HARRISBURG, April 13 -- State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila, is advocating for formal acknowledgement of the extraordinary work of caregivers of Pennsylvania’s veterans through the Hidden Heroes campaign. “Many times, a veteran’s caregiver is a spouse, parent and other loved ones whose lives are transformed, their goals set aside, and they rearrange their lives to help the ones who sacrificed the most for us,” Rabb said. “We need to recognize that these women and men are heroes and sacrifice more than we currently understand.” The Hidden Heroes campaign is an initiative through the Elizabeth Dole Foundation that seeks to raise awareness of the struggles of these special caregivers. It also seeks to establish a national registry where veterans and their caregivers can access resources available to them. Read more
Act 57, which required the development of a database to hold separation records of all law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania, is now operational with temporary regulations. You can read about all the Act 57 regulations here and see all its forms here . There are five critical improvements that I believe can be recommended prior to the adoption of the final regulations. Those five critical improvements would prevent the legislature from having to amend or draft additional legislation. They are: That the prohibited offenses not just be those that are final and binding. That sedition be added as a prohibited offense. Requiring that the designee from the police authority completing the documents be required to report both qualitatively and quantitatively all disciplinary actions and the number of actions in each category. Granular detail be provided around the red flags respective to each infraction. The hiring report ought to require complete information (not just true and correct). If you share my concerns that these critical improvements be made, you can send your feedback to the Policy and Legislative Affairs Office by emailing them at this address: RA-SPPSP_PLAO@pa.gov . Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb joined a handful of dignitaries and his Mount Airy neighbors to commemorate the reopening of the Allens Lane Bridge. The bridge has been closed for more than two years for rehabilitation. The new bridge design was the result of collaboration between PennDOT and the surrounding neighborhood association. Rabb said, “It has been invigorating to watch this partnership between West Mt. Airy residents and the state grow over the past several years and result in this smart, equitable and critical infrastructure project.” Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb talks about the need for one fair wage, regardless of your job. He thinks that tipped workers deserve stability and a guarantee that they will work 40 hours a week for a living wage as much as any other profession. Rabb leads the fight for one fair wage for all, and has joined with Pa. Democratic leaders calling on a vote to raise the minimum wage and eliminate the tipped wage. Read more
“To ensure that everyone benefits from public infrastructure investment, we must ensure that the communities and people impacted by it have a seat at the negotiating table,” Rabb said. “It has been invigorating to watch this partnership between West Mt. Airy residents and the state grow over the past several years and result in this smart, equitable and critical infrastructure project." Read more
From support for local businesses to job training, there are a number of grant funding opportunities in Pennsylvania. Here's a look at what's available right now: STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: Driving PA Forward Level 2 EV Charging Rebate Program (Funding Source: State Mitigation Trust - Volkswagen Emissions Settlement) Who May Apply : Business, charitable organizations, incorporated nonprofits, local government entities, school districts, and other entities. Use : Rebates for Level 2 EV charging equipment for public use at government owned property, public use at non-government owned property, non-public use at work places, non-public use at multi-unit dwellings. Funds : Maximum rebates of $4,000 per plug for full public access and networked charging projects, $3,500 per plug for multi-unit dwelling projects and $3,000 per plug for all other eligible projects, including workplace charging. Application Deadline : First come, first-served. More Information : Click on https://gis.dep.pa.gov/drivingpaforward/ . Pennsylvania Department of Human Services: Children’s Trust Fund (Funding Source: Children’s Trust Fund) Who May Apply : Any organization operating in Pennsylvania that provides direct services and meets the criteria in this Request for Applications (“RFA”) is eligible to apply. Use : To support community-based child abuse and neglect Read more
“When I think of Juneteenth, I think of a symbol that can be used as a springboard to talk about all issues around racial equity,” Mr. Rabb said. “All of these things can be rooted and connected to white supremacist laws that were created, not just on the federal level but in our own state.” Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb talks about how the state has not raised the minimum wage in 15 years and that raising the minimum wage gives dignity to some of the hardest working people in the state. By raising the wage, he says we prioritize equity and help the most vulnerable among us. He discusses the misconceptions around the minimum wage, like how the average age is 35 for minimum wage earners, not high school teenagers. Read more
STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol: Pregnancy Support Services (Funding Source: Federal Funding) Who May Apply : Community service providers able to serve pregnant and postpartum women with stimulant or opioid misuse issues. Single County Authorities (county drug and alcohol offices) and Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) licensed treatment providers are not eligible to apply. Use : To provide pregnancy support services or make referrals to aid pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder. Funds : Approximately 10 to 12 grants up to $600,000 each will be awarded for 18-month projects. Application Deadline : July 13 at 12 PM. More Information : Click on https://www.ddap.pa.gov/DDAPFunding/Pages/Funding-Opportunities.aspx . Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency: 2021-22 PA Academic and Career/Technical Training (PACTT) Competitive Funding (Funding Source: General Fund) Who May Apply : Privately operated residential facilities, community-based providers, and juvenile probation offices that are not currently PACTT Affiliates. Use : To develop programs in the following PACTT service areas that adhere to PACTT Standards in order to gain affiliate status: core programming; academic instruction; work related services; and job skills training. Funds : Grants of up to $20,000. No Read more
Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb celebrates the introduction of the Pa. Fairness Act. He says this statutory change would provide for full humanity and recognize everyone as first-class citizens, including LGBTQ+ individuals. Go to pahouse.com/LGBTQEqualityCaucus to learn more. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 9 – State Rep. Chris Rabb has introduced legislation to fund all public schools throughout Pennsylvania fully and equitably to ensure that every child in the commonwealth can succeed. “Access to a high-quality education is the single best, long-term investment we can make in our children – and for our society – with public dollars,” said Rabb, D-Phila. “That many children throughout Pennsylvania are starting out their life’s path without the resources they need because legislators in Harrisburg haven’t done the work to ensure they have every opportunity for success is unacceptable. My legislation would ensure that public education funding is fully and fairly distributed to districts throughout our commonwealth.” Rabb has circulated a forthcoming bill he has introduced twice before that would require 100% of state funds to be distributed through the fair funding formula effective immediately, acknowledging that our most underfunded school districts need significantly more funding to ensure that they have enough resources to educate their students. The other bill in the package would expand the duties of the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission to ensure that the commission consider ways to provide for school funding that is both equitable and adequate, as well as make recommendations for ways to provide increased funding for Pennsylvania’s schools to be reflected in their upcoming Read more
As the deadline to speak out against a request by PECO that would raise the utility bills of many Pennsylvanians looms, Pa. state Rep. Chris Rabb speaks with Joline Price of Community Legal Services about why public input matters and how to best be heard. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 3 – State Rep. Chris Rabb said he will introduce legislation to ban police from using crowd control agents like tear gas, pepper balls, mace and rubber bullets. “Debilitating weapons of war have no place being used against civilians,” Rabb said. “And crowd control agents like tear gas and rubber bullets are exactly that, weapons of war. But even some of those agents were banned for use in warfare by the 1925 Geneva Protocol, so there’s absolutely no reason they should be used on civilians in our communities in Pennsylvania.” Rabb said that until last year, during demonstrations by protestors after George Floyd was murdered by police in Minnesota, police in Philadelphia had not used tear gas in 35 years. His forthcoming legislation would ban the use of crowd control agents by law enforcement in Pennsylvania. As a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, I acknowledge this commonwealth exists on the tribal lands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Munsee, Shawnee and Susquehannock. Read more
“Critical Race Theory is not taught in k-12 schools. It’s an analytical approach to understanding inequality and how the law might address persistent inequalities,” Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Philadelphia, told the Capital-Star. Read more
HARRISBURG, May 5 – State House members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and supporters today outlined their legislative agenda for systemic equity at a Capitol news conference. Members spoke about bills that would resolve bias, create diversity and provide inclusion, bridging the racial divide and inequities in legislation, state government agencies and health care. “This agenda is a road map for changing the way we deliver services, distribute resources and otherwise do business in the Commonwealth in all matters so that everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, gender, or Zip code, will have the same access and the same expectation as residents of Pennsylvania,” said PLBC Chair and state Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila. “The inequities in health care, housing and employment that were exacerbated by the pandemic are not new. They are systemic and often rooted in generations of racism. To address these systemic inequities, we have to remove stigmas, address implicit bias, and invest in systemic equity in ways that provide fair and equitable access to wealth, health, safety and more. We cannot continue doing things as we’ve done in the past and expect the outcome to be different. I have said that before, it still holds true and will continue to be true until we make substantial changes. We won’t relent until we see these changes.” “I truly appreciate the leadership of PLCB Chairwoman Bullock to keep us Read more
The PA Legislative Black Caucus introduced a package of bills to address everything from equality issues in healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and more. Read more
DA Larry Krasner will announce the arrest and charging of an individual for their role in the theft of over a dozen properties in the West Oak Lane, Logan, Frankford, Cedar Brook, and Mt. Airy sections of the city, which stems from an investigation launched in 2019 by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Economic Crimes Unit and the Philadelphia Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. DA Krasner will also provide his weekly gun crimes update. Read more
Pa. State Rep. Chris Rabb (D., Philadelphia) introduced a slate of medical marijuana protection bills this month, including one that would shield medical marijuana patients who fail a work-related drug test. Rabb called Hudnell’s situation “absurd and entirely disheartening.” Read more
Face the State welcomes Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) to discuss issues such as the verdict in the Derek Chauvin case, possible death penalty legislation, and more. Read more
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal will reopen on Saturday, April 24. Updated documents and guidance will be available today (Friday, April 23rd) by clicking here . This is a grant program established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, and is administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue , with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. Eligible entities include: Live venue operators or promoters. Theatrical producers. Live performing arts organization operators. Museum operators. Motion picture theater operators (including owners). Talent representatives. Other requirements of note: Must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020. Venue or promoter who received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020, will have the SVOG reduced by the PPP loan amount. Read more
Sixteen Pennsylvania House legislators announced this week that they were forming a bipartisan group to build relationships between ideologically distant lawmakers and reform how the lower chamber works. Read more
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