Press Releases
Senator Hughes Celebrates Passage of Pennsylvania CROWN Act
Harrisburg, PA – November 19, 2025 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed the CROWN Act (HB439) with a vote of 44-3. This legislation ensures that no one in Pennsylvania will be denied access to professional, educational, or public spaces and opportunities because of...
Senator Vincent Hughes on the Senate Passage of Pennsylvania’s 25/26 Budget: ‘We Delivered on Affordability’
Harrisburg, PA – November 12, 2025 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate and House lawmakers passed a $50.1B budget for the 25-26 fiscal year. Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, shared the following statement: “While this process took much longer...
Senate Democratic Caucus Policy Committee Holds Hearing Regarding Supporting Home Care Workers & Consumers
PHILADELPHIA, PA − November 10, 2025 −Today, Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing to examine direct care employee wages, and the trends observed in the Commonwealth over the last decade. “Earlier this year, I walked a day in the life of a home care worker...
Pennsylvania Leaders Call on Republicans to Put People Over Politics
Philadelphia, PA − October 31, 2025 − Senators Vincent Hughes and Art Haywood, and Representative Tarik Khan, hosted a press conference at Share Food Program in Philadelphia to demand that Republican lawmakers help the people they serve. Lawmakers, advocates,...
Committee Advances Bipartisan Measure to Study the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Pennsylvania’s Workforce
HARRISBURG – The Senate Labor and Industry Committee approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia and Montgomery) and Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) to study how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping Pennsylvania’s workforce...
PA Senate Democrats Share Statement on ‘Unserious’ Budget Exercise from Senate Republicans
Harrisburg, PA – October 21, 2025 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus issued a statement following more budget delays that were led by Senate Republicans. “It is deeply frustrating to see Senate Republicans waste more time instead of coming to the table...
Senator Vincent Hughes Issues Statement Following Release of 2026 PA Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Rates
October 15, 2025 - Following the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s (PID) release of the 2026 Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Rates, Senator Vincent Hughes, state Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, shared this statement: “Healthcare is about to get more...
Senate Democrats Send Letter to Senate Republicans Calling for Immediate Passage of Bipartisan Budget Bill SB 160
HARRISBURG, PA − October 14, 2025 − Now that the Senate Republicans’ Budget Impasse has gone on for 106 days and counting, all twenty three members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus signed onto a letter urging Senate Republicans to call the Senate back...
Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prohibit Student Cellphone Use in Pennsylvania Schools
HARRISBURG – October 10, 2025 − Citing the steep decline in youth mental health and academic performance during the past decade, Sens. Vincent Hughes (D-7), Steve Santarsiero (D-10), and Devlin Robinson (R-37) today announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation...
PA Senate Democratic Leadership Shares Statement on Latest House Budget Legislation
Harrisburg PA − October 8, 2025 − Today, Senator Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Leader, and Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, shared the following statement after the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a 25-26 budget for the...
PA Senators Collett, Hughes, Pisciottano Urge Feds to Protect Vaccine Access, Introduce Bill to Require Vaccine Insurance Coverage
Harrisburg, PA − September 20, 2025 − Following Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings last week, Pennsylvania State Senators Maria Collett (D-Montgomery), Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) and Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny)...
Senator Hughes Calls on SEPTA to Cancel Planned Fare Increases
Philadelphia, PA − September 11, 2025 − Today, Senator Vincent Hughes shared a letter with SEPTA Board Members to express his disapproval of fare increases that are still planned to go into effect on September 14, 2025. A full copy of the letter is below and...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $14.9M in Funding to Support Victim Services in Philadelphia and Montgomery County
September 10, 2025 – Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, announced more than $14.9M in funding for Philadelphia and Montgomery County to strengthen victim support and provide critical recovery resources. The grants were awarded by...
Senator Vincent Hughes Releases Statement on Ongoing Public Transportation Negotiations
August 31, 2025- Philadelphia, PA - Today, Senator Vincent Hughes, state Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, issued a statement following SEPTA’s announcement that fare increases and regional rail cuts will be paused in accordance with a Common Pleas...
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Urge Senate Republicans to Return to Negotiations as House Votes Down Unserious Budget and Transit Bills
HARRISBURG, PA – August 13, 2025 – Today, the House Rules Committee and the House Appropriations Committee voted down HB 257 and SB 160, respectively. Passed in the Senate yesterday evening, these bills represented unserious and unagreed-to budget proposals that were...
Senator Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes Express Frustration, Urgency as Senate Republicans Fail to Meaningfully Advance Budget Negotiations, Transit Funding
HARRISBURG, PA – August 12, 2025 – Today, the Senate of Pennsylvania convened for session. Instead of advancing bills to bring the 2025-26 budget process to a close and to fully fund public transit, roads, and bridges, Senate Republicans chose to advance HB 257, a...
Lawmakers, and Advocates Sound the Alarm on Looming Burdensome SNAP Rules
PHILADELPHIA, PA – July 18, 2025 – On Friday morning, State Senator Art Haywood (D-4) was joined by fellow lawmakers and nonprofit leaders at a press conference in Philadelphia to sound the alarm on new federal work requirements for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition...
Senator Vincent Hughes Announces New Laptops for Philadelphia Nonprofits
PHILADELPHIA, PA – July 18, 2025 – State Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, has announced Pennsylvania Digital Connectivity Technology Program (DCTP) grants for two organizations in the 7th senatorial district. “Pennsylvania is taking...
Senate Democratic Leaders Urge Senate Republicans to Act After House Passes Budget Bill
HARRISBURG, PA - July 14, 2025 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed HB 1330, an important step to closing out this year’s budget: ...
PA Senator Vincent Hughes Issues Statement on Passage of Republican “Big” Bill in the US Senate
July 1, 2025 – Today, Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, issued the following statement in response to the passage of President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” in the US Senate. If the legislation now passes in the US House of...