Following previous grant amounts totaling over $2.2 million, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic Whip, announced another grant for completion of the Schuylkill River Trail from the Commonwealth Financing Authority aimed at completing the Christian to Crescent segment of the trail. Read more
Pennsylvanians looking for relief from the hardships of the past year can look to the House Democrats’ Pennsylvania Rescue Plan for solutions that do the most good for the most people. The House Democratic Leadership team released the following statement on how the plan would strengthen communities, help working people and support businesses and families: “We have a unique opportunity to drastically improve the lives of millions of Pennsylvanians with smart investments in people, businesses, health care and our workforce. The Pennsylvania Rescue Plan does just that by directing federal funds to help businesses get back on solid ground, invest in our frontline workers who were essential to getting us through the pandemic, repair our crumbling public schools so students can learn and teachers can teach in a non-toxic environment and strengthen our workforce through training tomorrow’s in-demand employees. Read more
For Pennsylvania state House Rep. Jordan Harris, a Philadelphia native, politics is personal. “I represent the hood that I grew up in, so this is different for me,” Harris said in an interview with students in Professor Amy Worden’s “Journalism in the 21st Century” class. “My constituents are my cousins, my mom, my uncles, the folks that watched me grow up. I have a different responsibility to them,” he added. Read more
For weeks, Tyrique Glasgow heard the stories of vaccine frustration from fellow members of the Black community in South Philadelphia:The clinics that were too far away for someone without a car. The sign-up websites that wouldn’t load fast enough for someone with limited internet access. The appointment slots that were snapped up by people outside the city. Read more
A bill calling for extending the operating hours of Pennsylvania bars, restaurants and other nightlife establishments from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. will be introduced next week in the State House of Representatives, a proposal aimed at ushering along the hard-hit hospitality sector. The bill will be introduced by Rep. Jordan Harris (D-District 186) and would aim to create “extended use permits” for liquor licensees, he told the Business Journal on Thursday afternoon. The measure would also give local municipalities the ability to decide for themselves whether they want to allow the extended hours, and designate specific zones where that can happen if they do opt into extending operating hours. Read more
Bars and restaurants in Pennsylvania have really taken quite a hit during the pandemic.One state lawmaker thinks he has a good solution to help them recover faster. As money editor Jon Delano reports, it’s all about how long they serve alcoholic drinks.Under state law, most bars and restaurants in Pennsylvania close their tap or cork the bottle at 2 a.m. But Pennsylvania Rep. Jordan Harris says it’s time to extend that to 4 a.m. Read more
With time running out to provide a chance at justice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse through an emergency constitutional amendment, the House Democratic leadership team released the following statement calling on Republican leadership to commit to bringing the measure up for a vote on Monday:“In early February, Republican leadership made a public promise on the House floor to get an emergency constitutional amendment to the Senate and provide a chance at justice to the survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Due to their wavering and inaction this week, we’re now dangerously close to running out of time to get this in front of Pennsylvanians in the May Primary Election. Read more
State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., the House Democratic whip, joined 2nd District Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson in releasing the following statement praising the increased availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the city due to the opening of a mass vaccine clinic at Grand Yesha Ballroom, located at 2308 Snyder Ave. in South Philadelphia: Read more
Stay up to date with Rep. Harris' Winter 2021 newsletter. Read more
Pennsylvania voters will likely soon get the final say about whether to limit the governor’s powers during a disaster emergency after a divided state House of Representatives endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday. Read more
Following a sometimes heated debate on Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House passed a constitutional amendment to limit emergency declarations by the governor, after the state Senate approved a similar bill the previous night. Read more
The PA House Democratic whip, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., today announced that state Reps. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny; Donna Bullock, D-Phila.; Danilo Burgos, D-Phila.; Morgan Cephas, D-Phila.; Patty Kim, D-Dauphin; Kyle Mullins, D-Lackawanna; Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh; Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester/Montgomery; Pam Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington; and Jared Solomon, D-Phila., will serve as deputy whips for the 2021-22 legislative session. Read more
Democrats in Washington voted to impeach President Trump on Wednesday evening over last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and Democratic leaders in Harrisburg are promising to hold state Republicans accountable for the unrest, as well. Read more
Citing the dangerous lies spread by some Republicans in the General Assembly regarding the 2020 election, House Democratic leaders today released the following statement demanding accountability and responsibility as the nation moves forward:“What we saw last week was nothing short of an attempted coup, instigated not only by the president of the United States but by Republican enablers at all levels of government. Words matter, and the falsehoods, misrepresentations and seditious rantings we’ve heard from some Republican members of the General Assembly can’t go unchallenged. Our nation can’t heal without consequences for the first invasion of the United States Capitol since the War of 1812. Read more
State Capitol buildings across the nation are bolstering their security after the FBI warned of possible armed protests this weekend. NBC10’s Rosemary Connors shows us how police in Harrisburg are keeping lawmakers safe. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 5 -- The PA House Democratic Caucus leadership team issued a joint statement today as state legislators formally began the 2021-22 Legislative Session: “With 202 members of the House of Representatives due to be sworn in, we celebrate the diversity of our great state and reflect on the shared values common to almost all Pennsylvanians. Yet we also mourn the tragic loss of Representative Mike Reese, whose sudden passing reminded all of us how precious life is. “The importance of the top priorities that House Democrats have consistently promoted -- good jobs with fair pay, quality schools, affordable housing, accessible health care, a safe environment and protection of democracy -- are being highlighted and tested in many ways during this devastating pandemic. “We see the beginning of this new legislative session as a chance to elevate people over partisanship and make gains toward these common goals in all of Pennsylvania’s unique communities – east and west, large and small, urban, suburban and rural. “Democrats in the House hope that our Republican partners will work with us to help people stay in jobs, get back to work and go to school safely; equip healthcare workers properly to battle this pandemic; ensure Pennsylvanians are not evicted from their homes in the middle of a public health crisis; and send targeted relief to the many businesses ravaged by this pandemic. Read more
Noting the importance of equal opportunity for necessary services for the African American population in Philadelphia, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic Whip, announced the approval of a $3 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant for the African Cultural Alliance of North America. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 23 – House Democratic leaders pledged support for Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to transfer $145 million in funds to directly help businesses across the state hit hard by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also renewing their call to support families facing eviction. This as Republicans redirected $108 million in CARES Act money intended to help renters and homeowners to instead offset costs from the Department of Corrections. “Since before this terrible pandemic started, we’ve been fighting to help people in our communities, including small businesses and the people who work at and rely on those businesses. So, today’s announcement from the governor is definitely welcome,” Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Delaware/Phila., said. “But we know that businesses can’t succeed without customers, and people who are forced to put most of their income into housing expenses can’t afford to be customers. A rising tide should lift all boats, so House Democrats are also committed to ensuring that money is made available as soon as possible to help those struggling to pay their rent. We cannot leave them behind.” “We’ve been telling people they can save lives and save local businesses by staying home and ordering in, but you can’t deliver a meal to someone who doesn’t have a home address,” House Democratic Whip Jordan Harris, D-Phila., said. “The Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 23 – House Democratic leaders announced the introduction of new operating rules for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to adopt when the 2021-22 legislative session begins on Tuesday, Jan. 5. These proposed rules prioritize the safety of the public and communities while ensuring that legislators are able to continue to serve all Pennsylvanians. As we ask workers at every level to mask up and do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19, we must do the same ourselves, Democratic leaders said. Democrats’ proposed temporary rules to help mitigate the virus include: Requiring all members to wear masks over the mouth and nose in accordance with CDC guidelines while conducting official business, including during House session and committee meetings. If a legitimate medical condition precludes a member from wearing a traditional cloth mask, a plastic full-face shield would be required. Mask-wearing was recommended in 2020 by the PA House Bipartisan Management Committee, but never became a House rule and was subsequently disregarded by many Republicans. Requiring all members to have their temperature checked before in-person attendance at committee meetings or on the House floor. Ensuring full transparency and full representation of all Pennsylvanians by giving all members, including those not physically present, the ability to use video conferencing to speak on bills and be heard by the full body, as the Pennsylvania Read more
We are at a crossroads as a commonwealth and a nation as we battle the most serious and deadly surge of coronavirus cases to date. Despite a White House that has focused all its attention on making baseless claims to undermine election results, the CDC continues to urge Americans to avoid gathering this holiday season to slow the spread and save lives. It’s a tall order and significant sacrifice for all of us as we grapple with the thought of not seeing friends and family members. It truly didn’t have to be this way if our leaders had worked together from the start. We know the pandemic has been grossly mismanaged at the federal level with disastrous effects. Here at home, Republicans who have held the majority in our state legislature for the last decade have spent 10 months trying every trick in their book to undermine our governor, our health professionals and a preponderance of the medical and scientific evidence that has guided Pennsylvania's pandemic response. Most recently, many have joined President Trump in his fruitless quest to disenfranchise Pennsylvania voters -- landing themselves, once again, on the wrong side of history. Even in Georgia, where President-elect Biden won by a much slimmer margin than in Pennsylvania, GOP legislators resisted the urge to pander to an inflamed mob and, instead, discharged their constitutional duty responsibly and faithfully. They didn’t take part in the Rudy Giuliani traveling COVID super-spreader Read more
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