Following Hughes’ Continued Calls for Action, Investigation, DOJ and AG Announce Major Redlining Settlement
Philadelphia – July 27, 2022 – Four years after being called to action by Sen. Vincent Hughes, today federal and state leaders announced a major, historic settlement with a former top mortgage lender over accusations of redlining and housing discrimination in the...
Dramatic Increase in Housing Funds a Key Component of New State Budget
Dramatic Increase in Housing Funds a Key Component of New State Budget Total investment in affordable housing jumps eight fold, from $55 million a year ago to more than $435 million over the next year For years before the COVID-19 pandemic ruptured the economy, we...
Historic State Budget Takes Broad Approach to Community Safety
Historic State Budget Takes Broad Approach to Community Safety In addition to violence prevention grants, public safety and prosecution get a boost While the news that Pennsylvania’s commitment to violence intervention programs represented a huge victory for advocates...
Violence Prevention Funding More than Tripled in State Budget
Violence Prevention Funding More than Tripled in State Budget Just a year after a historic first-ever investment in community programs, $105 million is budgeted In last year’s state budget, we were able to secure more than $30 million for programs aimed at curbing the...
Historic Education Package Includes Funding for Mental Health, School Safety
Historic Education Package Includes Funding for Mental Health, School Safety In all, Gov. Wolf and allies in the General Assembly have raised education commitment by 40 percent since 2013 In our most recent On the Issues I talked about the historic new funding for...
New PA Budget Delivers Historic Education Investment
New PA Budget Delivers Historic Education Investment $1.1 billion increase, much of it through ‘Level Up’ to help disadvantaged schools In a significant victory for allies and advocates, the state budget signed by Gov. Tom Wolf last week delivered historic new funding...
Hughes Praises Passage of Continued Bipartisan Justice Reform
HARRISBURG, July 8, 2022 − State Sen. Vincent Hughes today praised the passage of a bipartisan legislative package that advances criminal justice reform in Pennsylvania by protecting crime victims and making it easier for them to collect compensation. “The crime...
Hughes Statement Regarding Dobbs Decision
Philadelphia, PA − June 24, 2022 − State Sen. Vincent Hughes today released the following statement on today’s Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization: “Today’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade devastates a women’s...
Senate Democrats Support Pres. Biden’s Call for State Gas Tax Holiday
Harrisburg, PA – June 22, 2022 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate Democrats held a press conference shortly after President Joe Biden made a call to federal and state law makers to pause gas taxes. “Our stance is simple; we are calling on state Republicans to join us...
Senate Passes Hughes Workforce Development Plan
Harrisburg, June 22, 2022 – The Senate today passed a workforce development initiative authored by Sen. Vincent Hughes that will help those preparing students for the workforce better predict what employers will be looking for when they enter the job market. Hughes’...
Deadline for Tax and Rent Relief Extended
Deadline for Tax and Rent Relief Extended Each year, thousands who qualify fail to apply. Now they have until the end of the year. The deadline for older and disabled Pennsylvanians to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2021 has been extended from...
Senate Democrats Call on Republicans to Immediately Prioritize Gun Violence Prevention Legislation and Appropriations
HARRISBURG – May 25, 2022 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate Democrats wrote the following letter to Republican leaders in response to rampant gun violence and mass shootings that have become too common in the United States. Just this year, 215 mass shootings have taken...
New Study Shows More Than Three-Quarters of PA Voters Support Bipartisan Whole-Home Repairs Act
Philadelphia, PA − May 24, 2022 − Today, Senator Nikil Saval (D–Philadelphia County) held a rally attended by more than 200 housing and energy advocates, community leaders, Pennsylvania residents, and Democrat and Republican legislators from the General Assembly...
Sen. Haywood, Sen. Hughes, and Rep. McClinton Announce $13.8 Million in Health Equity Funding
PHILADELPHIA – May 16, 2022 – Today, Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia), Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia), and House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) hosted a check presentation and press conference at...
Hughes, Fiedler, Rally with Educators for Full School Funding
PHILADELPHIA − May 12, 2022 − With Pennsylvania sitting on more than $8 billion in excess revenue, and a dismal national ranking for school equity, state Sen. Vincent Hughes and Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler held a pre-budget school funding rally in South Philadelphia today...
You’re Invited to an Open House on Saturday
You’re Invited to an Open House on Saturday Breakfast, refreshments and lots of vital information will be available at my West Philadelphia District Office CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! I’m hoping to see you this Saturday May 14 from 9 a.m. until noon for an Open House...
Senators Costa and Hughes Issue Statements on Debate Over Whether to Spend or Sit on Billions in Surplus Budget: “We Can Do Both!”
May 5, 2022 – Senator Jay Costa, State Senate Democratic Leader, and Senator Vincent Hughes, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statements in response to Governor Wolf’s announcement on historic state revenues in April and...
Hughes Announces $7.5 million for Local Redevelopment Projects
HARRISBURG ± April 26, 2022 – Community development projects in the 7th Senate District have been awarded $7.5 million state funds, Sen. Vincent Hughes announced today. The grants will be awarded through Pennsylvania’s highly competitive Redevelopment Assistance...
Investing in Our Youth Through Sports in North Philadelphia
Investing in Our Youth Through Sports in North Philadelphia Key state official visits ‘West Philly’s Main Street’ to chart a path forward Continuing his focus on reinvesting in communities to revitalize neighborhoods, Senator Hughes guided a $2.5 million state...
Free Tax Help Available as Deadline Approaches
Free Tax Help Available as Deadline Approaches CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! As the federal tax filing deadline approaches, I’m holding a series of interactive zoom events to help you and your family navigate the tax season and all the new benefits available to you and...
Expert Panel Discusses the Dire Problem of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Expert Panel Discusses the Dire Problem of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Discussion at CHOP Karabots offers solutions for interrelated problems in health and education This week, at the CHOP Karabots Pediatric Center in West Philadelphia, I convened a...
Reinvest to Revitalize Tour
Reinvest to Revitalize Tour Key state official visits ‘West Philly’s Main Street’ to chart a path forward Only days after his official nomination, Pennsylvania’s top economic development official spent a recent day in West Philadelphia touring important and historic...
House and Senate Lawmakers Announce Relief Plan for Rental Assistance Fund
HARRISBURG − February 16, 2022 − 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.
Wolf Proposes Historic Education Budget
Gov. Tom Wolf delivered his last annual budget address this week, calling for historic investments in education, along with bolstering workforce development, criminal justice reform and raising the minimum wage.
The plan has the potential to reverse generations of systemic inequity in education funding and comes with no increase in taxes.