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 votes in election.
“Senate Democrats have said clearly and repeatedly that the voter ID law was an overreach that would result in the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of voters. It was a law that should have never been approved and we are very happy that the court turned aside the measure today.
“There has been too much upheaval and confusion about preserving the right to vote. Plus taxpayers have had to pay too much in trying to defend this ill-conceived law.
The measure was unconstitutional and political and could not stand legal scrutiny. Simply put, it was an effort by Republicans to deny citizens access and a voice in their government that should have been dismissed.
“Instead of trying to find ways to stop citizens from voting, we should be doing more to encourage all Pennsylvanians to participate in elections.”
-30-
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 Democratic Leader Jay Costa said today.
Lottery-Outsource-Ends-Costa-W
Costa (D-Allegheny) was reacting to the governor’s announcement that his administration would not continue seeking an agreement with Camelot Global, LLC to privately manage the lottery.
Senate Democrats have been highly critical of the bid and the Corbett administration in its handling of the contract and the multiple extensions. They have said that the governor’s support of lottery privatization was wasteful of both time and money.
Last year, the Corbett administration awarded a contract to privately manage the Pennsylvania Lottery to Camelot Global, LLC. Earlier this year, Attorney General Kathleen Kane rejected the contract, citing instances where the proposal ran afoul of state statutes and constitutional provisions. The state Auditor General recently reported that the Corbett administration had spent, or contracted to spend, at least $4.5 million on the effort.
Costa’s statement is as follows:
“Throughout the process, Senate Democrats have been critical of the contract and the arrangement that the Corbett administration had with Camelot. Pennsylvania has an outstanding lottery that is efficiently and effectively operated by Pennsylvanians.
“There is simply not a good rationale or a responsible argument that the Corbett administration could offer that would justify privatizing the lottery in the manner they proposed. The Camelot proposal was unpopular, unwieldy and costly. It created questions when we should have been exploring answers to how we can help fund senior programs.
“Since the plan was first detailed, Senate Democrats asked tough questions and raised significant issues because we believe that the programs funded by the lottery are too important to be jeopardized.
“There are alternatives that would increase revenues to support senior programs without taking risks. In fact, Senate Democrats just unveiled a plan that would generate more than $1 billion in savings and revenues, a portion of which could be used to bolster senior programs and services.
“The best public policy and what makes most sense for taxpayers, seniors and the Lottery was for the governor to drop his arrangement with Camelot.”
The lottery reported record sales of $3.69 billion last year.
-30-
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 Democratic caucus participated in the case by filing an amicus brief in support of overturning the blanket local zoning preemption provision and the setback requirements related to sensitive water resources.
State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), the Senate Democratic leader, offered his reaction to the decision:
“The court’s decision to overturn portions of Act 13 – those provisions that involve zoning restrictions and the community’s right to protect their own water resources – provides Pennsylvania lawmakers with a second chance to craft a better, more responsible law. This is an opportunity to revisit an issue and devise a shale drilling law that is meaningful; one that offers protections for our citizens, communities and a valuable Pennsylvania natural resource.
“While Act 13 included a wide range of subjects, it failed to institute a reasonable shale drilling tax and took too much control away from local municipalities. We left too much control in the hands of gas drilling companies and the governor was too lenient in dealing with energy companies at the expense of Pennsylvania’s citizens and our communities.
“Senate Democrats are hopeful that the governor will work with legislators on a balanced plan that includes a responsible approach to drilling restrictions and community protections.”
-30-
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 (D-Allegheny).
“Senate Democrats have worked collaboratively with our Republican colleagues and together we have made progress in addressing key issues as it relates to child protection,” Costa said. “The legislation adopted by the Senate this week is significant and includes many priorities identified by Senate Democrats.”
The legislative effort to push meaningful upgrades in Pennsylvania’s child protective statutes gained momentum following the 2012 prosecution of Jerry Sandusky for child abuse.
The package of bills approved, and other measures still awaiting approval in the state House of Representatives and Senate, includes initiatives identified by the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection.
The child protection bills passed by the Senate include:
- Senate Bill 1116 – (Sen. Washington) streamlines the duties and responsibilities of Multidisciplinary Investigative Teams (MDIT) to allow for a more open an expedited process of investigating reports of child abuse;
- Senate Bill 23 – (Sens. Baker/Tartaglione) amends the definition of “perpetrator” to include current and former spouses and paramours of parents, as well as certain family members. The bill also includes additional provisions for expunction of records in circumstances where the perpetrator was under the age of 18;
- Senate Bill 28 – (Sens. Browne/Leach) enhances criminal penalties for child abuse, as well as for instances of false reporting of suspected child abuse;
- Senate Bill 30 – (Sens. Erickson/Kasunic) provides for a statewide database for anyone who files a false claim of child abuse. Also provides parameters for expedited appeals of indicated reports;
- Senate Bill 34 – (Sens. Smucker/Williams) amends the Professional Educator Discipline Act to expand its jurisdiction and allows revocation of teaching certificates through the state Department of Education in instances of founded reports of child abuse.
Costa thanked Sens. Washington, Leach, Kasunic, Williams and Tartaglione, the sponsors or lead co-sponsors of the legislation that was adopted, for their leadership in helping push these measures through the process.
“In particular, Senator Washington has provided strong leadership on this issue for the Senate Democratic caucus,” Costa said. “Her knowledge of the issues and her deep concern for the welfare of children has been very helpful to members on both sides of the aisle,” Costa said.
Washington serves as the Democratic Chair of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee and has a long record of work in the area of preventing child abuse.
He said that the entire Democratic caucus has worked to ensure that their ideas were considered as a part of the comprehensive package of bills that have become the child protection package.
-30-
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, according to state Sen. Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills).
“The Industrial Sites Reuse Program is designed as a catalyst to spur redevelopment of old industrial and manufacturing sites,” Costa said. “This program provides seed money to do an environmental site assessment that is part of a cleanup plan for the facility.”
Senator Costa says 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 grant. Here’s more with Senator Costa who says this is the first step in turning the abandoned industrial site into a planned residential community.Atom-Smashers-Site-Assessment-
Costa, who serves as Senate Democratic leader, has been a strong advocate of redeveloping brownfields and recycling former manufacturing facilities. He was notified that the environmental assessment grant was approved earlier this week.
Costa said that the 12-acre Atom Smasher site sits on land that could be developed provided that any environmental problems are remediated. He said the facility is conveniently located and has ready access to major traffic arteries so it has high development potential.
He said P&L Investments has plans to use the site for a new residential development.
“The Industrial Sites Reuse Program has been a key part of the development strategy of many old industrial sites,” Costa said. “Given the industrial heritage of our region, this program is a key that unlocks future development and job creation.”
The ISRP provides grants and loans of up to $200,000 for environmental assessments at brownfield sites and is able to make grants and loans of up to $1 million for remediation.
The grant was awarded to Forest Hills Borough.
-30-
