In the News

Cheltenham-A student member of the Montgomery County Cultural Ability and Stock Student Ambassador asked a state legislator one important question at a recent virtual town hall. Yasir Valentine, a fourth-year student at Cheltenham High School, raised this issue in a...

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Business owners were busy Monday tearing down plexiglass shields and ripping up social distancing markers on the floor as Pennsylvania's coronavirus mitigation orders were lifted just after midnight. "It's hard enough to run a business anyway and...

As COVID-19 restrictions continue easing, we encourage local governments and school boards to resume meeting in person, with their doors open to the public and the media. Many of our local governments, during the pandemic, have relied on telephone and video...

“Yesterday we hit a milestone with 70 percent of adults receiving at least one dose of vaccine,” Acting Secretary Beam said during a Thursday press conference. “That’s a strong indicator that we are on track to get at least that many getting both doses by the end of...

Everyone, even Pennsylvania lawmakers, made sacrifices during the pandemic. They were not lavished with as many gifts as usual. How sad. With travel limited, events canceled and the Capitol a ghost town for most of last year, there just weren’t as many opportunities...

State senator from Philadelphia held a press conference today to debunk what he calls the myth of a labor shortage due to extra benefits from unemployment. ART HAYWOOD: Many individuals who are not vaccinated are afraid of the vaccine and COVID-19. They are...

HARRISBURG (KDKA) — This morning, State Senator Jay Costa from Allegheny County joined other state officials to discuss what they called the “labor shortage myth.”

(Harrisburg) — A bill to ban government authorities from requiring people to show their vaccination status passed the state Senate Health and Human Services committee Monday. Republican state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill of York County sponsored the bill, which would...

The prohibition on so-called vaccine passports applies to state agencies, counties, municipalities and school districts, and bars them from requiring proof of vaccination to use services, enter buildings or engage in activities.

Republicans in Pennsylvania’s state Senate began advancing legislation Monday to prohibit governments and school districts from requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for any sort of access. The Republican-penned bill passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee...

As COVID-19 restrictions continue easing, we encourage local governments and school boards to resume meeting in person, with their doors open to the public and the media. Many of our local governments, during the pandemic, have relied on telephone and video...

Pennsylvania’s renewable energy goals are set to plateau at the end of the month. Advocates say that will slow down the clean energy industry, costing the state jobs and investments that could help in the post-pandemic recovery. Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy...

Some state legislators are trying to get more money to prevent violence in Philadelphia. State Senator art Haywood is introducing the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, pushing for more funding from the state to fight crime in the city. Leaders call the issue a...

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Some state legislators are trying to get more money to prevent violence in Philadelphia. State Sen. Art Haywood is introducing the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, pushing for more funding from the state to fight crime in the city. Leaders called...

Pennsylvanians took another significant step forward last week when Gov. Tom Wolf announced most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted May 31. Capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses, as well as indoor and outdoor event gathering...

Pennsylvanians took another significant step forward this week when Gov. Tom Wolf announced most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted May 31. Capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses, as well as indoor and outdoor event gathering...

On Thursday, State Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) and State Representative Ben Sanchez (D-Montgomery) presented the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society with a $1 million check to renovate Meadowbrook Farm in Montgomery County. Matt Rader,...

Pennsylvanians took another significant step forward this week when Gov. Tom Wolf announced most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted May 31. Capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses, as well as indoor and outdoor event gathering...

HARRISBURG — On his drive to and from the state Capitol, State Rep. Mark Gillen often sees a state trooper’s vehicle. “They usually don’t yell out the window to slow down,” said Gillen, a Berks County Republican. “If you’re going too fast, you’re going to get stopped,...

Minutes after the news hit, John Adams’ cellphone rang about 10 times. Out picking up lunch, he quickly learned Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the end of all COVID-19 occupancy restrictions on restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, ballparks and other places people gather,...

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s public university system has agreed on a strategy to address racism on its campuses by building a more diverse staff and curriculum after students of color spoke out about feeling unsafe and overlooked.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s public university system has agreed on a strategy to address racism on its campuses by building a more diverse staff and curriculum after students of color spoke out about feeling unsafe and overlooked.  

All statewide coronavirus-related capacity restrictions in Pennsylvania will be lifted in time for Memorial Day -- with the exception of mask wearing in public -- though Philadelphia health officials said the city would stay with its current plan for lifting...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday that Pennsylvania will lift COVID mitigation orders effective Memorial Day, May 31 at 12:01 a.m. Wolf also tweeted that the face mask order will be lifted when 70% of Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania will lift most coronavirus-related restrictions on Memorial Day, state officials said Tuesday, as counties see cases plateau or decline. But the state’s universal masking order will remain in place until more people are vaccinated.

Department of Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier continued her One Fair Wage campaign this morning with a virtual forum that highlighted inadequate minimum wage for tipped workers across the state.

State Sen. Art Haywood and a number of people in the industry are pushing for legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour with a pathway to $15 and get rid of the tipped workers wage

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier joined Sen. Art Haywood and restaurant workers Samuel Jones, Nour Qutyan, James Conway, and Richard Gegick today to demand an increase in the minimum wage to $12 an...

The American Lung Association released its 22nd annual State of the Air report this week, which shows 40 percent of Americans are breathing unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution. The study says 1.3 million residents in the Harrisburg Metro...

After a year of preparation and several months of a “soft” opening to a limited crowd, Hilltop Books held an official opening ceremony on Friday, April 16. The new bookshop, at 84 Bethlehem Pike, launched at 1 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks by Friends...

“Today, I am relieved that a jury convicted former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin on all charges in the murder of George Floyd.  In May 2020, Chauvin murdered Floyd by placing a knee on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds as Floyd pleaded, ‘I...

Pennsylvania’s legislators and law enforcement leaders are eyeing reform just 24 hours after the verdict came down in Minnesota. Last summer the legislature tackled police reform and was successful in some key areas.

While the prospects remain uncertain, the Democratic sponsors of the bill say time is running out before climate change requires drastic action.

BUCKS COUNTY – April 21, 2021 – State Senators Steve Santarsiero (D-10), Art Haywood (D-4) and Carolyn Comitta (D-19) announced today during a virtual press conference that they will be introducing SB 300, a bill to expand the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio...

With a pandemic, closing businesses and schools might prevent sickness and death, but also eliminate evidence of what might have been. That makes it harder to argue against people who claim overreaction or overreach.

Pennsylvania’s 14 State System of Higher Education universities made a historic break with decades of systemic racism on Thursday. The Board of Governors made ending campus racism an urgent priority in the redesign of the state system.

PHILADELPHIA – April 17, 2021 – State Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) released the following statement on the April 15 Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors meeting: