HARRISBURG – February 8, 2022 – Governor Tom Wolf gave his final budget address today to a joint Pennsylvania House and Senate Session. The proposed budget invests in Pennsylvanians through education, workforce development, criminal justice reform, public health investments, and raising the minimum wage – without calling for a single tax increase.
“I am very pleased with the proposed budget that the Governor presented today because it gives us the ability to truly invest in Pennsylvanians. We are in an excellent position, with an estimated $6 billion budget surplus, to fund programs and initiatives that help Pennsylvania’s live the full and prosperous lives they deserve,” Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa said.
Investments in education include $1.55 billion increase in basic education, $200 million in special education, $60 million in Pre-K Counts and $10 million for Head Start Supplemental Assistance, $300 in Level Up funding to 100 school districts with the highest needs, and $77.7 million in federal funds to make childcare more affordable. Proposed investments of over $180 million across higher education programs and a total of $200 million for Nellie Bly scholarships to help PASSHE students.
Further investments include $35 million in grants and technical assistance through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for community-led gun violence prevention efforts and $1 million for reentry services to assist women by giving them the best opportunity to start fresh and reduce recidivism.
Making sure that Pennsylvania workers earn a living wage has been a long-time priority of the Senate Democratic Caucus and this budget proposes an immediate e increase of state minimum wage to $12 per hour, with an annual increase of $.50 per hour until all minimum wage employees reach $15 per hour.
“This budget gives us the opportunity to make the critical investments that Pennsylvania needs in our schools, communities, and workforce. Now is the time to put this money into the programs that fund the future of this commonwealth. We must use the surplus of this budget to show Pennsylvanians that we see where they are struggling, and we are supporting a budget that gives them the support where they need it,” Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes said.
For more information on the 2022-2023 budget, visit pasenate.com/budget.
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Harrisburg, Pa. − February 4, 2022 − Senate Democratic Leader and Legislative Reapportionment Commission member Senator Jay Costa today voted in support of final maps for the Pennsylvania House and Senate districts.
The final vote of the Commission was 4 to 1 in support, and the maps are adopted.
“I’m casting an affirmative vote today in support of these maps, and we can all be proud not only of the final product we have here today but also of the process we took to get here. If there’s no faith in the process, then there can be no faith in the maps. It was incumbent upon us to restore that faith, and I believe we’ve done that,” said Senator Costa. “This was one of the most fair, transparent and publicly engaging redistricting processes in the last 50 years. We set lofty goals when we began last year, and I think we reached most of them.”
Senator Costa’s priorities in this reapportionment process were:
- Abiding by the guidance of the Voting Rights Act, creating minority majority districts, coalition districts and opportunity districts whenever possible
- Fairly accommodating a major population shift from the northern sections of the state to the southeastern quadrant
- Addressing a growing Latino population around the state, ensuring that there are legislative seats where those voices are heard loudly
- Following the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s ruling in the League of Women Voters case that requires attention to the political performance of districts because the ruling deemed that political balance is critical to a functioning democracy
- And finally, taking every step in the process in a transparent, participatory fashion
This year, the LRC accepted publicly submitted maps and allowed testimony via Zoom to make the process more participatory than in the history of redistricting. There were 9 meetings, 6 hearings, 29 publicly submitted maps, testimony from 51 citizens and 29 experts that led to the creation of the preliminary maps that were presented in December of 2021.
“Public participation in this process is so important because these maps determine a decade of public representation,” said Senator Costa. “If your district isn’t fair or representative, it becomes very hard for folks to have their voices heard in Harrisburg and our legislature votes regularly on the issues that affect your every day life.”
Due to COVID related challenges, census data was delivered five months late which compressed the timeline for a preliminary map. Despite this, the Commission is submitting a map on schedule with the expected May primary for 2022.
“This was a challenging year, and redistricting is no small feat in a ‘normal’ timeline but I want to thank my fellow commission members, our chair and the staff that got us here today,” said Senator Costa.
For more information on each of the meetings, including testimony and video, please visit redistricting.state.pa.us.
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Pittsburgh, Pa. − January 27, 2022 − Community and elected leaders today joined together at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to announce $4.5 million in funding for Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program.
The program is funded by Act 83 of 2019 and administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
“Folks should be able to gather, to worship, to play without fear of violence targeted at them because of who they love, their faith or their ethnicity,” said Senator Jay Costa. “I wish we didn’t need these grants; I wish our community organizations were safe from acts of hate – but we’ve seen that’s not the case. This grant program has helped and will continue to help groups protect themselves and prevent violence. I’ll continue to fight for its funding as long as it’s needed.”
“Today’s funding announcement is a strategic investment in our people, neighborhoods, and communities by ensuring greater safety when people come together or groups gather in worship,” said Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward.
“In 2021, the number of suspicious and antisemitic incidents in Pittsburgh doubled, so Jewish Pittsburgh is grateful for PCCD funding,” said Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh CEO Jeff Finkelstein. “The funding will help Jewish organizations continue their important work. More broadly, we know that, when antisemitism rises, other faith-based communities and minorities are also being targeted. Funds from the PCCD Non-Profit Security Grant Program help safeguard Greater Pittsburgh as a whole.”
Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) noted that that the danger of violence against vulnerable groups is high and rising.
“We wish we lived in a world where we didn’t need millions of dollars to protect the faithful, but we know well that antisemitism and other hateful ideologies are spreading, and houses of faith cannot meet that threat without our help,” Rep. Frankel said. “We are here to support these vulnerable institutions today, and into the future, so that they can do their own important work without fear.”
“The PJC is grateful to Governor Wolf, the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic and Republican Caucuses and the House of Representatives’ Democratic Caucus for their cooperative efforts to continue funding this program with the goal of keeping our religious and communal facilities safe from acts of violence and hate,” said Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition Chairman Marc Zucker. “As demonstrated so tragically in the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh and most recently by the hostage incident at the Beth Israel synagogue in Texas, there is a clear demand for protecting such institutions and those who worship there. Through the first two years of the program, with a limited amount of funding, only a third of the facilities applying for the security grants were able to receive grants.”
“As hate crimes have markedly increased in recent years, and white supremacist groups have proliferated, the need for security upgrades at our communal institutions was apparent,” Zucker continued. “Our state political leaders have shown their support and leadership to fight hate and violence by striving to make our communal facilities safe and secure.. Over the past three years, $14.5 million have been allocated through this critical program. The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition applause these efforts to assure a safe and secure future for all Pennsylvanians.
“The rise of antisemitism and other hate crimes continue to be a stark and painful reality in Pennsylvania and nationwide, and the horrifying event in Colleyville magnifies the gravity of the situation”, said Arielle Frankston-Morris, executive director of Teach PA, a project of the Orthodox Union. “We are indebted to Governor Wolf, Leader Costa and Representative Frankel, and all of the members of the General Assembly who supported this effort, sharing a vision of a safe, bright future for all Pennsylvanians and ensuring that vulnerable groups are readied with crucial funding and resources when it’s needed most. We also appreciate our coalition partners including Jewish Federations across the commonwealth and the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition.”
Act 83 directs PCCD to administer grants to nonprofit organizations who principally serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication. The categories include:
- Race/ethnicity/ancestry;
- Religion;
- Sexual orientation;
- Disability;
- Gender; and
- Gender identity.
Applicants are eligible for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the Commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization. Eligible expenses for security enhancements include the following:
- Safety and security planning
- Purchase of safety and security equipment
- Purchase of security-related technology, which may include, but is not limited to:
- Metal detectors
- Protective lighting
- Surveillance equipment
- Special emergency communications equipment
- Electronic locksets
- Deadbolts
- Trauma kits
- Theft control devices
- Safety and security training
- Threat awareness and response training
- Upgrades to existing structures that enhance safety and security
- Vulnerability and threat assessments
- Specialty-trained canines
- Any other safety or security-related project that enhances safety or security of the non-profit organization
For more information, visit https://www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety/Pages/Non-Profit-Security-Grant-Fund.aspx
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Allegheny County, Pa. – January 26, 2022 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. today announced the award of $650,000 in grants for economic development projects in the 43rd senatorial district.
“Our district boasts incomparable resources, landmarks, and organizations – and it is my role as your elected Senator to advocate for them on the state level, so I am very proud to today announced $650,000 in grants coming to the 43rd senatorial district,” said Senator Costa.
The grants are part of the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund and are dispersed by the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County.
Grants for the 43rd district will go to:
- $150,000 for The Oakmont Community Foundation for Allegheny Avenue Realignment
- $100,000 for the Frick’s Clayton masonry project
- $150,000 for Woodland Hills School District to renovate the Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale
- $100,000 for Blackridge Civic Association’s revitalization
- $150,000 for the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh’s HVAC updates
For more information on the GEDTF grant program, please visit this page from Allegheny County.
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HARRISBURG – January 26, 2022 – The PA Senate Democrats were proud to pass legislation yesterday that will provide $225 million in funding to Pennsylvania hospitals and health care providers. This funding comes through the federal American Rescue Plan and final passage is expected in the House of Representatives later today.
“Our health care workers have been pushed to capacity physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally these last two years as we battle the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only do they deserve our support and continued advocacy for every eligible person to get vaccinated, but they also need the resources to continue this battle against Covid-19,” Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa said.
There will be $100 million allocated for the retention and recruitment of direct care hospital employees, $110 million for recruitment and retention of staff at behavioral health providers, high Medicaid hospitals, and critical access hospitals.
There will also be a $15 million allocation to PHEAA for further loan forgiveness for Pennsylvania nurses. This is in addition to previous funds Senate Democrats advocated for to forgive up to $7,500 of Pennsylvania nurses – a program designed and championed by Senator-and-nurse Maria Collett last year.
House Bill 253, which allocates this funding, will also create an 11-member task force for addressing the impact of opioid abuse on children.
“As we continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, we see the toll this takes on our health care professionals, our hospitals, and our communities. The Senate Democratic Caucus will continue fighting for the resources our communities need to stay safe, and we encourage all who can to get vaccinated to help end this pandemic and the effects it is having on our health care professionals,” Sen. Costa said.
