Press Releases
Senator Hughes Joins PHFA to Announce Over $65M in Available Affordable Housing Grants
September 25, 2023 – Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, joined the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to announce the 2023-24 PA Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) grant fund. Over $65 million is available...
Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Children Online Passes Committee
HARRISBURG, PA – September 19, 2023 – The Senate Communications and Technology Committee unanimously approved bipartisan legislation that would take a major step to protect minors and empower parents, according to the bill’s sponsors, Sens. Vincent Hughes...
Senator Hughes Applauds Automatic Voter Registration Through PennDOT
Philadelphia, PA – September 19, 2023 – Today, Senator Vincent Hughes applauded Governor Shapiro’s announcement that PennDOT will change their voter registration system from an “opt-in” system to an “opt-out” system. Senator Hughes has introduced automatic voter...
Senator Hughes Celebrates Property Tax and Rent Rebate Expansion for 173K Newly Eligible Seniors
Harrisburg, PA – August 3, 2023 − Today, HB 1100, a bill that will amend the Property Tax and Rent Rebate (PT/RR) Program, completed the final step in passing the Senate and will now be sent to Governor Shapiro to sign into law. The legislation will expand...
Collaboration Between State and City Lawmakers Leads to Over $1M Investment in West Philadelphia Recreation Center
Philadelphia, PA – July 26, 2023 – Senator Vincent Hughes, Representative Morgan Cephas, and Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. came together to present over $1 million dollars in grants from the state and city of Philadelphia to the Friends of Granahan for improvements to...
Senator Hughes Shares Statement on Republican Lawmakers Accepting Ruling on Unconstitutional Public School Funding by Commonwealth Court
Harrisburg, PA – July 24, 2023 − “Time is up! No more delays; no more stalling. We must do right by our students and begin immediately to address the court order to adequately and equitably fund our public schools,” said State Senator Vincent Hughes, following the...
Senator Hughes and PA Senate Democrats Remind Pennsylvanians We Are ONE Step Away from Commonsense Gun Laws
Philadelphia, PA – July 21, 2023 – Senator Hughes was joined by Senators Jimmy Dillon, Art Haywood, Tim Kearney, the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and community leaders to call attention to two commonsense gun bills that are one step away...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $4.4M in Affordable Housing Grants
PHILADELPHIA − July 13, 2023 − Today, Senator Vincent Hughes, Democratic Appropriations Chair, along with the PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), announced over $4.4 million dollars in affordable housing grants awarded through the Housing Options Program (HOP)....
Seventeen Years and Counting – Senate Democrats Continue to Fight to Raise PA’s Minimum Wage
Harrisburg, PA – July 7, 2023 − Sunday, July 9th, marks seventeen years since Pennsylvania lawmakers last raised the minimum wage. On July 9th, 2006, Governor Ed Rendell was joined by Senator Vincent Hughes, Senator Jay Costa, and Senator Tina Tartaglione to sign a...
Senator Hughes Shares Statement on Recent Supreme Court Decisions
Harrisburg, PA - July 3, 2023 - Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) issued the following statement in response to recent Supreme Court decisions that end affirmative action, support the discrimination of LGBTQ individuals, and strike down President...
Senator Hughes Applauds Bipartisan Support to Expand Pennsylvania’s Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program
Harrisburg, PA– On Friday, the Pennsylvania Senate passed HB 1100, a bill that would amend the Property Tax and Rent Rebate (PT/RR) Program to expand eligible income thresholds to include an additional 173,000 individuals and to increase the maximum rebate amount for...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $6.5M for Violence Prevention and Substance Abuse Treatment
Harrisburg, PA – June 14, 2023- Senator Vincent Hughes ((D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) announced over $6.5 million dollars from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for violence prevention and substance abuse reduction, treatment, and recovery...
Senator Hughes Applauds Advancement of Legislative Impact Statement Bill
Harrisburg, PA – June 12, 2023 –Senator Vincent Hughes applauded the advancement of House Bill 1188 from the House Judiciary Committee. The bill, sponsored by Representative Chris Rabb, provides Pennsylvania legislators the ability to request demographic impact...
Senator Hughes Announces Over $5M in Affordable Housing Grants for Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties
June 12, 2023 –Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) announced over $5,000,000 in Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE) grants for organizations throughout Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. The grants were...
Senator Vincent Hughes Announces New, $10K Student Teacher Stipend Legislation with Bipartisan Support
Philadelphia, PA – May 26, 2023- Senator Vincent Hughes held a press conference at Drexel’s School of Education with teacher advocates and education experts to introduce new, bipartisan legislation that would offer up to $15,000 in stipends to student teachers. Senate...
Senator Vincent Hughes Brings Modern Career Day to Over 1K Students in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA – May 23, 2023 – Today, Senator Hughes brought his “See Me−Imagine You” Career Day to 13 schools across Philadelphia. The program was simultaneously held for students in each school and featured professionals from a range of careers and backgrounds,...
Senator Hughes’ Legislation Leads to $1.3M in First Chance Trust Fund for At-Risk Youth
Harrisburg, PA - May 11, 2023 – Senator Vincent Hughes, State Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, celebrated the announcement of an available $1.3 million for at-risk youth in Pennsylvania through the First Chance Trust Fund. Legislation to establish the First...
Senators Hughes & Phillips-Hill to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Mental Health of Minors on Social Media
HARRISBURG, PA – May 5, 2023: Today, State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) and State Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) introduced bipartisan legislation that takes important steps to protect minors and their mental health on social media....
Senators Vincent Hughes, Art Haywood Censored on Senate Floor for Calling Out Voter Suppression
Harrisburg, PA - May 4, 2023: On Tuesday, 2 May, 2023, Senators Vincent Hughes and Art Haywood took to the Senate floor to speak in opposition to a bill that would appoint a non-elected special prosecutor to incidents involving SEPTA transit jurisdiction; SB 140....
Senator Vincent Hughes Celebrates $100M Investment in Affordable Housing
Philadelphia, PA – April 21, 2023 – Yesterday, state Senator Vincent Hughes held a press conference at the New Courtland Apartments on Henry Avenue to highlight $100 million dollars in grant funding that is available through the Housing Options Program. The funding...