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, Pa. − July 30, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. today introduced Senate Bill 15, creating a “Cap and Invest” program for the state’s electric power sector, along with the support of 17 cosponsors.
“The federal government has abdicated responsibility on climate change — states, local governments, private companies and citizens must take the lead in enacting equitable policies to mitigate the growing impacts of climate change,” said Senator Costa.
The legislation will instruct the Environmental Quality Board to reduce carbon pollution emissions from the electric power sector – the largest source of emissions in Pennsylvania – by at least 90% by 2040 relative to baseline emissions. The Board can develop a market-based carbon pollution limit, which ensures a technology neutral, flexible approach that incentivizes the most cost-effective emission reductions and generates revenue for investments in economic development, workforce training, energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy affordability.
The legislation also enables the Board to adopt mechanisms that facilitate deployment of zero—emissions technologies, measures that provide for ongoing assessment of emission sources in the electric power sector that adversely affect disadvantaged communities and for reductions in harmful air pollution affecting communities, protect against emissions leakage across state borders, and to join one or more multijurisdictional programs for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (aka RGGI).
“Pennsylvania has already made important strides towards reducing greenhouse gases, and mayors from Pennsylvania’s two largest cities have already committed to reducing carbon emissions,” said Senator Costa. “But more work is needed to achieve emission reductions and to make sure Pennsylvania isn’t left behind in the burgeoning growth of clean energy technologies and jobs.”
Further, the bill provides that revenue generated from the program be directed towards programs that promote clean air, mitigate utility bill impacts and protect low-income consumers, increase energy efficiency, and assist workers and communities impacted by the closure of power plants or mines.
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Penn Hills, Pa. – July 16, 2020 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. and State Representative Anthony DeLuca today announced the award of $2.5 million to the Municipality of Penn Hills for transportation improvement projects.
This grant is part of the Multi Modal Fund, created by Act 89 of 2013.
The funds will be used to improve segments of 31 streets in need of repair. Improvements include repaving, ADA compliant cutouts and sidewalks, and making streets more accessible for pedestrians, bicycles, and public transportation vehicles.
“Our communities must be accessible for travelers of every mode – not just those that own a personal vehicle,” said Senator Costa. “I’m looking forward to watching Penn Hills complete these projects and improve its sidewalks, streets and cut outs.”
“I was happy to be able to help bring this state money home to Penn Hills, which will allow the municipality to provide badly needed street repairs for motorists while relieving some of the burden on their already tight Public Works budget due to the pandemic,” DeLuca said. “Specifically, the state funding will enable the municipality to pave at least 30 streets in the community, possibly more, given the recent reduction in paving material costs.”
PennDOT evaluated the applications and made selections based on such criteria as safety benefits, regional economic conditions, the technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency, and operational sustainability.
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.”
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Harrisburg – June 30, 2020 – Pennsylvania Senate Democrats gathered in the Capitol and through Zoom to discuss the status of their legislative agenda for police reforms, and to announce a statewide Racial Equity Solutions Tour.
PA Senate Democrats introduced a comprehensive package of law enforcement reform legislation on June 10, and in the past two weeks of session have made major progress on their legislative initiatives.
Bills sent to the Governor
HB 1841
- Creates a requirement for incoming police officer applicants to permit for the release of all employment information from previous law enforcement departments.
- Require law enforcement agencies to retain records of disciplinary actions taken against them.
- Requires MPOETC to set up a separations database that will be accessible to all law enforcements departments to search when hiring a new officer
- If a law enforcement agency hires an officer with a separation record that includes offenses such as use of excessive force, harassment, theft, discrimination, sexual offense, coercion, or false reports that agency will have to report back to the commission with a justification on why it hired to officer.
- Hiring reports will be subject to the Right to Know Act.
HB 1910
- Provides for new training for police officers on the use of force, including deadly force, de-escalation and harm reduction techniques, and instruction in community and cultural awareness, implicit bias, procedural justice and reconciliation techniques as developed by the commission.
- Requires that law enforcement officers undergo mental health exams after use of force incidents and creates procedures for working with officers that have PTSD.
Bills sent to the House
SB 459
- Requires that law enforcement agencies record and maintain records of police officers that use force that leads to serious bodily injury.
- Further requires that the use of force reports be reported to the MPOETC.
- The State Police are required to compile aggregate data regarding the use of force reports and make reports to the Legislature on an annual basis.
SB 1205
- Requires that law enforcement agencies develop and adopt use of force policies based on state or national best practices.
- The use of force policy must contain a ban on chokeholds
“As a former law enforcement officer, I understand the pressure that our police officers are under, and I know that we can make common sense reforms to our justice system to make it better and improve its outcomes,” said Senator Costa. “Today’s accomplishments are just a piece of the law enforcement reforms that our caucus and our constituents believe are necessary. Our efforts will not cease.”
As local, national, and worldwide demonstrations began over the killing of George Floyd, the Senate Democrats renewed their commitment to police reform, and have committed to legislative solutions to achieve police reform and racial equity in Pennsylvania.
Costa also said that he was very proud of the passage of House Bill 1841 through the Senate today. The bill would require that MPOETC (Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission) establish and maintain an electronic database containing the separation records that is accessible to all law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth.
“We do have systemic racism in this county, and in this state. As a legislative body, we need to commit to dismantling the systems that have allowed Black people to be overpoliced, unfairly targeted, and over incarcerated for generations,” said Sen. Anthony H. Williams (D- Philadelphia/Delaware).
Williams also announced that he will be leading the Senate Democrats in a statewide Racial Equity Solutions Tour.
Caucus members will hold conversations, both in-person adhering to CDC guidelines and virtually, throughout the summer in addition to lending their voices to protests and events organized by community leaders.
“We have had enough listening. We know the systemic issues that Black people and Black communities face, this is a tour to gather actionable solutions for change,” Williams said.
Senate Bill 1205, a ban on chokeholds by police, was sponsored by Sen. Sharif Street (D- Philadelphia), and was also passed out of the Senate unanimously last week.
“There is no silver bullet to fix policing in America. While we’re encouraged by the advance of a variety of policy around police reform, I and my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus are committed to a comprehensive package of reforms that reimagine public safety while investing in areas better suited to serve the diverse needs of our communities. This means the community must be a part of the conversation as we work to address the historic inequities and disparities in government,“ Street said.
It was also noted that the Senate was able to send House Bill 1910 to the Governor today, ensuring increased education and training for Pennsylvania law enforcement when they handle those with diverse backgrounds, victims of child abuse, and how to treat fellow officers experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“The issues we want to address with this tour are not new, however there appears to be growing momentum coming from genuine and concerted desires to understand and rectify the longstanding issues our nation has never fully addressed,” said Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery). “We must seize this moment and enact real policies and protections in Pennsylvania that address racism and systemic inequities in the commonwealth. The movement of these legislative initiatives shows that people are fed up with police abuse. They have shown that protest and civic engagement works. We ask that they not stop, and that they keep on marching.”
“I have been proud to attend multiple peaceful protests for racial justice in Hummelstown, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre, Cheltenham, and Philadelphia. Black Lives Matter protestors have created a moment for change that we must seize to end systemic racism and police brutality,” Haywood said.
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks/Chester/Montgomery) spoke about her ‘No Consent in Custody’ legislation, Senate Bill 851. Muth’s legislation had been added as an amendment to HB 256.
“Additional legislative action is needed to ensure true reform to our policing practices here in Pennsylvania,” said Senator Katie Muth. “While the recent action in both the House and Senate is a step in the right direction, the General Assembly must work urgently to pass much needed reform to ensure accountability and transparency in the police system, invest in historically oppressed communities, end systemic racism and police brutality. We have a lot of work to do, and this work is long overdue.”
“We have made important steps on the long road to justice by moving police reforms through the General Assembly in recent weeks. This statewide tour is another step on that road,” said Senator Tim Kearney (D-Delaware/Chester). “We are going to have community-driven discussions that focus on solutions to end systemic racism and reimagine public safety. I am hopeful the tour will lead to meaningful action, because this moment in history offers us a real chance to live up to our ideals and meet the promise of liberty and justice for all.”
For the full list of Senate Democratic Police Reform bills, visit pasenate.com/reform.
To follow the statewide Solutions Tour for Racial equity, visit senatoranthonyhwilliams.com.
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