cannot be expected to open their doors and have all the issues of these past months disappear.
Local businesses, and the workers that they employee, need the legislature to act and disperse funds that will aid in the lost revenue and assist in building back up the business back bones of our community.
The Pennsylvania Senate Democrats have released their PA CARES plan with initiatives that include assistance for the business community, housing assistance programs, student debt relief, veterans’ assistance, utility assistance, and food bank support. Read all proposals at pasenate.com/pacares.
###
