Philadelphia, PA – April 19, 2023 –Today, Senator Christine M. Tartaglione, Senate Democratic Whip, hosted the Biden Administration’s Drug Czar along with state policymakers to talk about the addiction and opioid crisis.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), joined Sen. Tartaglione, Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, Acting Secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), and a bipartisan and bicameral group of 12 legislators at Temple University to discuss the partnership between state and federal efforts to combat the growing drug and opioid crisis affecting Pennsylvania.
“Philadelphia has been the epicenter of the drug and addiction crisis that faces too many communities both across Pennsylvania as well as America,” said Sen. Tartaglione. “Bringing together a coalition of bipartisan legislators from both the State House and Senate to have these important conversations is crucial in moving forward and helping Pennsylvania and Pennsylvanians recover from the damaging effects of drug addiction.”
The roundtable conversation which was held on Temple University’s campus highlighted the importance of ensuring a seamless partnership between local, state, and federal programs.
“This epidemic is unweaving the very fabric of our Nation, and that’s unacceptable to me and it’s unacceptable to President Biden,” said Dr. Gupta. “That’s why the Administration’s Strategy is focused on addressing two key drivers of the epidemic—untreated addiction and the drug trafficking profits that fuel it. Local and state officials are vital to making sure our collective response matches this historic threat, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to discuss the response to fentanyl, xylazine, and other drug threats with such engaged state legislators. This crisis isn’t a red state or blue state issue—it’s America’s issue. And working together, we can beat this.”
Legislators from across the Commonwealth came together to share their community’s unique perspectives on the opioid and addiction crisis, and how Pennsylvania can use both state and federal resources to help drive recovery and treatment efforts for people suffering from addiction.
The following legislators participated in the roundtable discussion:
Philadelphia, PA- April 13, 2023 – Today Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Whip Christine Tartaglione announced she, along with Pennsylvania Senators Sharif Street, Anthony Williams, and Jimmy Dillon filed an amicus brief in the US vs. Safehouse case, in hopes to prevent Safehouse from opening a safe injection site in Philadelphia.
“My constituents and people from across Philadelphia have made their voices clear, they do not want Safehouse or any other organizations opening any safe injection sites in their neighborhoods,” said Senator Tartaglione. “When community and recovery organizations from all over the city approached me and asked me to be a part of this lawsuit seeking to block Safehouse I knew I had to offer my voice and my platform.”
The filing introduced by the Senate Democrats argues even if the United States Department of Justice and Safehouse reach an agreement, it may still violate state law that gives community organizations the ability to sue to prevent “drug-related nuisances” in their communities.
While Senator Tartaglione is participating in the ongoing legal process to block safe injection sites in Philadelphia, she has also introduced Senate Bill 165 that would outlaw supervised consumption and safe injection sites across the Commonwealth.
Harrisburg, PA- March 20, 2023 – State Senator Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks), Chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, and House Democratic Policy Committee Chair Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) joined join Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. Patrick Harkins (D-Erie) to co-host a joint public hearing on legislation that would extend Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protections to public employees in Pennsylvania.
The hearing, held earlier today at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, featured two panels of testimony on both sides of the issue of extending OSHA protections to public employees in Pennsylvania.
“All Pennsylvanians deserve a safe workplace – and we need to make sure that we extend the critical workplace safety protections under OSHA to public employees across the Commonwealth,” Muth said. “There are so many public employees that put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our communities, to improve our roads, and to respond to emergencies – these individuals deserve better and they deserve workplace safety protections.”
OSHA was created in 1970 by the United States Congress to assure safe conditions for working men and women. OSHA covers most private sector employers and workers in all 50 states either directly through Federal OSHA or through an OSHA-approved state plan. Workplace health and safety protections under OSHA do not automatically cover public sector employees in state and municipal government.
“As we heard today, a workers right to know they are safe and protected at their jobs shouldn’t depend on who they work for,” said Senator Tartaglione. “We need to pass Senate Bill 93 to ensure Pennsylvanians all have OSHA protections regardless of their employer.”
States have to choose to extend these protections — and over half have already done so through OSHA-approved “state plans” that allow states to operate their own workplace health and safety programs covering public and/or private sector workers – Pennsylvania is not one of those states. Senator Tartaglione’s Senate Bill 93 would establish the Pennsylvania Occupational Safety and Health Review Board within the Department of Labor and Industry and extend OSHA safety rules to public employers.
“We have heard the outcry that municipalities can’t afford this, and my response has always been, what price are we placing on human life?” Rep. Pat Harkins said. “It’s truly a shame if we can’t afford to protect our workers. Where is the justice and where is the opportunity for justice? That’s why I’m pushing House Bill 299.”
Rep. Harkins has introduced House Bill 299 – the Jake Schwab Worker Safety Bill – which would also extend OSHA protections to public sector employees in Pennsylvania. Rep. Harkins’ bill was named in memory of Erie resident Jake Schwab who was fatally injured at work in 2014 working as a mechanic with the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, a public sector employer exempt from OSHA regulations.
“Today’s hearing shined a light on the need to ensure safety conditions for almost 600,000 public sector workers in Pennsylvania,” House Majority Policy Committee chairman Ryan Bizzarro said. “Public sector workers cannot and should not continue to be treated as second-class employees. The time has come to extend OSHA protections for all public sector workers.”
Participants in the hearing included Keith Wentz, Risk Management Director, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania; Angela Ferritto, President, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; Arthur Steinberg, President, Pennsylvania American Federation of Teachers; and J. David Henderson, Executive Director, AFSCME Council 13.
“Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania’s public sector workers don’t have the same safety protections that their private sector counterparts do for one simple reason: Federal OSHA standards don’t apply to the public sector. But in addition to not having the protection of OSHA safety standards and regular inspections, these workers don’t have the whistleblower protections that they need to protect them from retaliation if they report unsafe working conditions,” Senator Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) added. “That means an employee can be fired, have their hours reduced, or suffer other adverse consequences simply for using the only resource they have to stay safe on the job—their voice. We must do more to protect Pennsylvania’s public sector workers. That means extending OSHA standards to public sector workers and strengthening whistleblower protections for ALL employees, public and private sector.”
All submitted testimony from the policy hearing and the full video is available at SenatorMuth.com/Policy
Harrisburg, PA – March 8th, 2023 – Today, Senator Christine Tartaglione announced $2,993,346 in grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency allocates and awards grants to organizations that demonstrate commitment to the Commission’s strategic priorities and mission. The grants announced today include funds from the Federal JAG State Share Funds, Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funds – Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program, and the Federal/ State Opioid Response Funds.
“As we have seen far too often, we spend too much time dealing with the consequences of crime without addressing the root causes and its prevention,” said Senator Tartaglione. “The funds the PCCD are releasing to Philadelphia-based organizations like Temple University will provide critical resources and support to organizations across our city working to find solutions to the systemic issues behind crime and create a safer and more peaceful Philadelphia for everyone.”
The PCCD funding was awarded as followed:
Federal JAG State Share Funds
Temple University – $235,380 for addressing racial and ethnic disparities.
Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funds – Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program
Temple University – $1,767,049 for upgrading training and surveillance systems.
Federal/ State Opioid Response Funds
Courage Medicine Health Center – $500,000 for opioid and substance use disorder treatment programs.
Philadelphia Legal Assistance – $490,920 for Medical Legal Community Partnership for opioid and substance use disorder treatment programs.
HARRISBURG, PA – March 6, 2023 – On Friday, March 3rd Senators Street, Schwank, Tartaglione and Hughes, reintroduced Sacred Spaces legislation, amending Section 3307 of Title 18 (Institutional Vandalism) to enhance the existing statute to give District Attorneys expanded options for combating vandalism of sacred spaces such as faith institutions, cemeteries, or memorials.
Senator Sharif Street shared that “at minimum, it is our responsibility as a government to ensure Pennsylvanians are free to express themselves, including their religious beliefs, without fear or risk of retribution. The continued defacement of places of worship is meant to intimidate whole communities and an inadequate response to these acts of hate inevitably results in more violent acts of intolerance.”
In recent years there has been an increase in the deliberate vandalism of churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship by those who wish to express hate. On February 25, 2023, a “National Day of Hate” garnered significant attention and warnings from law enforcement about rising antisemitism and possible attacks on religious institutions across the United States.
Senator Judy Schwank stated that “Faith-based hatred and vandalism is deeply disturbing and has no place in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, we’ve witnessed vandalism at religious and sacred spaces increase over the past few years. The protecting sacred spaces legislation we are introducing will send a clear message to those that wish to spread hate and intimidate other that they will be held accountable for their actions.”
In Philadelphia Jewish cemeteries have been targeted by vandals and on February 24th, 2023, the Philadelphia Masjidullah Mosque was defaced. On February 8th, 2023, in Reading, the Jesus is Alive World Center was severely damaged accruing more than $70,000 in repair costs. Religious intolerance, whether through rhetoric or acts of hate, have increasing consequences.
“In a state that was founded on the principle of religious liberty, it is abhorrent to see continued attacks and intimidation on and to our Commonwealth’s places of worship,” said Senator Tartaglione, “expanding the tools prosecutors across Pennsylvania can use to protect sacred spaces is a crucial step in combatting the hate we have seen grow out of the dark and dangerous fringes of society.”
Senator Vincent Hughes echoed that sentiment, stating “I’m proud to partner with my colleagues on this legislation, because acts of vandalism and hate against our sacred spaces have no place in Pennsylvania.”
PHILADELPHIA – Feb. 2, 2023 – Today, Sen. Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) joined Sens. Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia) and Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) for a check presentation and press conference at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in the Northeast Philadelphia. The senators presented a $1.1 million grant to Temple Health to fund mobile health services at four sites in Philadelphia.
With the support of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus, Sen. Haywood secured $10 million for statewide mobile and community clinics, including over $1 million for Temple Health, as part of the COVID-19 Public Health Equity Initiative (PHEI), made possible by State Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan.
In December 2022, Sen. Haywood announced this strategic investment, which helps medically underserved communities impacted by the pandemic to access to public health services. This PHEI funding benefits 45 awardees for services across the state, including $5 million for mobile health clinics to provide jobs, $3 million for health equity to improve accessibility, and $2 million for trauma-informed care to heal communities of color.
“Health equity is health access,” said Haywood. “Funding and expanding mobile health clinics and community health centers will help communities to obtain access to health care across the Commonwealth.”
The five grants for Temple Health include:
Begin the Turn Mobile Suboxone Unit – Suboxone prescriptions – $250,000
Begin the Turn Mobile Suboxone Unit – Trauma-informed counseling – $100,000
Fox Chase Cancer Center Mobile Screening Van – Mammography and preventative care – $250,000
Healthy Together Mobile Unit of the Temple Center for Population Health – Community engagement, screenings, vaccination, and education – $250,000
Miriam Medical/Zion Baptist Church/Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine (MZT) Collaborative Mobile Clinic – COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccination, and chronic disease monitoring – $250,000
Sens. Haywood, Dillon, and Tartaglione displayed the check in front of the four mobile units facing the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Leadership from the health system, including Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Temple Health, Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, and Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, president and CEO, Fox Chase Cancer Center, gladly accepted the funding. President Young welcomed guests to the event and thanked Senate delegation, including Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), for their partnership.
“Temple Health would like to thank Senators Dillon, Haywood, Street and Tartaglione for their dependable partnership over the past few years – including this support of our mobile screening units,” said Young. “Temple is the Commonwealth’s largest safety net provider servicing Pennsylvania’s most challenged communities and the ongoing support of Senators Dillon, Haywood, Street and Tartaglione has been critical to us achieving a stronger financial foundation that enables us to invest in our clinical programs, our facilities, technologies, employees – and most importantly, our patients.”
Sen. Haywood delivered opening remarks and outlined the process to launch this initiative. As Democratic Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Health and Human Services Committee and a former member of Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, Haywood is a longtime advocate for health access. In 2021, he pushed for equity in the vaccine distribution in 66 counties across the state. He also increased access for Black and Brown Pennsylvanians, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, and residents in congregate care, jails, and long-term facilities.
Through his research on the task force, Sen. Haywood learned there was no formal registry for mobile and community clinics to show where services should be expanded. He successfully developed the first mobile clinic registry in the state.
In September 2022, Sen. Haywood co-hosted a virtual public hearing with Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks/Chester/Montgomery) to discuss strategies to enhance statewide mobile health clinics and community health centers in Pennsylvania. During the hearing, he described the importance of securing mobile health funding. “The health system is broken,” said Haywood. “These grants make some repairs.”
Sen. Dillon proudly cohosted today’s event in his district. “Funding for mobile and community clinics can lower healthcare costs, improve access, and, hopefully, save lives,” said Dillon. “I am proud to stand with Senator Haywood and Temple Health to celebrate the good work the Mobile Screening Units will be able to do with this grant.”
The Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine Center for Urban Bioethics (CUB) received three of the grants, including the Begin the Turn Mobile Suboxone Unit and the MZT Collaborative Mobile Clinic. The school’s dean, Dr. Goldberg, expressed her gratitude to the senators.
“The Lewis Katz School of Medicine is incredibly thankful to Senators Dillon, Haywood, Street, and Tartaglione for their continued support of our programs, but more importantly, their dedication to improving the health of the community we serve, that provides the foundation for which we can continue to our work to address and eradicate the health disparities that plague our community,” said Goldberg.
Fox Chase Cancer Center’s president and CEO, Dr. Uzzo, was pleased to open the doors of the research facility and hospital for the event.
“Long before it became ‘best practice,’ Fox Chase Cancer Center recognized the need for cancer screening in the community and we have been providing this critical service for more than 38 years,” said Uzzo. “We are grateful to our partners in the Commonwealth whose support is helping us to advance our efforts with a next-generation Mobile Screening Unit and the ability to reach more people with screenings for more types of cancers, including breast, cervical, skin, and head & neck cancers; screening for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a key risk factor for liver cancer; bilingual cancer education; and collection of biospecimens to help us learn more about cancer health disparities.”
Sen. Tartaglione expressed the significance of the mobile health grants. “Quality healthcare without boundaries and barriers is one of the surest ways to increase the quality of living for Pennsylvanians,” said Tartaglione. “It means nothing to build hospitals without ensuring everyone that needs access has access to the care provided.” Tartaglione continued: “These funds will allow the work of ensuring access to continue expanding into neighborhoods that are traditionally underserved and underinvested.”
A representative from Sen. Street’s office, Lateefah Shakir, stood at the event in support of the health equity funding. “In the beginning of the pandemic, it was critical to marshal resources to meet the medical needs of underserved communities,” said Street. “I’m thankful for the leadership and partnership of Senator Haywood to secure $10 million for health equity, mobile clinics, and trauma-informed care.”
Following the press conference, the group participated in a roundtable to discuss healthcare priorities of the Commonwealth in their collective efforts to increase access to equitable, high quality health care, including screenings and treatments for patients in southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus will announce additional recipients of public health equity funding this year. Video of event will be available at senatorhaywood.com/video.
PHILADELPHIA, PA − April 21, 2022 – Senator Tartaglione today announced $3 million in grant money directed to the 2nd Senatorial District for the development of multi-modal transportation along North 5th St. in the Huntington Park Neighborhood in Philadelphia.
The $3 million grant was awarded through the Multimodal Transportation Fund to help develop North 5th St.’s vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation infrastructure and create a safer pedestrian corridor.
“The Governor’s investment will expand safe transportation options for pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists that use these streets every day,” said Sen. Tartaglione “As our city continues to grow, the competition for space between bicyclists and pedestrians, and cars can is only going to grow. The Multimodal Transportation Fund is helping protect the people using our streets that aren’t doing so in vehicles”
Nueva Esperanza, Inc., who was awarded the $3 million grant, plans to use the funds to transform street, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation infrastructure on North 5th Street in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park neighborhood, to advance ongoing economic development by creating a safer, pedestrian-friendly corridor.
This grant is a part of the Multimodal Transportation Fund, which was created in Act 89 of 2013.
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.
Additionally, PennDOT anticipates accepting Multimodal Transportation Fund applications in fall 2022 for Fiscal Year 2023-24 funding. For more information about the program, visit www.penndot.pa.gov and click on Multimodal Program under the “Projects & Programs” button.
HARRISBURG – April 20, 2022 – Philadelphia today was awarded $125 million for a water infrastructure project through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or Pennvest, according to state Sen. Christine Tartaglione and state Rep. Mike Driscoll.
The loan was awarded to help with the construction of two new 5 million gallon, below-grade clearwell basins with green roof tops, which will support the Torresdale and Lardner’s Point pump stations and improve the city’s overall water capacity and reliability.
“When we discuss investments in infrastructure, we aren’t just talking about roads and bridges,” Tartaglione said. “We are also talking about the funding of drinking water, wastewater and storm water projects across the Commonwealth. Pennvest’s investment today in Philadelphia will increase access to clean and reliable drinking water and is a crucially needed investment that will benefit millions around the Southeastern Pennsylvania region.”
“Water is our most precious commodity,” Driscoll said. “Without a reliable source, especially in times like now as we are trying to recover from a global pandemic, our city cannot move forward on a path to recovery and progress. Thankfully, the state provides assistance to these large-scale projects that, while very costly, are very necessary.”
The funding for these projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener, Marcellus Legacy funds, federal grants to Pennvest from the Environmental Protection Agency, and recycled loan repayments from previous Pennvest funding awards. Funds for these projects are disbursed after expenses for work are paid and receipts are submitted to Pennvest for review.
Harrisburg, PA − August 30, 2021 − The Senate Democratic Caucus sent the following letter to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to encourage the court to take action to halt evictions for tenants who already have pending applications in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
Philadelphia, PA, February 27, 2020 – State Senator Christine M. Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by the Federal Trade Commission that it has authorized an action to block the proposed merger of Jefferson Health and Albert Einstein Healthcare Network:
“The merger of Jefferson Health and Einstein Healthcare Network would provide the residents of North Philadelphia and the surrounding region with improved access to high-quality, reliable medical care, so I am extremely disappointed that the FTC has chosen to challenge this definitive agreement. As a safety net hospital within a largely underserved community, Einstein has long been committed to securing the resources needed to deliver essential medical care to families in need. The merger with Jefferson would advance that noble mission and support community health for the foreseeable future.”
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or William.Kenny@pasenate.com.
Senator Tartaglione concluded her annual Senior Expo series by helping hundreds of community members with information about aging-related topics.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, October 11, 2018 – The Fox Chase community welcomed State Sen. Christine Tartaglione’s annual Senior Expo with open arms today as hundreds of older adults and their caregivers gathered at Fox Chase Recreation Center for free health screenings and for information about an array of senior-specific topics such as healthcare, housing, accessibility for the disabled, financial services, estate preparation, consumer protection and crime prevention. Some folks even got their annual flu shots.
Dozens of exhibitors filled the rec center gymnasium representing public agencies, elected officials, private service providers and non-profit organizations that share a common goal of improving the lives of older people in the community. Today’s event was Senator Tartaglione’s third and final Senior Expo of the year. Previous expos at Mayfair Community Center (on Sept. 27) and St. Anne’s PAL Center (Oct. 4) also attracted large community responses.
“My Senior Expos are a tremendously effective community outreach because they help our presenters make a positive, meaningful impact on the lives of these seniors,” Tartaglione said. “Our visitors go from table to table and consult with exhibitors face-to-face about issues that are important to each individual person. They really appreciate being able to seek help for many different needs all in one place in the span of just a few hours. This is a convenient way for seniors to get answers to their many questions without leaving their own neighborhood.”
Although Senator Tartaglione’s annual Senior Expos series has concluded for 2018, planning is already underway to renew the popular program in Fall 2019.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or email at william.kenny@pasenate.com.
Pennsylvania employers would be required to pay overtime wages to an additional 460,000 workers under newly proposed regulations.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, January 17, 2018 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione applauded today’s announcement by Gov. Tom Wolf of a proposal to modernize Pennsylvania’s overtime regulations to ensure that nearly a half-million salaried employees receive appropriate compensation when they work more than 40 hours per week.
The governor’s proposal would update Pennsylvania’s overtime rules for the first time in more than 40 years and would raise the threshold for mandatory overtime pay to include most salaried workers who earn up to $47,892 annually. Under current regulations, salaried workers earning more than $23,660 are not guaranteed overtime pay. The changes would extend eligibility for mandatory overtime pay to an additional 460,000 Pennsylvania workers over four years.
“This measure is a tremendous step forward for Pennsylvania workers and it’s long overdue,” Tartaglione, minority chair of the Senate’s Labor & Industry Committee, said. “It’s unconscionable that in 2018, workers who make less than the federal poverty level for a family of four could be deprived of overtime earnings when they spend extra time on the job. I look forward to the application of these new rules and will continue fighting to raise the minimum wage, which Pennsylvania hasn’t done in almost a decade, and to enact laws that protect Pennsylvania workers on a multitude of issues.”
Under the governor’s proposal, employers would be required to pay overtime at time-and-a-half the employee’s hourly rate. The new rules would raise the salary threshold incrementally over three years starting at $31,720 per year ($610 per week) in 2020, $39,832 ($766) in 2021 and $47,892 ($921) in 2022. As part of the state’s regulation change process, the Department of Labor & Industry expects to present the proposal for public comments in March.
Pennsylvania last updated its overtime regulations in 1977, when the $23,660 threshold for exemption was established. At the time, the exemption was meant to apply to high-wage white-collar employees, but the salary threshold has not been increased to keep pace with inflation.
After 2022, the salary threshold would be updated automatically every three years under the governor’s proposal.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or email at William.Kenny@pasenate.com.
Harrisburg – Oct. 7, 2015 – At a recent hearing of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, members learned first-hand about the impact of recent changes in the unemployment compensation system as it applied to seasonal workers, according to state Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia).
Tartaglione said the hearing, which was held on Oct. 6 at Philadelphia City Hall, included testimony from Kathy Manderino, the state secretary of the Department of Labor and Industry, AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale, representatives of various labor unions, legal services, law firms and employment consultants.
“The labor committee has held hearings on the effect of changes to the unemployment compensation system that involve how seasonal workers are treated,” Tartaglione said. “These hearings provide members with insight into how seasonal workers are now handled in the unemployment system as a result of changes that were recently signed into law.”
Tartaglione said that Act 6 and Act 60 alterations imposed changes in wage calculations for seasonal workers. As a result of Act 6 and Act 60 changes, she said that an estimated 48,000 workers are ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits.
The changes have created difficulties for workers who fail to earn more than 49.5 percent of their earnings outside of the high quarter by making them ineligible for unemployment compensation, the senator said.
“Act 6 and Act 60 changes are a hardship for seasonal workers, especially those who are employed in jobs where the work is highly concentrated in a quarter,” Tartaglione said. “I am hopeful that we can adjust the law to make it more equitable.”
The committee hearing in Philadelphia was the second one that was held concerning the impact of Act 6 and Act 60 changes. The first hearing was convened in Erie earlier this year.
Tartaglione said she expected to discuss this issue more over the next several weeks.
October 15, 2012: Sen. Tartaglione hosted the 2012 Senate Disability Day. This event provided all members and staff with the opportunity to experience, first hand, what it is like to have various disabilities. Wheelchairs, walkers, vision-distorting goggles, magnifiers, arm restraints and noise canceling headphones were available to try – for a few minutes or for a few hours.
HARRISBURG – September 26 – State Senate Democrats today unveiled their revised job creation plan, called “PA Works Now,” which they claim would create 80,000 new jobs and leverage billions in private investment to generate jobs and economic activity.
State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said job creation is the number one priority for this fall’s session of the General Assembly. He added that the PA Works Now package does not require new broad based taxes, is fully paid for and does not put additional strain on the state General Fund.
“PA Works Now features a new investment vehicle called the Pennsylvania Investment Bank that will quickly pump $1.2 billion into the economy and create jobs,” Costa said. “Our goal is to jump start the economy and create new jobs in the shortest possible time.
“Job creation is the most important issue lawmakers must tackle this fall.”
The Democrats’ plan includes renewed investment in job-producing programs and public works such as water and sewer projects as well as money for new business investments. The plan also provides a new round of capital infusion for the state Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund and would establish Pennsylvania’s version of the successful “Georgia Works” on-the-job training program.
The Pennsylvania Investment Bank would target more than $1.2 billion for water and sewer system reconstruction, new business investment and other public works. The bank would capture funds generated from existing borrowing capacity. The bank would use $500 million in Commonwealth Finance Authority dollars plus a half-billion from PENNVEST (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority).
The investment bank would also utilize $80 million in funds from a proposed Marcellus Shale tax or fee along with surplus state revenues. Democrats estimate that these sources would generate $180 million.
“There are so many workers who are looking for jobs and even more who are worried about what is next for them in this very difficult economic recovery,” Costa said. “Our comprehensive PA Works Now plan addresses job creation and presents an opportunity to move our economy forward.”
Democrats said action is needed now on their job creation plan because of the recent increase in unemployment. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate spiked by nearly a half percent from July to August – rising to 8.2 percent. Since May, the number of unemployed Pennsylvanians grew by 45,000.
Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) decried the alarming increase in unemployment and the inaction of both the Corbett Administration and Republican lawmakers who control floor action in both the state House and Senate.
“The Corbett Administration has failed to respond to the hardship in the labor market in any discernable way,” Hughes said. “The administration is either tone-deaf to the plight of the unemployed or focusing on political wedge issues that do not create jobs. They’ve produced no new jobs plan.
“The priorities of the administration are skewed,” Hughes said.
Hughes criticized Corbett and Republicans for focusing on changing the apportionment of electoral votes, English-only legislation and voter ID legislation. These issues interest only “politicos on the extreme political fringe of the Republican Party. These proposals do nothing to help our economy grow,” Hughes said.
“We are stuck debating issues that appeal to the political extreme at the expense of working families,” Hughes said. “Working men and women need jobs. They don’t need political talk. That is a sham and it’s a shame.”
Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said the state has lost an opportunity to reverse negative economic trends. She noted that the recent business downturn has had a disproportionate impact on educators, women, minorities and Pennsylvania’s youth.
According to Schwank, the Corbett budget cuts have put several thousand educators or school staff out of work. The Berks county lawmaker said Senate Democrats will soon flesh-out a package of bills that would specifically help women, minorities and young people find jobs.
“Failing to take action now condemns those who have a difficulty getting jobs in a robust economy – women, minorities and our youth – to even deeper despair when the labor market contracts,” Schwank said. “Doing nothing on job creation is not an answer and it’s not fair. That’s why we need to work on a jobs plan like PA Works Now.”
Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe), who previously served as secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, said PA Works Now would inject much-needed capital into business investment and job creation programs. He said doing so is essential toward generating economic activity and employment opportunities now.
“There is no question that our recovery from the recession is soft,” Blake said. “The state has a responsibility to incent private sector investment for job growth.”
Costa, Hughes, Schwank and Blake were joined by a host of Senate Democratic colleagues at the Capitol news conference.
Senate Democrats unveiled a previous version of PA Works earlier this year.
Senators who attended today’s news conference included Democratic Whip Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia), Caucus Chairman Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette/Somerset), Caucus Secretary Christine M. Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia), Caucus Administrator Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) and state Sens. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester), Daylin Leach (D-Delaware/Montgomery), John Yudichak (D-Luzerne/Monroe/Carbon) and Tim Solobay (D-Washington/Greene).
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