HARRISBURG, July 27 -- Citing the distressing impacts COVID-19 is having on Pennsylvania’s restaurant industry and a recent Yelp survey showing more than half of restaurants could close permanently due to the virus’ impact, Democrats in Harrisburg have crafted a legislative package aimed at providing relief to community business owners and the workers that cook and serve our food. The package includes nine bills that would provide grants to local restaurants, bars and clubs, reduce and eliminate specific licensing fees, extend discounts to licensees and protect businesses by guaranteeing their insurance pays out in future emergencies. These efforts will provide direct relief to an industry of Pennsylvania businesses the virus has hit hard, House Democratic leaders said. Restrictions put in place have been necessary in the state’s response to COVID-19. The leaders said they recognize the hardship the virus has continued to place on the restaurant industry. Restaurants have served as the backdrop of many life occasions and special moments and they need support more now than ever. The House Democratic package includes: Earmarking CARES grant funding from the federal government to be directed to small, community restaurants instead of national chains to ensure those dollars are invested back into the region. ( Rep. Joe Ciresi, Montgomery County & Rep. Tina Davis, Bucks County ) Earmarking CARES grant Read more
Two history preservation projects in Pittsburgh have been selected to receive state grants, state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, announced. Read more
City Charter School in Pittsburgh has been selected to receive a $23,147 state grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to purchase safety and security-related equipment. Read more
State Rep. Jake Wheatley hosted a community meeting about the future of the former SCI-Pittsburgh facility in Pittsburgh on Thursday, May 10. Read more
Read more
Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and other legislators joined hundreds of youth and community members at a noontime rally Tuesday in the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda to call for reforms to Pennsylvania’s law enforcement system. Read more
State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, today announced that more than $836,000 in state grants has been awarded to three Pittsburgh-area groups to support safety programs in the region. Read more
Materials from joint Senate and House Democratic Policy Committee public hearing. Read more
State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, and PLBC members were joined by a coalition of legislators from around the state for a press conference to unveil a package of legislation aimed at streamlining police procedures and improving police-community relations at noon today in the Capitol Media Center. Read more
State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, has introduced legislation (H.R. 180) calling for a study of after-school programs in Pennsylvania. Read more
State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, today announced that the state is awarding a $10 million funding package to help spur a major redevelopment project at the former FTV Steel property in Hazelwood. Read more
A major project that will connect the Hill and Downtown districts with a pedestrian park over the I-579 Highway in Pittsburgh has been selected to receive a $350,000 state grant, state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, announced today. Read more
PITTSBURGH , March 23 – Pittsburgh-area lawmakers today released the following statement regarding the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld, who fatally shot Antwon Rose II, an unarmed black teenager, in the back last summer. “First and foremost, our deepest sympathies go out to Michelle Kenny and Antwon Rose Sr. as well as the rest of Antwon’s family and friends. Our community lost a 17-year-old boy. We will continue to mourn this senseless and pointless loss of the life. The life he lived as well as the life he could’ve gone on to live. “While no verdict can bring Antwon back, we had hoped to see justice for his murder. Unfortunately, there will be no justice for Antwon. This outcome, while extremely disappointing, is far from surprising. Our region has a troubling history of racial injustices. The loss of an unarmed Antwon with no punishment for the police officer who shot him three times as he tried to flee will be added to that history. “America has a problem with police officers murdering African-American men and women that our region is not immune to. From Freddie Gray, to Sandra Bland, to Philando Castile and now Antwon Rose, police officers time and time again have used excessive, unnecessary force against African-American civilians and faced no criminal convictions for their actions. “As a nation, we simply cannot sit back, express our outrage for a few days and then return to our Read more
State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, hosted an event in Harrisburg celebrating and promoting minority, women and disadvantaged businesses (MWDBE) in Pennsylvania. Read more
Over the past several years, state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, has hosted a day at the Capitol for entrepreneurs to put faces to the well-established minority, women and disadvantaged business designations. Read more
After reading Hop’s recent opinion piece in the New Pittsburgh Courier, I wanted to give an informed rebuttal to his assertions. Read more
Join Rep. Wheatley for his MWDBE networking event in Harrisburg. Read more
state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, today introduced the most comprehensive adult-use cannabis legalization bill to date. Read more
State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, and state Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia/Montgomery, held an event in Harrisburg recognizing Feb. 7, 2019 as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. Read more
Two projects in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District have been chosen to receive more than $2 million in state funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Read more
The plan, Restore Pennsylvania, was introduced by Gov. Tom Wolf at a press conference Thursday in Harrisburg. Read more
Please use the form below to sign up for email updates. By completing this form your are acknowledging your request to receive periodic email updates. Aw yeah!
Thank you. Your email signup has been sent. You should start getting emails within 24 hours.
Please use the form below to email Rep. Jake Wheatley.
Thank you. Your feedback has been sent.
Oh no! It seems cookies are not enabled for your browser. This site unfortunatly uses cookies to help provide you with a customized experience on the site. Please enable cookies to allow your experience to be customized. Thank you.
2015 1st Floor Centre AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15219
P*: (412) 471-7760
F*: (412) 471-8056
36 East WingPO Box 202019Harrisburg, PA 17120-2019
P*: (717) 783-3783
F*: (717) 780-4753