PITTSBURGH, July 16 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, today welcomed $6 million in grant funding from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to community revitalization projects in her legislative district. “Aging buildings provide prime opportunities to revitalize our community through the creation of new commercial and residential spaces,” said Powell. “This funding will bring new opportunities to our community and continue our region’s development into a place people are proud to call their home. “I look forward to seeing these developments come to fruition, and I will keep working to help projects like these that create opportunities for the future of our community.” The projects supported with this funding include: $5 million to MI Strip Works LLC for the creation of Brickworks, a 3.5-acre, two-city block residential development in the Strip District that will include two multi-purpose, multi-family buildings, each with residential units and in-building parking. $500,000 to 358 Butler LLC for restoration of three existing buildings in Etna to create a mixed-use development of residential and commercial storefronts. $500,000 to the Millvale Borough Development Corporation to cover construction costs to complete exterior work and plumbing/sewer tap in at the 216 North Avenue Zero Energy Mixed-Use Hub. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, Read more

McCANDLESS, July 16 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, today announced $2.35 million in grant funding from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to support two projects in the Town of McCandless – one aiding local youth recreation and the other benefiting first responders. North Allegheny School District will receive $1.25 million to renovate the school’s aquatics center, including upgrades to extend the life of the existing diving and teaching pool, the creation of a separate diving well, and expansion of spectator and locker areas. “North Allegheny’s aquatics center helps keep many of our local students and community members active and healthy,” Venkat said. “The swimming and diving teams at North Allegheny are frequent WPIAL champions, with the girls having 18 consecutive titles and the boys winning back-to-back PIAA state championships this year. “Athletics are crucial for many of our students, and these funds will go a long way to help our student-athletes achieve these regional and state victories.” The other local grant in this announcement will award $1.1 million to the Allegheny Police and Fire Academy to support electrical work, replacing the academy’s existing generator and installing a new, larger generator to better support the entire building and its role as an emergency operations center. “Our first responders help keep Read more

“Occupational therapists assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help people with disabilities or developmental delays build or regain the skills they need for daily living and independence,” said state Rep. Brandon Markosek, D-Allegheny. “I am proud to see my bill become law because it will expand patient access to care and support professionals working in the field. I appreciate partnering with Senator Boscola to pass my bill through both chambers.” Read more

HARRISBURG, July 1 – The Pennsylvania House Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday on state Rep. Abigail Salisbury’s legislation that would remove a major obstacle that prevents many lower-income houses of worship and other community groups from obtaining needed security funding. Salisbury said she drafted H.B. 2639 – which would eliminate the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund’s 33% match requirement for grants ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 if a nonprofit’s annual revenue is less than $250,000 – after seeing the difficulty a church in her own district faced attempting to meet the requirement. “After the attempted shooting at Jesus’ Dwelling Place in North Braddock, the church attempted to strengthen security, but struggled for months attempting to raise the required 33% match required for a state security grant,” Salisbury said. “It took a year and a half to finally get the necessary arrangements in place, and during that time, congregants were left to wait and wonder if they would be safe from another attack. “No one should ever have to gamble on their safety or the safety of their loved ones simply because their chosen house of worship, cultural club, or other community group has a smaller budget. Eliminating the match requirement for these groups would ensure members of all community groups have the protections they deserve.” The committee heard testimony from two Read more

HARRISBURG, June 17 – The Pennsylvania House on Wednesday passed H.B. 1944, which would protect individuals who help another person in the event of a drug or alcohol overdose, announced state Reps. Paul Friel and Emily Kinkead, who sponsored the bill. House Bill 1944 , which passed with broad bipartisan support , would protect people, such as college students, from endangerment charges if they are administering aid to a person suffering an emergency overdose. “Creating a culture of safety on campus means removing the threat of disciplinary action so students can step up and help one another without hesitation,” said Friel, D-Chester . “When we eliminate the fear of punishment, we break down the biggest barrier to calling for emergency help, which ultimately saves lives.” “In a life-or-death crisis, hesitation can be fatal. Fear of legal repercussions should never stand in the way of a person doing the right thing,” said Kinkead, D-Allegheny . “This legislation guarantees that anyone who steps forward to help someone experiencing an overdose or alcohol poisoning will be shielded from criminal liability. “By moving this legislation forward, we are ensuring that Pennsylvanians – especially our youth – can protect their peers during an emergency without risking their own futures.” The representatives heard during a March public hearing that this legislation Read more

Legislation boosting, improving Special Education Contingency Fund advances to Senate Read more

BRADDOCK, June 15 – New funding of $950,000 will ensure that area residents have access to critical housing services and supports, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said the funding from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will support projects to help residents find affordable housing, stay in their homes or find safe housing in times of crisis. “A safe, secure place to call home isn’t a luxury – it’s an essential resource that provides stability for families, connects seniors to the communities they love and offers a safe haven for people in transition who are working to rebuild their lives,” Salisbury said. “The new funding will make sure more people in our district have the housing they need to thrive by funding repairs, safety and accessibility improvements, housing for people in crisis or transition and affordable rental housing for low-income families.” Salisbury said the following funding has been reserved: $200,000 to Samantha Dye for the POWER House residential treatment facility in Swissvale that provides safe housing for women in early recovery. $200,000 to the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp. to bolster the organization’s Homeowner Assistance and Repair Program. $200,000 to Za’kiyah House to create three affordable units for people transitioning from the organization’s residential programs. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 11 – Saying that residents should never have to fear for their safety where they gather to worship, celebrate shared culture, or collaborate on community projects, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury is preparing to introduce legislation that would eliminate a funding match requirement that makes it difficult for smaller, lower-income organizations to secure funding. Salisbury said she drafted the legislation, which would remove the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund’s 33% funding match requirement for groups below a certain revenue threshold, to address a funding challenge that can be an insurmountable obstacle for smaller groups. “Small faith-based and other nonprofit groups are just as vulnerable as larger organizations to targeted threats of violence, but they often don’t have the resources to come up with the matching funds required for a security grant,” said Salisbury, who is co-chair of the bicameral, bipartisan Pennsylvania Charitable Nonprofit Caucus. “My legislation would remove the 33% match requirement for grants ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 if the nonprofit’s annual revenue is less than $250,000. It’s time to ensure that these smaller groups have the protection they need and deserve.” Salisbury cited the 2024 attempted shooting at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock and the challenges the church has faced in the aftermath of that incident in attempting to raise Read more

Legislation cracking down on nonconsensual sharing of intimate images advances to Senate Read more