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
State Representative Paul Takac of District 82 wants his constituents to know more than anything that he’s invested in giving back to the people and communities he represents. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 17 – State Reps. Joe Hohenstein, D-Phila.; Nancy Guenst, D-Montgomery; Paul Takac, D-Centre; Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster; Tarik Khan, D-Phila.; the PA Coalition for Trans Youth; Transgender Advocates Knowledgeable Empowering; NEPA Stands Up and allies held a rally for safe and equal schools on the state Capitol steps in Harrisburg on Tuesday. Speakers highlighted a package of bills that would protect students from gender-based discrimination, bullying and harassment, and provide inclusive accommodations and curriculum. The package includes: Legislation introduced by Guenst that would create a statewide policy for all public schools to prohibit student discrimination and harassment based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression through anti-discrimination and harassment prevention and early intervention policies to create a supportive and equal opportunity learning environment. “Our children deserve to step into their learning environments across the commonwealth feeling safe and respected. No child should be made to feel less than their peers due to the real or perceived distinction of belonging to classes that do not currently hold statewide protections,” Guenst said. “This legislation would bridge the gaps currently being filled by individual school districts through policies that cover a wide spectrum; Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 17 – State Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, and Joe Hohenstein, D-Philadelphia, today outlined their new legislation, House Bill 1630 , that would create an Office of New Pennsylvanians to support, attract and retain immigrants in the commonwealth. The lawmakers were joined by representatives from CASA, Church World Services, Lancaster City Council, IU13 Lancaster-Lebanon Refugee Center and Nationalities Service Center–Philadelphia at a Capitol news conference to discuss the bill. “Immigrants have made Pennsylvania the powerhouse it is,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Yet, despite foreign-born workers comprising over 8% of our state’s workforce and paying $3.3 billion yearly in state and local taxes, they are scapegoated and bear the brunt of punitive policies that drive them from our state. We’re the ones who lose out the most—at the expense of losing skilled workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and community leaders. “Our bill would create an Office of New Pennsylvanians that would support, attract and retain immigrants in the commonwealth,” he said. “Immigration is what makes Pennsylvania strong,” Hohenstein said. “Our collective ability to come together from all different backgrounds and perspectives for the betterment of the commonwealth is truly wonderful. That’s why it’s particularly unfortunate that so often our immigrant communities face the brunt Read more
STATE COLLEGE, Oct. 16 – The Shapiro administration and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded a grant to a local rural fire department in the 82nd Legislative District, Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced. The grant provides $2,660 in funding to Citizens Hook and Ladder Company #1 to support their efforts to partner with DCNR to combat wildfires and brush fires in order to enhance safety for residents in rural Pennsylvania. “As a member of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and the former chair of the Centre region’s Public Safety Committee, I understand how important it is to support our local volunteer fire departments,” Takac said. “This grant to Citizens Hook and Ladder Company #1 in Milesburg will help support their efforts to protect the forest and wilderness areas of Centre County and to keep our communities safe.” The Shapiro administration awarded a total of $883,143 to volunteer fire departments in Pennsylvania as part of this program. Read more
Representative Takac finds funding for struggling rural borough. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 16 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, brought home $1,138,851 in PA Housing Finance Agency funds from the new Housing Options Program to update the Lancaster Housing Authority Farnum Street East’s HVAC systems. The building at 33 East Farnum Street in Lancaster has 169 units, an office space, and a community room on the first floor. This development provides housing for the elderly and individuals living with disabilities. The funding will be used to update the aging HVAC systems to modern energy efficient heat pumps. “Our community has a critical need to add new affordable housing, and to protect our existing housing stock. As we brace for a cold winter, we cannot rest until all our neighbors have a safe, warm, accessible place to lay their heads,” Smith-Wade-El said. “This $1.1 million grant to improve the HVAC systems for an affordable housing development will dramatically improve the living conditions for our elderly and individuals living with disabilities. We often say, ‘housing is a human right.’ I’m grateful to the Lancaster City Housing Authority and PFHA for helping us put our money where our mouth is.” Smith-Wade-El said these PHFA funds are classified as Housing Options Program grants and can be utilized to repair existing housing units or to construct new housing units. Additionally, they are intended to fund housing that has not Read more
By making this small change to the Combustible and Flammable Liquids Act, fuel dispensers can now be placed farther from convenience stores, and therefore, farther from pedestrians. It’s an economic and safety win for businesses and consumers. Read more
Smith-Wade-El began his morning in Steelton to join state Rep. Dave Madsen, D-Dauphin, and other House Democratic members from central Pennsylvania to advocate for legislation that would improve the plight of tenants in Pennsylvania today. Read more
The Central PA Delegation supports stronger ordinances for enforcement of ATV/Dirt Bike off-road vehicle use on city streets. Read more
We are experiencing an alarming shortage of teachers in our communities, and we know for certain that this can be fixed, that there is an effective way to get us out of this educational crisis. I introduced a bill that would bring more teachers to the classrooms, this would address PA’s teacher shortage AND get more teachers of color on the job! I had the pleasure to talk about this bill on detail on Visions, hosted by Alyana Gomez on ABC 6. Read more
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans said the punitive responses to school misbehavior are not imposed equitably with incidents involving black girls and students with Individualized Education Plans are far more likely to involve law enforcement notification. Read more
The Community Diaper and Incontinence Products Act would establish a grant program that would improve and expand access to clean diapers for infants, children and incontinent adults through outreach programs, volunteer training and help with fundraising. Read more
Collection boxes outside of the offices of Representatives Davis, Hill-Evans, Pashinski, and Mullins. Local collections are encouraged to donate to your neighborhood resource center or one of the state diaper banks. Read more
Sunday, October 29, 11AM-3PM Jewish Federation of Reading, 1100 Berkshire Blvd, Ste. 125, Wyomissing, PA 19610 Health Testing Bring the whole family for FREE health and wellness info. COVID vaccine/booster Flu shots Health screenings Some health services may require an insurance card. Please bring yours. Read more
PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: COVID Mitigation for Counties Who May Apply : This funding is available to 66 Pennsylvania counties. Each county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board will be responsible for coordinating the application for their county and local confinement facilities, as funding is limited to that purpose. Use : Per the requirements of the CDC’s award, this grant has 15 allowable activities which are designed to detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor SARS–CoV–2 and COVID–19 infections, and mitigate the spread of COVID–19 in confinement facilities. These activities include hiring personnel related to testing/mitigation efforts, purchasing laboratory equipment used for COVID-19 testing, purchasing supplies, test kits, and other tools related to rapid identification of COVID-19, contracting with testing agencies, purchasing software and technology to track COVID-19, and other related activities. Funds : A total of $9,624,626 is available to 66 counties. Application Deadline : September 19, 2023 More information : PCCD Website Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: 2024-25 Medical Marijuana Act Enforcement Who May Apply : Eligibility for these funds is open to municipalities and regional police departments proposing to implement projects and programs that address the Read more
Join me and the Attorney General’s office to gain information on protecting yourself from online threats and scams. This seminar will inform constituents about learning the best practices for securing their digital presence, using strong passwords, identifying phishing attempts, and safeguarding sensitive data as well as provide you with information on your legal obligations and rights regarding data protection. Constituents will also have an opportunity to network with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies which can be valuable for constituents to establish contacts for seeking assistance in case of cyber incidents. Read more
Restaurant owner and former Reading City Council president Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz last year became the only Latina in the Legislature and the first Democrat elected to represent Berks County’s District 129. Read more
"We understand that we need equitable education. We need affordable housing, available housing. We need opportunities for our communities to be homeowners," said state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (D-129). Read more
Nearly all of the school districts I represent in Centre County are underfunded, creating serious challenges for students, teachers and administrators, and we are not alone. In fact, more than 80% of all school districts in Pennsylvania are underfunded, according to an analysis published by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Read more
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