We opened May by jumping right back into Legislative Session. The highlight of the week was two bills of the MOMNIBUS legislation package getting second consideration approval. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Indigent Defense Grant Program Who May Apply: Counties Use: Salaries and benefits for staff, recruiting efforts to find/retain staff, training and development courses for staff, efforts to improve data collection, and any cost associated with gaps or needs in providing indigent defense, among other things. Funds: A total of $6,750,000 is expected to fund up to 67 grants (one in each county). Application Deadline: , May 23, 202d4 More information: PCCD Website Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (via Department of Homeland Security): Nonprofit Security Grant Program Who May Apply: Non-profit organizations may apply as a sub applicant through PEMA. PEMA is the direct applicant to the Department of Homeland Security. Use: Funds are to be used to enhance the protection of soft targets/crowded places. Funds: $274,500,000 in federal funds are available for this national funding opportunity. $3,277,500 in funding is targeted toward Pennsylvania. Application Deadline: May 29, 2024, at 5 p.m. More information: PEMA Website Historical and Museum Commission: Historical & Archival Records Care Grant Who May Apply: Local government entities and nonprofit organizations Use: Projects must relate to some aspect of Pennsylvania’s history and funds may be used for preservation of Read more
PHILADELPHIA, April 29 -- On Friday, state Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler and Roni Green, both D-Phila., attended a news conference at City Hall to voice their support for investing in public education and rejecting voucher schemes in the 2024 state budget. Organized labor, education advocates, and community organizations were in attendance to support fully funding Pennsylvania’s public schools. The event followed the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission’s recommendations to address Pennsylvania’s unconstitutional K-12 school funding system, recommendations that included $300 million for facilities upgrades last year. Private school vouchers divert tax dollars that could be used to repair school buildings, instead affording them to the elite (more than half the time to families making over $200,000 ) to support institutions that openly discriminate against students, the legislators said. “Every tax dollar given to voucher programs is another tax dollar diverted from our neighborhood public schools,” said Fiedler. “At a time when so many of our schools are struggling to stay open due to toxins and overdue repairs, our priority must be fully funding public schools and their buildings. As Democrats, we cannot allow vouchers to have a place in our state budget.” "We can't afford entitlement programs. We must first fix what's broken," said Green. Read more
It is so hard to believe we are already entering the month of May! I hope all of you took the time to vote in the primaries this past Tuesday! The simple act of voting is one of the most powerful tools of our democracy so be sure to get educated and prepared when we do it all over again in November. Read more
This week, along with my co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus, I was excited to welcome constituents and stakeholders from across the Commonwealth, in observance of Black Maternal Health Week 2024 at the Capitol. Read more
We got to work this week! I passed a resolution to recognize Black Maternal Health in the Commonwealth and spoke alongside the Governor and my colleagues to help get our teachers paid! Read more
Black Pennsylvanians had the highest pregnancy-associated mortality ratio at 148 per 100,000 live births, which is nearly twice as much as white Pennsylvanians who had a PAMR at 81 per 100,000 live births, highlighting racial disparities in maternal health care. Read more
“These statistics are not new,” Curry said. “But sadly, an alarming number of people are still unaware just how dire the situation is for Black mommas here in Pennsylvania and the United States. While we are doing everything we can to take action in the legislature, we also cannot afford to stop talking about Black maternal health. That’s why I am so glad we have established Black Maternal Health Week in the commonwealth. By establishing this week, we encourage people and healthcare providers to get educated about this issue and learn how they can better care for themselves, their children, their family, and their neighbors.” Read more
The resolution would recognize Thursday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 17 as Black Maternal Health Week. The House Human Services Committee unanimously reported the resolution of out committee. Read more
There's a lot to look forward to in the coming months! The spring season is a time to get out and enjoy all the community has to offer. I know I am looking forward to getting outside and soaking up the sun next week as we finally say goodbye to this cold weather! We return to legislative session and I have exciting news! Read more
We closed out Women's History Month on a high note! Spring break allows the opportunity to learn more about what the workings of the House floor involve up close. Some very special students served as guest pages yesterday and they learned a lot. Grateful that our youth are taking interest in the democracy of Pennsylvania state government! Read more
“Doulas address Black maternal mortality and morbidity by reducing complications and improving maternal health outcomes. With the Department of Human Services’ expanding doula services, the state will allow doulas to enroll as Medicaid providers, making these services more affordable for low-income Pennsylvanians. With Black women 3.5 times more likely to die during pregnancy-related complications, we must ensure that they have access to services that would aid them during their pregnancies. We thank Gov. Josh Shapiro, Secretary of Human Services Val Arkoosh, and the administration for advancing policies that address Black maternal health, and the PBMHC will work toward advancing PA’s MOMNIBUS – a legislative package introduced to boldly address maternal morbidity and mortality – to the governor’s desk.” Read more
The bill is cosponsored by Rep. Gina Curry and Rep. Lisa Borowski and is part of a “Momnibus” legislative package introduced by the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus. Other bills in the package propose expanding Medicaid coverage for doula services, requiring private insurance coverage of blood pressure cuffs for new parents, distributing “welcome baby kits” to some new mothers and more. Read more
What a week it was in Harrisburg! It was great to see all of my colleagues under the same roof after some extended time away. Read more
Curry said, “When my co-chairs Reps. Cephas, Mayes, and I created the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus back in October 2023, we knew we had no time to wait before we sprinted into action. In my district and all across the commonwealth, women have become victims of health care system closures. These closures have created an alarmingly increasing problem of maternal health deserts. Nineteen counties in Pennsylvania have hospitals that don’t provide obstetric services and don’t have accredited freestanding birth centers. Thirty-one counties don’t have a Newborn Intensive Care Unit. This is a horrifying reality and one that we want to change now. Read more
I enjoyed a gap week from Harrisburg. Last week we finished our budget appropriations hearings. Next week, we all gather in the House chamber to get back into legislative session. Read more
This week we knocked out the last round of House Appropriations budget hearings. We heard from: The Department of TransportationThe State PoliceThe Department of EducationThe Department of Human ServicesThe Governor's Budget Office Read more
In a 2022 March of Dimes report, Pennsylvania had 6 counties classified as maternity care deserts. 14 counties had moderate access to maternity care. Read more
Another week, another round of House Appropriations budget hearings. On Tuesday, we heard testimony from Marva Linda Montgomery during our policy hearing on Safer Communities! Marva is a PGWM PA at Deborah Grand Chapter and a resident of Philadelphia. She's also a fellow Delta! Rep. Cephas and I caught up with her after the hearing! Read more
This week we started the long process of our House Appropriations budget hearings. Read more
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