HARRISBURG, PA, October 2, 2018 − After years of debate, today the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 172 which allows for automated speed enforcement for active work zones.
“Active construction zones on highways can be dangerous places – both for drivers and for workers,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. “If everyone followed the speed limit, they would be much safer and I believe this bill will make drivers think twice about stepping on the gas.”
SB 172 goes to the Governor’s desk now for his signature, and if it passes, automated speed enforcement cameras would be set up in active work zones on state highways. Drivers would be sent a speeding ticket with a photo of their speeding vehicle; for the first offense, there would be no fine, for the second offensive there would be a fine of $75 and for a third offense the fine increases to $150.
In 2015, there were 1,935 crashes in work zones, including 23 deaths, across Pennsylvania.
“With stricter speed enforcement in work zones, I expect the number of crashes and fatalities to be much lower next year. I hope Governor Wolf signs this bill right away,” said Senator Costa.
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HARRISBURG, PA, September 25, 2018 – The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting in Pittsburgh today regarding a proposal to eliminate fuel economy standards on vehicles; Senator Costa submitted written testimony in opposition as he was unable to attend the meeting due to Senate session.
“Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are set to double the mileage for cars and light trucks per gallon of gas, in turn slashing global warming pollution in half for cars sold in 2025 and beyond,” wrote Senator Costa. “Removing these standards would pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to more intense and costly wildfires and extreme weather disasters. Conversely, keeping these standards in place would mean that, in 2030, U.S. drivers would save more than 3 million barrels of oil per day.”
Download Senator Costa’s full testimony →
Harrisburg, PA − September 25, 2018 − Following the death of Antwon Rose, Jr. earlier this year, and other incidents around the state and nation, state legislators began work on legislation regarding police management and community relations. Today, Senators Jay Costa, Wayne Fontana, Jim Brewster, Art Haywood and Representatives Jake Wheatley, Ed Gainey and Austin Davis unveiled that work.
“Recent events have shown that we are at a crossroads in how we manage and interact with our police officers,” said Senator Costa. “We need to do more to improve the training, quality and support of officers. But our improvements need to extend beyond police departments and into communities. I believe the package of bills we are working on can do that.”
The legislation, now seeking cosponsors, focuses on three categories:
Police Administration & Management
- Municipal Police Officer Education and Training Commission Improvements
- Improved Police Pay
- Regional Policing Incentive Program and Study
Community Relations
- Professional Oversight and Policy Development Board
- Change the Standard for Police Using Deadly Force
- Police Diversity Recruitment
- Professional Oversight and Policy Development Board
Event Response
- Police Shooting Response Team
- Special Prosecutor
“We need to find ways to improve the level of trust and cooperation between citizens and police officers on a broad range of matters such as the use of force, diversity education, oversight and community relations,” said Senator Fontana. “This package of reform legislation is a step in the right direction in addressing these issues.”
“Exploring new ways to improve police services is extremely important,” Senator Brewster said. “Allowing municipalities to pursue voluntary and consensual police mergers — provided there are incentives to smooth the transition while ensuring citizen safety is not compromised– is a viable approach to addressing local police issues. These efforts, combined with other measures I have offered such as increasing pay for part-time police and changing the board composition of the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission to better reflect local policing, are important improvements that need to be acted upon.”
“Our criminal system is meant to be impartial and for prosecutors to discharge their duties free of personal or professional conflicts. However, in certain circumstances, there is the appearance of conflict that can lead the public to believe that justice is not being dispensed fairly,” said Senator Haywood. “My legislation, SB400, co-sponsored by Senators Leach, Costa, and Hughes would take the review the deadly force incident by police officers out of the hands of the attorney general and into the hands of a special prosecutor. This bill is not designed to punish law enforcement but to provide a neutral party to review the case when death has been caused by an officer.”
“ We are all deeply saddened and disturbed by the tragic and avoidable shooting of a young man, Antwon Rose Jr; no family should have to endure this type of loss. Two different departments already terminated this officer and there was documented evidence he was unfit to serve,” said Senator Street. This is why I plan to sponsor legislation that would mandate intelligence and information sharing among departments in the hiring of officers. While this is a reality in many jurisdictions , we must ensure that this standard is maintained across The commonwealth. every family should receive equal protection and every officer should know that the man or woman next to them is qualified to serve.”
“Since the tragic shooting death of Antwon Rose in June, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to address and provide solutions to police shootings and violence,” said Rep. Wheatley. “Our initiatives center on a three-prong approach including an overhaul of police management, more community inclusion and a better response to police shootings. I’m asking other lawmakers to join us in support of our legislation.”
“This is not to point the finger at or place blame on anyone, but rather to start an honest conversation about how we improve police community relations,” said Rep. Gainey. “We know that we have many great police officers; we also know that we have some bad actors within the organization, just as we do in all other professions. We need to work together and move forward together.”
“I can’t think of many other relationships as important to the unity and safety of our community than the one between police and citizens,” Rep. Davis said. “We have seen the devastating consequences when there is a breakdown in that relationship. I’m hopeful that the work I’ve been doing with my colleagues to draft legislation on police management and community relations will be a crucial step in the right direction. We need to ensure that police can continue in their mission to protect and serve, while citizens can feel confident in their ability to trust and support police actions.”
“The time has long since passed that we modernize policing and criminal justice in Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Miller. “By underfunding drug treatment, mental health, and our schools we have dumped a ridiculous amount of societal problems on their desks while giving them a woefully outdated playbook. We must do better, and working with law enforcement is key to raising standards across the board. We must ensure professionalism and accountability while eliminating the historically discriminatory impact of our criminal justice system on communities of color and on people of limited economic means.”
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Download Co-sponsorship Memos →
PITTSBURGH, PA − September 18, 2018 − Senator Jay Costa and Representative Tony DeLuca today announced the award of more than $500,000 for local water and sewer projects.
“The quality of water infrastructure is a critical issue, at the national and local level,” said Senator Costa. “These municipalities submitted feasible plans to improve their sanitation systems, sewers, and pipes. I’m glad we could help those plans become a reality for our constituents.”
The Municipality of Penn Hills will receive $418,200 for Phase II of its Lime Hollow project; Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority (WPJWA) will receive $110,517 for a road storage tank and trihalomethane removal system; the Borough of Verona will receive $78,334 for improvements to its sanitary sewer lining.
“The funding awarded to Penn Hills, the Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority and the Borough of Verona, will allow us to replace sewer lines and address any archaic issues with our water system,” said Rep. DeLuca, D-Allegheny. “Water infrastructure can affect our public health, so it’s important that we make any necessary upgrades for issues up front before they become problematic.”
Municipalities and municipal authorities are eligible to apply for Small Water & Sewer grants for projects that have a total project cost of not less than $30,000 and not more than $500,000. The projects can include the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply or sanitary sewer system.
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PITTSBURGH, PA − September 18, 2018 − Senator Jay Costa and Representative Paul Costa today announced the award of more than $400,000 for local projects.
“Unfortunately, municipalities often lack the funds that they need to make critical repairs to their infrastructure and community resources,” said Senator Costa. “We were able to work with some local municipalities to bring their need to the attention of Governor Wolf and the Commonwealth Financing Authority, and I’m proud to say we are bringing major grants back to our constituents.”
The Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority will receive $193,307 for its Braddock Hills Trihalomethane removal system and West Homestead will receive $137,000 to improve its 8th Avenue sanitary sewer system under the Small Water & Sewer grant program. The Borough of Chalfant will receive $75,000 for rehabilitation of Chalfant Municipal Park; Rankin Borough will begin Phase I of the Rankin Ball Field with a $35,000 grant; and the Township of Wilkins will receive $25,000 for its township amphitheater.
“Parks and playgrounds are important spaces in our communities,” Costa said. “They are the places where we go not just for recreation or sports, but to meet our neighbors and to come together as a community. Both of these projects will be a great benefit to their respective towns.”
Municipalities and municipal authorities are eligible to apply for Small Water & Sewer grants for projects that have a total project cost of not less than $30,000 and not more than $500,000. The projects can include the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply or sanitary sewer system.
Act 13 of 2012 established the Marcellus Legacy Fund and allocates funds to the Commonwealth Financing Authority for planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks and beautification projects using the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.
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