Calling all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders! Share your ideas about how to make a difference in your community by entering the 1st Regional Greater Pittsburgh Civics Bee! Participants are invited to submit a short essay responding to a prompt. Top essayists will advance to a live quiz competition, testing their knowledge of civics, government, and community engagement. Please note that the deadline for submitting an essay has been extended to the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 4:59 a.m. Visit this page to learn more and this page for essay tips. 

Last week, I introduced legislation that would require a utility company that removes a tree to plant a new one, within two years, in a location of the municipality’s choice. 

I introduced H.B. 2161 after residents and environmental experts expressed growing concern that trees were being removed unnecessarily, rather than simply pruned and trimmed.

Maintaining a healthy tree cover is critical for urban environments – trees reduce air pollution and stormwater runoff, provide shade that lowers energy costs, raise property values, and increase pedestrian traffic for local businesses. My bill would align tree removal by electric utilities with existing requirements that require utilities to repair damage caused by excavation or other projects that involve breaking into streets and sidewalks. The bill is now in committee, and I’ll keep you posted on its progress.

Join me on Monday, Feb. 9 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a Q & A on state legislative issues important to our community. The event will be held at the Forest Hills Westinghouse Lodge, 799 Barclay Ave. Parking is available, and light refreshments will be offered. I hope to see you there!   

It's Black History Month, and Catt & Tuskegee Airmen Museum (located at Hosanna House’s Sherwood Events Center at 400 Sherwood Rd.) will offer free admission every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning Feb. 7! Visit this page to read more about the museum and its interactive exhibits.

Our district office director, Aaron, recently attended a public informational meeting about an upcoming Talbot Avenue ramp replacement project in Rankin. Visit this page to read more about the project.

I recently spoke at meeting hosted by Self-Advocacy Voices on the topic of living and working with autism as a policymaker. Visit this page to read more about this organization and its mentorship incubator program to empower people with disabilities.

The Allegheny County Housing Authority will open its waiting list lottery for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (federal rental assistance) program from 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5. 

Please note that submitting an application does not mean you will get a Section 8 voucher but that you will be included in the lottery for a place on the waiting list. Visit this page or click on the image above to learn more.

If you have a disability or need communication in an alternate format or language, please call (412) 355-8940 or TTY (800) 833-5833 or 711.

A $700,000 grant from PennDOT will bring safer, smoother rail freight transport through our area by supporting track repairs to two rail yards in North Braddock. Visit this page to learn more.

Funding of $212,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will allow Upstream Pittsburgh to expand green stormwater infrastructure in Wilkinsburg. The grant will support Phase 2 of the Swissvale Hill Rain Garden project, a rain garden and catch basin system that captures thousands of gallons of stormwater annually. Visit this page or click on the image above to learn more about the project.

Last week in the state House, I voted for – and the House passed – bills that would:

• Increase funding for legal aid. Currently, a $6 fee is assessed on court filings to support civil legal aid, but in filings involving traffic citations, only a portion of that amount – $4 – goes to legal aid. The bill would ensure that the full $6 is used for legal aid.
• Require long-term care nursing facilities to notify new residents that they can hire an attorney to help them apply for Medicaid long-term care benefits.
• Help tech and biotech startup companies that are not yet profitable by allowing them to sell their net losses to profitable corporations in exchange for capital.
• Help the State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System operate more efficiently by implementing a more workable deadline for them to complete annual mandated financial testing.
• Safeguard workers in the wake of the deadly chocolate factory explosion in West Reading by implementing NTSB safety recommendations regarding steam and gas pipelines.

Local officials – the Allegheny County Health Department will award nine grants of $9,500 each to support local projects that help residents age well by improving safety, accessibility, social connections, and health. Visit this page to apply by the Feb. 13 deadline.

If you’re looking for state grants, you can find a list of the latest program openings here and a helpful search tool here.

Finally, please remember that our talented staff can help with a wide range of state related matters. Call us at (412) 273-3400, email RepSalisbury@pahouse.net, or stop by our Braddock district office at 501 Braddock Ave. Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

District Office

501 Braddock Ave.
Braddock, PA 15104

(412) 273-3400

Pennsylvania State Capitol

123-B East Wing Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 783-1914