HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., announced today that the PA Housing and Finance Agency has awarded nearly $3.1 million in low-income housing tax credits to development projects in West Philadelphia neighborhoods of the 192nd Legislative District.The award for the Media Flats development will receive over $1.4 million to invest in new construction of multifamily units for seniors. The West Philadelphia Preservation project will receive nearly $1.7 million to help with rehabilitation of single-family row-home style rental properties. Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – State Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, and Joe Hohenstein, D-Phila., will be joined by representatives of Church World Service at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the East Wing Rotunda, Harrisburg, for a news conference in support of their legislation (H.B. 1113) that would create an Office of New Pennsylvanians to support, attract and retain immigrants in the commonwealth. “Our immigrant communities are an integral part of Pennsylvania’s economic growth, making up over 8% of our state’s work force and paying $3.3 billion yearly in state and local taxes,” Smith-Wade-El said. “But they are facing too many roadblocks due to bureaucratic red tape and restrictive policies targeting immigrant communities. “To keep these skilled workers, entrepreneurs, consumers and community leaders in our state, I’ve introduced a bill that would raze the maze of bureaucratic silos by establishing an Office of New Pennsylvanians that would be a one-stop shop for benefits and resources for immigrants under the auspices of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development.” “My support for immigrant rights is based on my belief in the value of all working people. Organized labor was born in immigrant communities from the coal mines in Pennsylvania to sweatshops in New York and to the grape harvests in California,” Hohenstein said. “Immigrants bring so much to our state – whether Read more

Andre Carroll, one of younger state legislators, talks Pa. budget, youth vote and Kada Scott Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct. 21 – Today, Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., and Rep. Robert Matzie, D-Beaver, introduced a resolution urging Congress and President Donald Trump to permanently reinstate federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program employees and to increase funding for the program. LIHEAP is a federal cash grant program that helps low-income families across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., heat and cool their homes, make emergency repairs, and prevent shutoffs of essential utilities. In Pennsylvania, 300,000 households depend on LIHEAP for heating assistance in a typical year. On April 2, Trump laid off all federal staff responsible for administering LIHEAP and proposed zero funding in his fiscal year 2026 federal budget, leaving Pennsylvanians in the lurch. “Staying warm in the winter is not a partisan issue. Red, blue, doesn’t matter. People in all areas of our commonwealth depend on LIHEAP funding to get them safely through the coldest months. It’s a federal program that literally saves lives,” said Matzie . “It seems unconscionable that funding would be withheld, but here we are. And let’s be clear, this has nothing to with the current shutdown – the funding was cut in the proposed federal budget. This resolution is a simple plea to Congress to do the right thing. Restore LIHEAP funding. People’s lives depend on it.” One in five Pennsylvania households report Read more

State Reps. Roni Green and Morgan Cephas, both D-Phila., today announced that the new George’s Hill Pump Station project in West Philadelphia is receiving $47.65 million in financing from the state. Read more

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, chairwoman of the Philadelphia House Delegation, explains why funding public transportation is a personal issue for many legislators, including herself. It's about mobility; it's about opportunity. Recent delays, overcrowding, and cancellations on SEPTA's Regional Rail lines highlight why transit agencies can’t rely on flexing capital improvement funds to support their operating budgets. Cephas emphasizes that finding a stable, recurring funding mechanism for SEPTA—and all transit agencies across Pennsylvania—is essential. Read more

Proposes bill abolishing death penalty for fourth time since 2017 Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct 10 – On Wednesday, the School Facilities Inventory Bill, H.B. 1701, passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The bill, introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Phila., and Rep. Tarah Probst, D-Monroe/Pike, would address the issue of outdated and unsafe school buildings in Pennsylvania, facilitating the process by which school facilities are assessed and prioritized. “You can’t fix a problem until you know the scope of what you’re dealing with, and this bill gets us to that place,” Fiedler said. “H.B. 1701 would help us compile comprehensive data on Pennsylvania’s school buildings and ensure that recommendations on our most urgent funding needs are made by experts. That way, we can move quickly and efficiently to support schools in making repairs.” Fiedler noted that a wide scope of important building information would be provided, including the age of the buildings and their renovation history, building size and enrollment capacity. The assessments would also consider factors such as heating and ventilation, ADA compliance and environmental risk factors such as asbestos and mold. Currently, there is no statewide inventory of the condition of school buildings, nor is there statewide criteria for assessing facilities’ needs. The legislation passed Wednesday would create a comprehensive Read more

On October 3, 2025, the City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation held its 13th Annual Business Opportunity Forum. Business owners, corporate leaders and local officials gathered at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott to focus on how local businesses can participate in major upcoming projects at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE).The event theme was “Navigating Toward Success” and speakers from various City of Philadelphia departments and local officials including Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Councilmember At-Large Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Pennsylvania State Representative Regina Young, and Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor were featured on the program. Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct. 7 – The Pennsylvania House Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and House Education Committee held a joint hearing today on H.B. 1768, the Keystone Fresh Act, introduced by state Reps. Danilo Burgos and Jonathan Fritz. The bipartisan legislation would expand access to fresh, locally sourced foods in school meals while supporting Pennsylvania farmers and strengthening local economies. The complete hearing can be viewed here . "Schools across Pennsylvania serve more than 168 million lunches per year , providing critical nutrients to children across the state and making them one of the largest potential markets for agricultural producers in Pennsylvania,” said Burgos, D-Phila. “However, school board food service providers reportedly only spend 9% of their total food costs on local foods. Local food purchasing incentive legislation , like the Keystone Fresh Act, would establish a grant program incentivizing schools to purchase, promote and serve local foods in their meal programs.” The Keystone Fresh Act would provide funding for schools to buy more local foods, and resources for farmers to meet school market needs. Research shows that for every $1 spent on local food purchasing initiatives, $1.40 circulates back into local economies. With Pennsylvania’s diverse agriculture sector, this program would improve student nutrition, stimulate the farm economy, and strengthen connections among Read more