Media Mentions
Republicans in Harrisburg are using Ukraine to promote a climate-denialist agenda | Editorial
Republican lawmakers are using Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine to advance their anti-climate agenda. With bills bearing jingoistic names such as “PA Energy Independence Act” and “Ending Pro-Putin Pipeline Bans,” Republicans in the state legislature have proposed a...
Senator Nikil Saval and Berks Stands Up call for passage of Whole-Home Repairs Act
State Senator Nikil Saval (D–Philadelphia) and Berks Stands Up brought together residents, community leaders, and elected officials Wednesday afternoon in Reading’s Centre Park in a united call for the passage of Pennsylvania’s Whole-Home Repairs Act (SB1135), a...
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Nikil Saval: A bipartisan group of state lawmakers wants it to be Tool Time here in the commonwealth. Say “hidey-ho, neighbor” to the Whole-Home Repairs Act, a home repair and weatherization assistance bill introduced by state Sen. Nikil Saval. With support from three...
Reading rally supports legislation to help homeowners make home repairs
Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are living in homes that are unsafe because they can’t afford to make repairs, state Sen. Nikil Saval said. “Every person has the right to a home that is safe, a home that is healthy,” the Philadelphia Democrat said Wednesday in...
Pennsylvania Senate bill would help people pay for home repairs
LANCASTER, Pa. — A group in Lancaster is urging the Pennsylvania Senate to pass a bill that would help preserve existing homes and provide funding for basic repairs. Lancaster Stands Up hosted an event Tuesday to promote the Whole-Home Repairs Act (Senate Bill 1135)....
Touring Southeast Lancaster with Sen. Saval
Following Tuesday's news conference in support of his Whole-Home Repairs Act, state Sen. Nikil Saval joined Lancaster City Council President Ismail Smith-Wade-El and local advocates for a tour of the city's southeast. As the tour proceeded up North Duke Street,...
Senator Nikil Saval has a bill to pay for home repairs across PA
On Monday, March 21, PA State Senator Nikil Saval launched his campaign for Pennsylvania’s Whole-Home Repairs Act (Senate Bill 1135), a bipartisan legislation that would establish a one-stop shop for home repairs and weatherization while creating new jobs. Monday’s...
Rally in Lancaster raises awareness of Whole Home Repairs Act
LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) — A rally in Lancaster brought many homeowners together to raise awareness about the Whole Home Repairs Act. This is a bipartisan bill highlighting the importance of home repairs and weatherization and will fight for homeowners who live in unsafe...
Homeowners could get up to $50,000 to make repairs under proposed bill
LANCASTER, Pa. — Newly proposed legislation is taking aim at blight and hundreds of thousands of homes in desperate need of repair and weatherization. The Whole-Home Repairs Act would create a program to assess home repair needs and find contractors and community...
Hidey-ho neighbor: GOP backs Dems’ home improvement bill in bipartisan effort to fight blight
This bipartisan home improvement bill, the Whole-Home Repairs Act, isn’t just for show. The legislation backed by progressive lawmakers and organizations in Philadelphia has already received support from three Republican state senators: Dan Laughlin of Erie County,...
GOP legislators are backing Philly Dems’ housing bill. Why? Blight is a statewide issue
A coalition of progressive Pennsylvania Democrats has begun pushing a bill that would use a chunk of the state’s budget surplus to help people pay for home repairs. But unlike many Democratic funding initiatives in Harrisburg, this one isn’t automatically doomed. Key...
State Senator Nikil Saval Launches Whole Home Repair Campaign with Housing and Climate Advocates
State Senator Nikil Saval launched a campaign for his Whole-Home Repairs Act Monday morning in South Philadelphia. The legislation is a rare moment of bipartisanship in a fiercely partisan environment. The act would provide money and support for home modernization...
Need a new roof? One Pa. lawmaker wants to help pay for home repairs for those who can’t afford it
A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to create a new state fund for people who can’t afford basic home repairs or weatherization. Introduced earlier this month, the Whole-Home Repairs Act would provide eligible residents with grants of up to $50,000. Small landlords could...
Pennsylvania budget forecasts, by political parties, are at odds
(The Center Square) – A Senate Appropriations Committee hearing with the secretary of the budget and secretary of general services focused on making state government efficient – and accurately projecting the state budget’s cost to taxpayers, now and in the future. The...
Wolf Administration Announces $500K Grant For FDR Park Improvements
Harrisburg, PA -- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Deputy Secretary Lauren Imgrund today announced the department has awarded a $500,000 grant for environmental and infrastructure improvements to FDR Park in Philadelphia. "I am happy to...
Philadelphia Council Supports Unionization of Starbucks Workers
PHILADELPHIA — Today, March 3, 2022 City Council expressed their strong support for Philadelphia Starbucks workers who are attempting to form a union, unanimously passing a resolution introduced by Councilmember Kendra Brooks (At-Large) and Councilmember Helen Gym...
City Council Expresses Support for Philadelphia Starbucks Unionization Efforts, Calls on Starbucks to Accept Card Check Neutrality
PHILADELPHIA — Today, City Council expressed their strong support for Philadelphia Starbucks workers who are attempting to form a union, unanimously passing a resolution introduced by Councilmember Kendra Brooks (At-Large) and Councilmember Helen Gym (At-Large)....
Organizations Say Meek Mill And Celebrity Takeover Of Criminal Justice Reform Weakens Their Work
It’s been three years since hip-hop artist Meek Mill, along with some of his celebrity and billionaire friends, launched the REFORM Alliance – an organization dedicated to changing laws around probation and parole. But some longstanding criminal justice reform...
How a redesign of Washington Avenue got detoured by a clash of competing needs
It seemed to be a wrap when the plan was announced two years ago. Washington Avenue, the wide and often chaotic arterial with white-knuckle traffic slicing through South Philadelphia, would be narrowed from five vehicle lanes to three, with two parking-protected bike...
Meek Mill’s Bills Show Limits of Probation Reform
LAST JUNE, rapper Meek Mill stood behind then-Gov. Ralph Northam as the Virginia Democrat signed a probation reform bill into law. Meek Mill’s 11 years on probation, which started with gun and drug charges in Philadelphia when he was 19, inspired his push to reform...
House and Senate lawmakers announce relief plan for rental assistance fund
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Lawmakers from the state House and Senate held a news conference today to outline plans to restore Pennsylvania’s depleted Emergency Rental Assistance Program and help thousands whose incomes were affected by the pandemic. State Senators Vincent...
In their own words: Local leaders urge Congress to act on climate
“In Philadelphia, schools routinely have to close during the summer because temperatures inside the buildings grow dangerously hot. In the winter, households face crushing utility bills. And year round, whole neighborhoods are traumatized by losing everything to flood...
Legislators are urging more financial help for Pennsylvania renters
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- More relief could soon be coming to Pennsylvania renters and landlords. Legislators are calling for millions of dollars to be put into the state's depleted Emergency Rental Assistance Program. "Our proposal is asking simply for $500 million to...
City, facing criticism, says Washington Ave. pivot was a ‘matter of equity’
City officials sparked outrage Saturday when they reversed course on a planned “road diet” for one of the city’s most dangerous thoroughfares. But the transportation officials say the decision was meant to promote equity. Officials in Philadelphia’s Office of...
Port of Philadelphia gets second infusion of money for modernization
(The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf gathered with state and local officials Friday to announce $265 million in funding for the Port of Philadelphia to “continue modernization efforts and improve regional stability.” “The port is an economic driver, not only in...
A sentence that never ends: How probation kept a Pennsylvania man locked up through the pandemic — even after his release date
Kevin has been in the system since he was a baby. His mother was unable to provide for him, so he was raised in foster care, and he spent his adolescence in a Philadelphia educational and treatment facility for young people with behavioral issues — a facility that...
Philadelphia’s port is getting a $246 million investment from the state, Gov. Wolf says
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that the state will invest $246 million to help expand Philadelphia’s port, adding to the $300 million his administration committed to port development in late 2016. During the five years in between, five super post-Panamax...
Wolf Administration Announces Additional $246 Million Investment at Port of Philadelphia
“The port is an economic driver, not only in Philadelphia, but across the commonwealth,” said Gov. Wolf. “The port supports jobs, encourages trade, and builds connections that help businesses and communities across Pennsylvania thrive. This new $246 million investment...
PA Dems call for ‘historic’ education funding, GOP doubts sustainability
Pennsylvania Democrats unveiled a plan for $3.75 billion in new spending on public education aimed in part at directing more money to the state’s poorest school districts, a proposal Republicans derided as unrealistic for its reliance on federal pandemic relief funds...
Joseph Fox Bookshop in Center City closing after 70 years, as neighborhood bookstores press on
The finale is near for longtime Center City staple Joseph Fox Bookshop, which is set to close at the end of January. Its shutdown aligns with a trend affecting many downtown retailers, but there’s a bright counterpoint: the recent rise of independent bookstores in...
After dropping early in the pandemic, jail populations are rising again | Wednesday Morning Coffee
After dipping in the early days of the pandemic, prison and jail populations across the country are already ticking upward, and have nearly rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels. That’s the conclusion of new research by the Prison Policy Initiative, which found that...
Four Facts about Electricity Costs & RGGI in Pennsylvania
Opponents of the Pennsylvania DEP's proposed CO2 Budget Trading Program, which would enable the Commonwealth to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, are mounting a disinformation campaign about the program's impact on electricity bills. This blog...
Proposed laws will help make housing safer, healthier and more accessible
State Sen. Nikil Saval (D, Philadelphia) proposed two new laws and one amendment to an existing law in 2021. All three focus on housing access for renters, and home repairs for low-income households. The Fair Chance Housing Act would amend the 1955 Pennsylvania Human...
Community College of Philadelphia receives $3 million Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program Grant
Community College of Philadelphia recently announced that it has received a $3 million Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant to make significant renovations and improvements to three buildings on the College’s main campus: the Winnet...
State Celebrates Federal ‘No Surprises’ Protections Against Medical Bills
Governor Tom Wolf Monday was joined by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID), stakeholders, and a consumer who has fallen victim to surprise billing to celebrate the upcoming implementation of the federal No Surprises Act on Jan. 1. The No Surprises Act will...
Gov. Wolf Celebrates Federal No Surprises Act and Increased Consumer Protections from Unexpected Medical Bills
Governor Tom Wolf today was joined by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID), stakeholders, and a consumer who has fallen victim to surprise billing to celebrate the upcoming implementation of the federal No Surprises Act on January 1, 2022. The No Surprises Act...
Philly’s lauded Eviction Diversion Program to stay in place through 2022
Philadelphia’s eviction diversion program will remain in place through the end of 2022. The nationally recognized initiative that was set to expire this month has reduced evictions by 75% compared to pre-pandemic levels. “We look forward to a new era that takes us out...
Pa. Senate approves bill reforming probation system, sends to House for consideration
Bipartisan legislation reforming Pennsylvania’s probation system passed the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday, sending the bill to the House where a similar proposal previously died without a vote. The proposal, authored by Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, would...
Pennsylvania Senate moves to overhaul probation system
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate on Wednesday approved legislation to overhaul how probation is handled, in an effort to clamp down on people being stuck on an endless probation cycle or being sent back to jail for minor violations. The vote, 46-4,...
Bucks County Community College Hosts LGBTQ+ Rights Forum
Bucks County Community College hosted a forum on LGBTQ+ rights Tuesday, November 30th, featuring two state senators and the head of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress. The panel discussion, which took place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown campus and...