Today, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved legislation sponsored by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., that would permit mortgage lenders to offer discount points to borrowers to lower their interest rate and monthly payments. House Bill 1103 now awaits the signature of Gov. Josh Shapiro for it to be enacted into law. Read more

“I continue to fight vigorously for menstrual equity for women and girls in Pennsylvania because equity for this basic necessity in life does not currently exist,” Parker said. “More than half of the world’s population are menstruating individuals, and they should not have to miss work, school or other life events, or put their personal health in jeopardy, due to not having access to essential, clean and sanitary period products. These products are readily available in grocery and convenience stores because they are considered essential necessities, along with food. With this legislation, we are sending a clear signal to the federal government that Pennsylvania government has put a priority on ending period poverty for our residents and that they should respond in kind." Read more

HARRISBURG, June 23 – Today, legislation that would require platforms for event tickets, lodging, and food delivery to list the full, final price of their products upfront, passed the House. The bill was introduced by state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila, with a companion bill introduced by state Sen. Nick Pisciottano, D-Allegheny. Junk fees are the unexpected, mandatory fees added to the price of a good or service at checkout, often associated with online purchases for items like concert tickets. These fees can add up to 30% more to the original price, and they cost the average American family more than $3,000 per year. “Pennsylvanians are trying to make plans with their budgets in mind, but these hidden fees prevent people from making informed decisions,” said Fiedler. “It's more than frustrating to be scouring for hours to plan your family vacation only to get to the checkout page to see the price skyrocket. Whether it's a special occasion like a concert or a trip, we all deserve better treatment from these corporations.” House Bill 1216 would protect Pennsylvania consumers against “bait and switch” pricing practices, while allowing small businesses to compete with the artificially lowered prices used by dominant, national corporations. In 2023, the legislation was previously authored by then-Rep. Pisciottano and passed the House with significant bipartisan support. It was Read more

PHILADELPHIA, June 20- Today, state Rep. Anthony Bellmon and Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Jordan Harris, both D-Phila., presented a check worth $125,000 in state funding to the organization Black Girls Love Math. BGLM was founded five years ago by Atiyah Harmon, who had spent two decades in the education system as a math teacher, principal and administrator. Harmon noticed that many Black girls in Philadelphia were struggling in school with mathematics and that these results stemmed from an increasing disinterest in the subject. To combat this issue, she started BGLM and committed their work to eradicating racial and gender inequity in mathematics. Her findings were backed up by a 2024 Vanderbilt University study, which found that 71% of Black girls expressed a negative math identity. Additionally, this study found that 86% of Black girls were unaware of the necessity of advanced math for their future aspirations. “When you couple the inequities that predominantly Black schools face with findings of massive disinterest and unawareness of the importance of such a crucial subject, it could spell a recipe for disaster for our youth,” Bellmon said. “We are very fortunate to have a dedicated, aspirational leader in our community in Ms. Harmon, who is constantly working to put an end to this cycle. Her organization is paving pathways to success for so many young Black girls in our community, and I Read more

HARRISBURG, June 17 – Today, the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Phila., that would create stronger penalties for interference with the operation or movement of a public transit vehicle. Under this legislation ( H.B. 1416 ), any interference that causes the serious bodily injury or death of an operator would be punishable as a felony. Any interference that results in bodily injury or the fear of imminent serious bodily injury or death would also be subject to significant penalties. “As public officials, it is our duty to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of all Pennsylvanians, especially those who provide essential services in our communities,” Dougherty said. “Nobody should have to fear not making it home after a day of work. I sincerely believe that this legislation will safeguard the well-being of transit operators and their passengers by strongly discouraging any form of violence against these individuals.” On the morning of Oct. 26, 2023, longtime Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority employee Bernard Gribbin was tragically shot and killed while on duty and operating a Route 23 bus in Philadelphia. Dougherty said his legislation intends to more strongly punish those who commit these acts, and hopefully prevent these acts in the future. The bill now heads to the full House for consideration. Read more

The Philadelphia House Delegation reacted this afternoon to House passage of a proposal to fund mass transit systems and transportation projects across the commonwealth. House Bill 1364 sponsored by Chairman of the House Transportation Committee Ed Neilson, D-Phila., would mirror Governor Shapiro’s proposal to increase the transfer of existing sales tax revenue to the Public Transportation Trust Fund from 4.4% to 6.15% providing an expected additional $1.5 billion for transit systems over the next five years. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 17 – Today, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Joe Hohenstein, D-Phila., to help protect transit workers. In the wake of increased attacks on transit workers in the workplace, this legislation ( H.B. 1145 ) would help transit agencies install improved security measures. It would do so by establishing a grant program to help fund and support increased security measures. These measures may include capital improvements (e.g., security cameras, bullet-proof partitions, security equipment, safety-related technology) and other initiatives (e.g., security training and security staffing). “Transit workers play a massive role in Philadelphia and communities across Pennsylvania getting mass amounts of people where they need to go,” Hohenstein said. “Ensuring their safety is imperative, as it allows them to properly do their jobs without fearing for their well-being, and it keeps riders and the general public safe.” House Bill 1145 now heads to the full House for consideration. Read more

PHILADELPHIA, June 12 – Today, state Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Phila., hosted a news conference at SEPTA’s Fox Chase Station in his legislative district to reinforce the need to properly fund SEPTA. He was joined by residents and people who work in his district to speak about the ways public transit helps them day to day. Dougherty was joined by a dozen individuals who voiced their support for SEPTA funding and detailed how important public transit is to them and the Commonwealth at large. “SEPTA is the lifeline of Philadelphia and the surrounding area as nearly 1 million people use their services every day,” Dougherty said. “It was impactful to hear from the incredible folks who joined me today to discuss how crucial SEPTA’s transportation services are to them. I will continue my work in Harrisburg to ensure we properly fund SEPTA and keep Southeast PA moving.” In addition to his constituents, Dougherty was joined by state Rep. Anthony Bellmon, D-Phila., as well as individuals from the offices of state Reps. Jared Solomon and Joe Hohenstein, both D-Phila. In total, more than 50 people showed up this morning to show their support for SEPTA funding. Dougherty noted that dozens of others expressed well wishes while they were working or taking SEPTA transit to work. Read more