Press Releases
Please Touch Museum’s Emergence From Chapter 11 ‘Great News,’ Sen. Hughes Says
HARRISBURG, March 16, 2016 – State Sen. Vincent Hughes today congratulated the Please Touch Museum for its excellent work to raise millions in new support and emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as scheduled. “The wonder has been restored to Please Touch...
Sen. Hughes’ Budget Olive Branch Ignored Just Before Gov. Wolf Promises to Veto
HARRISBURG, March 16, 2016 – As another partisan budget proposal was rushed through the Senate today to the governor, state Sen. Vincent Hughes asked Republican leaders to return to the bargaining table instead of working another political gimmick. But Sen. Hughes’...
Senate Approves Veterans Preference Hiring Measure
HARRISBURG, March 15, 2016 – The Senate today approved Senate Bill 1013, a bill introduced by Senators Vincent Hughes and Randy Vulakovich, that would let Pennsylvania employers adopt and use a veterans’ preference employment policy. “We owe a debt of gratitude to...
Sen. Hughes: Senate Appropriations Committee to Hold Subcommittee Hearings
HARRISBURG, March 14, 2016 -- Given the size and scale of the commonwealth’s fiscal operations and recognizing a need for a more thorough review of department and agency spending, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne and Democratic Appropriations...
Sen. Hughes Offers Words of Encouragement to Gov. Wolf
HARRISBURG, Feb. 24, 2016 – After learning today that Gov. Tom Wolf has developed prostate cancer, state Sen. Vincent Hughes said he wished the governor a speedy recovery from what has become the most common cancer for men. “It’s never easy to deal with all of life’s...
Sen. Hughes Welcomes City’s Entry in Legal Fight for Better School Funding
HARRISBURG, Feb. 17, 2016 – As he magnifies the chasm of problems caused by years of inadequate state funding of basic education, state Sen. Vincent Hughes today said he welcomed the City of Philadelphia’s decision to join the lawsuit filed in late 2014 against the...
Sens. Hughes, Haywood Hear School Officials Confirm: Infrastructure is Crumbling, Need Better Help from Harrisburg
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 11, 2016 – In the auditorium of a Philadelphia elementary school that was forced to send students home because of a boiler explosion that critically injured an employee, Democratic Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Vince Hughes and Sen. Art...
Sen. Hughes Presents Harambee Institute Charter with 21st Century Grant
PHILADELPHIA, Feb.11, 2016 – Students attending a West Philadelphia charter school will benefit from a $346,000 grant that Sen. Vincent Hughes publicly presented this morning to administration officials. Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School was...
Sens. Hughes, Haywood, Democratic Appropriations Committee to Hold Hearing Thursday on PA’s Crumbling School Infrastructure
HARRISBURG, Feb.9, 2016 – With exploding boilers and broken heaters threatening the safety and learning ability of many of Pennsylvania’s school children, state Sens. Vincent Hughes, Art Haywood and the Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee will...
Hughes, Senate Democrats Say Wolf’s Budget Focused on Education, Deficit Reduction
Harrisburg – Feb. 9, 2016 – Facing an unfinished 2015-16 budget with the need to reconcile a 2016-17 spending plan that has a looming $2 billion deficit, Gov. Tom Wolf was forced to focus his second state budget proposal on education and deficit reduction, according...
Sen. Hughes Calls for State Investigation Into Crumbling School Infrastructure
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 29, 2016 – After touring an elementary school that had been forced this month to send students home due to failed heaters, Sen. Vincent Hughes, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, ordered state-level hearings to better understand the breadth of the crumbling school infrastructure problem in Pennsylvania.
Gorgas Park to Receive $188K State Investment for Upgrades
Harrisburg, Jan. 28, 2016 - A renovated ball field, smoother walkways and new landscaping are headed to Roxborough's Gorgas Park with the awarding of a $188,000 state grant, Sen. Vincent Hughes announced today. The investment is from the Department of Conservation and...
Sen. Hughes: Philly School’s Boiler Explosion Represents Why We’re Fighting for $350M in Ed Funding, Why We Can’t Comprise
Harrisburg, Jan. 21, 2016 – A boiler explosion in a Philadelphia elementary school coupled with previously unheard of examples of a crumbling infrastructure in the district have Sen. Vincent Hughes, the Democratic chairman of the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations...
Sen. Hughes: President Obama’s ‘Common Sense’ Orders on Guns Good 1st Step
Says PA legislature should follow his lead Harrisburg, Jan. 5, 2016 – State Sen. Vincent Hughes, one of Pennsylvania’s leading advocates for common sense gun reform, today applauded President Barack Obama for issuing executive orders designed to better control the...
Senate Democrats React to Budget Line-Item Veto
Harrisburg – Dec. 29, 2015 – Senate Democrats provided the following reaction to Gov. Tom Wolf’s line-item veto of a Republican budget plan. The governor released six months of emergency funding for schools and human service programs, or $23.39 billion of the House...
Senate Hearing Focuses on Budget Impasse’s Impact on Schools
Harrisburg – October 28, 2015 – At the request of state Sen. Vince Hughes (D-Phila.), the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a hearing on the devastating impact that the state’s 120-day budget impasse is having on schools across the state. “While many of...
Senate Democrats Ask Treasurer to Withhold Payment to Charters
Harrisburg – Oct, 20, 2015 – State Senate Democrats today called on the Pennsylvania state treasurer to “stop payment” on a scheduled disbursement of property tax revenue headed to charter schools. They have sent a letter to state Treasurer Tim Reese formally asking...
Senator Hughes Responds to Pennsylvania House Vote on Governor Wolf’s Proposed Revenue Package
HARRISBURG- October 7th, 2015 – State Senator Vincent Hughes, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement in response to the Pennsylvania House’s negative vote on Governor Wolf’s revenue package: “Republican lawmakers...
Senator Hughes Slams Republicans for Trying to Hold Education Funding Hostage to Force Unpopular Liquor Privatization Proposal
HARRISBURG - (July 28, 2015) - Senator Vincent Hughes released the following statement in response to Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai’s recent comments on state budget negotiations: “I am disappointed by recent comments made by Rep. Mike Turzai, who once again...
Senator Hughes Kicks Off “Read to Succeed” Summer Enrichment Program with Over 500 Students
Philadelphia, (July 13th, 2015) – State Senator Vincent Hughes today kicked off “Read to Succeed,” his annual program that provides students with opportunities to increase their reading skills. Over 500 students have enrolled in intensive reading classes, which are...