by Christin Brown | June 17, 2014 | News Releases
‘Roberto Clemente Way’ Heading to Philly, Sen. Tartaglione Reports
HARRISBURG, June 17, 2014 – A hero to millions of baseball fans and Latinos, state Sen. Christine Tartaglione said today she is pleased the Pennsylvania Senate has approved a bill to make a section of West Erie Avenue in Philly, “Roberto Clemente Way.”
Clemente played Major League baseball for 18 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died on Dec. 31, 1972, while flying to Nicaragua with relief supplies for earthquake victims.
“Roberto Clemente transcended the black and gold baseball uniform he wore for the Pirates,” Tartaglione said following the Senate’s unanimous approval today of House Bill 1831. “He was loved – and continues to be loved, admired and held up as an example of what it means to be a compassionate human being; even where baseball fans root for the Phillies.”
Congress posthumously awarded Clemente its Congressional Gold Medal in 1973, the same year he became the first Latin-born baseball player to be elected to the baseball Hall of Fame.
During his baseball career, Clemente won 12 consecutive golden gloves and won four batting crowns. Despite his success on the field, his top salary as a ball player came in his last year with the Pirates: $150,000.
The Pirate great was flying to Nicaragua to make sure the clothing, food and medical supplies he was delivering were not stolen like previous shipments.
“Roberto Clemente Way will serve as a proud reminder of a man many people still respect and want to be like. We should be as humbled as he would have been on this day. To have his presence in this great neighborhood is a wonderful thing,” Tartaglione said.
Roberto Clemente Way will stretch from North Second Street in Philadelphia to North Front Street.
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by Christin Brown | June 10, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 10, 2014 – With hundreds of union workers filling the Capitol Rotunda today, state Sen. Christine Tartaglione applauded the apprentice program operated by the Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council and urged students and others to participate.
In the next 20 years, Sen. Tartaglione said Pennsylvania’s construction industry will need about 50,000 new workers to replace the men and women who today are masons, electricians, glaziers, pipe layers and roofers.
“The people who will make up that new workforce are right here,” Tartaglione said during a rally held by the council. “They are the apprentices, the coordinators, the constructors and members of the building trades unions that are gathered here today.
“Union apprenticeship programs lead to good-paying, long-lasting, successful career in the construction industry where there is a high demand for skilled workers now and in the future.”
There are about 7,000 construction apprentices registered in Pennsylvania today and 82 percent of them, or 6,570, are unionized construction apprentices, officials said.
“Without new workers to fill openings in the industry, we will not be able to continue the important and necessary work,” Tartaglione said. “Union apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training programs make sense because they offer a promising career for young people and they graduate into available jobs and good wages.”
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by Christin Brown | June 3, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 3, 2014 – State Sen. Christine Tartaglione rallied inside the Capitol today with Raise the Wage PA to again urge legislative action on proposals to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage and deal with the paltry hourly rate established for workers who receive tips.
“Someone in the House or the Senate has proposed a bill to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage 13 times during this session,” Tartaglione said. “And, 13 times, Republican leaders and Gov. Tom Corbett have decided those bills will not be considered even in committee.
“As state after state acts to protect their hardworking, frontline employees, the people who could help Pennsylvania’s hourly employees thumb their nose at them instead,” she said.
“Republicans are blocking proposals to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage because they listen to fear mongering instead of learning what this country’s best economists overwhelmingly conclude about minimum wage increases. That clear message is minimum wage increases help way more than they hurt,” Tartaglione said to applause.
“Our own Department of Labor and Industry found that the last time Pennsylvania increased its minimum wage in 2007, the overall number of jobs ‘hit an all-time high’ and the increase ‘did not materially impact the overall health of Pennsylvania’s economy’,” the senator said.
Sen. Tartaglione has proposed four of the 13 bills to increase the minimum wage. Her current proposals, Senate Bill 1300 and Senate Bill 1099, would incrementally increase the commonwealth’s base hourly rate from $7.25 to $10.10 by 2016 and set the tipped minimum to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage, respectively.
Once enacted, SB 1300 would direct future increases be tied to inflation.
Today was Raise the Wage PA’s lobby day in Harrisburg. The rally was part of the advocacy group’s activities to convince state lawmakers that increasing the minimum wage needs to happen now.
Studies have shown that increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage would help more than one million residents.
“The ongoing Republican opposition to increasing the minimum wage and lifting hardworking men and women out of poverty makes no sense,” Tartaglione said. “It is incalcitrance, only, that is keeping this from happening in Pennsylvania. Gov. Corbett is the head incalcitrant here. Hopefully, he and leading members of the GOP will finally listen to us today and increase the minimum wage.”
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by Christin Brown | May 6, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, May 6, 2014 – With dozens of uniform-clad Salvation Army workers visiting the state Capitol, Sen. Christine Tartaglione reminded lawmakers that her bill to include their disaster-response vehicles under Pennsylvania’s list of approved emergency vehicles is awaiting consideration.
Senate Bill 1098 would allow Salvation Army workers to drive to disaster sites when access is restricted to emergency personnel and vehicles.
“This will allow the Salvation Army to arrive at incidents more quickly so they are able to keep individuals alive and safe until medical help arrives,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “Right now, Pennsylvania law prevents the Salvation Army from doing these things as emergency responders, which is hindering their impact and risking the lives of our loved ones. “
SB 1098 would give the Salvation Army the ability to legally use sirens and emergency lights when responding to an incident; something that is currently prohibited.
The Salvation Army has 35 mobile feeding units spread across Pennsylvania, which allows its emergency disaster services teams to annually respond to hundreds of incidents, like fires, hazmat, police, and EMS calls.
In the past year, the Salvation Army provided more than 2 million meals to Pennsylvanians in need, and it served more than 1.9 million people through its local community programs.
Additionally, the Salvation Army provides food assistance, emergency shelter, social services, senior citizen and youth programming, and emergency disaster services.
“For all the Salvation Army does – for its selflessness, generosity and compassion toward individuals in need in each of our communities – we owe this organization our gratitude,” Tartaglione said. “And, we owe this organization our full support and assistance in gaining additional funding and in becoming recognized as emergency vehicles under the Vehicle Code.”
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by Christin Brown | April 22, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, April 23, 2014 – A national public policy organization’s study of how the salaries of fast food industry executives continue to blow away the measly pay of their frontline workers has state Sen. Christine Tartaglione demanding once again that Pennsylvania Republicans act now to increase the commonwealth’s minimum wage.
Demos said today that the CEO-to-worker pay ratio in the fast food industry was a whopping 543-to-1 in 2012. Between 2000 and 2012 the overall average ratio was 332-to-1.
“As of today, according to Demos’ study, fast food executives make an average of $3,937 an hour while their cashiers, cooks and maintenance crews who work in Pennsylvania pocket a paltry $7.25 an hour,” Tartaglione said.
“This study is important because it goes to the heart of opponents’ arguments that a meager, incremental increase in the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would somehow be unaffordable. Clearly, it would be very affordable in the fast food industry,” the senator said.
As Tartaglione underscored in Demos’ study, “Fast Food Failure,” income inequality like this could jeopardize Pennsylvania’s economy and the companies operating in the fast food industry.
“The most unequal sectors are among those providing the greatest numbers of new jobs in the economy, replacing jobs in sectors with lower income inequality,” Demos’ executive summary states. “Income inequality is increasing legal, regulatory, and operating risks for fast food firms. Millions of dollars in legal fees, increasing customer wait times, and labor unrest are evidence of the systemic problems of income inequality in fast food.”
Pennsylvania is one of the last Northeast states to adopt an increase in its minimum wage, but Sen. Tartaglione has proposed legislation to change that.
Her Senate Bill 1300 would incrementally increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2016. Her proposal to increase PA’s tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage, Senate Bill 1099, is also waiting for consideration.
Since proposing SB 1300 March 18, a new coalition, “Raise the Wage PA,” has formed; Connecticut increased its minimum to $10.10; AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka began to actively push for the nationwide adoption of the $10.10 hourly rate, and Maryland recently approved an increase in its minimum.
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by Christin Brown | April 8, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, April 8, 2014 – With another state voting overwhelmingly to increase its minimum wage, state Sen. Christine Tartaglione said today that Republicans and Gov. Tom Corbett are in danger of telling tens of thousands of hardworking Pennsylvanians they aren’t worth the same consideration.
Sen. Tartaglione said she is also pleased to see that the U.S. Senate approved a bill to restore extended benefits to the country’s long-time unemployed.
“Maryland has now joined New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Delaware as our neighbors who show they care about the people who must work minimum wage jobs. Pennsylvania’s continued inaction on this front becomes more pathetic by the vote,” Tartaglione said.
“Make no mistake about why this is not happening in the commonwealth. The only reason why Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is not moving up with every other state’s is Republican leadership and Gov. Tom Corbett,” she said.
Tartaglione introduced a new bill, Senate Bill 1300, last month to incrementally increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2016. Maryland voted yesterday to make its base hourly rate the same $10.10 by 2018. Her proposal to increase PA’s tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage, Senate Bill 1099, is also waiting for consideration.
“What is more outrageous,” Tartaglione said,” is there are other proposals before the General Assembly that Republican leaders and Gov. Corbett could consider. But they have proven by their silence that this is more about them and less about the people they represent.”
Since proposing SB 1300 March 18, a new coalition, “Raise the Wage PA,” has formed; Connecticut increased its minimum to $10.10; AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka began to actively push for the nationwide adoption of the $10.10 hourly rate, and now Maryland has approved an increase in its minimum.
In addition to the higher base hourly wage, Tartaglione’s SB 1300 would increase the fines and penalties for companies that violate the new law, provide for increased enforcement of the state’s minimum wage act, and it would allow municipalities that have a higher cost-of-living to consider a higher minimum wage.
Tartaglione also noted the U.S. Senate’s vote to extend federal jobless benefits through May 31.
“This bill faces an uncertain future in the U.S. House, but the Senate’s vote is a huge step forward for about 2 million workers who have been devastated by the recession and need this assistance to help them get back on their feet,” Sen. Tartaglione said.
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by Christin Brown | March 28, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 28, 2014 – With another Northeast state increasing its minimum wage and the largest labor union in the country taking action this week to support the effort, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today that Pennsylvania lawmakers should not stand in the way of the groundswell of support.
“Every day someone, somewhere, agrees with the argument that increasing the minimum wage is the right thing to do and poses little to no impact on the economy,” Tartaglione said. “Pennsylvanians are waiting for their state lawmakers to take notice and to also do the right thing.”
Since proposing Senate Bill 1300 on March 18 to hike the commonwealth’s base hourly wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour by 2016 and tied to inflation, a new coalition has formed, “Raise the Wage PA,” Connecticut increased its minimum to $10.10, and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka began to actively push for the nationwide adoption of the $10.10 an hour rate.
Trumka and minimum wage supporters rallied in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum on Thursday to continue pressuring state lawmakers and Gov. Tom Corbett.
Not only is a higher minimum wage good for workers, as Trumka said, it also delivers other positive impacts.
“It’s good for the community … the country … and good for everybody,” the AFL-CIO leader said at the rally.
Tartaglione attended the rally and agreed with Trumka.
“People who bad-mouth increases in the minimum wage just don’t understand what it is like to work more than half of their waking hours for what amounts to peanuts,” Tartaglione said. “Unfortunately, most minimum wage workers in Pennsylvania cannot even afford to buy peanuts.”
In addition to the higher minimum wage, Tartaglione’s SB 1300 would increase the fines and penalties for companies that violate the new law, provide for increased enforcement of the state’s minimum wage act, and it would allow municipalities that have a higher cost-of-living to consider a higher minimum wage.
Tartaglione is also pushing for legislative consideration of SB 1099, which would increased the state’s tipped minimum from $2.83 an hour to 70 percent of the regular minimum.
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by Christin Brown | March 18, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 18, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today she will replace her proposal to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $ 9 an hour with a new bill that would increase it to $10.10 by 2016.
Minimum wage increases under Senate Bill 1300 would be tied to inflation once the base hourly rate hits $10.10.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Sen. Tartaglione said during a rally to increase the minimum wage with “Raise the Wage PA.” “Pennsylvania’s hardworking women and men must have a fairer shake when it comes to paydays. They are drowning today with the paltry $7.25 they make each hour.
“To the critics who say an increase in the minimum wage will hurt the economy: you are wrong. Studies and history show that increases in the minimum have very little to no negative impact on the economy,” she said.
Citing a University of California-Berkeley study released last week, Sen. Tartaglione said the evidence in that review shows increases in the base hourly rate might mean small rises in the prices of products but it also sparks higher worker productivity and a more positive impact on businesses.
While other state lawmakers have proposed bills to provide a higher minimum, Tartaglione said she believes an incremental increase to $10.10 an hour is the more reasonable compromise. However, the senator’s new proposal would allow municipalities that have a higher cost-of-living to consider a higher minimum wage.
“We must act now to make sure people who are working 60-to-80-hour weeks and crazy hours are still not stuck in poverty once they are paid,” Tartaglione said. “And, once this becomes law, we must make sure minimum wage workers are covered if inflation affects their buying power.”
“Increasing the minimum wage benefits everyone,” she said.
In addition to the higher minimum wage, Tartaglione said SB 1300 would increase the fines and penalties for companies that violate the new law, once adopted. It would also provide for increased enforcement of the state’s minimum wage act.
The Philadelphia Democrat had proposed a legislative package to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum from $7.25 to $9/hour (SB 858) and the tipped minimum from $2.83/hour to 70 percent of the regular minimum. While her latest proposal would increase the minimum wage even further, she said she continues to support raising the tipped wage to 70 percent of the minimum.
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by Christin Brown | March 17, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 17, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today she plans to unveil a new version of her proposal that would increase the minimum wage for Pennsylvania’s working poor.
Tartaglione’s announcement will come at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, during a press conference in the Capitol Media Center with “Raise the Wage PA,” a statewide group fighting to realize a higher hourly base rate for workers.
The Philadelphia Democrat has already proposed legislation to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum from $7.25 to $9/hour (SB 858) and the tipped minimum from $2.83/hour to 70 percent of the regular minimum.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Christine Tartaglione to unveil new minimum wage legislation
WHEN: 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 18
WHERE: Capitol Media Center, Harrisburg
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by Christin Brown | March 13, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 13, 2014 – Pennsylvanians and families with relatives who have autism spectrum disorder should act now to apply for mini-grants of up to $500, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.
The deadline for applications is March 31.
“These special grants are designed to help families and individuals who are unable to receive various support systems due to eligibility criteria, age or long waiting lists,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “What is nice about this program is the money does not have to be re-paid.”
The Department of Public Welfare’s Bureau of Autism Services is making the mini-grants available and will award them between May 1 and June 30.
To qualify, an applicant must meet all of the following requirements:
- A Pennsylvania resident,
- Diagnosed with or have a family member diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and
- Not receiving or enrolled in any family support services for the past 12 months.
For more details and the link to the application, click here or call Sen. Tartaglione’s office at 215-533-0440.
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by Christin Brown | March 12, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 12, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today said she is supporting a proposal that would save Pennsylvania taxpayers billions of dollars and solve the state’s pension problems.
The proposal, introduced by members of the Philadelphia lawmaker’s Senate Democratic Caucus, would refinance $9 billion of the $50 billion in unfunded liabilities now owned by the State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System, further reform state pension laws to stop charter schools from receiving double-dip state reimbursements, and lower the collars on state and school district payments to provide short-term budget relief.
“This is a bold proposal that promises to immediately take the pressure off the state’s pension systems,” Tartaglione said. “I am supporting it because it avoids the expensive court challenges other proposals will bring, and it reassures thousands of state workers, educators, and retirees that they will not be affected by attempts to change participation rules.”
Sen. Tartaglione said she is also encouraged by the proposal because it builds on Act 120, which implemented significant pension reforms in 2010, including the delivery of $3 billion in savings for the commonwealth and school districts.
Act 120 reforms capped collars for current employees; reduced the collar, or multiplier, for new employees from 2.5 percent to 2.0 percent; returned the vesting period from 5 years to 10; eliminated lump-sum withdrawals by employees at retirement; and established “shared risk” rules for new employees.
“With the proposal being put forth today by Senate Democrats, school district pension payments would decrease by $600 million over the next five years, including by $75 million in 2014-’15,” Tartaglione said. “Also, the commonwealth’s combined SERS and PSERS payments would drop by $1.2 billion over the same time period, including by $120 million in the coming budget year.”
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by Christin Brown | February 4, 2014 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 4, 2014 – Despite his claims to the contrary, Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed $29.4 billion budget for the 2014-’15 fiscal year continues to slight Pennsylvania’s workers, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today following his annual budget address.
“Corbett talked about ‘Pennsylvania’s comeback’ but that cute campaign slogan flies in the face of the reality of how this Pennsylvania economy continues to kick workers in the stomach,” Tartaglione said.
“The governor’s budget wish list is for a state in an alternate universe. He has failed to implement policies that create jobs in Philadelphia and across the commonwealth. His continued reluctance to demand an increase in the minimum wage continues to hurt citizens who have to work two or more minimum wage jobs to make ends meet,” she said.
Tartaglione said Corbett’s insistence that Pennsylvania has replaced nearly all of the jobs lost during the first three years of his administration is also a farce.
“Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is 6.9 percent because people who have been trying to find employment have stopped looking out of sheer frustration, not because they have found suitable replacement jobs,” the senator said.
“He said he is seeing Philadelphia as a stronger place. How would he know? He was afraid to come to the city, according to the most recent news reports.
“There simply is not a big enough coat to hide the problems of Pennsylvania that have ballooned since Gov. Corbett took office. From job loss, failure to address health care, fiscal health, education, social safety net issues and the minimum wage the problems have spiraled,” Tartaglione said.
Sen. Tartaglione has proposed two bills to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum and tipped-minimum wages. SB 858 would hike the minimum from $7.25/hour to at least $9/hour, while SB 1099 would hike the base wage for waiters, waitresses and others to 70 percent of the minimum wage rate. Future hourly wage increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.
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by Christin Brown | January 30, 2014 | News Releases
Philadelphia, Jan. 30, 2014 – Senate Democrats gathered in seven communities across Pennsylvania today to challenge Gov. Tom Corbett to produce a spending plan that is aligned with the needs of Pennsylvanians.
Sen. Christine Tartaglione joined Philadelphia senators here to highlight the negative impact of previous Corbett budgets and describe why the upcoming budget is so important.
[hdvideo id=14 ]
“Pennsylvania’s state budget is an identification of priorities and a strategy for investment,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “We can do better than what Gov. Corbett and his administration have provided.
Tartaglione and Senate Democrats said their budget priorities reflect needs shared by all Pennsylvanians, including job creation, expansion of health care through Medicaid, increasing the minimum wage, repairing the social safety net and restoring education funds.
“Under Gov. Corbett’s leadership, Pennsylvania has fallen to the bottom in job creation and government efficiency, and we must do a better job of identifying policy priorities,” she said. “Senate Democrats have concrete plans to move the state forward and our payment method does not involve a broad-based tax increase.”
Senate Democrats said they will push for the following in this budget:
- Creating jobs by funding targeted water and sewer rehabilitation projects, strengthening school-to-work programs and expanding community economic zones throughout the state;
- Investing in education with a $300 million boost, bolstering funds for early education and committing to a long-term financing plan that restores funding;
- Increasing the state’s minimum wage to at least $9 per hour, indexing the wage to inflation and raising the tipped minimum wage;
- Expanding Medicaid and extending health care to 500,000 Pennsylvania families while generating budget savings of $400 million; and
- Repairing holes in the social safety net by using $85 million in Medicaid budget savings for human services programming such as drug, alcohol and mental health.
Sen. Tartaglione said her priorities for the new budget are for the state to restore education funding and for the governor to finally take the lead on raising the minimum wage.
“Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is currently $7.25/hour,” she said. “That isn’t enough for a person living in this state to pay rent, buy a car or purchase groceries for themselves, much less a family. My legislation will raise the minimum wage incrementally to $9.00/hour by 2015, after which it would automatically increase every year with inflation.”
Without an adequate base wage that is competitive with neighboring states, Tartaglione said educational initiatives, if the governor proposes any, would be moot.
“All the education and career preparation in the world won’t help present and future generations if we don’t ensure access to quality jobs and quality income when they graduate,” the senator said. “Right now, we have too many minimum wage jobs and too many educated, over-qualified, minimum wage workers.
“We need to ensure individuals working full-time jobs are able to support themselves and their family members,” she said.
Senate Democrats said they will provide immediate reaction to the governor’s budget address following his scheduled speech to the General Assembly Feb. 4.
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by Christin Brown | January 29, 2014 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 29, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today applauded President Barack Obama for his decision to use his executive powers to increase the minimum wage to $10.10/hour for new federal contract workers.
She urged Pennsylvania’s legislature and Gov. Tom Corbett to similarly act to raise the state’s base hourly rate, as well as the tipped hourly minimum.
“We need decisive leadership on the minimum wage. It is why I have been working non-stop to raise the base hourly rate in Pennsylvania to a level that lifts our hard-working men and women out of poverty and into a more self-sustaining quality of life,” Tartaglione said.
“The president’s decision to lift the minimum for new federal contract workers is great news and his actions must be replicated now. Other states, including our neighboring Ohio, New York and New Jersey, have already increased their minimum wage rates for 2014.
“Better yet, New Jersey and Ohio have tied future increases to the rise or fall of the Consumer Price Index, which removes the political opposition to this most basic of social safety net provisions,” she said.
Tartaglione’s Senate Bill 858 would raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $9/hour by 2015.
“Unfortunately, my bill has been before lawmakers for too long and I think it should be amended to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum to at least $10 an hour,” the senator said today. “I also believe future minimum wage increases should be tied to the Consumer Price Index.”
Tartaglione has also crafted legislation, Senate Bill 1099, to increase the minimum hourly rate for tipped employees to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. The tipped minimum has been stuck at $2.83/hour since 1999.
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by Christin Brown | January 23, 2014 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 23, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today urged schools in the 2nd Senatorial District to apply for a grant to participate in the most complete Presidential Youth Fitness Program and help their students improve their fitness and wellness.
Applications are due by Jan. 31.
“The free version of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program will help many schools teach the importance of taking care of the body and the mind, but if districts are able to participate in the full fitness curriculum, the results will be dramatic,” Tartaglione said.
Schools awarded grants will enable participation in the program for the 2014-’15 school year plus the following two years.
Only six states require physical education in every grade and only 20 percent of districts require daily recess.
The program believes that active kids get better grades, miss fewer days of school, are better behaved, and have better self images.
To learn more about the program, visit www.pyfp.org.
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by Christin Brown | January 17, 2014 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 17, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today urged Gov. Tom Corbett and his Department of State to heed the Commonwealth Court ruling striking down Pennsylvania’s bad voter ID law.
The law had required all voters to produce approved photo identification prior to casting their votes in election.
“From the beginning, the Corbett administration’s voter ID push was a farce. It found its way into Pennsylvania’s law books because it was a one-sided, misguided attempt to control election outcome in the name of preventing fraud.
“Judge McGinley’s statement that ‘The right to vote … is irreplaceable, necessitating its protection before any deprivation occurs’ is spot on and should be a clarion call to this administration that this farce needs to end now.
“The petitioners did a great job proving there is very little fraud in Philadelphia and throughout the state.
“Millions of dollars have already been wasted in trying to convince judges that Pennsylvania’s voter ID law somehow fits in with the state and U.S. constitutions. Gov. Corbett need not waste any more taxpayer dollars defending this edict before the state Supreme Court.
“Let us return elections to the generations of registered Pennsylvania voters who have gone to the polls with only their signatures. It is what we expect. It is what should be.”
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by Christin Brown | January 14, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Jan. 14, 2014 – Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today said groups interested in continuing the greening of Philadelphia should apply now for a share of the state’s recreation and conservation grants.
The 2014 awards will be made by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“Many Philadelphians are watching – and enjoying – the city’s transformation into a hiker’s destination as miles and miles of trails twist through the region,” Tartaglione said. “Let’s keep this progress going. Every step we take, every improvement realized adds to a better quality of life.”
This year’s grant applicants are encouraged to work on projects that advance local conservation and recreation and complement the state’s outdoor recreation plan.
Sustainable green park projects, park and recreation rehabilitation and universal access, trails, land conservation, emerging trends (those that connect youth to nature with natural play areas, for example), river conservation, and partnerships designed to promote outdoor recreation and conservation are some of the strategic areas eligible for grants.
The deadline for applications is April 16.
DCNR awarded grants last year to Philadelphia County (under the County Recycling Coordinator Grant Program), $71,300; City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (under the PA Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program), $100,000; City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (Under the Recycling Performance Grant Program), $1.65 million; and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Philadelphia County, $67,000.
For more information on upcoming grant workshops, visit DCNR. Details about Pennsylvania’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which is required to be renewed every five years so the commonwealth can continue to receive federal land and water conservation funding, are available here.
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by Christin Brown | January 8, 2014 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Jan. 8, 2014 – A just-finished report on violence prevention in Pennsylvania should be acted upon as soon as the legislature returns to session Jan. 13, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today in a letter to a key lawmaker.
The “Report of the Advisory Committee on Violence Prevention” listed 44 recommendations in its 295-page report.
Tartaglione said one of the panel’s important suggestions is to require gun owners to promptly report lost or stolen firearms.
The Philadelphia Democrat has proposed two bills to shut down the illicit ownership of found or stolen firearms. Her first measure, Senate Bill 810, would require weapon owners to report lost or stolen guns within 24 hours of their disappearance. Senate Bill 811 would require people who sell or transfer firearms in Philadelphia to register those transactions with state police.
“This is not a problem isolated to larger cities, but is widespread in cities of all sizes, economies and demographics throughout the state,” Tartaglione said in a letter to Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the author of a resolution that brought the study of violence in the commonwealth.
“I believe, as do the members of the Joint State Government Commission, that requiring a 24-hour reporting requirement for lost or stolen firearms is a necessary public duty that we can no longer ignore. As such, I am requesting your assistance in the movement of S.B. 810 from the Judiciary Committee,” she wrote.
The Joint State Government Commission’s report on violence in Pennsylvania was ordered by the adoption nearly a year ago of Senate Resolution 6 “to conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of violent crime and mass shootings, as well as other topics related to those issues.”
The report calls its 44 recommendations “realistic policy and statutory steps that can improve prevention and augment responsiveness to sudden, sensational outbursts of violence in schools and other public gathering places, ensuring safer schools and preventing those persons most likely to act out violently from doing so.”
Recommendation #20 would “add a new provision to the Uniform Firearms Act to require prompt reporting of lost or stolen firearms.”
The committee confirmed that it is difficult to quantify the number of lost and stolen guns from private individuals. However, under U.S. law, federal firearms licensees are required to report the theft or loss of any firearm to the ATF within 48 hours.
In 2012, Pennsylvania was the leader in the number of lost or stolen firearms from federal firearms licensees at 1,502. That was nearly 10 percent of all lost or stolen firearms in that category in the country, the study says. Texas, Maryland and New York were the other top states.
“Not only is the intent of SB 810 a direct recommendation of the report released by the Joint State Government Commission’s Advisory Committee on Violence Prevention, but also, this legislation serves as a critical step in making the commonwealth a safer place for everyone who visits, works in and lives here,” Tartaglione said.
To read the committee’s full report, click here.
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by Christin Brown | December 24, 2013 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Dec. 24, 2013 – Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program has invested a total of $7 million to help the expansion of the St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and make improvements at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
St. Christopher’s is receiving $3 million while Fox Chase is getting $4 million.
“RACP is designed to support the improvement of Pennsylvania’s economic, cultural, civic and historic projects, and these latest investments are important holiday gifts,” Tartaglione said. “These new investments not only will help to create jobs, but they will lead to a better quality of life as the people who receive care at St. Christopher’s and Fox Chase will benefit.”
The RACP grants were part of a group of 58 awards announced Monday by the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget.
The total dollar amount for all projects is $133 million. Collectively they are expected to create or sustain some 45,000 jobs in 24 counties, including Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery.
Projects are selected based upon their job-creation potential, their economic impact, as well as their viability and construction readiness.
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by Christin Brown | December 17, 2013 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 17, 2013 – With thousands of Pennsylvanians buying the most popular Christmas gifts and planning family get-togethers by plane, train and automobile, state Sens. Christine M. Tartaglione and Vincent Hughes today said too many people will not be able to afford an average holiday because they earn a poverty-level minimum wage.
The Democratic lawmakers said the time is now to begin to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $9/hour.
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“A hardworking minimum wage earner has to work 64 hours to cover the costs of traveling to be with loved ones for the holiday,” Sen. Tartaglione, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Labor & Industry Committee, said. “And that is only if they don’t have to buy food, pay the rent, or cover utilities. But nearly all of them do.”
“It costs about $50 to provide an average Christmas dinner, according to the American Farm Bureau,” Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee Chairman Hughes said. “A minimum wage worker has to work an entire day to be able to pay for that but chances are good they will not even consider doing so due to the demands on their cash.”
Tartaglione has sponsored Senate Bill 858 to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $9/hour by 2015. She has also crafted legislation to increase the minimum hourly rate for tipped employees to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. The tipped minimum has been $2.83/hour since 1999.
“As a wheelchair attendant working for a subcontractor at the airport I get paid $5.25 per hour plus tips, which usually averages out to little more than the minimum wage,” said John Stewart, a wheelchair attendant at Philadelphia International Airport who participated in today’s press conference. “While my wages stay the same, the cost of food, transportation, rent, clothing and medicine keeps going up making it more difficult to get by.”
Stewart said he is making less annually than he was 30 years ago. He emphasized he is seeking a minimum wage increase that keeps pace with the cost of living.
“If ever there is a time to truly be compassionate about the plight of women and men who are working their fingers to the bone and are earning little in return, it is now,” Tartaglione said. “And John Stewart is a good example of why.”
“For Pennsylvania’s minimum wage workers, the holidays are the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future – rolled into one repeating nightmare – every year,” Hughes said. “They don’t get to wake-up from their nightmare, as Ebenezer Scrooge does, to enjoy the holidays and truly revel in the joy of giving. They can’t afford it.”
The senators urged lawmakers to quickly consider and adopt SB 858 and SB 1099 to provide a more solid step for minimum wage earners.
President Obama called for Congress to adopt a minimum age increase this month, the lawmakers said. Also, 10 other states, including Ohio, have upped their base hourly wage and also tied future increases to inflation.
“Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is mired with a belief, spawned and massaged by Gov. Tom Corbett and some leading Republicans, that corporations will not be able to afford adding another $1.75/hour to the state’s minimum wage rate,” Tartaglione said. “Why? Those same corporations can afford skyrocketing bonuses.”
“Businesses cannot afford to not increase the minimum wage,” Hughes said. “Employees are more productive if they don’t have to worry about life issues. Having to work multiple minimum wage jobs – because they are the only jobs many adults can find – is a problem for everyone and is a major worry.
“Even Scrooge would pay more than Pennsylvania’s $7.25/hour minimum,” Hughes said.
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by Christin Brown | December 10, 2013 | News Releases
Harrisburg – December 10, 2013 – In advance of the governor’s planned mid-year budget briefing, state Senate Democrats today announced details of a plan to generate more than $1 billion in budget savings and revenues they say can be used to make key investments, avoid deep cuts or tax increases in dealing with a projected $839 million budget deficit.
“Senate Democrats have identified ample revenues to not only deal with the significant budget deficit that has developed under Gov. Tom Corbett’s watch, but we’ve also found resources to fund key job creation initiatives, education investments and safety net repairs that are needed as a result of short-sighted administration policies,” Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), the Senate Democratic leader said.
In a November budget status report, the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported that Pennsylvania was facing a structural deficit of $839 million.
At today’s news conference in the state Capitol, Costa detailed the Senate Democratic $1.091 billion savings and revenue plan. The plan includes the following features and fiscal benefits:
- Expanded Medicaid — $400 million;
- Escheat Reform — $150 million;
- Wine and Spirits Modernization — $125 million;
- Charter School Reform — $85.5 million;
- Capital Stock and Franchise tax phase-out freeze — $75 million;
- Multi-state claims processing for SSP/SSI – $75 million;
- Enhanced tax collection — $55 million;
- Medicaid Managed Care — $50 million;
- Tobacco products tax — $36 million;
- Vendor discount elimination — $40 million.
Senate Democratic Whip Sen. Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia) said Pennsylvanians should not accept the recurring rhetoric from the Corbett administration that they have to cut and slash each and every year due to a revenue shortfall.
“Every year we have heard the same tune from the governor that his hands are tied because revenues are soft and the job market is flat,” Williams said. “For the last three years, Senate Democrats have put forth plans outlining how we can generate budget savings and additional revenues to make key investments without severe cuts.
“The song the governor keeps singing about his budget woes is stale and taxpayers are tired of it. The fact is we need a new more aggressive approach,” he said.
Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia) said the reason Pennsylvania keeps having budget deficits and scrambling for money each year is the Corbett administration does not have a comprehensive and coherent job creation strategy.
“Under the governor’s leadership, we’ve gone from eighth in job creation to near last among all states, dead last among all our neighboring states and last among all big states,” Hughes said. “We have a Corbett jobs deficit of 166,000 on top of a Corbett budget deficit of $839 million.
“The reason we can’t move forward is that the Corbett corporate tax cuts of over $1 billion, combined with a lack of attention to the needs of everyday Pennsylvanians in job creation, education and safety net protections, weigh us down.”
Senate Democrats also continued to lament the $1 billion in cuts in education funding authored by the Corbett administrations several years ago. The Democrats said this policy has been counterproductive and costly to the average taxpayers because the state simply shifted the burden.
“We can devise a better approach to budgeting and revenue generation that will not result in our local taxpayers paying more in property taxes and children losing opportunities in school,” Costa said. “The Senate Democratic plan provides a path that is responsible and deals with the Corbett budget deficit.”
In addition to the budget and savings plan, Senate Democrats said they would soon announce their budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
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by Christin Brown | December 9, 2013 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Dec. 9, 2013 – Gov. Tom Corbett’s revelation that he is against raising the minimum wage because he is worried about its affect on the economy is another example of how this governor is only worried about the rich, the state’s leading minimum wage advocate, Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.
“Corporations have been making record profits on the backs of hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents who have not had a pay raise in nearly five years,” Tartaglione said. “Meanwhile, countless executives have enjoyed increases and bonuses every year that have equaled far more than $1.75/hour.
“Why does this governor think giving hardworking men and women another $70 a week is going to hurt the economy? The answer is woven in all of the other actions he’s taken since his election. Whether it is his historic $1 billion cut in basic education funding, his Scrooge-like welfare cuts, or his lack of investments in job creation programs to get people back to work, this governor has proven time and again that he doesn’t believe the people who make this economy run are worth it.”
Corbett told the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader on Friday that he “always worries about changing the dynamic when we’re starting to come out of the (recession).”
“To many unemployed Pennsylvanians – and even our neighbors who have found work but are working three minimum-wage jobs to try and make ends meet – the Great Recession continues,” Tartaglione, the Democratic chair of the Senate Labor & Industry Committee said today.
“Multi-billion dollar corporations are paying their employees poverty-level wages and it is flat wrong,” she said.
Tartaglione sponsored Senate Bill 858 to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $9/hour by 2015. She has also crafted legislation to increase the minimum hourly rate for tipped employees to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. The tipped minimum has been $2.83/hour since 1999.
“How many more holidays are our dedicated and committed workers going to have to suffer through wondering if they’re going to have enough money to buy food and pay their rent, let alone by a present for a loved one?” Tartaglione asked. “This Scrooge mentality has got to go.”
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by Christin Brown | December 3, 2013 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 3, 2013 – Eligible residents who need help stretching their budgets have less than a month left to apply for property tax or rent rebates, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.
“Pennsylvania’s property tax/rent rebate program can really help low-income residents who need assistance,” Tartaglione said. “This can make the difference for someone trying to decide if their money should buy food or medicine or go to pay a vital monthly bill, like heat. Don’t wait to apply.”
The deadline for applying for this annual reimbursement was June 30 but the state pushed it to Dec. 31.
To qualify, homeowners or renters must be:
- At least 65 years old OR
- 50 years old and a widow or widower OR
- At least 18 years old and disabled OR
- Permanently disabled during the claim year, which would be 2012.
If a homeowner or renter earns less than $8,000/year, they can receive the maximum $650 rebate. Homeowners who make between $18,001 and $35,000 can receive up to $250, while the minimum eligibility for renters is a $500 rebate for those making between $8,001 and $15,000. Proof of age and income are required.
Interested homeowners and renters may call Sen. Tartaglione’s district office for help in submitting their applications, if needed. Applications may also be submitted through the Department of Revenue’s website: www.revenue.state.pa.us.
It costs nothing to apply.
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by Christin Brown | November 25, 2013 | News Releases
Philadelphia – November 25, 2013 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione will begin distributing more than 1,500 Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families in the 2nd Senate District at 1 p.m. today at her 1061 Bridge Street district office.
Tartaglione will travel throughout the district delivering turkeys this week. Your coverage is invited.
by Christin Brown | November 25, 2013 | News Releases
Harrisburg – November 25, 2013 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today urged students to take some time to research often overlooked college scholarship opportunities.
“You don’t have to be able to dunk a basketball or graduate at the top of your class to get help with college tuition,” she said. “There are numerous opportunities for students with focused interests or a record of volunteer work.”
Scholarships can be awarded to students who demonstrate or show high-achievement in areas such as academics, athletics, music, art and many other fields. They can be offered by federal or state governments, schools, civic organizations like the Rotary or Lions Clubs, religious institutions, businesses or trade associations and private foundations.
Students should ask school counselors if they are aware of scholarships that may be available, in addition to exploring the free scholarship search engines and databases on the Internet.
“Researching scholarships should be part of every student’s college preparation,” Tartaglione said. “It’s possible to cut years off student loan payments.”
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) produces a career and college-planning website (www.educationplanner.org), which has links to FastWeb, a free national scholarship search engine. Once students complete their profile, the FastWeb search engine provides links to the awards that match their profile. Each award links-out to the application for the scholarship.
