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PLBC Chairwoman Donna Bullock Remarks on Somber Anniversary

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Smith-Wade-El, Bullock hold news conference on youth homelessness

(14 hours ago)

HARRISBURG, March 27 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, was joined by state Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila., and community stakeholders in a Capitol news conference yesterday to call for an increase in the 2024-2025 budget to address the upcoming shortfall in supports for homeless youth in Pennsylvania. “Today, there are over 40,000 students without housing in our state, struggling to go to school and learn despite not having a home of their own,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Though our school districts have been able to provide some needed support thanks to the American Rescue Plan for Homeless Children and Youth, they will no longer be able to do so when this aid runs out January 31st, 2025. With evictions still on the rise since the COVID pandemic and affordable housing at a minimum, we should be doing everything we can to provide support to this vulnerable population, but right now there are no plans to make up for this shortfall in the proposed 2024-2025 budget. “I am calling on the state to step up and ensure that these vulnerable members of our society get the supports they need to feel safe and secure so they can succeed in school in the 2024-2025 state budget,” Smith-Wade-El said. “If we do not do this, I promise you that Pennsylvania will be plagued for years to come from the effects of our abandonment of these kids.” “Housing insecurity knows no boundaries. It spans rural townships and cities and Read more

Kinsey voter intimidation penalties bill approved by Judiciary Committee

(1 day ago)

HARRISBURG, March 26 – Today, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee approved legislation ( H.B. 461 ) introduced by state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., that would provide enhanced penalties for individuals who intimidate others at a polling place. Pennsylvania law makes polling place intimidation a criminal offense that can lead to a misdemeanor or felony conviction, depending on the circumstances. In addition to requiring a higher burden of proof and a burdensome amount of time and money, a criminal conviction may not lead to the restoration of justice for the person whose right to vote has been violated. Kinsey’s bill would allow a person aggrieved by an individual convicted of polling place intimidation to bring civil action and recover punitive damages, reasonable attorney fees, and other legal costs. “Voting is a fundamental right all Americans have, and when folks go to a polling place to make their voice heard, they deserve to do so in peace without being harassed,” Kinsey said. “This legislation would bring justice to those who try to intimidate, harass, or bother others at the polls.” This legislation now moves to the full House for future consideration. Read more

Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, House Philadelphia Delegation, LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus release statement on Pennsylvania State Police traffic stop and arrest

(Mar 05, 2024)

PHILADELPHIA, March 5 – Leaders of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and Philadelphia House Delegation today issued a statement in response to the traffic stop and subsequent arrest of Philadelphia’s head of LGBT affairs and her husband by a state trooper Saturday. According to news reports, Celena Morrison, the executive director of Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs, recorded a portion of the arrest of her husband, Darius McLean, on the Vine Street Expressway. State Reps. Napoleon Nelson, chair of the PLBC, Malcolm Kenyatta, co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, and Morgan Cephas, chair of the Philadelphia House Delegation, said they have been in contact with state and local authorities surrounding the incident. “The video of the traffic stop of Celena Morrison and Darius McLean was deeply troubling,” stated Kenyatta, D-Phila. “We need a full, thorough, and expedient investigation into every aspect of this stop.” “My sympathies go out to the family dealing with the trauma of this incident, and I stand in solidarity with the communities that have experienced their own traumas as a result,” Nelson, D-Montgomery, said. “The investigation that we are expecting will help us determine accountability measures needed and identify necessary policy changes that we can craft at the state level that will enhance community safety at home. Those changes may come in the Read more

PLBC supports Cheney University community in accreditation fight

(Feb 23, 2024)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 23 – Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus today stood with Cheney University officials, the student community, Gov. Josh Shapiro and others at a rally in support of efforts to remove the nation’s first historically Black college from probation in its accreditation. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education recently placed Cheyney on probation and gave university officials until March 1 to submit a plan that maps out how they plan to continue educating students should they fully lose their accreditation. The event acted both as a celebration of the university’s 187 th anniversary and a rally to fight back against what they consider unfair and groundless treatment by MSCHE. Rep. Napoleon Nelson, PLBC chairman, and Sen. Vince Hughes, who previously chaired the PLBC and is now the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a Cheyney University Trustee, both offered remarks. PLBC members Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, and Rep. Carol Kazeem, D-Delaware, joined Nelson and Hughes on behalf of the caucus. According to university officials who also spoke at the event, MSCHE auditors made multiple on-site evaluations at the university last year and offered them a clean bill of health. So it was a complete surprise to them to be placed on probation and threatened with losing their accreditation. “Cheyney University is the nation’s oldest Historically Black Read more

Applications open for PLBC’s Roebuck Scholarship

(Jan 29, 2024)

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus www.pahouse.com/PLBC Applications open for PLBC’s Roebuck Scholarship HARRISBURG, Jan. 29 – Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-25 James R. Roebuck Scholarship by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. This prestigious scholarship was named after the Hon. James R. Roebuck, former member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and champion for education. Roebuck served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1985-2020 and served as chair of both the House Education Committee and the PLBC. The $1,000 scholarship is funded by private donations and does not use any taxpayer or other public dollars. To be eligible an applicants must be a: Resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Person of color. Graduating high school senior or current undergraduate college student. The application deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, April 5. Applicants are responsible for submitting all material to the PLBC on time. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated. Applications will be reviewed and scored by the scholarship committee. Successful applicants will receive the scholarship for educational Read more

Rep. Nelson’s measure to curb hate crimes passes PA House

(Nov 01, 2023)

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE State Rep. Napoleon Nelson D-Montgomery County www.pahouse.com/ N elson Rep. Nelson’s measure to curb hate crimes passes PA House House Bill 1025 is part of larger package of bills designed to address hate crimes HARRISBURG, Oct. 31 – State Rep. Napoleon Nelson’s bill that would address hate crimes and help prevent them passed the PA House of Representatives Tuesday. House Bill 1025 is designed to train educators and school administrators to identify and address hate incidents before they become deadly. It would also expand existing anonymous reporting programs in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education to allow young people to easily speak up when they are the victims of or witnesses to incidences of hate-based intimidation. The legislation is part of a larger package of bills intended to modernize PA’s laws that address hate crimes and ethnic intimidation, The package includes H.B. 1024 , H.B. 1026 and H.B. 1027 . Those three bills were also passed by the PA House and, along with H.B. 1025, head to the state Senate for consideration. “Look at the headlines about what’s happening at our colleges, and you’ll see why kids don’t feel safe on campus Read more

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Pa. lawmakers launch Black Maternal Health Caucus to combat ‘alarming’ maternal mortality rates

(Oct 20, 2023)

Three state lawmakers announced this week the creation of the Black Maternal Health Caucus in an effort to find legislative solutions to Pennsylvania’s high rates of Black maternal mortality and morbidity. Read more

PLBC honors former chair Bullock

(Oct 19, 2023)

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus www.pahouse.com/PLBC PLBC honors former chair Bullock HARRISBURG, Oct. 18 – The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus today honored its former chair – state Rep. Donna Bullock, D–Phila. Bullock stepped down as chair earlier this month to focus on her work chairing the House Children and Youth Committee. Bullock guided many PLBC initiatives, including the annual Crystal Bird Fauset Awards, honoring women within state government and Speaker K. Leroy Irvis Day of Action, where business owners, public officials and organizations gather to discuss, learn, and network legislative bills, community concerns and visit the Capitol Complex. “I would like to thank my colleagues for putting their trust and faith in me when they elected me to serve as chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. I worked hard every day to ensure that their trust was well founded,” Bullock said. “Every moment was an honor and a pleasure. And it was endlessly fulfilling to be able to advocate for the people, places and spaces that make up Black Pennsylvania. “As I take on new challenges and opportunities, I will continue to advocate every day and in every way for the Read more

Smith-Wade-El secures $872K to replace lead service lines in City of Lancaster

(Oct 18, 2023)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 18 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, secured $872,340 in grant and loan funding from Pennvest to replace 27 lead service lines in the City of Lancaster’s Jewels neighborhood. “Thanks to this money, 27 homes in the Jewels neighborhood will now have lead-free drinking water,” Smith-Wade-El said. “We’ve got to do everything we can to replace lead pipes as lead exposure is a public health hazard, causing developmental effects in fetuses, infants, and young children. This money will also ensure that the water delivery infrastructure is safe and performs reliably.” According to Smith-Wade-El, these line replacements will be prioritized by the city's selection model and user fees are not expected to increase because of the replacement project. Inquiries about this grant can be directed to Smith-Wade-El office at 717-283-4218. Read more

Cephas, Curry, Mayes launch Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus

(Oct 18, 2023)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 17 – State Reps. Morgan Cephas , D-Phila.; Gina H. Curry , D-Delaware; and La’Tasha D. Mayes , D-Allegheny, today launched the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus at a news conference in the Capitol Media Center. Joining the launch event were advocates from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Community Health Workers and AmeriHealth Caritas/Keystone First, along with a series of other stakeholders from across the state. The Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus seeks to address disturbing trends of Black maternal mortality and morbidity and pass the Pennsylvania MOMNIBUS, a legislative package modeled after the federal MOMNIBUS legislation to change the trajectory of maternal health outcomes in Pennsylvania. “I am thrilled to be a part of the Black Maternal Health Caucus as this is a subject close to my heart, a cause that I have been championing for years,” Cephas said. “We join forces to bring visibility to Black maternal health as a critical issue and cause of action. We want to advance legislation and solutions by working with our colleagues in both the House and Senate. One of the keys focuses of our work will be proper data collection, as initiated with Act 5 of 2023 signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro. Accurate and regular tracking is essential for comprehensive research on medical issues linked to Black maternal health. We need Read more