HARRISBURG, June 24 – State Rep. Abigail Salisbury today introduced legislation that would require all Pennsylvania newborns to be tested for Gaucher disease – an inherited genetic disorder with far-reaching health consequences. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said H.B. 1652 would ensure diagnosis at the earliest possible time, when treatment can help alleviate some symptoms of the disease. “Currently, there is no cure for Gaucher disease, which causes fatty substances to accumulate and enlarge the liver and spleen,” Salisbury said. “People born with the disorder can develop a litany of problems, from organ, blood and bone disorders to gynecological and obstetric problems, to even some cancers. “The good news is that timely detection and treatment can alleviate some of the symptoms and help people achieve better outcomes. My bill would ensure that Gaucher testing is included among the diseases for which Pennsylvania newborns are screened. It’s a simple step that can make a huge difference in the life of someone born with this disease.” Gaucher disease is a genetic condition in which a person is missing an enzyme that breaks down lipids – fatty compounds in the body that serve various important functions. This can result in symptoms including a large liver and spleen, low number of red blood cells, easy bruising, bone pain, bone fractures and lung disease. In rare cases, the Read more

HARRISBURG, June 20 – State Rep. Dan Goughnour, D-Allegheny, lauded the significant investment that Japan’s Nippon Steel will make in the Mon Valley under its newly finalized pact with U.S. Steel which will keep the company’s footprint in Pittsburgh. “Good-paying local jobs are the backbone of our area,” Goughnour said. “This deal ensures that those jobs are secure and that the local economy will continue to benefit from the company’s investment in steel-making in the Mon Valley.” The deal finalizing Nippon’s $14.9 billion takeover of U.S. Steel calls for Nippon to invest $11 billion in U.S. Steel facilities through 2028. It also gives the U.S. president power to veto major business decisions. Most U.S. Steel employees will also receive a $5,000 closing bonus from Nippon. Nippon has also committed to keeping U.S. Steel headquartered in Pittsburgh, maintaining production totals that meet domestic demand, and appointing American citizens to high-ranking management positions and a majority of board seats. Read more

BRADDOCK, June 18 – New housing opportunities are coming to the 34 th Legislative District, thanks to $1 million in new funding from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said the funding awarded through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund will support half a dozen projects to fund construction of affordable housing in Wilkinsburg, strengthen home repair and neighborhood revitalization programs and support services that empower people to break the cycle of homelessness. “Safe, affordable housing means stability to raise a family, access to a network of community support, the ability to pursue job opportunities and so much more,” Salisbury said. “It means having a sense of security and permanence. This new funding will help put more people on that path by supporting projects to expand housing options, help existing homeowners stay in their homes and help people dealing with the threat of chronic homelessness.” Salisbury said the funding includes: $300,000 to Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp. for the Strong Neighborhoods HARP Program, which supports home repairs and neighborhood preservation projects, funds projects to acquire and rehabilitate vacant properties and empowers residents to remain in their homes. $250,000 to Wilkinsburg Land Bank for Phase 3 of the “60 Read more

AMBRIDGE, June 12 – New grants totaling $925,000 from the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency will help more Beaver County residents find secure, permanent housing and provide existing homeowners the resources they need to stay safe in their homes, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said eight grants – funded by Marcellus Shale Impact Fees and Realty Transfer Taxes – will support Beaver County and local nonprofit programs to bolster housing opportunities and resources for homeowners. “Safe, reliable housing isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity and a critical connection to job opportunities, a stable family environment, and access to the network of support that goes with being part of a community,” Matzie said. “Securing this funding will help more people break free of the chronic risk of homelessness, help new prospective homeowners become more financially savvy and allow homeowners to make needed modifications and repairs so they can stay safe at home.” Matzie said the funding includes: $200,000 to Housing Opportunities of Beaver County to rehabilitate one duplex and one single-family home in Aliquippa, creating four affordable housing units and training underserved young adults in construction. $150,000 to The Salvation Army to help people served by homeless prevention Read more

HARRISBURG, June 11 – The House Local Government Committee today approved legislation introduced by state Reps. Abigail Salisbury, D-Allegheny, and Andrew Kuzma, R-Allegheny/Washington, that would help equip municipalities with the expertise and resources needed to obtain state grants. Salisbury said she introduced H.B. 1560 to address a disparity that often leaves communities most needing grant funding at a disadvantage when it comes to securing that funding. “State grants can be a critical lifeline to services and resources, yet the communities most needing those dollars often lose out because they lack the expertise and resources needed to effectively apply for the funding,” Salisbury said. “Our bill would level the playing field and help these communities compete for grants by providing grant-writing training and the resources to contract with grant-writing services when needed.” “Two boroughs in my legislative district are home to less than 500 people each,” Kuzma said. “Small and rural municipalities like these do not have the ability to apply for grants like larger municipalities throughout our Commonwealth. This legislation will put them on more level footing to compete for funding.” Salisbury introduced a similar version of the bill in 2023. It passed the House in June of that year but stalled in the state Senate. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 10 – Lawmakers and food allergy advocates joined forces today at the state Capitol to push for passage of legislation that would make the state’s restaurants and other food retail establishments safer for more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians living with food allergies, according to the bill’s prime sponsors, state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Natalie Mihalek. Venkat, D-Allegheny, said H.B. 77 – which passed the House earlier this year with strong bipartisan support – would reduce life-threatening risks by targeting practices in higher-risk settings, including restaurants and other retail food facilities, where patrons are often unknowingly exposed to allergens. “As an emergency physician, I have treated hundreds of patients with life-threatening allergic reactions, including many food-based reactions that could have been prevented,” Venkat said. “As a lawmaker, I know we can do more to reduce that risk. “One important way is by mandating changes in higher-risk settings like restaurants and other food retail facilities, where cross-contamination during food preparation, failing to notify customers about the need to convey their food allergies, or a patron’s failure to alert staff of food allergies accounts for many incidents. Earlier this year, the House passed our bill that would require these businesses to increase food allergy awareness among employees Read more

HARRISBURG, June 11 – In the wake of the April 29 storm that left 400,000 western Pennsylvania residents without power, state Reps. Abigail Salisbury and Mandy Steele, both D-Allegheny, and state Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny, will soon introduce legislation that would give state legislative offices greater ability to help residents prepare for weather emergencies. Salisbury said the bill – which would require the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to share weather emergency alerts with state legislative offices and create a direct channel of communication with them – would address a gap in the information network that leaves state offices without timely notification and, consequently, less able to assist their communities. “Currently, when a major storm threatens, PEMA sends alerts to county emergency management agencies, which in turn notify local officials,” Salisbury said. “As a result, when the April 29 storm hit, county officials had advance notice and were able to help residents prepare. Unfortunately, our state legislative offices do not receive these notices from PEMA, which hinders our ability to provide this critical assistance. “Our bill would remedy this by mandating that PEMA provide state legislative offices with the same alerts they send county agencies, as well as a direct communication channel for our offices to contact the agency during weather emergencies. It’s our job Read more

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