HARRISBURG, June 8 – Today, members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus were joined by some of their Democratic colleagues to protest police brutality. “George Floyd’s death sparked powerful and emotional protests across the country,” Kinsey said. “People are wondering whether they can trust their government to protect them, and we must show them we can. We have the power to change an unjust system that has held Black and white Pennsylvanians to different standards.” Following the protest, Speaker Turzai said he would welcome a special session to review police reform bills, like Kinsey’s bill which would outlaw the use of the standard chokehold and define positional asphyxia as any action that inhibits breath or the flow of blood to the brain due to physical position. The protest was planned by House members on the Police Reform Working Group, which also includes the chief defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, as well as several attorneys. Last week, the group put forward several proposals to address law enforcement misconduct and police-community relations. Members of the group include: Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Stephen Kinsey House Democratic Whip Jordan Harris House Democratic Chairwoman Joanna McClinton House Philadelphia Delegation Chairman Jason Dawkins State Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila. State Rep. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, April 14 – As part of Black Maternal Health Week, state Rep. Morgan Cephas participated in an online forum Monday, focusing on her ongoing fight to reduce the maternal mortality rate in Pennsylvania -- a phenomenon that disproportionately impacts women of color. The Oshun Family Center hosted the webinar titled Black Maternal Health: Advancing the Village to Hold the Mother, where Cephas discussed her package of bills that would: Offer Medicaid coverage for doulas (H.B. 2109) . Expand Medicaid coverage for postpartum women (H.B. 2108) . Add "severe maternal morbidity" to the list of reportable events within the Pennsylvania Department of Health (H.B. 2107). Require implicit bias training for health care professionals ( H.B. 2110 ). "Access to quality health care should never be based on a person's skin color or zip code," said Cephas, D-Phila. "However, the maternal mortality rate for women of color remains disproportionally higher than white women and demands collective and immediat e action . From legislators to stakeholders, we must come together and work to secure funding, develop policies and pass laws that result in better health outcomes." "Black Maternal Health Week has been a passion project for the Maternal Wellness Village and me, due to the personal impact on our lives," said Saleemah McNeil, founder of Read more
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