4.3.24 NPC

'This is not a way that a community should live,' Tim Stevens says

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

As the spring has begun, unfortunately, there have been a number of shootings in recent days that have killed African American teens and men.

A shooting in Wilkinsburg on Easter Sunday night, March 31, purportedly preceded by an argument and fight amongst women on Hill Avenue, led to gunshots being fired and a 16-year-old teen being struck, Kevin Wilson. He died at the hospital. The next night, April 1, a large fight involving many juveniles was occurring in Braddock on Margaretta Street when shots rang out, killing another 16-year-old, Jeramyah Pollard, a 10th grader at Woodland Hills High School. A second teen was also struck by the gunfire.

On Saturday, March 30, a 30-year-old man, Lamont Nichols, was shot and killed, police say, by

a 24-year-old woman at the Truman Tower in Duquesne. The three shooting deaths in 48 hours doesn't include the shooting of who police believe was a juvenile in Larimer in broad daylight, Monday, April 1, two adult males shot inside an apartment in Knoxville, Thursday, March 28, and a report of 15 gunshots being fired at vehicles and an apartment on Woodlow Street in Crafton Heights on Easter Sunday night, March 31. No one was injured in that shooting.

Nichols was a youth football coach for the East End Raiders, according to his stepfather, Jarrod Johnson, in an interview with WPXI-TV (Channel 11).

“We are all numb, the world has lost another person that didn’t need to leave,” Johnson told WPXI.

The New Pittsburgh Courier reported in its

Feb. 28 edition that a "Community Services Directory" was being published for residents in the Pittsburgh area so they would know exactly where to go to find organizations doing their part to fight back against the gun violence. The Black Political Empowerment Project and Coalition Against Violence led the effort on the directory's creation.

During the organizations' news conference announcing the directory, Shayla Holmes, the B-PEP/CAV Youth Peace Summit Coordinator, noted that the day had been unseasonably warm, and she said it crossed her mind "if there was any shootings today. We have to remember that as the nice weather approaches, that also the risk of losing more lives approaches. We want to protect our youth..."

On that Day, Feb. 26,

‘We are all numb, the world has lost another person that didn’t need to leave.’

—Jarrod Johnson Stepfather of Lamont Nichols

A representation of 'us' Local artists answer what a 'Just Pittsburgh' looks like in Carnegie Museum exhibit

by

Ask the artists, and they’ll tell you that a “Just Pittsburgh” is a place where a Black man can thrive and live, being able to express who you are without fear or judgment from others, everybody listening to each other, and everyone co-existing and starting conversations that people were previously too scared to start.

But in true artist fashion, rather than “tell” you, they’d rather “show” you.

If you missed the “Envisioning A Just Pittsburgh” art showcase at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, you missed a collection of artists, a number of whom were Black, expressing through the paintbrush, through poetry or through performance what a “Just Pittsburgh”

looks like in 2024.

About 200 people came to the Feb. 2 event at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, where the Art of the Diorama, or the Hall of African Wildlife, usually are the focus. The “idea” for this type of showcase came from the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh’s new “IDEA” department. IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility.

Gina Winstead, a 2022 New Pittsburgh Courier Fab 40 honoree, is the vice president of the new IDEA department, and she said that growing up in McKeesport, combined with her natural tenacity, were the needed components to make something like the art showcase happen. “There’s always just something in me that wants to keep trying to make things happen in

spaces and places where I’ve been told that we can’t make them happen,” Winstead, who graduated from McKeesport Area High School in 2001 and the University of Pittsburgh in 2005, told the Courier in an exclusive interview. Oftentimes, in the museum space and in large institutions like universities, things can move at a snail’s pace. Winstead, who formerly worked for smaller nonprofits, thought of the “Envisioning A Just Pittsburgh” art showcase in January 2023. To have it happen 13 months later is very fast for a museum event, which usually takes years to cultivate.

“It’s been a part of my story,” Winstead said. “If I hear ‘no,’ I ask, ‘why,’ and if that ‘why’ doesn’t make sense to me, then I want to figure out a solution that works for all of us moving forward.”

By February 2023, the IDEA team began working on building partner-

25 million Black and brown voters are missing or incorrectly listed in U.S. voter databases

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent

An eye-opening report titled “Surfacing Missing Voters: Addressing Data Systems, Tools, and Engagement Models that Invisibilize Black and Brown Communities” has unveiled a concerning reality.

According to the report, authored by Miriam McKinney Gray for the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund (DPI), nearly 25 million Black and Latino eligible voters are effectively absent from voter databases, making them virtually unreachable by traditional outreach methods.

The revelation is crucial as America heads toward the all-important November general election between Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president Donald Trump.

Drawing from U.S. Census data and a recent Stanford study, the report estimated that approximately 24.76 million Black and Latino voters are either missing or inaccurately listed in databases sold by vendors.

The disparities revealed in the report are stark, with 40 percent of Black and Latino individuals missing from voter outreach efforts, compared to only 18 percent of their White counterparts. The paper-thin margins seen in recent crucial races serve as evidence that such glaring disparities in representation could significantly impact the results of future elections.

During the 2020 election, Biden beat Trump in the popular vote by approximately 81.2 million to 74.2 million votes, or a 51.3 percent to 46.9 percent margin.

“For instance, almost half of eligible Black and Latino voters won’t be seen or contacted by traditional campaigns. This is a five-alarm fire for our democracy,” said the report’s author, founder and CEO of McKinney Gray Analytics.

“The only way many people will learn about the election is through independent power-building organizations. Groups like Voces de La Frontera in Wisconsin and Detroit Action are using friends-and-family organizing to find missing voters and manually rebuilding lists of voters who have been wrongly

purged from government voter rolls,” McKinney Gray explained. Twenty-five million Black and Latino people “are invisible to the very campaigns that want their support. From our research on Black values, we know who they are and the tools needed to reach them,” said Dr. Katrina Gamble of Sojourn Strategies. “It’s not too late to change course, but that takes breaking barriers that campaigns have blindly accepted for decades. We think democracy is worth it, and so are the people who have been excluded.”

Gamble is conducting groundbreaking nationwide research into the differences in values and political behavior of the Black electorate and analyzing clusters or segments of Black voters for the first time. All involved said the report spotlights the systematic marginalization of Black and brown communities within the ostensibly inclusive, data-driven digital systems of voter engagement prevailing in the United States. It identifies aggressive voter purges and biases inherent in vendor-generated models appended to voter files as key factors exacerbating this invisibility.

According to the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund report, “One serious consequence of missing or incorrect data in purchased voter databases is that it distorts the algorithms that assign vote propensity scores to individual voters.”

“Traditional campaigns regularly and intentionally leave out people with low vote propensi -

• APRIL 3

1930—Ras Tafari is proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia—one of the only African nations to successfully resist European colonization. He is renamed Haile Selassie. Blacks in many parts of the world view him as a god-like figure. Indeed, Jamaicans form a religion in his honor. They call themselves Rastafarians. Selassie could trace his ancestry as far back as the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of the Christian Bible.

1950—Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, dies at age 74 in Washington, D.C.

1961—Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy is born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

1968—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his powerful and prophetic “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech in Memphis, Tenn. Many felt he used the speech to predict his own death. He was assassinated the very next day—at 6:01 p.m., April 4, 1968.

uct of a White slave owner and a Black slave mother, Beckwourth acquired his freedom and became a successful fur trader. He would later become a scout for the Rocky Mount Fur Company. However, in 1824, he joined the Crow Indian nation and married a Crow woman. He would later move west where he discovered an important passageway through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The passage was named “Beckwourth Pass,” after him.

ty scores, deeming them not worth the investment. To put it plainly, this approach is wrong,” stated Ranada Robinson, research director for New Georgia Project.

Similarly, Prentiss J. Haney, senior adviser to the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, highlighted the limitations of relying solely on political industry databases, noting that such dependence leads to the exclusion of millions of Black and Latino voters and inaccurate race modeling.

To address these disparities and ensure a more equitable electoral process, the report proposes philanthropic investments in community-based data collection, support for antiracist modeling efforts, and adopting broad relational organizing strategies.

The report called for concerted efforts to rectify the systemic biases ingrained within existing data systems and engagement models. The author asserted that a failure to address these issues risks perpetuating the disenfranchisement of marginalized communities and undermining democratic principles. “The people unseen by voter files are still capable, if organized, to make moves and wield their latent power,” added Joy Cushman, senior advisor to DPI. “People deemed ‘low propensity’ by models and the political industry are defying the odds and still turning out to vote. And many are doing even more than that: they are becoming active members and leaders in power-building organizations, mobilizing their friends and family to vote as well.”

• APRIL 4

1915—Muddy Waters is born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, Miss. Walters would go on to become one of the primary shapers of that genre of music known as the blues. Indeed, he was easily one of the most influential musicians of the first half of the 20th century.

1928—Poet Maya Angelou is born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Mo. Angelou now ranks as one of the greatest poets in America. But her talents have also been expressed as a playwright, author, producer, historian and civil rights activist.

1967—Civil rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. formally announces his opposition to America’s war in Vietnam during a speech before the Overseas Press Club in New York City. The speech brought King even greater opposition from the federal government, especially then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. It also alienated some Black leaders who felt it was a mistake to mix domestic civil rights issues with foreign policy issues. But King charged that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

1968—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tenn., as he had embarked on a campaign to focus the Civil Rights Movement on economic and financial betterment issues for Blacks. Riots or urban rebellions broke out in over 100 U.S. cities. At least 50 people are killed as over 20,000 federal troops and 34,000 National Guardsmen are mobilized to put down the disturbances. The official finding was that a lone White gunman, James Earl Ray, was responsible for the assassination. However, suspicions remain until this day that the FBI, led by arch-conservative J. Edgar Hoover, was somehow involved in the killing.

• APRIL 5

1856—Booker T. Washington is born a slave in Hale’s Ford, Va. He would become one of the three or four most influential leaders in all of African American history. He was one of the nation’s greatest educators, having founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. However, more progressive Black leaders became critical of him after he delivered the socalled “Atlanta Compromise” speech of 1895 in which he appeared to offer an acceptance and accommodation to American racism in exchange of greater vocational training of African Americans. 1976—The infamous COINTELPRO documents are released. In response to an accidental discovery at a warehouse and a freedom of information lawsuit, the FBI is forced to release documents detailing an intensive and extensive campaign to disrupt and destroy civil rights and anti-war organizations and their leaders. Among the documents released was a letter dated Aug. 25, 1967 which made clear that one of the campaign’s chief aims was “to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalists …” But the FBI’s definition of “Black nationalist” was so broad that even moderate civil rights organizations and their leaders were targeted to be neutralized. For example, the letter characterized the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) as one of the organizations having “radical and violence prone leaders…” The leader of the SCLC was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1990—Jazz great Sarah Vaughn dies. Vaughn was born in Newark, N.J., in 1924 and went on to become what many considered “the world’s greatest singing talent.” She was known as the “incomparable Sarah Vaughn.”

• APRIL 6

1798—One of the nation’s most famous and accomplished early Black pioneers, James Beckwourth, is born. The prod-

1846—Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, first file suit claiming their freedom. The case would eventually lead to Supreme Court Justice Roger B. Taney’s infamous “Dred Scott Decision” in 1857. Scott had basically argued that by being taken from the slave state of Missouri and living in free states or territories for seven years he was in effect a free man. The case finally reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 7 to 2 decision written by 80-yearold Chief Justice Taney, himself a former slaver owner, Scott’s argument was rejected. In one of the most racist Supreme Court decisions ever issued, Justice Taney ruled that neither Blacks nor their descendants could be U.S. citizens and thus had no right to sue for their freedom in U.S. courts. Taney capped off the ruling by saying, “A Negro had no rights a White man was bound [required] to respect.”

• APRIL 7

1712—The New York City slave rebellion occurs. A group of 27 slaves began setting fires in the city and shooting Whites. At least a dozen Whites were killed before the state militia arrived to brutally put down the rebellion. Following the revolt, slave codes were toughened, 21 Blacks were executed and six committed suicide.

1915—Billie Holiday is born. She would go on to become the greatest blues and jazz singer of her era with songs like “The Man I Love” and “God Bless the Child Whose Got His Own.” She was born to a 13-year-old mother and began her working career as a small girl helping to clean up a Baltimore, Md., whorehouse—a house in which she was also raped. Holiday made money from her performances despite the fact that she never received any royalties from any of the 200 songs she recorded. Drug use was a factor in her premature death at 44.

• APRIL 8

1974—Hammering Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves breaks the homerun record of the legendary Babe Ruth when he hit his 715th homer during a game at Atlanta Stadium.

1990—Scientist Percy Julian, who developed drugs to combat glaucoma and methods to mass produce cortisone, is admitted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

• APRIL 9

1865—Black regiments led an assault on and eventually captured a key Southern fort helping bring the Civil War to an end. The nine regiments led by Gen. John Hawkins smashed through Confederate defenses at Forth Blakely, Ala. The 68th Division of USCT (United States Colored Troops) had some of the highest casualties of the Civil War.

1898—Paul Bustill Robeson is born in Princeton, N.J. Robeson would go on to become the greatest combination of entertainer and social activist in American history. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University while simultaneously being one of the school’s greatest football stars. After graduation he turned to entertainment—acting and singing on stage and in early movies. However, he was also an outspoken critic of American racism and imperialism while being a strong proponent of socialism. This made him the target of a government disruption and destruction campaign. The campaign did not truly produce results until the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s. Concert halls were closed to Robeson, the media began to attack him unrelentingly, established Black leaders began to shun him and the government took his passport so he could not perform and earn money abroad. Nevertheless, he remained a symbol that would later inspire activist entertainers such as Ossie Davis and Harry

MIRIAM MCKINNEY GRAY

URA's Black History Month Celebration

PITTSBURGH CAPA STUDENTS PERFORMING AT THE URA’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION, FEB. 28. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh held a Black History Month Celebration on Feb. 28 at its Downtown offices. The New Pittsburgh Courier was there as Catapult Greater Pittsburgh culinary chefs provided a variety of lunch options, and the Pittsburgh CAPA Jazz Band and Jazz Vocal Ensemble performed.

PITTSBURGH CAPA STUDENTS PERFORMING JAZZ MUSIC

THE URA’S TANIKA HARRIS AND SON, JEREMIAH BAMPOE-ADDO

TE’MAR CARLISLE, WITH MOTHER, TEMIKA CARLISLE

GUN VIOLENCE CLAIMS THREE LIVES OVER EASTER WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY

‘My fear is that the killings and the shootings have become so frequent that, for many Black people, it’s becoming commonplace.’

- TIM STEVENS B-PEP CHAIRMAN AND CEO

there were no shooting deaths in the city or Allegheny County. But Holmes' sentiment is echoed by many other Black adults in Pittsburgh—the thought that the warmer the weather, historically the increase in shootings. Many Black adults in the Pittsburgh region refuse to let their kids play outside during the spring and summer in certain areas, saying it's just too dangerous.

Wilkinsburg Mayor Dontae Comans, 39, told the Courier in an exclusive interview, April 2, that the recent homi -

cides were "tragic," and said that "these kids in high school have more dead homies than these adults."

Mayor Comans said that organizations such as MAD DADS and Community Forge's CURE Violence East are on the ground in Wilkinsburg speaking with kids as early as elementary school age, trying to reach them before the streets do.

Mayor Comans told the Courier that when he was younger, he would go to house parties with no threat of gun violence. But in today's world, he has a teenage nephew who wrote

a song about the number of peers he's lost to gun violence. "I think they're angry," the mayor said about many of today's teens. "They've lost a lot of friends in the past. We just have to show them that there's another way."'

Stevens told the Courier in an exclusive interview, April 2, that when members of B-PEP and the Coalition Against Violence hold teen summit-style events inside schools, the teens say

they know at least one, even five and even 10 or more peers who have been killed. "Can we find new and creative ways of having commitments to mediation?" Stevens said, hoping that the community can have adults who teens can trust to help mediate situations before "it gets to having the feeling of the need to draw weapons."

Stevens added that all the community organizations that focus

on violence prevention efforts "cannot do it alone," and that there needs to be a "commitment to the Black culture in the Pittsburgh region" to "escalate the use of conversation and mediation."

As for the "Community Services Directory," Stevens told the Courier that Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters committed to emailing the directory to every principal, vice principal and counselor in the district, along with having a hard copy of the directory in each school. "My fear is that the killings and the shootings have become so frequent that, for many Black people, it's becoming commonplace," Stevens told the Courier. "We cannot afford to get numb to the power of death. Not only does it take away our young, Black folks, but it impacts for life the perpetrator's life. It impacts the parents, grandparents and friends of the folks who were killed, and it impacts the family members of perpetrators because they know their loved ones took the lives of other loved ones." Stevens added: "This is not a way that a community should live."

THE SCENE IN WILKINSBURG WHERE A SHOOTING CLAIMED THE LIFE OF 16-YEAR-OLD KEVIN WILSON, MARCH 31.

WILKINSBURG MAYOR DONTAE COMANS

To Purchase Tickets, visit www.NewPittsburghCourier.com/FAB40 or Call Allison Palm at 412-481-8302 Ext. 134.

Individual Tickets $125/ VIP Tables $1,500

Taliya R. Allen Program Associate, The Pittsburgh Foundation Visibility Chair, Black Transformative Arts Network

Danai Battle Program Director ACH Clear Pathways

Tyrell A. Best-Savage Deputy District Director PA Congressional District 12

Chantal Braziel Soprano Classical Singer

Lytia S. Brock Founder Cloaked in Favor Outreach Ministries

Nathaniel Brown Owner

Nate Brown Demolition, LLC and Brown Abatement, LLC

Fred Buckner Senior Contract Specialist-Professional Services Pittsburgh Regional Transit

MacKaiya Cherry Communications Assistant/ Social Media Pittsburgh Steelers

Danielle V. Colquitt Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer/ General Manager Coston Funeral Homes, Inc.

Tyler Coulverson Branch Manager, Allegent Federal Credit Union Podcaster, Financial Literacy with TC!

Ashley R. Comans School Board Director-Vice President, Wilkinsburg School District Media & Government Relations Manager, Healthy Start, Inc.

Daylon A. Davis President NAACP Pittsburgh Branch

Pastor Michael Anthony Day Founder & Senior Pastor, Legacy International Worship Center President, LCOP, Inc.

Brandy Daye Principal UNITED at Twin Rivers Elementary

Deanna D. Dias CEO Daressia Industries, LLC and Bangolz Boutique, LLC

Dorin Dickerson Host, 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Audacy

Jhason Dixon Controller Sports & Exhibition Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County

Camille L. Edmonds Founder & Owner Her Salon, LLC

Jesse I. Exilus Deputy City Solicitor City of Pittsburgh

Sydni Goldman

Host/Producer of The Glory Hour with Sydni Goldman Cornerstone Television Network

Dorien Goodnight-Giddens

Senior Vice President, Principal for Enterprise-Wide Functions Compliance Bank of NY Mellon

Erikka B. Grayson Project Manager, Early Excellence Project CEO/Founder, Bomb Moms, LLC

Dr. Sylvester C. Hanner School Counselor, Pittsburgh Public Schools Mental Health Educator, SCH Counseling and Consulting

Asraiel Harewood

Director of Enrollment Operations & Strategy

Carnegie Mellon University

Rashawd Hatten

Supervisor, IT Governance, Risk and Compliance, Duquesne Light Head Basketball Coach, Clairton High School

Tempestt Henderson-Sutton

Assistant Executive Director, Greater Valley Community Services, Inc. Owner, Varie-T

Miracle Jones

Director of Policy and Advocacy 1Hood Media

Talia D. Kirkland Reporter WPXI-TV

Yasmeen Manyisha Safety Press Officer Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

Joan Owhe Ojo, Esq.

Deputy Attorney General

Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General

Danica Phillips

Principal and Founder, Sienna Dawn Media Integrated Marketing Agency

Assistant Director of Communications, Bridgeway Capital

Brooke Rawls, Ph.D., LCSW

CWEB Academic Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor

University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

Audia Robinson, MBA, Ph.D. Candidate

Community Investment Operations Analyst, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh

Founder/CEO, DeSylvia Investments, LLC

Shana Smith

Assistant Principal

Urban Academy of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School

Tiffany Stanley

Public & Community Relations Manager, AAA East Central

John A. Ukenye, J.D.

Advocacy and Policy Officer

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

Lawrence Uradu, MD

Associate Chief, Division of Emergency Radiology, UPMC

Owner & CEO, Alfred Group, LLC

Danielle Commodore Walker

Assistant General Manager, M&J Wilkow

Licensed R.E. Salesperson, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Darius Wallace

Administrative and Project Coordinator, Mayor’s Office

City of Pittsburgh

Orlando Watson

Senior Director of Programming

The August Wilson African American Cultural Center

A representation of 'us'

Local artists answer what a 'Just Pittsburgh' looks like in Carnegie Museum exhibit

ships with different organizations such as the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 1 Hood Media and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, to help reach out to local and regional artists, with a specific focus on Black artists and other minorities.

On Juneteenth of 2023 (Monday, June 19), the official “call” for art was made to the public, and was open for about 90 days. Winstead said the expectation was that 150 people would come to the Feb. 2 event. Turns out, they needed to add some more seats, as attendees saw the artistry on display put into three categories—visual art, literary art, and performance art. There were first- and second-place awards given out, too. Lee Price won the first-place award for visual art with his piece, “Ahmad Jamal’s Dream.”

The second-place award went to an artist known

as Ifeoma (Sasha Igwe) for her piece, “A World Reconciled.” The literary art first-place award went to Emily Carlson for “Dear Mrs. Harring,” and second-place went to Kan-

dala Singh for “Alien in America.” In performance art, first-place went to the Mita Ghosal Dance Theatre (“Lost on a Loom: Jute”) and second-place went to Domenique Ross (“Alchemist”). Cerrina

Hagood won first-place in Interdisciplinary Art for “Fear,” while second-place went to Hannah Colen (art) and Shatha Alawwad (poetry) for “Dysphoria Blues.” Youth winners for visual art were Imaan

Sneed (“Dual Identities”) and Madison Shuler (“Gimbiya”), and for literary art, winners were Norah Gruber (“Places I Knew”) and Tobias Roberson (“This is Not a Tragedy!”). Winstead told the Courier her goal of bringing more Black artists into the Carnegie Museums was accomplished, and she sees similar events at the museums in the future.

Much of the artistry on display during the Feb. 2 event stayed on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History throughout the month of February.

Many of the winning artists had a chance to address the audience during the event, including Ross, the Pittsburgh native who

graduated from Pittsburgh CAPA High School and then, Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Arts. “To all my fellow artists here, thank you for sharing your magic,” Ross said to the crowd.

And Price was all smiles as he was given his award for “Ahmad Jamal’s Dream,” paying homage to the legendary Pittsburgh pianist, composer and educator. The Uniontown High School graduate who now resides in Penn Hills said his win felt “surreal.”

Judges were particularly impressed with Price’s ability to weave photos that showed the destruction of the Hill District into his depiction of Jamal, who is seen in a yellow sport coat with piano

keys to his right. “It told this really beautiful story of what we can dream and aspire to be,” Winstead, 41, told the Courier of Price’s art piece, “but also how we need to be conscious of how we’re moving in these spaces and be aware of the destruction that we cause while we do that.”

ARTIST AWARDEES IFEOMA (SASHA IGWE), CERRINA HAGOOD, LEE PRICE (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITH LEE PRICE

ALFONZO SLOAN WITH HIS ARTWORK

HOPE LEGRANDE, TOBIAS ROBERSON, HONESTY LEGRANDE

GINA WINSTEAD, VICE PRESIDENT, IDEA, AT THE CARNEGIE MUSEUMS OF PITTSBURGH

MORGAN OVERTON

AJANI ZANAYA WITH HER ARTWORK

THEY ‘BOUGHT THE BLOCK’

The New Pittsburgh Courier was there as the ribbon was cut on the acquisition of The Pitt Building by The Greenwood Plan. The ceremony was held, Feb. 29, along Smithfield Street, Downtown. Co-founder and executive director of The Greenwood Plan, Khamil Bailey, said people were “emotionally moved by the day,” with some people holding back tears and “happy and excited for what is to come with this building.”

The Greenwood Plan’s next move is to bring in Black businesses and/or nonprofit organizations into the building. Interested businesses or organizations can email The Greenwood Plan at info@greenwoodplan.com.

MEMBERS OF THE GREENWOOD PLAN, ALONG WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS SUCH AS PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY AND STATE REP. AERION ABNEY, CUT THE RIBBON AS THE GREENWOOD PLAN NOW OWNS THE PITT BUILDING ON SMITHFIELD STREET, DOWNTOWN. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

SAMANTHA BLACK, CO-FOUNDER AND BOARD PRESIDENT, THE GREENWOOD PLAN

There

HANDCUFFED

wasn’t always this thing called ‘free agency’

When I venture to the grocery store to purchase a loaf of bread, I use the old people’s method to test the bread for freshness. I pick up a loaf and give it a gentle squeeze. If the loaf is hard and stiff, I assume that in a few days, I will have a loaf of mold-covered bread in my breadbox. That method has and continues to work for me.

However, when evaluating athletes, they can be squeezed, poked, and prodded ‘til the cows come home, and most likely “the squeeze method” cannot be relied upon to help a GM determine whether a veteran performer still has “the right stuff.”

Both Omar Khan and Ben Cherington have a common denominator that binds them and that is a few of their personnel choices and the spin regarding the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania demographic. It continues to be the following: Pittsburgh is a small market and cannot feasibly compete with larger markets regarding signing and maintaining marquee names to perform for their franchises.

At the time that this column was written, the Pittsburgh Pirates were 5-0, a feat that was last accomplished in 1983.

Forty-one years ago was not exactly last week, so there may be more to the beginning of the Pirates 2024 season than meets the eye. First and foremost, the Pirates began the 2023 season with a 20-9 record. They finished September and October 2023 with a 15-13 record.

From May to August 2023, they finished below .500.

On April 9, 2023, Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz fractured his left fibula and missed the remainder of the 2023 season. It is not a coincidence that the Pirates experienced a slow and steady decline after Cruz was injured and the Buccos were never able to get back on track after the Cruz injury. Why? Well, the answer is simple, lack of depth. Simply put, the Pirates had no one waiting in the wings to bring the “spice” and energy of Oneil Cruz to the clubhouse and dugout daily.

On many occasions, the

Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers have fielded quality starting position players. However, there were times when their weaknesses became glaring when they were forced to rely on the abilities of second- and third-tier players. Pitts-

burgh Steelers Omar Khan, Ben Cherington’s colleague over at the Pittsburgh Steelers, has a few common denominators that link them together regarding making personnel decisions. First, both men are great evaluators of talent. However, there has been more than one occasion that they may have been handcuffed and shackled, fiscally. Let’s move on to the Steelers GM Omar Khan. The Steelers finished the 2023 season with a 10-7

record and made the playoffs. Let’s hit rewind just for a moment. Remember the 2022 season? According to the athletic.com: “That is when T.J. Watt tore his left pectoral muscle four quarters into the 2022 season, costing him overtime of the opener and seven games after that, which might have been the difference in the Steelers making or missing the playoffs.” Now back to 2023, Minkah Fitzpatrick missed seven games in 2023. The Steelers could have probably won four additional games with Minkah in the lineup. Their final regular season record could have been 14-3 if Fitzpatrick had competed in all 17 regular season games, but no one even came close to holding down the fort in the absence of the Steelers’ megastar safety. Folks are often misled when it comes to acquiring players that will give franchises at the bottom of the food chain the first crack at players entering the NFL and MLB draft. The lower a club finishes, the higher they

get to choose in the draft. Yeah, that may be true… but how many of those “small market” teams will be able to afford many of those players when they enter free agency? The ability to sign or not sign “marquee” performers has nothing to do with market size. It has all to do with a forgotten man, former MLB great Curt Flood. Before Curt Flood sued Bowie Kuhn, the then-Commissioner of MLB. Before that suit was finally resolved, baseball players, and athletes in general, had no rights to independently sell their services to the highest bidder. In that court case, Flood stated that: “Petitioner, a professional baseball player ‘traded’ to another club without his previous knowledge or consent, brought this antitrust suit after being refused the right to make his contract with another major league team, which is not permitted under the reserve system.”

How do you think the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the ‘70s were able to re-

tain the services of many of their star players? The answer is this. When the movement of a player is controlled, the fair market value of the market and the player is controlled. Throughout the 1970s free agency was in its embryonic stages and the indentured servitude attitude and culture of professional baseball and football, although formally outlawed, continued to exist. Underground negotiations continued between owners in secretive locations in smoke-filled rooms and underbelly and undisclosed locations of the business world of professional sports. At that point, free agency wasn’t fully independent enough to allow athletes to set and maintain their market value.

So, ladies and gentlemen, when you read or hear about an athlete not signing with a certain franchise and jumping ship, maybe he or she didn’t do it willingly. Maybe, just maybe, they didn’t abandon the ship willingly but were forced to walk the plank.

NOW LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT...

:10—I am sure it’s just me, and as you know, I didn’t graduate at the top of my class...I simply graduated with class! But that being said, can someone please tell me why ANYONE other than scientists care to look up at the sky to see something you’ve already been told you can’t see? I’m just sayin! :09—It’s worthy of another SHOUTOUT, here’s to the Duquesne Dukes men’s basketball team for making it to the Big Dance. And a grand salute and farewell to Coach Keith Dambrot. Job well done, sir! :08—We all can shout

just as loud and proud for the Pitt men’s basketball team. There may be a this or that for them not making it to the Dance. But a good season to be sure and a great finish down the stretch. :07—Here are the answers to the two questions I get hit with nonstop. #1. Yes, they got “jobbed” and denied a legitimate spot in the field of 68...that becomes the field of 64! :06—#2. And, of course, I don’t have info on the inner circle, but if it was my call, I would have done a little “Dancin’” at the NIT. It’s another opportunity to showcase your talent; players get more

exposure, a check for the school, and an opportunity to scoop up a player or two (wink . . . wink!) and last, but not least, school name recognition in the B-Ball arena can’t hurt. :05—To all you men-haters of the women’s basketball game, please just stop, just stop. YOU’RE OUT THERE RUNNING

YOUR “NEVER PLAYED ANYTHING BUT HOOPS IN YOUR BACKYARD MOUTH” when you’re with the boys and then you go home and watch the ladies light it up. YES YOU DO...YES YOU DO, JUST STOP IT!!! And I don’t know about you fellas, but I’ll watch women do anything. Hell, they can just walk by me and I’m all in! :04—Now that being said, we all know that Ice Cube’s $5 million offer to Caitlin Clark is all about the P.R. of it all and I AIN’T MAD AT HIM for it. But in a 3-on-3 against men, grown men...she doesn’t have a chance.

The one-on-one and limited space to move would be tough! :03—You know that I know nothing about hockey or the Pittsburgh Penguins. But I know this . . . THEY – ARE – DONE, FINISHED, COOKED, KA-PUT! I am just sayin. (By the way hats off to Captain Sid Crosby. For 19 consecutive seasons he has averaged a point a game for the entire season.) :02—Your Pirates are 5 and 0 for the first time since 1983! But as you old folks know, it ain’t how you start, it’s how you finish, and in baseball your pitching determines your finish. :01—Don’t forget the next Champions Live Sports Talk Show, Thursday, April 11 and 25. Food, drinks, friends and talk sports. Doesn’t get any better than that. Ladies are encouraged and welcome. Call 412-628-4856 for more info. :00—Oh, one more thing....my Final Four predictions for this Saturday, April 6: UConn over Alabama, Purdue over N.C. State...and it will be UConn beating Purdue for back-to-back titles! GAME OVER.

Why it’s important to talk about inheriting wealth

(NewsUSA)—As a significant portion of the U.S. population ages, a significant transfer of wealth to younger generations is occurring. However, many families have not discussed inheritance plans, and many younger generations may find themselves unprepared, according to new research from Edward Jones, a leading financial services firm.

In fact, 35 percent of Americans surveyed by Edward Jones said they did not plan to discuss transfer of wealth with their families, despite 48 percent saying that they planned to leave an inheritance. “We know it can be extremely uncomfortable and nearly impossible to separate emotions from the financial decisions necessary when planning inheritance and wealth transfer, particularly as givers navigate family prior-

ment, paying for family experiences, contributing to education or purchasing homes. However, this strategy may force younger generations to return the favor and support parents in retirement.

Skipping a Generation. Some older adults skip over their adult children and transfer wealth to grandchildren, often in the form of education or future security, but this can lead to hurt feelings and strained relations with adult children who do not directly benefit from this wealth transfer.

No Inheritance. Older adults are living longer, and a combination of more active lifestyles for more years after retirement and/or the expenses of long-term health care means that in some families, little wealth will be left to transfer.

The survey, a joint effort between Edward

ities beyond finances,” said Lena Haas, Head of Wealth Management Advice and Solutions at Edward Jones. “However, the wealth transfer is well underway, so it’s more important than ever to connect as a family, with the experienced guidance of a financial professional to help navigate the emotions and educate on the process.” The so-called “great wealth transfer” from the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers will vary, as people live longer and may delay retirement. Edward Jones’ research revealed four scenarios:

Traditional Giving. Older adults transfer wealth through a combination of assets, cash, equities, and real estate.

Giving While Living. Older adults support their families in the mo-

Jones, Morning Consult and NEXT360 Partners, LLC, a global action research and strategy consultancy, was conducted online between December 28-29, 2023, and included a national sample of 2,202 adults. According to the survey, only 25 percent of individuals who receive an inheritance feel prepared to manage it. Working with an experienced advisor can help, and 57 percent of those surveyed said that working with a financial professional to guide discussions of wealth transfer and inheritance in advance would facilitate planning and family consensus. Visit www.edwardjones. com/estateplanning for more information about wealth transfer and financial planning.

BUSINESS

by Alvin A. Reid St.

Louis American African American women have emerged as leaders in Black homebuying, according to a report released last week by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB).

The 2023 Women Investing in Real Estate (W.I.R.E) report found that between 1990 and 2019, Black women increased homeownership by 5.6 percent. Black women ages 4554 and over 75 had a 2.9 percent increase during the pandemic, the largest among Black homeowners. In early 2020, when the pandemic onset slowed homebuying, Black women fared better than men.

“With the rise of Black women buying homes, there is hope for the future,” exclaimed Courtney Johnson Rose, NAREB president.

“Black women are breaking down barriers in several areas, and homeownership is another example of the resilience

Black women becoming leaders in homebuying SEE

and strength of Black women working to secure a financial foundation for themselves and their families and contributing to closing the racial wealth gap. “By owning a home, Black women create

homeownership leads to investment in properties and leads to increased neighborhood revitalization. This impacts local economies and fosters community pride. “This upward trajectory of Black female home-

Black women are breaking down barriers in several areas, and homeownership is another example of the resilience and strength of Black women working to secure a financial foundation for themselves and their families and contributing to closing the racial wealth gap.

paths toward long-term financial stability and a legacy for their families.

Homeownership among Black women is economic empowerment and serves as a catalyst for broader community development.”   Rose noted that Black

ownership embodies the resilience and determination to overcome historical challenges and pave the way for social and economic progress,” said Rose.

The report outlined the data demonstrating Black

Understanding car insurance

Life comes at you fast! On the week of this writing, I was involved in a car accident. It appeared to be a perfectly normal day. I put in a productive work day. After work I went to the gym. On my way home from the gym, I got within one block away from my house and it happened—CRASH! I was driving toward my house when the car in front of me abruptly stopped and made a left hand turn without using his turning signal. This forced me to come to an abrupt stop as I navigated my car to avoid hitting this car. I succeeded. Unfortunately, the truck’s reaction time behind me was not as swift as mine. He crashed into the back of my truck causing $6,200 in damages. The person who caused the accident by not using their turn signal and coming to an abrupt stop didn’t know there was an accident. I imagine him at home drinking coffee with his wife telling her how great his day was. The good news is that there were no injuries. What’s instructive here is that over six million car accidents occur yearly. It can happen to any of us. I’m reminded of something my mother would always tell me when I first started driving. “I’m not worried about you. It’s the people driving alongside you that I worry about.” Oftentimes car accidents are the result of another person’s negligence. With people driving under the influence of alcohol, people driving while texting and using their cell phone, you have to be extremely cautious of the other drivers when you’re behind

the wheel of your car. If you or I are ever the cause of an accident that results in a huge financial obligation, the thing that can prevent us from financial ruin is car insurance and umbrella insurance. I’ll share more about umbrella insurance in a later article. Insurance is one of those things that you don’t appreciate until you need it. As comedian Chris Rock says, “You need insurance in case (expletive) happens.” In this article, I’d like to give a basic overview of PAP (Personal Auto Policy) commonly referred to as car insurance. Liability Coverage—Liability coverage kicks in when you’re legally responsible for an accident. There are two types of liability coverage— bodily injury and property damage. With liability coverage, the insurer has agreed to defend you in

women’s growing status and strength in the American economy.

According to recent data, businesses owned by Black women grew by 50 percent between 2014 and 2019, with Black Women accounting for 42 percent of all women who opened new businesses during that period. In 2021, 17 percent of Black women were in the process of starting a new business. – 7 percent more than White women and 2 percent more than White men. Black women comprise 6.3 percent of the nation’s population, 52 percent of the African American population, and 12.5 percent of all women. In addition, 63.4 percent of African American women over 16 are active in the labor force, and 89.3 percent of Black women have graduated high school or its equivalent.

“Despite these efforts, considerable work remains to be done to eliminate barriers to entry and

In seeking the views of over 4,700 Black Americans, the survey aimed to understand their perspectives on success. It examined various aspects, including their own definitions of success, how they perceive themselves within that framework, and the challenges they face in attaining it.

In their analysis, researchers from Pew wrote that 66 percent of Black Americans perceive themselves as somewhat successful.

According to their findings, a staggering 26 percent of the surveyed population considered themselves to be highly successful. It was observed that individuals with higher incomes tended to fall into this particular category more frequently.

A majority of respondents, when asked about essential factors for feeling successful, cited the ability to provide for their family (82 percent), happiness (80 percent), having enough time for personal pursuits (65 percent), enjoying their job or career (56 percent), owning their own home (52 percent), and utilizing their talents and resources for assisting others (50 percent).

Jay King, the CEO/President of the California Black Chamber of Commerce, has launched a GoFundMe campaign named “Everybody Pitch In” in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this campaign is to provide support and save small Black businesses based in California.

Financial success is often measured by one’s ability to be debtfree.

A majority of individuals, when

by Vernon A. Williams Circle City Connection

In the upside-down, inside-out culture of this nation, there are some changes impossible to swallow. One is that words like diversity, equity and inclusion have been twisted from being assets to liabilities.

Of course the dereliction of professional responsibility and the ethics of conventional and social media perpetuate flipping the script. Nobody fact checks on a regular basis. No one is accountable for purposeful lies.

We are in a place in which deception is par for the course, and political rhetoric has precedence over truth and morality. We’ve reached the point at which character is no longer relevant. It’s like the R&B hit, “Seems Like Everything Right is Wrong.”

So while impeachments,

asked to define financial success, specifically selected certain factors as “essential.” These included being free of debt (67 percent) and having sufficient funds to pursue their desires (65 percent). Additionally, nearly half (49 percent) considered owning a home as significant.

Chosen by over two-fifths were passing down financial assets to the next generation (44 percent) and having multiple streams of income (43 percent). Twenty two percent of the respondents chose “owning a business,” while 35 percent selected the option of “retiring early.”

Pew noted that, concerning gender, Black women prioritize certain aspects of financial success over Black men. Specifically, they place a high importance on being debt-free, passing down financial assets, and retiring early.

Income differences exist. Black adults with lower family incomes are

more likely to prioritize being debtfree and owning a business, compared to those with middle or upper incomes.

In an office lobby, near a window, stands a serious and confident African American businesswoman. She looks directly at the camera, presenting a captivating portrait. Her hair is straight, long, and black, tied back in a ponytail. In a black suit, she is dressed.

Confidence matters more than college degrees and mentors when it comes to success.

In their view, survey respondents selected several factors that contribute to success. Self-confidence (79 percent) and financial stability (75 percent) were at the top of the list.

According to Pew researchers, the role of personal relationships in success is seen as significantly diminished by a smaller number of people.

Supportive family members were

deemed necessary by a small majority (54 percent), followed by connections (41 percent) and mentors (39 percent) as essential. Only 20 percent possessed a college degree.

Success brings with it a multitude of pressures, especially on the road to achieving it.

According to the survey, 54 percent of respondents said they worry almost daily about various financial concerns. These include paying bills (31 percent), their level of debt (29 percent), saving enough for retirement (28 percent), affording enough food (24 percent), paying rent or mortgage (23 percent), and healthcare costs (22 percent).

Most Black adults, regardless of income, reported feeling financial pressures.

64 percent of upper-income respondents and 70 percent of low-income respondents felt pressure to provide for their families, while 50 percent of high-income individuals and 53 percent of low-income individuals felt pressure to own their own homes.

Notable differences between income groups were observed in terms of emergency savings. If they lost their main income, 28 percent of respondents said they could not cover expenses for three months. Low earners were significantly more likely (41 percent) than those with high incomes (7 percent) to express this sentiment. Only 18 percent of middle-income earners shared this sentiment.

Of course, a higher paycheck can greatly facilitate the ability to save for emergencies. Pew’s analysis in July revealed that just 6 percent of Black adults in the US earned $100,000 or above in 2021, when examining their income. 62 percent of those who said they would require $100,000 to lead their desired lifestyle expressed confidence in achieving this income threshold in the future.

Officials say 13 positions were eliminated and 15 administrative appointments were cancelled.

“It might have an impact in terms of hiring, we don’t know that, that’s

indictments, convictions, hateful speech, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, corporate corruption and the absence of compassion for the most vulnerable are negligible in the eyes of too many, the line of intolerance is drawn at diversity, equity and inclusion? Ridiculous. This week in Gainesville, Florida, students and professors at the University of Florida are increasingly concerned after hearing about the elimination of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and positions. UF’s DEI termination decision is meant to comply with one of the Florida Board of Governors’ regulations on prohibited expenditure. A professor feels people don’t understand the true purpose of these programs. “These programs are exposing and educating people to communities, perspectives and ideas to start a conversation,” shared David Canton, director of African American Studies.

long term,” shared Canton. “Nevertheless, that is something we will see in the near future in terms of its impact on the institution and the state of Florida.

“The argument was these programs promote indoctrination of quoteun-quote radical ideas,” he shared.

The $5 million that funded UF’s DEI initiatives, including salaries, now will be placed into a retirement fund for the school’s faculty, according to an administrative memo.

The president of the University of Florida’s faculty union, UF-United Faculty of Florida, shared her opposition to the policy. She warns the decision could make it more difficult for the university to hire and retain talented faculty.

advancement for underrepresented groups,” said Rose. “Ongoing mentorship programs and targeted educational resources are critical for equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. “ NAREB will host a pre-conference one-day event for Black women in real estate and finance as part of their annual convention on July 31, 2024, in New Orleans, LA. The organization was founded in 1947 to secure equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed, or color. It advocates for legislation and supports or files legal challenges that ensure fair housing, sustainable homeownership, and access to credit for Black Americans.

It reinforces the necessity of voter activation, education and participation.

A different governor in Florida would have facili-

“Ethically speaking, denying that there are historically dominant groups that put in place systemic practices of oppression against historically marginalized groups, or denying that these inequities have to be proactively addressed isn’t mere denial: such an attitude represents an active support for such practices of oppression. Couching such support under “color-blindness” or “anti-discrimination” language is merely an Orwellian spin,” stated Meera Sitharam, UFF-UF president. We know what Florida and its state leadership is all about, so these deplorable and retrogressive changes are not surprising. But we can never get to the point at which we silently accept such atrocities as being part of some new normal.

tated a different outcome. We have got to connect the dots. Not living in an impacted state is no excuse for apathy. We need awareness and advocacy more than ever here in 2024. You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. Get involved!?

(CIRCLE CITY CONNECTION by Vernon A. Williams is a series of essays on myriad topics that include social issues, human interest, entertainment and profiles of difference-makers who are forging change in a constantly evolving society. Williams is a 40-year veteran journalist based in Indianapolis, IN —commonly referred to as The Circle City. Send comments or questions to: vernonawilliams@yahoo.com.)

In October 2023, NAREB announced a partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Secretary Marcia Fudge. Its goal is addressing appraisal bias and discrimination in the housing market.

During 2024, training sessions are scheduled throughout the country that include online counseling training, roundtable discussions on bias and discrimination, distribution of educational materials, and appraisal-related training.

NAREB’s will also sponsor a Building Black Wealth Tour, with discussions on increasing understanding of appraisal bias in specific geographic areas, collaborate on efforts to combat appraisal bias, and share best practices for housing counselors.

BLACK WOMEN FROM B1

VERNON WILLIAMS

Easter and the end times

The 2024 Easter Holiday was celebrated on Sunday, March 31. Interestingly, Easter is the one holiday that is celebrated based on the annual position of the moon and, because of this, it is observed on different dates each year.

Basically, Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

The season of Lent is also determined by the position of the Moon, because it is determined by Easter’s date and the season is determined from that day. In 2024, Lent began on Wednesday, February 14 (Ash Wednesday), and Holy Thursday is March 28. Good Friday is March 29. It is customary to give up something that you value during the season of Lent.

Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection are based on the time of the Jewish Passover. He was said to have been crucified on Good Friday and arose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Easter, therefore, can be considered a time for renewal. This is probably one of the reasons that the image of the Easter Bunny is prominent during this period. Rabbits are known for being prolific breeders, and Easter eggs are their progeny. During the Easter observances people hide colorful Easter eggs, which must be found, usually by younger people.

This might be interpreted as a person’s quest for renewal, or rebirth. The new clothes that are often part of this celebration might also be symbolic of the concept of “newness” and rebirth in sync.

With that said, it might be prudent to assess this season with the current state of Black America. The community is definitely in need of some newness, of renewal. The community seems to be in the process of imploding with internal hatred running rampant.

The following are examples of video titles on YouTube that demonstrate a need for healing and renewal sorely needed among Black people.

“Marlon Wayans Reveals Why He’ll Never Cast Tiffany Haddish in Any of his Movies;” “Beyonce’s Sister Solange Goes Off On Jay Z for Starting Beef Between Her and Erykah Badu;” “Mike Epps’ Wife Walks Out;” “Roland Martin calls Vicki Dillard OUT Of Her Name Over BGR + Tik Tok;” “Nene VS Porsha;” “Shocking & Unthinkable Allegations Made Against Diddy by Male Producer;” “Ray J & Princess Fake Divorce;” “This Is Why NOBODY Attended Steve Harvey’s TV Sitcom Reunion.”

Continuing, “Haiti’s Humanitarian Crisis Worsens;” “Lil Kim Finally Speaks on Diddy Treating Women Like Dirt;” “TD Jakes Scandal;” “This Is Why Amanda Seales Has Been Black Balled From ‘Some’ Spaces In Hollywood;” “Nicki Minaj Finally Speaks Out On Diddy’s Relationship with Her Ex –‘Tried to Steal Him;” “Cardi B Tells Truth About Glorilla—Lying about Shakira;” “Diddy Fan’s Death Threats On IG Feed.”

Also, “Beyonce Called Out For American Flag,” Shannon Sharpe Sides With TIP & D. L. Hughley vs Monique;” “MaraLee Exposes Tristan;” “50 Cent Exposes Beyonce For Being Even Worse Than Jay Z;” “Drama Begins As Jaafar Jackson Is Set To Play Michael Jackson in Upcoming Biopic;” “Faizon Love Threatens To Put Hands On Kountry Wayne For Going Off on Godfrey;” “Kenan and Kel Producer Outed For Alleged ‘Child Abuse’ On Set.”

These are just a few of the current headlines on social media, and they do not include the current criticism of Beyonce for copying Erykah Badu’s hairstyle or Katt Williams’ criticism of a lot of fellow comics, and much, much more! Admittedly, people on social media tend to like sensationalism and drama. Coupled with this is the broader environment influenced by Donald Trump’s irreverent comments about “vermin” immigrants, which lends to the toxic atmosphere that is influencing people.

This spate of negativity may be why so many people are talking about this being the “end times.” Maybe, maybe not, but we can certainly hope that we will be able to look forward to a renewal that brings on the “end times” of our inhumanity toward each other! Happy Easter. A Luta Continua.

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—When

one of the things you don’t have to do is go out to the office belonging to somebody else, you get a chance to be more observant of what’s going on around the world. One of the things I’ve noticed is the great effort to insult, discourage, even destroy Black women who’ve been most successful among us at doing their jobs! Though I’m not nearly as successful as some of them, I count myself among them; however, this article is not about me because I’m a Dick Gregory Disciple.  In my life, I’ve fought a lot of battles (some regretfully brought on by our own community, and while those can kill your spirit for a while, we have to continue fighting the most damaging challenges for our people who run into even bigger problems).

If you haven’t noticed, some of our best and brightest are under attack, and some of our own don’t understand what’s happening.  There’s an organized effort to tear down so many Black women after the power we have shown so that we don’t just talk about making a difference, we do it!

In the last Presidential election, we let it be known that we have power and we used it, making it clear Black women, with the help of a few others, intended to have a Black woman for our Vice-President, and through the collective power we have, Kamala Harris is our Vice-President. We then said—

Almost two weeks removed from Black History Month, I find myself pondering what Black Culture is, in modern times. There’s a running joke on X/Twitter that “we are losing recipes!” whenever young Black people (Gen Z) don’t know a Black classic, like a movie, song or “rule.” And while we mean no harm in teasing our younger kinfolk (cause you know, we’re all cousins), it does beg the question: Why are we losing recipes? And what recipes do we even want to keep?

As with all traditions in all cultures, it is up to the elders to pass down the rituals, food, language, and customs that identify a group. So, if your auntie, uncle, mom, and so on didn’t teach you how to play Spades, well, that’s a recipe lost. But outside of Spades, Uno and Dominoes, Cookouts, Collective Dancing, and asking who made the Mac’ n’ Cheese, what is bonding us in the present?

Every time I learn something about Black American history, the lesser-told stories about pioneers of The Civil Rights Movement, I get choked up. The resilience of our people is astounding. The bravery and courage our ancestors had to muster in the face of unadulterated hatred is unmatched. But one thing about us is that we never lose our joy.  As racism against African Americans soared in the 50s and 60s, alongside it, a cultural movement of pride aimed to juxtapose it.

“Black is beautiful” was a slogan, a campaign, and a mission in the 1960s and 1970s. Black people began to embrace, or rather, re-embrace their natural hair—sporting afros, braids, or other non-chemically treated styles. Some even learned Swahili to connect to Africa. James Brown upped the ante with his iconic song, “Say It Loud —I’m Black and I’m Proud.” The 70s brought us Soul Train, a cultural mo-

by Dr. John E. Warren

While the month of March has been set aside as Women’s History Month, we should be saluting and remembering Black women in particular who bore the burden of racism and humiliation that went with being seen as chattel when other women were still seen as women, even without the recognition of citizenship. The real cause for the celebration of Black women in particular is that they still rose to raise children and much of the time as single parents because of racism so often removing the father from the home by design. So often these Black mothers spent their best hours each day taking care of other people’s children and families, at the expense of their own.

Their lives were often a reflection of Langston Hughes statement: “life ain’t been no crystal stairs” for most. But like Maya Angelo wrote, these Black women could say “but still I rise.”

The women that we acknowledge in this issue are but a small sample of so many who have done so much. We were among the Daughters of the American Revolution before they decided that they didn’t want Marian Anderson to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. because of her color, yet Thomas Jefferson had Sally Hemmings in his bloodline. From slavery to the United States Senate

not we want, but we shall have a Black woman on the Supreme Court.  Soon thereafter, Supreme Court Judge Katanji Brown Jackson became a member of the Supreme Court.  We continued supporting Black women for high-level positions in many places and we got them. It didn’t go unnoticed that when we work together, we make things we want to happen.

Since our successes, the enemy noticed and began figuring out how to put an end to the power we exercised to get so many Black women in the high places they deserved to be. Dr. Claudine Gay became President of Harvard University. No Black woman had ever done that before—but as soon as she arrived there, some folk realized she was BLACK so she had to go! Fulton County, GA elected as their District Attorney Fani Willis.  That was okay until she was in charge of trying the Orange Man for attempting to collect votes that were not rightly his! In DC, the Orange Man came up against Judge Tanya Chutkan and she became the Orange man’s enemy. Along came N Y State’s Attorney Letitia James.

You know the story. He called her everything but a child of God, but she won the case against him!

Let’s go to a case in Baltimore, MD regarding Atty. Marilyn Mosby.  Her case involves the great work on her successfully making Baltimore police pay for the death of a young man named Freddie Gray while he was in police custody.  I don’t have enough space to give you the full story, so I want to direct you to http://www.baltimore4homes. org/. Click or tap to follow the link.” data-auth=”Verified” data-linkindex=”0”>www.baltimore4homes. org to get the full story of why Marilyn was prosecuted.  It was for doing her job too well!

We have an urgent need for you to go to the site, listen to Angela Rye, Tiffany Cross, http://et.al/. Click or tap to follow the link.” data-auth=”Verified” data-linkindex=”1”>et. al and sign the petition we need for an immediate pardon.  She’s guilty of nothing more than having been a Black woman in a powerful position. The powers that be didn’t want her there. She’s scheduled to be punished with draconian years of imprisonment on May 23, 2024 for what is basically nothing. The orange man has over 90 charges, and he’s still walking free for years. Let’s use the power we have to free Marilyn and allow her to go on doing the great work she was doing. (Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of TheDickGregorySociety.org)

saic of music, fashion, and the hottest dance moves to TV screens across America. The 80s launched B.E.T., the first solo Black-centered channel of relevance today. Martin Luther King Jr Day was established as a national holiday and Michael Jackson became a solo sensation. Oprah became an overnight sensation! The 80s gave way to Black entertainers in particular, breaking color barriers and fighting to be “legitimized” by mainstream media. When the 90s and 2000s came around, Blackness was at the height of popularity (at least on TV). The plethora of sitcoms featuring storylines of Black families and friends has never been as robust as it was during this era. From “Martin” to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Living Single.” followed “Girlfriends,” “The Parkers” and “One on One,” Black people got to see themselves reflected on screen in diverse ways.

Air Jordans became synonymous with Black Urban culture.  Terms like “Ghetto Fabulous” were coined due to the styles of Mary J. Blige and Destiny’s Child. Then the cultural pendulum swung back and Black people were sorely missing from programming in the first half of the 2010s. Even today, the height of Black television has not been reached since its demise around 2005.

In a post-pandemic world, where our communities have once again fallen victim to recessions, and larger family get togethers aren’t as frequent, I

wonder where the pendulum of Black American culture will swing next. Cord Jefferson, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of 2023’s American Fiction, gave rousing speeches both when he accepted his Academy Award and when he was later interviewed off-stage.  He urged Hollywood to financially back more diverse, lower-budget films. It was a reasonable and much-needed ask.  Yet, Black Twitter was divided today on whether Jefferson was perpetuating a culture war against “Hood Blacks” and “Suburban Blacks.”

The problem with that line of thinking and false accusation is that a.) There is a third subset of Black folk who are neither from the hood or the suburbs and b.) There are indeed Black people from the hood that have non-stereotypical interests such as anime, a love for EDM music and a passion for nature and hiking. I was frankly annoyed that such an unproblematic request by Jefferson became obtusely misunderstood by so many people. Cast aside Cord Jefferson and the Oscars, there has still been much discourse about the normalizing of abnormal things in our community. And while we know that a racist system is to blame for a lot of the Black American plight, free will is always on the menu.

If the 60s cultural movement was about uncovering our natural beauty, the 70s and 80s were relentlessly joyful, and the 90s and 2000s were about flexing our economic come up, what will the next big be to signify Black people moving forward? As it becomes more normal to have Black people in power and more of us are living in and creating multicultural families, what of Black American life will prevail? What do we keep? What do we innovate next? I hope it’s one of living well, no matter what hood you come from.

and the Vice Presidency of the United States; from parent and educator to the California Secretary of State as well as C. Delores Tucker becoming the first Black Secretary of State of the State of Pennsylvania,

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Every young person needs to heed the words of the late great John Lewis. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.” Lewis made this statement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 1, 2020, while commemorating the tragic events of Bloody Sunday. As a founder and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis was the youngest person to speak at the March on Washington in 1963. His youth gave him a vision for a more transformative society, and he, at times, found himself at odds with older leaders. Lewis was a living example that young people must achieve the change they want by forcing older people, regardless of race, to embrace equitable change. He desired to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s and find a way to get into good trouble, necessary trouble; believing that young people should push for lasting change by holding older generations accountable by speaking truth to power. He taught us the importance of speaking up and speaking out. We must be willing to make noise and to always speak up about injustice at any cost. A person’s silence is their acceptance. Lewis stated, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.”

Justin Jones (age 28) and Justin Pearson (age 29) are two Black Democratic members of the Tennessee House of Representatives who followed Lewis’ example and teachings. They are two of the youngest House members, and they got themselves into good trouble, necessary trouble.

Days after the deadly shooting at Covenant School in Nashville that left six dead, including three 9-year-old children, Jones used a bullhorn at the chamber podium to rally the crowd of people seated in the chamber galleries. He was joined in the gun control protest by Reps. Pearson and Gloria Johnson. They were calling for their fellow lawmakers to take action to prevent more gun deaths. The Republican-led Tennessee State House saw the interruption of proceedings as a violation of House decorum rules and eventually voted to expel Jones and Pearson from the legislature without the benefit of full due process. But the two were quickly reappointed to their district seats and easily won landslide victories in special elections.

David W. Marshall

In the latest unprecedented move by the same Tennessee House, the entire Board of Trustees at Tennessee State University was removed after a vote by the House, and Gov. Bill Lee signed the legislation into law. The Republican supermajority’s calls for a new board were based on multiple audit reports highlighting concerns about the mishandling of finances, housing, and scholarships.

The injustice comes from Tennessee State University, an 1890 land grant institution and the only HBCU in the state, being underfunded for 30 years. Students, alums, and the Black community at large should be aware of the history behind HBCUs and land-grant institutions. The original Morrill Act of 1862 established White-only land grant institutions to teach agricultural and mechanical arts. The Second Morrill Act of 1890 required that states choosing to open a second land-grant institution to serve Black students must provide equitable distribution of funds between their 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions. Last year, a letter was sent to the governor of Tennessee from the U.S. Secretary of Education and the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture regarding the inequitable funding for HBCUs.

The letter stated, “Tennessee State University, the 1890 land-grant institution in your state, while producing extraordinary graduates that contribute greatly to the state’s economy and the fabric of our nation, has not been able to advance in ways that are on par with The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the original Morrill Act of 1862 land-grant institution in your state, in large part due to unbalanced funding.” If the state funding per student for Tennessee State were equal to that of Tennessee-Knoxville, then TSU would have received an additional $2.1 billion over 30 years. One can easily say that the holding back of critical funding to the tune of $2.1 billion contributed greatly to the university’s financial woes.

This week, student leaders from TSU will engage faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and the community on the best ways to organize action. These same students should remember the example of Lewis when considering the unjust ways HBCUs are disenfranchised by lack of fair funding along with the attempts to dismantle HBCU leadership. It may be time for good trouble, necessary trouble when mobilizing alumni and supporters to defend HBCUs.

The state of Tennessee is not alone. The governor of Mississippi received a similar letter from the Biden administration regarding the inequitable funding for Alcorn State University for $257 million. Yet, in a recent state bill, Alcorn State was targeted for closure along with Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University. A total of 16 states received the letter from the Biden administration. It is a sign that HBCU students and alumni should actively lobby their state lawmakers, Democratic and Republican, to take the integral steps needed to close funding gaps for HBCUs, particularly when equitable funding is mandated by law.

(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization TRB: The Reconciled Body and the author of God Bless Our Divided America.)

Judgment defeats us?

In the 1979 Vietnam War movie “Apocalypse Now,” Colonel Kurtz went rogue and then used barbaric methods to defeat the enemy. The U.S. military turned a blind eye because Kurtz was successful. Then Kurtz leaked photographs of his atrocities to the international media. The “civilized world” couldn’t stomach what they saw and wanted Kurtz stopped.

The U.S. military declared Kurtz insane and dispatched an assassin to kill him.

When Kurtz and the assassin were finally face-to-face, Kurtz told the assassin he had the right to kill him, but he had no right to judge him or call him a murderer. Then Kurtz delivered a monologue that many still find reprehensible.

Kurtz said: “It’s impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. I remember when I was in special forces and we went into a camp to inoculate the children for polio. Later, this old man came running after us, crying. We went back to the camp. The enemy had arrived and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were, in a pile—a pile of little arms. I remembered crying. I wept like a grandmother.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

Then I realized the enemy’s will to do that made them stronger than us. They weren’t monsters. These were trained men who fought with their hearts, who had families, who had children, and who were filled with love, but they had the strength to do that. If I had ten divisions of those men, this war would end quickly. You have to have men who are moral and, at the same time, who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling, without passion, without judgment, because it’s judgement that defeats us.”

If serious art puts a mirror to the “civilized world” so we can see ourselves for what we really are, then we’re forced to ask if there are any parallels between Kurtz’s monologue and the Hamas/Israel war.

Since Kurtz was the villain representing America, the film implies that Kurtz’s atrocities were reprehensible due to their

imperialist motivations. However, when Kurtz praised the enemy’s willpower to cut off children’s arms, the film implied it was justified for the “resistance fighters” whose homeland was occupied by a more powerful nation to resort to barbarism to free themselves, and it’s not for the “civilized world” to judge.

The film’s writers were smart enough to justify the enemy’s inhumanity through the mouth of an insane villain, but haven’t we heard echoes of Kurtz’s praise after Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led a surprise attack on Israel, in which Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,000 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages back to Gaza?

Following Hamas’s onslaught, Professor Norman Finklestein, a staunch advocate for the Palestinian cause, wrote: The 2,000 young men who burst the gates of Gaza had been born in a concentration camp. The vast majority of them could never hope to leave but only pace each day along the camp’s suffocating perimeter. Abandoned by everyone. They were left to die. It might be like the script of a B-movie, but on the night of October 6, each of those 2,000 men probably kissed his mother, then his father, goodbye. Forever. And then, each silently vowed to vindicate the remorseless torture of a twilight existence and avenge the murder of relatives by that Satanic power that cursed their lives. Finklestein said it was too soon to determine what verdict history will cast on Hamas’ attack, but Finklestein believes that in the future, the Hamas terrorists will become heroes like the Black Americans who led slave revolts. Like Kurtz,

Finklestein doesn’t think the Hamas terrorists were monsters; he was in awe of their courage to commit atrocities against a “Satanic power.”

A Cornell professor spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally and told the audience that Hamas shifted the balance of power and penetrated Israel’s illusion of invincibility. The professor also stated that Hamas’ attack signaled that the Palestinian will to resist had not been broken.

These professors romanticized Hamas to refrain from passing judgment and demonized “power” in order to denounce it. However, when Israel launched war on Hamas and thousands of innocent Palestinians were killed in Israel’s effort to eliminate an existential threat, the “civilized world” couldn’t stomach what they saw, wept like grandmothers, and accused Israel of genocide.

According to the most recent estimates, the war has resulted in approximately 30,000 innocent Palestinian deaths and over 73,000 injuries. However, the two professors and all those who followed suit absolved Hamas of any responsibility for the 30,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces when they refused to judge Hamas for initiating the war and using human shields.

President Biden recently stated that the Israeli military offensive has “gone too far.” That was the president’s way of saying Israel went insane, like Kurtz. Then the United Nations passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But the ceasefire was not contingent on the release of Israeli hostages, as the United States had previously demanded alongside Israel. The United States abstained from voting, allowing the resolution to pass without any guarantee that Hamas would free a hostage.

Kurtz concluded that judgment defeats, but he was mistaken. It’s poor judgment that defeats. Poor judgment defeats when the “civilized world” presumes the enemy’s reasons to wage war are morally superior to their own.

The ridiculous retiring Republicans

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) needed Democrats to narrowly avert the government shutdown that loomed large if Congressional budget legislation was not passed by Saturday, March 23.  Many Republicans did not vote for the budget legislation; Democrats saved the day.  Some Republicans would rather shut government down, inconveniencing if not disabling millions of people, than to do their job and work with their colleagues across the aisle to pass legislation.  What is wrong with these ridiculous Republicans!  Why are they so opposed to doing their work.

Republican dysfunction has been a byproduct of the 45th President’s confusion.  He keeps insisting that he won the 2020 election, when it is clear that he did not.  His intransience led to the violent insurrection of January 6, and has apparently split the Republican party.  There are those who believe in the Constitution and compromise, and these are those who believe in disruption.  The worse of that pack is Marjorie Taylor Green, the Georgia Republican who seems better suited for a circus than the halls of Congress.  She is loud, rude, and out of control yet, with the support of a handful of her colleagues, she can bring Congressional activities to such a screeching halt, that the body could even pass gas without drama.

Republican dysfunction has become so challenging that dozens of members say they won’t run for another term.  Others are leaving, retiring, in the middle of their term because so little is getting done.  While I acknowledge their right to resign whenever they want to, I think they are cheating their constituents.  They ran for

two-year terms.  They accepted salaries, staffed, offices, met with constituents.  Stepping down in the middle of their two-year term is disruptive and costly, and it leaves their constituents without representation.  While the Republican resignations of Kevin McCarty (R-CA), Bill Johnson (R-OH). Ken Buck (R-CO) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) narrow the dominant party’s majority, I think it selfish and in very bad form because these representatives don’t like the way Congress works anymore and are tired of the far right and their shenanigans.  Why not stay, call it out, and change it?  The ridiculous Republicans are more afraid of the former President than they are of their own shadows, yet if they called him out, perhaps others would look and notice that the emperor is not wearing clothes, and indeed is stark naked beneath the cloak that is woven from lies, bombast, vitriol, and absurdity.

Special elections are costly.  One estimate says that each one can cost at least a million dollars.  Other estimates (depending on the congressional district) say the tab can be much more.  The members of Congress who choose to quit their jobs don’t lose anything because they refused to serve their term out, but how does this affect their staff?  Presumably, their replacements would keep everyone on,

but nothing is certain.  Do these rats who just jumped off sinking ships have any consideration for others or are they just taking the easy way out?

If Republican dysfunction were simply a Republican problem, I’d gleefully lick my chops and make fun of them.  But this Republican problem is an American problem as evidenced by the number of times we have avoided a government shutdown in the last several months.  House minority leader Hakim Jeffries deserves credit for choosing government efficiency over partisan bickering as he led his caucus to vote for the compromise.  But Speaker Johnson is skating on thin ice.  The obstreperous Marjorie Taylor Green has vowed to remove him from the speakership because she did not get her way.  If she proceeds with her threat count on progress on anything—Ukraine, Israel, or the b order to be delayed until Republicans can get their acts together.  With the Republican margin shrinking, we can likely count on several weeks of drama before there is a new speaker. The only thing that might save Republicans is the fact that their dysfunction might become an electoral issue.

In the interest of bipartisanship, let me say that Democrats have their own brand of dysfunction, which manifests in vocal opposition to President Biden over Gaza (although I agree with the Squad, Senator Schumer (D-NY) and others on this one.  Democrats have wings, but we aren’t throwing flames.  And the only losers in this Republican farce are the American people. (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.  Juliannemalveaux.com)

Lady Day and The Lights!

by Vincent L. Hall

It’s Women’s History Month and there are more heroines that get left out than featured. “Lady Day” brought some sunlight to one of the darkest eras of modern American history. You know that American history they keep trying to erase. Eleanora Fagan Gough, aka Billie Holiday, aka Lady Day, made a statement that bears rehearsal and rethinking. She once said, “we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough.”

Her statement is more relevant today than most of us realize. Billie Holiday was a talented singer who broke through the color barrier with considerable force. She sang the Blues in a classy, connective, and convincing fashion. When she hit the stage, and the spotlight fell upon her, you never knew what to expect. In conversations with the “Lady,” she admitted that she was bored of singing the same song the same way night after night.

That need to entertain herself while entertaining others made her worth the price of admission at any cost. She was a legend. Sadly, though, her addiction to the drugs that eventually quieted her voice was too much for her. In fact, by the time she had had enough, the effects had silenced one of the most extraordinary vocal talents in our history. “Southern trees bear a strange fruit,” Billie Holiday sang. It was the same fruit Ida B. Wells chronicled in her 1892 report, Southern Horrors, and the same fruit W.E.B. Du Bois alludes

to in “Of the Coming of John”— “And the world whistled in his ears.” Holiday, a Black Catholic, continues her sorrowful song: “Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.” According to Biography Online: “In March 1939, a 23-year-old Billie Holiday walked up to the mic at West 4th’s Cafe Society in New York City to sing her final song of the night.

Per her request, the waiters stopped serving and the room went completely black, save for a spotlight on her face. And then she sang, softly in her raw and emotional voice: “Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black body swinging in the Southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees…” When Holiday heard the lyrics, she was deeply moved by them—not only because she was a Black American but also because the song reminded her of her father, who died at 39 from a fatal lung disorder, after being turned away from a hospital because he was a Black man. Because of the painful memories it conjured, Holiday didn’t enjoy performing “Strange Fruit” but knew she had to.

“It reminds me of how Pop died,” she said of the song in her autobiography. “But I have to keep singing it, not only because people ask for it, but because 20 years after Pop died, the things that killed him are still happening in the South.” Strange fruit emanated from a peculiar place. Although Wells, DuBois, and other Negro leaders laid the foundation for the

song, its penman was the son of Russian immigrants. Lewis Allan, published under the pseudonym Abel Meeropol, wrote an article called “Bitter Fruit” for publication in a magazine for unionized teachers. Parenthetically, Meeropol was the DeWitt Clinton high school classmate of Countee Cullen.

Cullen was a brilliant poet, playwright, and novelist in his own right. The Moral: Integration and diversity matter! In its infancy, “Strange Fruit” originated as a protest poem against the lynchings that set the South ablaze in terror. In the poem, Meeropol expressed his horror at the lynchings of African Americans, inspired by Lawrence Beitler’s photograph of the 1930 lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, IN.

The problem of lynchings and hangings, both public and covert, was magnified in America because of Lawrence Beitler’s photography. Billie Holiday’s vocal version gave the injustice of the killings more context and conviction. “When Holiday finished, the spotlight turned off. When the lights came back on, the stage was empty. She was gone. And per her request, there was no encore. This was how Holiday performed “Strange Fruit,” which she would determinedly sing for the next 20 years until her untimely death at the age of 44. Lights down! Quit Playin’!

(Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, award-winning columnist and a lifelong Drapetomaniac!)

public may view the meeting via livestream by visiting www.alcosan.org.

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the College will be held on: April 4,2024 4:30 PM CCAC Allegheny CampusByers Hall 808 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

The Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is accepting proposals from qualified contractors for: CONTRACT: ACHA-1704 ELEVATOR

CONSULTING SERVICES

DOCUMENTS: RFP documents will be available on/after Monday, April 1, 2024; Documents can be downloaded from the Housing Agency Marketplace: https:// ha.internationaleprocurement.com/ or requested by contacting Dean Allen, Modernization Manager by email: dallen@achousing.org or by calling 412-402-2469

FEE: No Charge for Emailed / Electronic Transfer documents. NON-MANDATORY PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 10:00AM EST at the ACHA Central Office, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees

County Airport (AGC) which requires architectural services. Specific responsibilities will include all aspects of design required for new construction, rehabilitation, repairs, remodeling, maintenance, and permitting of mechanical, electrical, structural, plumbing, fire protection, roof replacements, and other architectural related projects for the ACAA. Architectural firms will be required to provide, but not limited to, design, geotechnical investigations, surveying, permitting, preparation of bidding documents, construction administration, construction cost estimating, value engineering, and maintain all records as required by the FAA, Findlay, Moon, and/or West Mifflin Townships, the ACAA, or other entities as required.

1. Building Rehabilitation, Repair, Remodeling, and Replacement

Work may consist of, but not be limited to, miscellaneous mechanical, electrical, or structural repairs; rehabilitation, remodeling o r historical restoration; roof replacement, brick work, plumbing, fire protection, painting, flooring, finishes, and signage on the Landside and Airside Buildings, and other miscellaneous buildings, as required.

2. Lease Building and Hangar Improvements

Work may consist of miscellaneous improvements to several of the airport’s leased facilities that are in need of upgrades, repairs, rehabi litation, remodeling, historical restoration, or reconfigured due to age or reuse requirements of the facility.

B. On-Call Professional Architectural Services

The ACAA has a need for separate contracts to provide professional architectural services on an on-call, as-needed basis to provide design, assessments, capital cost estimates, emergency evaluations and repairs, and other special needs for various projects that may arise. Architectural firms must be qualified and be prepared to respond on very short notice to various issues which may arise at any time of day, seven days a week. Experienced and qualified staff members must be on-call and available on a 24/7 basis. Areas of expertise must also include familiarity with FAA Advisory Circulars; and Moon, Findlay, and/or West Mifflin Townships, PennDOT and PADEP permitting requirements.

Submittal Procedure and Requirements:

If interested in providing any of the aforementioned services, firms are required to submit a Letter-of-Interest (LOI) and current Form SF330, identifying the specific service area(s) of interest with emphasis on main area(s) of competence. The ACAA encourages responses from small firms, minority, and women’s business firms, and firms that have not previously worked for the ACAA. The ACAA will use Form SF330 to evaluate and prequalify firms to be part of a highly qualified short-list, which will then be requested to submit comprehensive proposals. Comprehensive proposals will include the following at a minimum: Project understanding, projec t experience, project team identification, organization chart and resumes; approach to major tasks such as scope and schedule management, techniques for cost control, approach to capital cost estimating, scope creep and change order management, and identification of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Firms with description and quantity of work they will perform to meet or exceed FAA and ACAA DBE requirements, which is currently 14.9%. Note: Do not include company brochures and limit the LOI to no more than three typewritten pages (8.5” x 11”, 11 pt. font) in addition to Standard Form 330. Additionally, Section H. Additional Information of the Standard Form 330 is limited to two typewritten pages. A link to obtain SF330 can be found by going to the following website: https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications

Submissions will be received in PDF format as one file only through the platform Submittable at https://acaacapitalprograms.submittable.com. Do NOT mail or deliver hard copies as they will be considered rejected and will be returned to the respondent unopened. Please note that Submittable does not support Internet Explorer 11. Submittable recommends the following browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

Submissions should be made to: Mr. Jeff Bezek, P.E. Director, Engineering Allegheny County Airport Authority Pittsburgh

short-listing, technical

based

but

and

Staff qualifications, experience

demonstrated interest

the

organization, clarity, cohesiveness, quality and completeness of both the written proposal and

sensitivity to ACAA requirements and project constraints; indicated ability to manage projects, produce required results, meeting project schedule and controlling costs; demonstrated knowledge of FAA, PennDOT, local, and ACAA applicable standards and requirements; capital cost estimating expertise, constructability reviews, value engineering,

procedures and scheduling methods; monitoring DBE

mentoring DBE firms, impacts to airport operations and other areas of professional architecture.

This notice shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS (1) – CDBG PROJECT

On or about Monday April 22, 2024, the City of Pittsburgh will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release Federal funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 as amended for the project known as St. John’s Green, described below.

The Allegheny Land Trust in with review and approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), will develop vacant land located at 3339 McClure Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 into the St. John’s Green. This project will upgrade the vacant land to a public greenspace by repairing and replacing existing wooden stairs, installing rain gardens, a stormwater meadow, walking and ADA trails, landscaping, and appropriate rain/wet weather drainage systems for the Brighton Heights neighborhood. Funding for this project will consist of a $156,826 in Allegheny Land Trust Program Funds, a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) grant of $125,000, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) grant of $282,953, a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant of $229,000, $89,825.83 in PAYGO funds from the City of Pittsburgh, a grant from the Essential Foundation for $70,000, and a URA grant of $12,250 and $84,305 in FY2020 CDBG funds; the estimated total project cost is $1,164,794.29.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (2) – CDBG PROJECT

The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available to the public for review either electronically or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request by U.S. mail to City of Pittsburgh, Office of Management and Budget, 414 Grant St, City County Building Room 501, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or by email to OMBEnvironmental@pittsburghpa.gov.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Kelly Russell City of Pittsburgh, 414 Grant Street, Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 255-2667 OR OMBEnvironmental@pittsburghpa.gov

All comments received by Thursday, April 18, 2024, will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice (Request for Release of Funds 1 or Finding of No Significant Impact 2) they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The City of Pittsburgh certifies to HUD that Ed Gainey in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to use development funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh certification for a period of fifteen (15) days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases:

(a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Pittsburgh; (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the HUD Field Office of Community Planning and Development in Pittsburgh at PGHCPDObjections@hud.gov/ (412)-644-5846 regarding HUD CDBG funds.

Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Community Planning and Development in Pittsburgh via email or phone as given above to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Ed Gainey Mayor City of Pittsburgh

bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents visit www.flypittsburgh.com – ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or call 412-472-3677 or 412-472-2136.

Agreement

be for a three-year period with the option to extend the term of the Agreement up to two additional years at the sole discretion of PRT.

A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be available on or after March 27, 2024 and can be obtained by registering at the PRT’s ebusiness website: http://ebusiness.ridePRT.org and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under the ebusiness categories of PSFAIB – Pro Finance/Invest/Banking or PSSC – Pro Software Consulting for this RFP. Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued by PRT. If you have specific questions regarding this RFP, please contact John Young at (412) 566-5216 or via email Jyoung@ridePRT.org.

A Pre-Proposal Conference/ Information Meeting for interested parties will be held at 9:30 a.m., prevailing time, April 10, 2024, via Microsoft Teams video conference and/or conference call to answer any questions regarding this RFP.

To join by Microsoft Team video conference: https://bit.ly/Pre-ProposalMtg24-03

To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: 412-927-0245 United States, Pittsburgh (Toll) Conference ID: 858 278 46#

Electronic proposals must be both received, and time stamped by a representative of the Procurement Department through PRT’s Ebusiness website at or before 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, May 01, 2024, at http://ebusiness.ridePRT.org. Proposals received or time stamped by a Procurement Department representative through PRT’s Ebusiness website after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award. Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein. This Contract Services may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The proposal process and the performance of the requested services will be in accordance with guidelines and regulations of the FTA “Third Party Contracting Guidelines”, FTA Circular 4220.1F, as amended, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, as amended, implements positive affirmative action procedures to ensure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal funds, if any, provided under or for the proposed Agreement. In this regard, all recipients or contractors shall take all necessary and reasonable steps in accordance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBEs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, also requires that certified Diverse Businesses, (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontract for, the Contract Services. In this regard, all Proposers, and the Contractor, shall make good faith efforts, in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for,

(Pittsburgh, PA) to brainstrm, collaborate, & share designs w/ othr dsgnrs & prdct team mmbrs to dvlp innovative & human-centered mocks, intrfaces, & apps. Requires Master’s dgr in Human- Computer Interaction, Info Studies or rltd. Mst have knwldg or exp with: Web dsgn or app dsgn; User Exp dsgn; Interactive prototypes; Principle, Adobe Aftr Effcts or other time-bsd media or animation tool; & Sketch or Adobe

be rspnsble for settng up & montrng archtctre of CI/CD infrstrctre & automtion pltfrms; desgnng, intgrtng, & troublshtng build automtion & dplymnt srvcs acrss svrl biz units; provdng rslient dplymnt infrstrctre tht is repeatble for applction mdrnztn & cloud dplymnts; wrkng effctvly as sbjct-mttr exprt in CI/CD & Autmtn pltfrms to prvde ovrsght for IT

Autmtn team; advsng mngmnt on trnds & bst prctces to mntn effctve autmtn & dplymnt prctces; leadng tchncl spprt for archtctre, exectn, secrty, & maintnnce of piplne cnfgrtns.

Master’s in Elctrcl Engnrng, IT, CompSci, or rel field w/2yrs prev wrk exp in pos off or DevOps, CI/ CD engnr, autmtn engnr or drctly rel pos. Must knw (thru acdmc trainng or wrk exp) Maven, Python, & Shell; Docker; Jenkins; Ansible; patchng & secrty vlnrblty fixes; rslve cnflcts in sftwre dvlpmnt lfe cycl; CI/CD piplne; automtion & mngmnt of IT systms usng devops tools; & wrk w/ scrptng langs. May wrk frm home 2 dys/wk w/in same MSA. If intrstd, send cover letter and resume w/salary reqs & rfrncs to: HR Dept, FHLBank Pittsburgh, 601 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-4455.

Separate and sealed Bid Proposals will be received electronically starting on Monday, April 1st, 2024 for:

2024-IFB-004– Modular Block Wall Construction CD

Information on solicitations is available on the City of Pittsburgh

website: http://purchasing.pittsburghpa.gov

Bid proposals are requested on behalf of the City of Pittsburgh. All bids must be submitted via the above website and all required documents must be provided or the bid proposal may be considered non-responsive.

The contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted construction contracts. The contractor must assure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Attention is called to Executive Order 11246, to Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. 1701U, and to the Section 3 Clause and Regulations set forth in 24 CFR, Part 135.

The Contractor will be required to comply with the following laws, rules and regulations:

All provisions of US Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, as amended by US Executive Order 11375 and as supplemented in US Department of Labor Regulations (41 CFR, Part 60), and of the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the US Secretary of Labor.

Contractor shall comply with all applicable standards, orders, or requirements issued of the Clean Air Act (42 USC 1857 et. seq.), Section 508 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1368), Executive Order 11738, and Environmental Protection Agency regulations (40 CFR, Part 15).

Contractor shall comply with the Davis-Bacon Act the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276a to 276a-7) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR part 5). Procedures for compliance to these acts shall be as follows: All specifications for construction contracts and subcontracts will contain the prevailing wage rates (as enclosed in this bid package) as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 276-a to 276-C-5) and provision that overtime compensation will be paid in accordance with the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act Regulations (29 CFR, Parts 5 and 1926). The contract provisions shall require that these standards be met.

Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity (Executive Order 11246): Bidder’s attention is called to the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth in 41 CFR Public Contracts and Property Management Part 60-4.3 Equal Opportunity Clauses.

Goals for minority participation: 18%

Goals for female participation: 7%

These goals are applicable to all construction work (whether or not Federal or Federally-Assisted) performed in the “covered area.” As used in this notice, and in the contract resulting from this solicitation, the “covered area” is Pittsburgh SMSA (Allegheny, Washington, Beaver and Westmoreland counties).

The contractor shall comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1988, as amended, Section 109 of the Community Development Act of 1974, with Executive Order 11625 (Minority Business Enterprise) and Executive Order 12138 (Women’s Business Enterprise). The Proposers will be required to submit the package of certifications included with the contract documents relating to Equal Employment Opportunity. Vendors submitting responses on federally funded projects must register on SAM.gov and provide proof of registration.

The City of Pittsburgh reserves the right to withhold the award of contract for a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the opening of bids.

The City of Pittsburgh reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals.

Electronic Proposals will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).

Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on April 22, 2024 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

focus in any one of multiple departmental teams, including but not limited to administrative and operations, engineering and construction, or technology procurements. To include the implementation and management of activities associated with the full realm of contract administration; to review regulations and develop related policies and procedures. This is a position of trust, accountability, and integrity

Essential Functions:

· Manage and supervise procurement and contract administration activities with staff responsible for procuring and establish annual contracts of goods and services related to specific departmental needs. Monitor and track all established key performance indicators (KPIs) for each specialist to monitor workload and assure even distribution of engagement and support.

· Actively engage each stakeholder in the successful procurement by supporting the specialist in advertising solicitation in an open, competitive, fair and transparent Marketplace. Review major solicitations and contracts to ensure compliance and identify opportunities for improvement.

· Monitor each specialist workload, provide coaching, training, goal setting and job performance activities to assure the success of each specialist; to include recommendation for merit increases, training, retraining, discipline or up to termination surrounding employee performance.

Job requirements include:

· Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business or Public Administration, Business Law, Finance, Purchasing, or closely related field. Work Related

Experience:

· Minimum five (5) years progressively responsible experience in public purchasing, including supervisory responsibilities.

· Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Office 365, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.

· Proven high attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) or equivalent preferred. Must obtain the CPPO within four (4) years of being placed in this position.

· Considerable knowledge of modern principles and practices of largescale governmental procurement and supply-chain management and contract administration.

· Considerable knowledge of laws, policies and procedures governing public procurement. Considerable knowledge of contract law.

· Some knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of administration, organization, budget

· preparation, personnel management, supervision, training and development, financial administration and public relations.

· Some knowledge of cost accounting as it relates to price and cost analysis.

· Working skill in project and program management.

· Working skills with computers, including automated purchasing systems and common office software and productivity tools.

· Ability to develop effective and

This Voters Guide was prepared by the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund.  The League is a non-partisan organization and does not support or oppose any political party or candidate. Its purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government.

The Voters Guide listings are based entirely on material submitted by the candidates and is printed as submitted. If a questionnaire was not returned, only the candidate’s name and party is listed. Every candidate was asked to submit a photograph; those received are printed.

The guide lists all candidates in the April 23, 2024 primary election for President of the United States, US Senator, PA Attorney General, PA Auditor General, PA Treasurer, Representative in Congress, Senator in the General Assembly, Representative in the General Assembly.

The candidates are listed as they will appear on the ballot. The party of the governor is, by practice, given the first position on the ballot in Pennsylvania.

Study the guide and choose the candidates who you want to vote for. You may take the guide into the voting booth to help you. Nothing in this guide should be construed as an endorsement of any candidate by the League of Women Voters. Voters who are not sure if they are registered to vote should call the Allegheny County Division of Elections, 412-3504510. To find out what district you live in, call the Elections Division or the League of Women Voters Community Information Center, 412261-4284, or email info@ lwvpgh.org.

Voting in a Primary Election

To vote in this pri -

League of Women Voters Guide to Pennsylvania Primary Election

April 23, 2024

(Polls open from 7 AM to 8 PM)

mary election you must have been registered to vote by April 8, 2024.

Your registration is permanent if

• You did not change your address

• You did not change your name;

To check your registration status go to  https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/ voterregistrationstatus. aspx

Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Person’s’ Rights

Voters with criminal records are eligible to register and to vote:

• if they are not currently incarcerated on a felony charge, or

• if they are incarcerated but in pretrial status, or

• if they are incarcerated for a misdemeanor, or

• if they are on probation or released on parole.

Identification Requirements for New Voters

If you are a new voter or if you are voting at a polling place for the first time, then you must bring your voter ID card or a photo ID such as a driver’s license, student ID or some other form of Federal or State government issued ID.  Some forms of non-photo ID are also acceptable such as a firearm permit, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government check.  If

you do not have any acceptable ID, then you must be allowed to vote by provisional ballot. If you voted in the prior election and are voting at the same polling place, you are NOT required to bring or provide identification unless your signature in the pollbook is challenged.

Provisional Ballots

If your right to vote is challenged at the polls on Election Day and the problem cannot be resolved at the polling place, the Judge of Elections at the polling place should telephone the County Division of Elections. The problem could be resolved by phone if your name appears on the county records. If it does not and you want to try to resolve the problem, then you can go in person to the County Division of Elections where a judge from the Court of Common Pleas will be on duty to resolve election problems. Alternatively, you can ask for and vote by provisional ballot. Anyone may request a provisional ballot. If it is later determined that you were eligible to vote, your ballot will be counted. You will be given instructions on how to determine if your vote was counted.

Mail-in and Absentee Ballots

Mail-in ballot

Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-

in ballot. You may simply request this ballot type without a reason or excuse.  To apply online, go to vote.pa.gov. Contact the county election office to request a paper application. Applications for a mail-in ballot must be received by your county election office by 5 pm on April 16, 2024.  Completed mail-in ballots must be received by the Elections Division by 8 pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 to be counted (not postmarked by April 23rd as postmark does not matter).

Absentee Ballot

If you plan to be out of the municipality on election day or if you have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place on election day, you can simply use this ballot type, which still requires you to list a reason for your ballot request. Registered voters who are ill, disabled, or will be absent from the municipality on Election Day may vote by absentee ballot.  Completed APPLICATIONS for absentee ballots for the primary election must be received by the Elections Division by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the Elections Division by 8 pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 to be counted (not postmarked by April 23rd).

If you wish to dropoff your mail-in or absentee ballot rath -

Saturday, April 13, 9 am - 5 pm

Sunday, April 14, 11 am - 7 pm

Saturday, April 20, 9 am-5 pm

Sunday, April 21, 11 am-7 pm

Write-in Voting

Voters can also writein names to vote for people not listed on the ballot.  In addition to writing in a name, you must also fill the oval next to the written-in name.

er than sending it through the post, themain ballot drop location for Allegheny County is in the lobby of the County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue.

• This location is open to voters during regular business hours—8:30 am—4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. (Extended hours are usually announced two weeks before each election).

• Ballot request, ballot replacement, and over-the-counter voting are also available at this location once mailin ballots have been printed.

Allegheny County has announced 5 locations for Weekend Ballot Drop Off for the 2024 Primary. The locations are:

• Squirrel Hill Carnegie Library

• North Park Ice Rink

• South Park Ice Rink

• Boyce Park Four Seasons Lodge

• 911 Call Center—150 Hookstown Grade Road, Moon PA

• McKeesport—TBD

These locations will provide secure Ballot Drop Only. You cannot request a mail-in ballot or vote “over the counter” at these locations.

Ballot Drop locations will be open during the 2 weekends before Election Day.

Election Day Problelms

If your right to vote is challenged at the polls on Election Day and the problem cannot be resolved at the polling place, the Judge of Elections at the polling place should telephone the county Board of Elections. The problem could be resolved by phone if your name appears on the county records. If it does not and you want to try to resolve the problem, then you can go in person to the county Board of Elections where a judge from the Court of Common Pleas will be on duty to resolve election problems. Alternatively, you can ask for and vote by provisional ballot.  If it is later determined that you were eligible to vote, your ballot will be counted.  You will be given instructions on how to determine if your vote was counted.

If you have any questions or need to report any problems, call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-687-8683 or the Allegheny County Elections Division at 412-350-4500.

Voters Guide

On The Internet

This Voters Guide and other useful information for voters can be found on the League’s web site at www.lwvpgh.org or by going to www.vote411.org and clicking Find What’s on Your Ballot.

WHY VOTE the Whole Ballot in the 2024 Federal and State Elections??

When a President is on the ballot, about 60%-70% of eligible voters turn out. But voters may fail to vote for candidates “down-ballot” who are their state officials. This election will decide who will run our Federal and Pennsylvania governments.

If you sit out, SOMEONE ELSE will decide for you! VOTE!!!

Who has the Power? The President is responsible for the direction of the country, through the Administration and Presidential executive actions. But it’s the legislation passed by members elected to the US Congress and the PA General Assembly the legislators who can have a more direct impact on our lives!

CLAIM YOUR POWER!

Down-ballot in 2024, choose the best candidates for the US Congress. This election will decide what Federal laws are written on big issues like Taxes, Climate, Healthcare, Tech, Infrastructure, Voting Rights, Civil Rights, Immigration.

US Senator (1 of 2)

US Representatives for Pennsylvania (ALL 17 )

CLAIM YOUR POWER!

ISSUES, ISSUES, ISSUES!

What do YOU care about?

State officials make rules and laws about how Federal dollars are spent and write the laws that affect your everyday issues like elections, workers rights, reproductive rights, gun safety, taxes, education, and healthcare.

CLAIM YOUR POWER!

Warning! Between AI, foreign countries, and bad actors, voters will be flooded with misand disinformation like never before. Don’t let cynicism or thinking “they are all bad” stop you from your right to vote!

Vote411.org has nonpartisan candidate information you can trust!

CLAIM YOUR POWER!

But just as important in 2024 is voting for down-ballot PA government officials like the statewide officials and the PA General Assembly candidates.

PA Attorney General (1)

PA Auditor General (1)

PA Treasurer (1)

PA Senators (25 of 50)

PA Representatives (All 203)

CLAIM YOUR POWER!

In 2024, research all of the candidates on your ballot to find the candidates who have the power to positively impact your your life!

PRIMARY is APR 23rd

GENERAL is NOV 5th

CLAIM YOUR POWER VOTE!

FEDERAL AND STATE RACES

Apr 23, 2024 Primary © Copyright 2024 LWVPA-CEF

US PRESIDENT

Description of office: The President is: the head of state of the United States of America; the Chief Executive Officer; and, the Commander in Chief of all military forces. The powers of the President are prescribed in the Constitution and federal law. The President appoints the members of the Cabinet, ambassadors to other nations and the United Nations, Supreme Court Justices, and federal judges, subject to Senate approval. The President, along with the Cabinet and its agencies, is responsible for carrying out and enforcing the laws of the United States. The President may also recommend legislation to the United States Congress.

Term: Four years. Limit of two terms.

Base Salary: $400,000 per year.

Note: All candidates who will appear on your state’s ballot are listed below but only those that meet the following criteria were invited to respond to the League’s questions in this guide.

1. The candidate must have made a public announcement of her/his intention to run for her/his Party’s nomination for President; and,

2. The candidate must meet the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act’s minimum contribution threshold requirements for qualifying for matching funds, based on the most recent data publicly available on the Federal Elections Commission website.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

(Choose 1 of 2 for US President)

Joseph Biden

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

Campaign Website: http://joebiden.com/

Campaign Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joebiden

Campaign Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ joebiden/

Campaign Twitter: twitter.com/joebiden

Questions:

Q: What steps should be taken to address the high cost of living and depressed wages in America, including for families, people with disabilities, and people that are economically disadvantaged?

A: President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue to invest in the American people and fight to lower costs for families. They will continue working to eliminate junk fees and call on corporations with higher markups to pass savings onto consumers. President Biden and Vice President Harris are also pushing Congress to lower the cost of housing, lower prescription drug prices for more Americans, expand access to affordable, high-quality child care and long-term care, extend the enhanced Child Tax Credit, ensure access to paid family and medical leave for every American, make preK free and college more affordable, and more. Additional information can be found in this letter: http://tinyurl.com/BidenHarrisLetter

Q: What steps will you take to ensure all Americans have access to quality and affordable health care, including reproductive care and prescription drug coverage?

A: The Biden Administration is lowering prescription drug prices – President Biden was the first president to take on Big Pharma and win. He has capped the cost of insulin at $35 for seniors and finally allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices — starting with some of the costliest, most widely used drugs used to treat blood clots, cancers, diabetes and more. The Biden-Harris Administration is also defending in court a woman’s ability to access medication abortion, fighting to ensure that women receive the medical care they need in emergencies including miscarriages, working to protect the right to travel across state lines to access care, and strengthening privacy

protections for patients and doctors. http://tinyurl.com/BidenHarrisLetter

Q: What will you do to support an economy and job market that are strong and inclusive of all people?

A: President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office with a vision to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up—not the top down. They’re focused on an economy that builds more in America, invests in American workers, and promotes competition to lower costs – and their economic vision is working. Additional information can be found in this letter: http://tinyurl.com/BidenHarrisLetter

Q:  What are the most important steps you will take to create an accessible path to citizenship, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients?

A: President Biden and Vice President Harris are also using all the tools at their disposal to build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. While Donald Trump has repeatedly said that immigrants are poisoning the nation’s blood and is calling for an extreme immigration plan that would wreak havoc across communities while doing nothing to keep us safe, the Biden-Harris Administration has both increased legal pathways for migration and increased border enforcement. And, since Day One, President Biden has called on Congress to take action to build an orderly and humane immigration system. Additional information can be found in this letter: http://tinyurl.com/BidenHarrisLetter

Q: What measures do you support to expand voter access and restore trust in our elections?

A: As president, Joe Biden has made the defense, protection, and preservation of American democracy the central cause of his administration. This starts with strengthening and fighting for our democratic institutions and free and fair elections and President Biden is using every tool at his disposal to do so – including through an Executive Order directing all agencies to promote voting and voter registration, calling on Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to establish national baseline standards for access to the ballot. Additional information can be found in this letter: http://tinyurl.com/BidenHarrisLetter

Dean Phillips Campaign suspended, will remain on ballot Party: Dem

“The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill, is that of private citizen.”

- Louis Brandeis, American Lawyer and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Joseph Biden

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

(

Choose 1 of 2 for US President )

Nikki Haley

Campaign suspended, will remain on ballot

Party: Rep

Donald Trump

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

Campaign Website: http://www.donaldjtrump.com/

Campaign Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/

Campaign Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ realdonaldtrump/

Campaign Twitter: twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom

Questions:

Q: What steps should be taken to address the high cost of living and depressed wages in America, including for families, people with disabilities, and people that are economically disadvantaged?

A: - no response -

Q: What steps will you take to ensure all Americans have access to quality and affordable health care, including reproductive care and prescription drug coverage?

A: - no response -

Q: What will you do to support an economy and job market that are strong and inclusive of all people?

A: - no response -

Q: What are the most important steps you will take to create an accessible path to citizenship, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients?

A: - no response -

Q: What measures do you support to expand voter access and restore trust in our elections?

A: - no response -

US SENATOR

Description of office: The US Constitution prescribes that the Senate be composed of 100 members (two Senators from each state). One third of the total membership of the Senate is elected every two years. A Senator must be at least 30 years of age, a citizen of the United States for at least nine years and be a resident of the State from which s/he is chosen at the time of the election. Senators write and vote in favor of or against final bills and serve on various policy committees. The Senate has several exclusive powers not granted to the House including advice/consent on presidential nominations and treaties and conducting the trial of federal officials impeached by the House.

Term: 6 years

Salary: $174,000

Vote for ONE.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for US Senator

Robert P. Casey, Jr.

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Lackawanna

Occupation: U.S. Senator

Education: B.A. College of the Holy Cross and J.D.

Catholic University of America

Qualifications: Senator Bob Casey is one of Pennsylvania’s two sitting senators and has a record of delivering for Pennsylvanians. He has helped create thousands of good-paying jobs in the Commonwealth, lowered costs for families and seniors, secured our rights, and fought for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable.

Campaign Website: http://bobcasey.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/BobCaseyJr

X Handle: twitter.com/Bob_Casey

Instagram URL: www.instagram.com/bobcaseyjr/

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: I’m fighting for our rights, lower costs for working families, economic freedom for workers, and our country’s children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. I see each of these fights as critical for our country. I’ve supported legislation to defend democracy, protect a woman’s right to choose, and a worker’s right to organize. I’m holding big corporations accountable for greedflation and raising prices on working people while they rake in record profits. I’ve helped pass legislation that will create tens of thousands of new jobs in Pennsylvania and saved pensions for tens of thousands of workers. I also helped pass the PACT to provide care to veterans who have suffered aftering being exposed to toxic burn pits.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: I support increasing ethical standards in Washington and reducing conflicts of interest to hold government officials to the high standards that Americans expect of them. I’m an original co-sponsor of the For The People Act, which would increase restrictions on coordination between Super PACs and candidates. I also co-sponsored and helped pass the Stock Act, which banned members of Congress from trading stocks based on non-public information and I back efforts to stop members from trading stocks entirely. I believe all of these steps aimed at increasing transparency and accountability will help make our Congress work better for Americans. I will continue to fight for greater transparency in politics.

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: I am working hard to protect the fundamental right to vote from extreme MAGA Republicans across the country who are trying to erect new barriers to voting. I co-sponsored the Freedom to Vote Act to ensure every American can access the ballot box on an equal basis, including by setting minimum standards for early and mail voting, modernizing voter registration, and ending partisan gerrymandering. I am also an original co-sponsor of the John Lewis Votings Rights Advancement Act, which would ensure that voters in states with a history of voting rights violations have equal access to voting as all other Americans. In addition, I sponsored the Accessible Voting Act of 2021 to make it easier for seniors and those living with a disability to vote.

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

A: I believe we must protect our interests abroad with diplomatic engagement, working with allies, and foreign assistance, coupled with our national security apparatus. Our Nation is currently facing immense national security challenges, including competing with China, combating climate change alongside global allies, fighting terrorism, countering Russia’s aggression, supporting our ally in Israel and providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, and combating the threat of nuclear terrorism. I have worked to address these challenges as a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, where I have pursued a national security strategy that protects our interests, promotes human rights throughout the world, and supports those who serve our country.

NIKKI HALEY

DONALD TRUMP

ROBERT P. CASEY, JR.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for US Senator )

Dave McCormick

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://davemccormickpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/DaveMcCormickPA

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: - no response -

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

A: - no response –

PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL:

Description of office: The basic duties of the Attorney General, as outlined by the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, are to: serve as the Commonwealth’s chief law enforcement officer; collect all debts, taxes, and accounts due to the Commonwealth; represent the Commonwealth and all its agencies in any action brought by or against the Commonwealth; administer the provision relating to consumer protection laws; and represent the Commonwealth and its citizens in any action brought about for violation of the antitrust laws.

Term: 4 years

Salary: $197,748

Vote for ONE.

DEMOCRATIC

PRIMARY BALLOT:

(

Choose 1 of 5 for PA Attorney General)

Jack Stollsteimer

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Delaware

Occupation: District Attorney

Education: Temple University’s Beasley School of Law

Qualifications: District Attorney Delaware County

Campaign Website: http://jackforag.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/jack4ag

X Handle: twitter.com/jack4ag

Questions:

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

JACK STOLLSTEIMER

A: 1) Reducing gun violence in every community 2) Prosecuting wage theft and protect the right to collectively bargain 3) Protecting our environment and women’s reproductive rights.

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: As District Attorney, I see everyday people in our criminal justice system who are suffering from mental health challenges and substance use disorders. We need more resources to divert these people into programs that offer hope.

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

A: Inequality of resources will always be the primary challenge to ensuring equality under our laws.

Eugene DePasquale

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Attorney / Adjunct Professor

Education: BA from The College of Wooster (OH), an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh and a JD from Widener University School of Law.

Qualifications: Eugene DePasquale is the former two-term Auditor General of Pennsylvania. Prior to his tenure as Auditor General, Mr. DePasquale was a three-term member of the state General Assembly representing the 95th District.

Campaign Website: http://depasqualeforag.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/DePasqualePA

X Handle: twitter.com/DePasqualePA

Questions:

EUGENE DEPASQUALE

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

A: My top priorities are protecting our democracy, defending reproductive freedom, and protecting against corporate greed. Protecting our Democracy is the greatest task and potential crisis we face - which the Attorney General will be front and center on. Reproductive freedoms are under attack across the country. From when to choose not to have a family through abortion to when to choose to have a family through IVF treatments, I believe Pennsylvanians should have the freedom to make those decisions for themselves. As Attorney General, I will be your legal advocate against corporate greed. I will crack down on businesses and CEOs taking advantage of consumers and help defend workers from wage theft, stop price gouging, and close tax loopholes.

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: As Attorney General, I will work with law enforcement to protect our communities by investing in prevention tactics and holding those who threaten our safety accountable. I will work to restore trust between residents and local law enforcement to ensure our police can best serve and protect the Commonwealth.

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

A: There are so many places that we have challenges achieving equality under the law, including LGBTQ protections, the criminalization of addiction, and disparities in how the law treats people of different races and ethnicities. As Attorney General, I would enforce the law equally, but also advocate for changes in the law that gave Pennsylvanians greater protections from these inequalities.

“Please go out and vote this November. Too many people have died and sacrificed so much for us to have our voice, we have to use it. Get in formation. Use our voices to do something great for our children.”

- Beyoncé, American Singer

Joe Khan

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Bucks

Occupation: Attorney

Education: I’m a proud graduate of Philadelphia public schools (and now a proud Central Bucks School District dad). I earned my undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College before attending the University of Chicago School of Law, where Professor Barack Obama helped guide me on a path of public service.

Qualifications: I am the most experienced prosecutor running, having served 10 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and 6 years in the Philadelphia DA’s Office. I also have the strongest record on civil justice and won statewide recognition for defending our rights and battling corruption as Bucks County Solicitor.

Campaign Website: http://joekhan.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/JoeKhanforPA

X Handle: twitter.com/JoeKhanEsq

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/joekhan252

Questions:

General, I’ll challenge powerful interests, from corporate polluters to predatory lenders. My top priorities will include protecting access to vital services like healthcare and housing, ensuring financial stability by holding accountable those engaging in predatory practices, and tackling crimes committed in boardrooms, such as illegal gun distribution and pharmaceutical companies’ false advertising. I am committed to being the people’s lawyer, advocating for fairness, justice, and the well-being of all.

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: Addressing the challenges within the Pennsylvania criminal justice system requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. As Attorney General, I will actively combat racial disparities, advocating for equitable law enforcement practices and enhanced legal representation, drawing from my experience as a public defender. Improving post-conviction review processes and advancements in forensic science standards to mitigate the risk of wrongful convictions. Tackling inadequate legal representation involves bolstering public defender resources and exploring innovative approaches. Comprehensive reform for overcrowded prisons, enhancing reentry programs, and fostering positive community-police relations through transparency and accountability.

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

A: Aside from ensuring that the Attorney General’s Office continues to promote public safety in all 67 counties, we will have three immediate priorities on Day One. First, we will need to protect Pennsylvanians from attacks on our rights, including reproductive rights and the right to vote, which will be under assault from a battery of legal challenges by election deniers in January 2025. Second, we will create Pennsylvania’s first-ever Housing Justice Unit to ensure that the Attorney General’s Office is doing its part to address the housing crisis. Third, we will reimagine the Environmental Crimes Unit as an Environmental Justice Unit to use the awesome power of our office broadly to enforce our constitutional right to a safe environment.

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: Bias is the throughline between so many of our most pressing issues. As Attorney General, I’ll tackle these problems by leveraging my expertise and credibility as a prosecutor, starting with our justice system’s inconsistent treatment of victims of offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence and hate crimes. I’ll also provide a model for best practices and priorities on issues like bail, forfeiture, and diversion, where my success will provide templates for legislative reform. I’ll root out police corruption across the state and change the culture of cronyism that flourishes in too many DA’s Offices. And I will be fearless in using my role on the Board of Pardons to right wrongs that occurred in the past.

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

A: In my experience, the scales of justice don’t balance themselves. The extreme rollback of our rights by the radical majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is a reminder that our system of justice is only as good as the people in it. As a prosecutor, I fought for justice as an advocate for vulnerable communities – and usually had to push against gravitational pulls to ensure that the law was being applied fairly and equally. Every lawsuit I filed against a big corporation was an uphill battle to get justice for the vulnerable. And when I’ve defended our rights, it’s been against forces with much more resources. Fighting for equality is hard work, and the setbacks can be discouraging. We just need to stick together and continue the fight.

Keir Bradford-Grey

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Philadelphia

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BA- Albany State University; JD- Ohio Northern University Pettit School of Law

Qualifications: As both a federal and Chief Defender, I’ve pioneered legal theories for equal protection, transforming the state’s largest public defender association into a community defender. I also bring effective administrative skills and unmatched expertise in improving systems and delivering just outcomes.

Campaign Website: http://keirforag.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/keirforpa

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/keirforpa

Questions:

A: One fundamental challenge is systemic discrimination, deeply rooted in various institutions. Overcoming this requires comprehensive reforms, including in education, employment, and housing, to dismantle discriminatory practices. Additionally, disparities in economic opportunities and healthcare also contribute to unequal outcomes, highlighting the need for policies addressing these socio-economic factors. As Attorney General, my commitment is to address these challenges holistically, advocating for policies that promote economic justice, combat systemic racism, and ensure equitable access to education and healthcare-this includes reproductive health and abortion access.

Jared Solomon

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Philadelphia

Occupation: State Representative and JAG Attorney in PA National Guard

Education: Swarthmore College and Villanova Law

Qualifications: Securities and Antitrust Attorney, Community Organizer, State Representative, Chair of Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, lifetime 100% voting scorecard from Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates Campaign Website: http://jaredsolomon.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/JaredSolomonPA

X Handle: twitter.com/JaredGSolomon

JARED SOLOMON

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/jaredgsolomon/

Questions:

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

A: 1. Abortion and personal health care decisions are between a woman and her doctor, not politicians. As Attorney General, Jared will always protect and defend women’s access to abortion in PA. 2. The right to vote is the fundamental right from which all other rights flow. As Attorney General, Jared will work tirelessly to ensure that all Pennsylvanians can exercise their Constitutional right to the ballot box in free and fair elections. 3. As AG, Jared would work with the legislature to finally bring commonsense gun reforms to PA, including stronger red-flag laws, a ban on assault weapons, expanded background checks, and shutting the ghost gun loophole. Jared will take on the gun lobby, reckless gun retailers, and ghost gun manufacturers.

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: As Attorney General, Jared would support investment in training and a return of policing in our cities to pre-pandemic engagement with communities so that officers have sectional integrity in all they do and get to know the schools, churches, and businesses within their sector. Each officer needs to build connections within the community they are policing, helping with investigative work and doing preventive policing instead of reactive policing. Similarly, we must rebrand what it means to be a member of the police force in PA with a massive public-service campaign that resonates with the best and brightest of this next generation to uplift our communities from within our communities.

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

A: Throughout my career, I have pushed the envelope to advance the principles of the law so that they are applicable to our current societal norms and needs. As Attorney

A: The primary challenge to achieving equality under the law is the outsized influence of special interests who put padding their pocket above protecting Pennsylvanians. These special interests are at every turn: out-of-state land -

JOE KHAN

KEIR BRADFORD-GREY

gun retailers and ghost gun manufacturers, corporate polluters and frackers to name a few. We need an Attorney General who will take on special interests, political power-brokers, and corporate cheats so that regular hard-working Pennsylvanians have a government that works for them. That’s why we need an AG with Jared’s record of taking on corporate greed as an antitrust and securities attorney, and of taking on Harrisburg as a State Rep.

Party: Dem

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for PA Attorney General)

Dave Sunday

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: York

Campaign Website: http://davesundayforag.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/DaveSundayforDistrictAttorney

Questions:

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

A: - no response -

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

A: - no response -

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Delaware

Craig Williams

Campaign Website: http://craigwilliamsforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/williamsPA160th

Questions:

Q: What are your top three priorities to address as Attorney General?

A: - no response -

Q: What specific challenges does the Pennsylvania criminal justice system face, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What do you see as the primary challenges to achieving equality under the law?

PENNSYLVANIA AUDITOR GENERAL

Description of office: The principal role of the Auditor General is to determine whether state funds are being used in accordance with the purpose and guidelines that govern each use of the Commonwealth’s dollars. The Auditor General conducts financial and performance audits of individuals, state agencies, and organizations that receive state funds, including school districts, state liquor stores, and public employee pension funds. These audits are designed to measure how effectively government programs are using public money to meet their stated goals and objectives. The office performs more than 6,000 audits each year and is responsible for auditing all Pennsylvania state programs that are allocated federal funds.

Term : 4 years

Salary : $197,748

Vote for ONE.

“The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”

- Abraham Lincoln, Former U.S. President

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for Justice of PA Auditor General)

Malcolm Kenyatta

Biographical Info:

County: Philadelphia

Occupation: State Representative

Education: B.A. in Public Communications and a minor in Political Science from Temple University, M.S. in Strategic and Digital Communications from Drexel University, and completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executives in State and Local Government program

Qualifications: He is a memeber of State Government Committee with oversight of state agencies and elections, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Government Operations; Chair of Automation and Technology in the Commerce Committee; and as a member of the Finance and Judiciary committees

Campaign Website: http://malcolmkenyatta.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/malcolmkenyatta

X Handle: twitter.com/malcolmkenyatta

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/malcolmkenyatta

Questions:

Q: What improvements, if any, would you make to the Auditor General’s office?

A: As Auditor General, I will rebuild the bureau of school audits, restart the annual compliance audits ended by the current Auditor General, and demand accountability from all our schools — including cyber charter schools. I will stand up for our workers by creating the first ever Bureau of Labor and Worker Protections and use the power of the office to take on wage theft, employee misclassification, and union busting. I will use the office to measure and support efforts to make communities healthier and safer. We need transparency on how huge hospital nonprofits and long-term care providers use state dollars.

Q: How can you make the work of the Auditor General’s office more transparent to the public?

A: I’m running for Auditor General because it’s time for the underdog to be a watchdog for Pennsylvania’s working families. To ask the tough questions, to help reimagine and streamline government, and to help build the coalitions to fix what’s wrong. It’s what I’ve done as a State Representative for nearly five years, working to protect workers’ rights, enact common-sense gun safety policies, and root out government corruption and waste. We deserve a government that works for working families. That starts with being serious about fixing what’s broken. And it means having an Auditor General who isn’t afraid to stand up for those too often forgotten by our government.

“We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”

- Thomas Jefferson, Former U.S. President and Founding Father of the U.S.

MALCOLM KENYATTA

Mark Pinsley

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Lehigh

Occupation: Lehigh County Controller

Education: Northeastern University (BSBA); Indiana University: Kelley School of Business (MBA)

Qualifications: Lehigh County Controller (2020-); DermaMed Solutions: President (2011-)

Campaign Website: http://votemarkpinsley.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/VoteMarkPinsley

X Handle: twitter.com/mpinsley

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/markpinsley/

Questions:

Q: What improvements, if any, would you make to the Auditor General’s office?

MARK PINSLEY

A: The Auditor General is an often-overlooked position and yet has immense power in influencing government. Just as I have as Lehigh County Controller, I will use the full powers of the position to audit for impact. As Auditor General, I vow to divest funds from anti-choice companies, as I did with Wells Fargo in Lehigh Co; audit the state healthcare system where there are hundreds of millions of dollars wasted by price-gouging insurance companies, as I did in Lehigh Co; reveal misdiagnosis of medical child abuse, saving children from wrongful separation, as I did in Lehigh Co; report on the economic costs of underfunding our schools and recommend fair funding; create a wage theft hotline for union workers to report wage theft to my office.

Q: How can you make the work of the Auditor General’s office more transparent to the public?

A: The Auditor General position is not known because, for decades, it was improperly used or underutilized. As Auditor General, I will audit to impact Pennsylvanians. Every single dollar and cent spent by the Commonwealth impacts Pennsylvanians. My job will be to show just how that is the case--how workforce development programs are working, how the state can increase funding for public schools, how Pennsylvanians could have more access to adequate healthcare, how Crisis Pregnancy Centers incur costs on taxpayers and women’s health, how Pennsylvania can have a smooth and just transition to green energy with good union jobs. The Auditor General’s office’s role is transparency, and it must be shown with audits that change policy.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA Auditor General)

Tim DeFoor

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Dauphin

Occupation: Auditor General

Education: Associate degree in paralegal studies from Harrisburg Area Community College. University of Pittsburgh- Bachelor’s degree in psychology and earned a second Bachelor’s degree in sociology and history. Master’s in project management from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Qualifications: Dauphin County Controller from 2016 to 2020. Elected Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2020. Over 30 years of experience as a Special Investigator with Pennsylvania’s Office of Inspector General, as a Special Agent with Pennsylvania’s Attorney General and in the private sector and federal government.

Campaign Website: http://defoor4pa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/DeFoor4PA

Questions:

PENNSYLVANIA STATE TREASURER

Description of office: The duty of the Pennsylvania Treasurer is to safeguard the Commonwealth’s financial assets, which total more than $160 billion in public monies. The office manages several programs in order to better serve the financial needs of Pennsylvanians. The Treasury Department is also responsible for: reuniting unclaimed property with its rightful owner; investigating loss, theft, and fraud involving Commonwealth checks; reviewing real estate leases and contracts entered into by Commonwealth agencies; and maintaining the Pennsylvania contracts electronic library. The Treasurer has specific duties in addition to the oversight of the Department: serving as chair of the Board of Finance and Revenue, which selects banks to serve as depositories for state money; setting interest rates paid on Commonwealth deposits; and hearing and deciding state tax appeals.

Term: 4 years

Salary: $197,748 Vote for ONE.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for PA Treasurer )

Ryan Bizzarro

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Erie

Occupation: State Representative

Education: B.A. - Masters in Public Policy

Qualifications: 10 years experience in state budgeting process and deep connections in the legislature to implement new programs.

Campaign Website: http://teambizzpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/RyanForPA

X Handle: twitter.com/RyanBizzarro

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/RyanBizzarro/

Q: What improvements, if any, would you make to the Auditor General’s office?

A: Under Tim’s leadership, the Auditor General’s office has focused on transforming the office in various ways, which include: how the Department recruits and retains employees; how it audits, making the work more efficient and effective for the taxpayers; and how it is building the next generation, focusing on the need for financial literacy education to be taught across the entire Commonwealth through the ‘Be Money Smart’ initiative.

Q: How can you make the work of the Auditor General’s office more transparent to the public?

A: Tim has transformed and improved how the Auditor General’s office conducts public and charter school audits to ensure that administrators and school boards are accountable and transparent with taxpayer dollars.

Questions:

Q: What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?

A: As Treasurer I will create two new programs.

IMPACT PA which will leverage our impressive investment ability to grow communities right here in PA focusing on communities impacted by lack of available capital, environmental injustice, and decades of disinvestment. Investstructure PA will focus on infrastructure investment and leverage public private partnerships to rebuild our infrastructure and retain and attract families to settle here. I will also modernize the unclaimed property program, making it more transparent and accessible and launching a statewide education campaign to connect more Pennsylvanians with their money.

Q: How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?

A: When I’m Treasurer, I’ll restore integrity to the office, do my part to protect our democratic institutions from extremist officeholders, and I will do the work. I will start by publishing all information on the performance of Treasury, not just the information from my term which is all that can be found now. As the people’s treasurer, I will bring them closer to the treasurer’s office and make it more accessible to all Pennsylvanians. My plan will shift resources from Harrisburg to establish new regional offices across the commonwealth. We will invest in new technology to make treasury programs more widely available and accessible to people from the palm of their hands with a smartphone or from their home computer.

RYAN BIZZARRO

Party: Dem

Erin McClelland

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Process Improvement Consultant

Education: BS Psychology & Economics, MS Psychology

Qualifications: Founded and ran a small business, Spent a year training on process improvement and organizational problem solving under former US Treasury Secretary O’Neill, 9 years doing process improvement for government systems in Allegheny County Campaign Website: http://erinmcclelland.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/ErinforPA

Questions:

Q: What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?

ceived a “C” rating for transparency. That’s unacceptable, so I immediately went to work improving transparency at all levels. I added many new features to the Transparency Portal on Treasury’s website, making it easier for people to see our state’s expenditures, revenue, and budget. I added county-level data for all of Treasury’s programs, and I revamped the Fiscal Health Scorecard which allows people to easily compare Pennsylvania’s fiscal performance to other states.

US REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS

A: I would expand the information you could see in the database of state contracts, including searching vendors by union/non-union as well as women and minority-owned businesses. I will provide a recommended vendor list that complies with US trade policies for fulfilling state purchases such as ensuring we are not purchasing from companies that use slave labor, child labor, or conflict-mined materials. I would not invest in foreign holdings and would reinstate the pension investment standards that existed before pension de-regulation in 2003.

Q: How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?

A: Transparency is a word that is thrown around loosely in politics. However, it is only truly achieved if it is demonstrated at times when it is inconvenient and when we make mistakes. Elected officials identifying errors in the interest of improving performance rarely happens. That must change. The current Treasurer’s Asset report only states what is going well. It does not identify opportunities for improvement. I would let the taxpayers know where I think we could improve or mistakes we may have made, the cause of the mistake and the correction. I also hope to move toward incorporating ESG (environmental, sustainability, governance) ratings into investment standards if that rating should be established as a viable measure.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA Treasurer )

Stacy Garrity

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Bradford

Occupation: Pennsylvania State Treasurer

Education: Bachelor of Science in Finance/ Minor in Economics Bloomsburg University | Certificate Cornell University Business Management Institute

Qualifications: Thirty-year decorated member of the U.S. Army Reserve with three deployments to the Middle East including a Battalion command | 34 years in private sector manufacturing, retiring as one of the first female vice presidents of Global Tungsten & Powders, an international refractory metals co.

Campaign Website: http://garrityforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/GarrityForPA

X Handle: twitter.com/@garrityforPA

STACY GARRITY

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/stacyforpa?igsh=emNxbnkwMWpxZzJ2

Questions:

Q: What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?

A: I will build on the progress made during my time in office. Since January 2021, I’ve worked with my bipartisan team at the Treasurer’s office to set a new record for returning unclaimed property (more than $274 million in a single year, and more than $600 million altogether), to earn the first-ever Gold Rating from Morningstar for our PA 529 College & Career Program (making it one of the top two programs in the nation), and to nearly triple the assets in the PA ABLE savings program for people with disabilities (to over $115 million). I will continue cutting fees for both of Treasury’s savings programs: PA 529 (so far, I’ve saved account owners more than $11 million) and PA ABLE (so far, I’ve cut fees three times).

Q: How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?

A: Transparency is a core principal under my watch. Every dollar that comes to Treasury, and every dollar paid out, belongs to the taxpayers. They deserve to see exactly what’s happening with their money. Before I took office, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department re-

Description of office: The US Constitution requires that the House of Representatives be composed of Representatives from each state, elected in proportion to population. There are 435 members of the House of Representatives, with 17 Representatives allotted to Pennsylvania after the 2020 census. A US Representative must be at least 25 years old, have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years, and be a resident of the state they seek to represent at the time of the election (though not necessarily the same district). The House of Representatives is responsible for introducing and voting on bills, resolutions and amendments, and for approving the budget. Representatives also serve on various policy committees. The House may send Articles of Impeachment of elected officials to the Senate and elects the President if there is a tie in the Electoral College.

Term: 2 years

Salary: $174,000

Vote for ONE.

US REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS - DISTRICT 12

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for Representative in Congress - District 12 )

Summer Lee

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: American politician who is the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district

Education: I graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2009 and earned a Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law Qualifications: In 2022, I was the first Black woman from my region elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 12th district. I secured $1 Billion in federal investments for Western PA, which will improve our infrastructure & transit and create thousands of union jobs. I also have leadership positions in many caucuses.

Campaign Website: http://summerforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/SummerForPA

X Handle: twitter.com/RepSummerLee

Instagram

Questions:

URL: http://www.instagram.com/summerleeforpa/

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: Throughout our nation’s history, we have never delivered on the promises of democracy. The legacy of slavery has carried on through gerrymandering and voter suppression, and democracy reform is the root of all issues we face today. Our region suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the nation. Environmental justice is one of our most pressing issues, which is why I’ve fought for a Green New Deal to transition to a renewable energy economy. Every child also deserves access to a firstrate, free public education despite their background. Right-wing extremists on the Supreme Court have gutted our right to abortion care. Congress must do everything in its power to restore our fundamental freedom to control our bodies and our futures.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: I believe that we should end the filibuster, a tool used by segregationist Senators to oppose civil rights legislation, that stands in the way of progress today. We need to ban members of Congress from trading stocks because they should not be profiting off access to closed-door information about the companies they should be regulating. Members of Congress who trade stocks have a clear conflict of interest — they need to work for the people they represent, not for their own portfolios. I also want to enforce real ethics requirements, end lifetime appointments, and expand the federal courts

ERIN MCCLELLAND

SUMMER LEE

so that right-wing extremists can’t sell our freedoms to the highest bidder. As I said, we also need to get money out of politics more fundamentally.

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: I support the Freedom to Vote Act, which improves access to the ballot for Americans, advances commonsense federal election standards and campaign finance reforms, and strengthens our democracy. I’ve also cosponsored the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023 to protect voting rights against attacks by Republican state legislatures and right wing judges by revitalizing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and strengthening legal protections against discriminatory voting policies and practices. By improving access to the ballot and passing legislation against discriminatory voting practices, we can protect voting rights for citizens all across the nation and make elections fair and free.

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

A: We are a pro-peace office that believes the United States has a crucial role in the world. The United States must be a global leader in fighting climate change, promoting global economic justice, and creating a more peaceful and just world for all.

Bhavini Patel

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Previously: Allegheny County Community Outreach Manager; Currently: Edgewood Borough Council

Education: University of Pittsburgh (BPhil International Area Studies, Sociology, Africana Studies); University of Oxford (MPhil International Relations)

Qualifications: Edgewood Borough Councilperson, Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Advisory Board, 2020 Democratic National Convention Joe Biden Delegate, Monroeville Rotarian, FBI Citizens Academy Graduate, Pitt MA of Quantitative Economics Program Board, Pitt Alumni Association Board, Sustainable PGH Board

Campaign Website: http://patelforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/PatelForPA

X Handle: twitter.com/patelforpa

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/patelforpa/

Questions:

tional community?

A: In our interconnected world, challenges such as supply chain dependencies with China and the need for domestic semiconductor manufacturing are economic and national security issues. It’s important to strengthen our domestic capabilities to ensure economic resilience and technological growth, while also competing effectively on the global stage. I support aid for Ukraine and Israel, alongside humanitarian aid for regions like Gaza and the West Bank. The support for aid has been met with opposition from some within our party, notably from more ‘fringe’ members. I believe it’s crucial to deliver on America’s commitment to global stability and democracy. This underpins our strategic alliances and moral obligations on the international stage.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

James Hayes

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Chief Financial Officer

Education: B.S.F.S., International Economics, Georgetown Univ.; M.P.A., Economics and Policy, Princeton Univ.; M.B.A., Finance and Accounting, Univ. of Chicago; D.B.A., Management, Case Western Reserve Univ.

Qualifications: Accomplished business leader with extensive international business development, risk management, marketing, financial analysis, and strategic planning experience. Progressive leadership roles at prominent organizations, focusing on driving business growth and collaboration.

Campaign Website: http://jameshayesforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/jameshayesforpa

X Handle: twitter.com/jameshayesforpa

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: We must mobilize to reelect President Joe Biden and Senator Bob Casey. We have zero margin for error and democracy depends on it. Being anti-Trump is not the same as being pro-Biden. We must champion the work President Biden has done with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, CHIPS and Sciences Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I would have represented PA-12 by voting in favor of raising the debt ceiling in July 2023 because voting records are an important reflection of the electorate. Our fundamental freedoms depend on 2024, including advocating for reproductive justice, protecting our LGBTQ+ communities, holding big corporations accountable, and ending systemic racism.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: I grew up in a working-class family and believe in the power of the American Dream - we must protect it. I was raised by a single-mother from India, who dreamed of a better future for my brother and I. She became a small-business owner when she opened a food truck on Pitt’s campus - my family has been running this business for 25 years. I became the first in my family to graduate from college by attending Pitt and earned my Master’s from Oxford. Democracy is fragile and fringe extremism erodes the ability to deliver on the very issues uplifting working-class communities. To hold onto the promise of our shared American Dream requires uplifting diverse voices, building on collaboration and rejecting extremism. We have zero margin for error.

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: Our elections must reflect the values of Americans and not big corporations. I’m committed to fighting to restore and protect the fundamental right to vote attacked by Republican legislators all across the nation. We must fight back against Republicans committed to disenfranchising communities of color, low-income people and individuals with disabilities. I will fight restrictive voter ID laws and closures of polling places that disproportionately impact low-income communities and college campuses. I’m committed to investing in modernized voting infrastructure to protect against cyber threats, increase funding for election administration and so much more. Americans should not have to wait long hours to exercise the power of their vote.

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the interna-

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: 1. Loss of control of the southern border. I believe that the U.S. House’s HR2 needs to become law so that the asylum loopholes are closed and there are meaningful and effective controls at the border. 2. Restoring energy independence/dominance. Congress should eliminate the restrictions placed on the energy industry, including restoring strategic pipeline infrastructure. We need permitting reform to remove the delay and uncertainty plaguing new projects and the industry needs to be free to grow while respecting environmental rules. 3. Education reform. It isn’t fair that a zip code determines the quality of education a child receives. We need to implement School Choice to allow the funds to follow the child.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: I think that Congress functions exactly how the Founding Fathers intended. There are legitimate policy differences between the two major parties and Congress provides a forum for these differences to be debated, developed into a consensus position and passed into law. It isn’t meant to be easy and shouldn’t be because the outcomes impact the lives of so many.

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: I believe that it is not too much to ask for voters to be required to provide a photo ID when they go to vote. This requirement exists for many less important things that we do in our daily lives. I think a photo ID requirement would go a long way to reassure voters that only legitimate votes will be cast and counted. In general I would support any measure that creates more transparency in the process between when a vote is cast and when it is counted and recorded. Such measures can included improved cyber and physical security for the voting process.

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

A: I believe that the constitution establishes a contract between the Government and the people of the USA. That contract is for those who are public servants to advocate for the interests of our country. The role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community should be to always work toward ensuring the safety and prosperity of our nation’s citizens.

BHAVINI PATEL

( Choose 1 of 1 for Representative in Congress - District 12 )

JAMES HAYES

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for Representative in Congress - District 17 )

Chris Deluzio

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Attorney

Education: U.S. Naval Academy, Georgetown Law

Qualifications: Iraq War veteran, Voting rights attorney, union organizer

Campaign Website: http://chrisforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/ChrisforPA

X Handle: twitter.com/chrisforpa

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: - no response -

spective districts during their terms of service. The Senate develops budget packages, makes taxation decisions, allocates spending, and passes laws (including redistricting in collaboration with the House of Representatives). In addition, the Senate tries officials impeached by the House and authorizes executive appointments. Senators serve on various policy committees that may propose legislation. There are no term limits to this office.

Term: 4 years

Salary: $106,422

Vote for ONE.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE SENATORS - DISTRICT 37

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Senator - District 37 )

Nicole Ruscitto

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Public School Teacher

Education: California University Undergraduate Degree in Education; Duquesne University Master’s Degree in Secondary Education

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: - no response -

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

A: - no response -

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for Representative in Congress - District 17 )

Rob Mercuri

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://robmercuri.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/Mercuri4PA

X Handle: twitter.com/Mercuri4PA

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

A: - no response -

Qualifications: Educator, coach, and mom. 27 year veteran of the Public School system. Served on the Jefferson Hills Borough Council.

Campaign Website: http://nicoleforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/NicoleRuscittoforPA

X Handle: twitter.com/nicole_ruscitto

Questions:

ROB MERCURI

Q: How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

A: - no response -

PENNSYLVANIA STATE SENATORS

Description of office: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of government in Pennsylvania. It is composed of two houses: the Senate is the upper house, and the House of Representatives is the lower house. A majority vote in both houses is necessary to pass a law. The PA Senate consists of 50 members, representing one district each, with an equal number of constituents. Senators must be at least 25 years old, have been a citizen and a resident of the state four years and a resident of their respective districts one year before their election, and shall reside in their re-

NICOLE RUSCITTO

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: 1. Access to Health Care & Reproductive Freedom: I would address these issues by supporting measures to ensure access to affordable, quality healthcare and mental health care. 2. The Economy: I would take a number of measures to help those who are struggling to make ends meet, including addressing the rising cost of living by raising the minimum wage, strengthening prevailing wage protections, and protecting workers rights (strengthening unions, paid sick and family leave and public sector OSHA). 3. Public Education: I would push for full and fair funding of public schools, raising educators and education support staff minimum wage, fight vouchers and oppose state funding of failing/unaccountable private charter schools.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Ensuring that democracy is open to all in Pennsylvania is incredibly important to me. I support open primaries, same-day registration, better funded County Elections Departments, permitting pre-canvassing and protecting mail-in-ballots.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: As a career public educator from a family of public educators, I am uniquely positioned to advance policies that ensure full and fair funding for public schools. I would oppose vouchers and support policies that prohibit the expansion of cyber charter schools. I would also support policies that ensure that charter schools need to be held to the same standards as traditional, brick and mortar public schools. I would also support the use of tax dollars to fund public schools.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: A woman’s healthcare choices should be between her and her doctor—bottom line. That’s why I support policies that would ensure comprehensive access to reproductive healthcare services, including expanding access to contraception, abortion services, and maternal health resources. In addition, I would support removing the onerous hurdles that the Abortion Control Act puts on access to abortions.

CHRIS DELUZIO

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

Devlin Robinson

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Senator

Education: Robert Morris University - Bachelor of Science, Business Administration | University of Pittsburgh—Master of Business Administration

Qualifications: United States Marine Corps

Campaign Website: http://devlinforsenate.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/DevlinRobinsonPA

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

Party: Dem

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Senator - District 43 )

Jay Costa, Jr.

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Senator, attorney

Education: Associate’s degree, CCAC; B.A., IUP; J.D., Duquesne Law School

Qualifications: Deputy Sheriff in Allegheny County, Register of Wills, previous terms

Campaign Website: http://jaycosta.org

Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/jaycostapa

X Handle: twitter.com/jaycostapa

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/jaycostapa

A: On a macro-level, Pennsylvania faces the challenges of many mid-Atlantic states: population stagnation, a flat economy for the vital manufacturing sector, and a general loss of confidence in government’s capacity to address these issues. We still lose too many of our youth to sunbelt states because of an insufficient number of opportunities for meaningful careers. Addressing these issues will require a concerted focus by Pennsylvania’s leaders, including a commitment to economic development that has been hit-or-miss because of special interest agendas. We must embrace our energy sector and encourage new businesses by establishing consistent policies when it comes to regulation and taxation.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Pennsylvania has detailed and workable election laws and regulations. The problem has been bureaucrats at the state level who treat clearly written laws as mere advisories. From disregarding the law governing mail-in ballots to failing to advertise Constitutional Amendments in order to get them on the ballot, Pennsylvania has been ill-served by the office of Secretary of the Commonwealth. Simply put, we have the laws in place. We have only to honor them.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: Pennsylvania already is among the highest spending states, per pupil, when it comes to educational subsidy. The inequity exists at the local level, where property taxes—mostly on homeowners—provide the difference when it comes to school funding. We must find a proper way to equalize funding without causing tremendous increases in taxes on homeowners. I remain committed to seeing that the working families of the 37th District are not taxed out of their homes because of Harrisburg’s failure to meet funding obligations.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I see no pressing need to change current laws governing abortion in Pennsylvania. Our priority should be to support women across Pennsylvania, not change settled law. Protecting women means supporting compassionate exceptions for abortions like in the cases of rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother. Protecting women means defending the decision to use IVF as a means of family planning with no political strings attached. Elected officials must always remember the important core responsibilities of governing, protecting the people you serve, leading by example, and following the law, and in this case that means not overstepping into the relationship between a woman and her doctor.

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: I believe that adequately and equitably funded schools are the most important issue we are looking at now in the state legislature. The courts ruled that our current system is unconstitutionally unfair and we have to fix it soon. We owe high quality schools filled with well-paid teachers to every child in this state, regardless of where they’re born. I also believe national attacks on reproductive freedom are a major concern, and we as a state need to remain a bulwark against abortion bans.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I believe that we should have same day registration so that folks can decide to participate in our elections with no hurdles. I’d like to see more funding to counties to better compensate poll workers, which will also allow us to recruit more people into that important role. I want counties to be permitted, clearly and legally, to pre canvass ballots and remedy simple errors—like a wrong date or missing signature. No one should be silenced on a technicality.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I support the recommendations of the commission, and I stand firmly against siphoning off public education dollars to private schools through voucher programs that fund unaccountable (and many unsuccessful) private schools.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I believe that the Abortion Control Act provides the right to abortion very clearly, but there are some adjustments that can make abortion more accessible - like the reduction of some administrative hurdles to care, and expanding the ability to practice abortion care beyond just physicians.

“The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill, is that of private citizen.” -Louis

DEVLIN ROBINSON

JAY COSTA, JR.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE SENATOR—DISTRICT 45

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for PA State Senator - District 45

Makenzie White

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Social Worker

Education: Bachelors in Social Work, Masters in Social Work, Masters in Public Health

Qualifications: Social Worker, Community Organizer, Public Health Professional

Campaign Website: http://makenzieforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/profile.

php?id=61550904238535

X Handle: twitter.com/Makenzieforpa

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/makenzieforpa/

Questions:

tion issues and change that so as we bring in more funding we ensure we don’t make the same mistakes.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: We must work quickly to codify and enshrine abortion rights here in PA. Abortion is healthcare, and a lack of access to abortion will only lead to unnecessary deaths as a result from unsafe abortions being performed. These deaths have also been shown to disproportionately affect rural communities and communities of color, where maternal mortality rates are already too high. The same protections should be applied in any attempts to restrict abortion access in the future. Things like mandatory waiting periods, unnecessary regulations on providers, or bans on certain types of procedures or medications only serve to harm our most vulnerable populations across the commonwealth.

Nick Pisciottano

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Current State Representative; Accountant

Education: Washington & Jefferson College - BA

Accounting, BA History; Johns Hopkins University

—MA Data Analytics & Policy

Qualifications: State Representative for HD38 since 2020; Allegheny County House Delegation Chair since 2022; Auditor at a Global Big 4 Accounting Firm 2012 - 2020

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: The most pressing issues I see Pennsylvanians facing include climate and environmental justice concerns, disparities in our public education system, affordable housing, accessing quality mental and physical health services especially for those on assistance, economic inequality, protecting abortion and reproductive rights, and disability justice.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I support moves taken by Governor Shapiro recently on automatic voter registration as well as Allegheny County adding ballot drop off locations. I would also advocate for same day voter registration, preventing voter ID requirements, and protecting mail in ballot voting. Additionally, I would like to see the restoration of voting rights to those released from prison and even expanding voting rights where possible to more of those within prison.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: It has been clear long before this court ruling that our communities of color have suffered the most from the critical underfunding of our public education system in PA. This court ruling gives us an unprecedented opportunity to correct this imbalance, but we cannot be satisfied with simply increasing funding, we must seek to ensure we center the communities that have been disproportionately affected by the lack of funding and have been locked into underfunded school districts by racist red-lining policies. It is not enough to bring more funding into the system, we also must address the current alloca -

Campaign Website: http://nickforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/nickforpa

X Handle: twitter.com/pisciottanopa

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/nickpisciottano

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Education is critical and my top priority. Our state is in the bottom quarter when it comes to per-student funding, and we pass the buck to local school boards who are forced to make up the difference. This has become such a big problem that Pennsylvania’s court system has ordered a systemic evaluation of our public school system and determined that we chronically underfund our schools. In addition, I will continue to advocate for policies that result in fully funded schools, safe communities, and economic investments in Allegheny County.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: There are a variety of opportunities to improve election administration and to promote greater voter participation, including continuing efforts to expand early and mail-in voting, expanding ballot dropboxes, allowing for pre-canvassing efforts, and same-day voter registration. I have been supportive of omnibus legislation in Harrisburg that would modernize PA’s election code to make elections secure while ensuring that the right to vote is highly accessible to everyone.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth

When there’s a vacuum in our democracy, when we don’t vote, when we take our basic rights and freedoms for granted, when we turn away and stop paying attention and stop engaging and stop believing and look for the newest diversion, … then other voices fill the void. A politics of fear and resentment and retrenchment takes hold.

- Barack Obama, Former U.S. President

MAKENZIE WHITE

NICK PISCIOTTANO

Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: The first measure that must be taken is to increase the portion of funding that comes from the state–no matter how evenly distributed, if we are funding school districts at a level that means only the wealthiest districts can meet their needs using their own tax bases, that cannot be equitable. This increased funding needs to be distributed using a fair and transparent formula that takes into account the real cost of educating students across districts, as well as the individual needs of different districts, including English language learners, children with disabilities and other needs, and students in poverty. No matter how we build that system, no district should suffer or lose needed funding while we build a future system fairer to all.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: Abortion should be a safe, legal, and accessible choice in Pennsylvania. We need to do more to protect that choice, especially following the Dobbs decision.

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Jen Dintini

Campaign Website: http://jen4sen.com

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

Party: Rep

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT: Kami Stulginskas

A: - no response -

( Choose 1 of 2 for PA State Senator—District 45 )

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Description of office: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of government in Pennsylvania. It is composed of two houses: the Senate is the upper house, and the House of Representatives is the lower house. A majority vote in both houses is necessary to pass a law. The PA House of Representatives consists of 203 members representing one district each, with an equal number of constituents. Representatives must be at least 21 years old, have been a citizen and a resident of the state four years and a resident of their respective districts one year before their election, and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service. The House develops budget packages, makes taxation decisions, allocates spending, and passes laws (including redistricting in collaboration with the Senate). The House also has the exclusive authority to impeach public officials. Representatives also serve on various policy committees that may propose legislation.

Term: 2 years

Salary: $106,422 Vote for ONE.

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

- Franklin D. Roosevelt, Former U.S. President

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 16

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 16 )

Robert F. Matzie

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Beaver

Campaign Website: http://robmatzie.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/RepMatzie

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 16 )

Michael J. Perich

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Beaver

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 19

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 19 )

Aerion Andrew Abney

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://voteaerionabney.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/AerionAndrewAbney

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 19 )

No candidate filed

Party: Rep

“Voting is not only our right—it is our power.”

“When we vote, we take back our power to choose, to speak up, and to stand with those who support us and each other.”

- Loung Ung, activist

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 20 )

Emily Kinkead

Party: Dem Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Legislator, Attorney

Education: Bloomsburg University of PA; Bloomsburg, PA; B.A. Political Science, B.S. Biology University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Pittsburgh, PA; Juris Doctor

Qualifications: Incumbent legislator, attorney

Campaign Website: http://emily4pa20.com

Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/EmilyKinkead4PA

X Handle: twitter.com/EmilyKinkeadPA Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/emily4pa20/

Questions:

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 20

Matt Kruth

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Public School Teacher

Education: BA Political Science - Grove City College / M.S.Ed. - Duquesne University

Qualifications: Husband, Father, Educator, Public Servant

Campaign Website: http://www.mattkruth.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/Kruth4PA20

X Handle: twitter.com/Kruth4PA20

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/Kruth4PA20

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: In my district, the most pressing issues are 1) blight and landslides, 2) living wages, 3) local investment. I have introduced and voted for legislation to address each of these. I have also been able to bring millions of dollars back to my region to help my communities. Some of the legislation has passed and been signed into law, some is still in the pipeline. There is a lot more work to be done—especially since Democrats only just won the majority—including increasing protections and access to reproductive healthcare, further protections and expansions of voting rights, and curbing the gun violence epidemic. This is the first time in 12 years that Democratic priorities have been moving in PA’s legislature and I want to continue that.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I support expanding automatic voter registration, early voting, and making election day a holiday, among other measures to increase voter turnout and engagement. I support providing additional funding to our counties to run elections as well as allowing mail-in ballot pre-canvassing.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: As the Commonwealth Court ruled, we cannot continue to fund the lion’s share of school costs on the backs of property owners in the various districts. The inequity it creates is not just unconstitutional but unconscionable. I am excited about what the Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) report recommends and I am enthusiastic about supporting legislation and a budget that will implement those recommendations. I know there are people who are far greater experts than I am about this issue and I believe that the BEFC report is a culmination of a year of extensive input from those experts all across the state.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I support removing any restrictions on access to reproductive healthcare and believe that a person should have the freedom and right to make those decisions for themselves. It is not the government’s business to determine if, when, or how someone gets pregnant, keeps that pregnancy, or gives birth. The government’s substantial interest when it comes to reproduction is to ensure that individuals have access to the healthcare that will ensure their health and welfare in whatever direction they choose.

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: The most pressing issues facing residents in our district are having more money in their pockets, feeling safe in their communities, and providing the best education for their children. I’m committed to lowering taxes and reducing daily costs to put money back in the pockets of Pennsylvanians. When it comes to safety, we need to support our first responders with the funds they need to do their jobs. We also need to prioritize victims over criminals and ensure we enforce strong penalties for offenders of violent crimes. To provide the best education, we should fully fund public education and set aside dollars for school choice. Parents should not be forced to choose between moving and sending their child to a school that meets their needs.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Our elections need to be secure and transparent which is why I am in favor of strengthening voter ID requirements; an issue widely supported by voters across the Commonwealth. Doing so provides an additional level of security that promotes confidence in the electoral process. Additionally, we need to support local election officials by providing them with the tools, resources, and training they need to ensure accurate and efficient administration of elections.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: As a public-school teacher for 20+ years, I understand the importance of providing the best educational opportunities for all students. Districts across the commonwealth have unique challenges when it comes to funding. One of my top priorities is ensuring public schools are fully funded. Money alone cannot always fix schools that are not meeting the needs of students. In those instances, we need to ensure we have set aside additional dollars that will follow students and allow parents to choose the best educational opportunity for their child. The 20th District is blessed with three amazingly unique school districts, including the largest in the county and one of the smallest. I will do everything I can to ensure they are funded fairly.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: Pennsylvania’s current law allows legal abortions for any reason up to 6 months of pregnancy. We should encourage a culture of life but must also be willing to support compromise legislation that can be generally accepted by a majority of Pennsylvanians and does not allow for extreme positions such as a ban on abortions, criminalizing women who have abortions, taxpayer funded abortions, or late-term abortions. Society would benefit from fewer abortions not more and the Pennsylvania State government should help make abortion a last option, not a first one. Most importantly we need to support women facing unplanned or unsupported pregnancies.

MATT KRUTH

EMILY KINKEAD

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 21 )

Lindsay Powell

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Representative

Education: Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in Sociology and a Master’s of Science in Public Policy Management from Carnegie Mellon University Heinz College

Qualifications: Prior to election, Lindsay was the Director of Workforce Strategies for InnovatePGH, and prior to that she oversaw legislation and policy for city departments in Pittsburgh Campaign Website: http://lindsaypowellforpa.com Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/lindsaypowellforpa

X Handle: twitter.com/LindsayPowellPA

Questions:

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 23 )

Dan Frankel

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Legislator

Education: Pennington School (1974); Kenyon College (1978)

Qualifications: For over 25 years, Rep. Frankel has served as the State Representative of the 23rd Legislative District. Currently, he is the Majority Chairman of the House Health Committee, where he promotes science-based policies to protect and improve the public health of the Commonwealth.

Campaign Website: http://electdanfrankel.com

Questions:

Q : What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Housing—Every Pittsburgher should have access to safe and dignified housing. We must invest in building new and rehabbing existing housing to expand the city’s housing stock and create a city affordable to all. Working Families—Families across our districts are worried about keeping their heads above water and making sure that their children have a bright future ahead of them. I believe without addressing rising childcare costs, healthcare reform and addressing student debt, we are failing families in our community. Jobs & the Economy—Our local economy is fueled by small businesses, entrepreneurs and workers. Pennsylvania needs to protect its workers by raising the minimum wage and making it easier to start and grow businesses.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I would support expanding automatic voter registration, early voting opportunities, and anything that can make voting more accessible and easier to do.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I believe the work of the Basic Education Funding Commission will help us get to where we need to be in terms of equitably funding our schools and public education. However I hope to work directly with PFT and stakeholders from the Districts we represent to ensure that the proposed funding changes align with what our teachers and students want to see. The best way to fund education is through a progressive funding distribution which would allow for the state to provide sufficient per pupil funding for districts with more income restricted families. States like NJ and WI have been doing this successfully for years and also fund PreK.

Q : What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I would support removing the current limitations on abortion in Pennsylvania so that people can have the freedom to make reproductive decisions for themselves.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 21 )

No candidate filed

Party: Rep

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: My priorities in my next term will be equality and justice, the environment, firearm policy reform, government reform, decriminalizing adult-use cannabis use, and reproductive rights. I have been fighting for these progressive values for two decades and have worked to build coalitions of lawmakers to advocate with me. For example, I founded the Women’s Health Caucus and the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. These caucuses have become passionate groups of leaders fighting for policies often disregarded just 20 years ago. As the Majority Chairman of the House Health Committee, I will prioritize increasing access to quality healthcare for every Pennsylvania and will work to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Everyone should be able to vote easily, whether they have a disability, are incarcerated, have an unstable address, or have an inflexible work schedule. Therefore, I support expanding access to ballot drop boxes, same-day registration, and guaranteeing the ability to vote early. In addition, updating Pennsylvania’s voting laws should continue beyond improving voting access; it’s time we let our county elections offices canvass mail-in and absentee ballots before election day.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: The Commonwealth should implement a needs- based funding formula that considers the unique needs of each school district. This formula should take into account factors such as student demographics, socioeconomic status, English language proficiency, and special education requirements. This ensures that districts with greater challenges receive additional resources.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: Abortions should be safe and legal- I have always supported this, and I always will. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, we learned that we must take action to protect patients but also for abortion providers. States with abortion restrictions or bans have made threats of legal action against healthcare professionals providing abortion care to patients feeling abortion restrictions. We must make sure that our abortion providers in Pennsylvania can continue to provide these safe and legal abortions in our Commonwealth without the threat of punitive action against them for providing high-quality healthcare.

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 23 )

Party: Rep

LINDSAY POWELL

DAN FRANKEL

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE— DISTRICT 24

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 24 )

LaTasha D. Mayes

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Elected Official

Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh (1999-2003), Master of Science in Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University (2004-2005), Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy Certificate, University of Pennsylvania (2019)

Qualifications: Current State Representative, Founder and Former President & CEO, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, 24 Years of Public Service to the Greater Pittsburgh Region

Campaign Website: http://latashaforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/latashaforpa

X Handle: twitter.com/latashaforpa

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/latashaforpa

Questions:

Party: Rep

LATASHA D. MAYS

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: In spite of the pressing issues they face, Pennsylvanians are taking care of their families, going to work and contributing to their communities. Access to healthcare is a widespread issue for Pennsylvanians of all backgrounds. Access looks like traveling to other counties for basic care, being uninsured or underinsured, dealing with crushing medical debt, the inability to go to appointments or pay for prescriptions, poor quality care if you are low/no-income and fear of discrimination that can be fatal in the case of Black maternal mortality. I serve on the Health Committee that advances important legislation, I co-founded the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus and I am working to ensure everyone in my district has health insurance coverage.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: We must increase state funding to invest in free, fair and secure elections and the proposed state budget increases the Department of State line item by $9.3 million. We now have automatic voter registration, and we must maintain its funding each year. The budget includes a $5 million increase for voter education and direct outreach as well as additional funding for counties to administer elections which can be costly. Increasing poll worker pay is imperative to have the elections workforce we need. We must pass the K. Leroy Irvis Voter Protection Act that includes early voting locations, same day voter registration, ballot curing and pre-canvassing. As an Appropriations Member, I am working to ensure we fund the expansion of voting rights.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: The Commonwealth Court ruling was unequivocal in determining that our school funding system is unconstitutional. Depending on your zip code, a student’s opportunity to learn is limited based on if they live in a low-wealth versus high-wealth school district which contributes to inequitable investments in education. Our commonwealth needs a fair funding formula that does not pit school districts against each other, increased investment in the basic education fund to address the $5.4 billion adequacy gap across our 500 school districts and work against vouchers that imperil the financial future of our public schools. We must also increase the state’s share for special education and equitably invest in career and technical education programs.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: As a Reproductive Justice national leader, community organizer and policy advocate for nearly 25 years, I have devoted my life to ensure that we all have the Human Right to control our bodies and our reproduction. My work on state-level policy for abortion rights is rooted in my 18 years as leader of New Voices for Reproductive Justice that continues to operate across Pennsylvania and Ohio. I continue this work as State Representative and we must codify the explicit right to abortion in the state constitution which I am working on with my colleagues, I am introducing a bill with another colleague to reverse TRAP laws that closed abortion clinics over the last decade, and we successfully defunded Real Alternatives crisis pregnancy centers.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 21 )

No candidate filed

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 25

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 25 ) Brandon

J. Markosek

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://markosek4pa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/MarkosekPA25

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

Party: Rep

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 25 )

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT: John Ritter

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/p/Ritter-for-Rep-PA-25th-100069166690733

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE— DISTRICT 27

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 27 )

Daniel J. Deasy

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://electdandeasy.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087607112877

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 21 )

No candidate filed

Party: Rep

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 28

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 28 )

Bill Petulla

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Chief Trial Deputy, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office

Education: Juris Doctor, Bachelor of Science in Journalism - University of Kansas

Qualifications: Criminal Prosecutor, Coach, Father, and Life-long Public Servant

Campaign Website: http://billpetulla.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/petullaforpa

X Handle: twitter.com/PetullaForPA

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/petullaforpa

Questions:

BILL PETULLA

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: My top priorities are to invest in our community, promote public safety, and address the mental health crisis. I will advocate for a plan to provide public transit options, rebuild and repair our roads and bridges, and invest in local businesses to create good-paying jobs. As it relates to public safety, I will be a strong advocate for proper funding for our first responders to ensure they have the training and resources necessary to do their jobs safely. I will prioritize access to mental health services in schools so that students can receive early intervention to help prevent the escalation of mental health problems, reduce the severity, and ultimately improve overall

outcomes.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I believe we need to continue to protect access to vote-by-mail. Expanding access and opportunities to vote makes voting much more accessible especially in rural and elderly communities. We need to continue to invest in updates and funding to ensure that local election boards have the resources, technology, and staffing they need so that they can facilitate safe and secure elections. I would be in favor of making in-person voting more accessible on Election Day at the polls by passing legislation to make Election Day a state holiday in Pennsylvania.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I would support legislation that increases oversight and reassess charter school funding to ensure responsible use of taxpayer dollars. I would support legislation that addresses funding inequities to ensure that all schools, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to the appropriate resources. Any legislation to address the school funding system should also be done in collaboration with educators, school boards, and school administrators. A key piece of public education funding should also include early childhood education. Investing in early education can have long-lasting benefits for children. As such, I would sponsor legislation that expands access to high-quality early childhood education programs.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: We need to protect access to abortion care and women’s reproductive rights. I would not support any changes that seek to limit or further restrict access to abortion in Pennsylvania. I would support legislation that seeks to strengthen the protections on abortion access and protects the right to privacy when making healthcare decisions with your doctor.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 28 )

Jeremy Shaffer

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County : Allegheny

Occupation: Entrepreneur / Engineer

Education: Carnegie Mellon - Ph.D. and Masters

Degree Electrical and Computer Engineering; MBA

UNC Chapel Hill; Bachelor’s Computer Engineering Tulane University

Qualifications: Township Commissioner; Small Business Owner and job creator; Northern Tier Library Board Member; Northland Library Foundation Board Member; Youth Basketball and Soccer coach; Father of 5; Volunteer in various outdoor and environmental groups

Campaign Website: http://voteshaffer.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/shaffer4pa

X Handle : twitter.com/jeremyshafferpa

JEREMY SHAFFER

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/jeremyshafferpa/

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Pennsylvania’s financial situation is approaching what is commonly called a “fiscal cliff.” The governor’s current budget proposes massive spending increases in various programs, relying in large part on the state’s fiscal reserves, known as its “Rainy Day Fund.” Placing one-time revenues into budget lines that require recurring funds every year is irresponsible. The only other option would be to burden Pennsylvania citizens with increased taxes and the economic decline that comes with reduced competitiveness. Despite our amazing strengths (people, schools, cultural, outdoor, etc.) Our region continues to be one of the only metropolitan areas in the country to lose population. We need to attract and retain jobs not drive them away.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Key to functioning democracy is having all parties have trust in the election process no matter the outcome. Implementing common sense reforms such as Voter ID are ways to improve trust in the system. It is also important to support our local elections officials and workers who toil long hours with limited pay and provide them the tools they need to run efficient and safe elections.

Ensuring that we have clear rules that apply uniformly across Pennsylvania is something that the legislature and Governor must work together to ensure. It is unacceptable to have different counties apply conflicting guidelines when counting ballots as has been done in the past.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I will work hard to defend our excellent school districts in the 28th District: Deer Lakes, Hampton, North Allegheny, and Pine-Richland. Our high performing schools typically spend far less per student than poorly performing districts. We should not punish districts that are doing well but empower parents and reform districts that are failing. Throwing massive amounts of new money into broken systems like Philadelphia without real reforms will not solve the problem. The clearest answer to rectifying unequal funding to is have the school funding dollars follow the student, empower parents, and have accountability on failing schools. I will fight hard to ensure that money from our school districts doesn’t get siphoned off to Philadelphia.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I would favor clearly defined regulations and broad policies to encourage a culture of life, including support for parents dealing with unwanted pregnancies. This would include an end to the lax enforcement of child support laws which have allowed too many fathers to abandon their obligation to provide for their children.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 30

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 30 )

Arvind Venkat

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Physician

Education: Educated at Harvard College, Yale University School of Medicine, and the University of Cincinnati Department of Emergency Medicine residency program

Qualifications: ER Physician, Incumbent State Representative

Campaign Website: http://venkatforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/VenkatforPA

X Handle: twitter.com/VenkatforPA

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/venkatforpa/

Questions:

The state needs to look at its formula for allocating public education funds to reduce disparities in funding based on local community socioeconomic status. We have started this with increases in funding, but clearly it has not gone far enough given continued reliance on property taxes

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: Pennsylvanians current law protects a person’s right to have an abortion. I support that. But we have seen attempts to remove such protections. I support codifying abortion rights along the structure of the previously overturned Roe v Wade decision as a state constitutional amendment.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 30 )

Nathan Wolfe

Party: Rep

Biographical Info: County: Allegheny Campaign Website: http://wolfepa.com

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

“Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again, and if those priorities begin to show up in the polls.”

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: 1) Defending our Democracy—Ensuring that every eligible voter has easy access to the ballot box and protecting our right to free and fair elections, regardless of the outcome; 2) Protecting abortion rights—Preserving reproductive health care and abortion rights for all Pennsylvanians; 3) Supporting Families and Workers—Fighting for equal pay, paid family leave, and affordable child care and health care—including medical debt relief, in-home care for the elderly, and mental health services.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I would support expanding voter registration through automatic voter registration, election-day voter registration, and early in-person voting.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: We need to move away from a funding system that allows the location where a child lives govern the quality of their education. While we are reliant on property taxes now along with state funding and federal grants for public education, the former creates an inequitable system. We will need to look at how we adjust the formula for allocating state education funding to reduce reliance on the property tax over time and ensuring equity in educational funding.

-Peggy Noonan, American Author

ARVIND VENKAT

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 2 for PA State Representative District 32 )

Joe McAndrew

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Representative

Education: Fox Chapel High School, University of Dayton

Qualifications: Currently serving in the role

Campaign Website: http://votejoemcandrew.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/VoteJoeMcAndrew

X Handle: twitter.com/VoteJoeMcAndrew

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: To expand access, I would support early voting, an expanded time frame for voting by mail, and voter registration up to and including same day registration. I would support increased funding for local election authorities to ensure security and for proper staffing.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: Please see my answer above.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: In our Commonwealth, abortion is regulated by the Abortion Control Act in the Pennsylvania criminal code. Abortion is an element of women’s healthcare and no government at any level should interfere with a woman’s personal healthcare choices. Our legislature needs to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade and reevaluate some of the restrictions passed in Pennsylvania after the Casey v. Planned Parenthood decision in 1982.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 32 )

No candidate filed

A: How are we building the middle class? What economic, housing, and infrastructure policies are we creating to help support the growth of wealth for working Pennsylvanians. While corporations exploit us, we must push to raise the minimum wage, add protections for workers, and end wage theft, among other vital policies.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Allowing for a permanent mail-in ballot list would go a long way in solving issues seniors have when applying to mail-in-vote.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I look forward to reviewing the proposals put forth in the near future to resolve this issue. I believe the house democrats and the governor are working on a strong plan to solve this issue. We must come up with a solution to this issue, without increasing funding to charter schools or voucher programs.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I would bolster protections for women seeking reproductive healthcare.

Pauline Calabrese

Party: Dem Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Mayor of Penn Hills and Family Law Attorney

Education: Duquesne University School of Law—J.D. Penn State University—B.A.

Qualifications: As the only candidate running for this District who is an attorney, I am exceptionally qualified to serve as a law maker. As a resident for over 25 years and the Mayor in my 5th year I have measurable and verifiable success. I am distinctly qualified to represent the distinct needs of this District

Campaign Website: http://www.paulinecalabrese.com

Facebook URL: http://Pauline Calabrese for State Representative

Questions:

PAULINE CALABRESE

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Education is the most pressing issue. The Commonwealth Court finding that our current structure of funding for public schools is unconstitutional, demands there be a complete overhaul. First, relying on property taxes is fundamentally unfair. It is a burden on seniors and others on fixed incomes. It disproportionally negatively affects poor children who live in areas with lower home values. While I recognize that there needs to be an alternative available for some families, the current charter school funding formula is lopsided and causes an undue drain. A top priority for the state legislature should be reworking the formula, exploring alternate sources of funding for public schools and re-evaluating the cost of higher education.

Party: Rep

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 33

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 33 )

Mandy Steele

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Representative

Education: Bachelors Degree from University of Pittsburgh

Campaign Website: http://steeleforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/SteeleforPA

Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/steeleforpa. com

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: The global energy production landscape is changing as we move the world forward as quickly and efficiently as possible to a net-neutral economy. We must pass legislation that will best position Pennsylvania to remain a leader in the energy space. The opportunity before us to revitalize local economies with clean energy manufacturing here is immense, leading to more jobs, more school funding, stronger communities—a cleaner, safer, more stable future for the people of our great commonwealth. A collaborative approach is our most expeditious path forward and I will continue to push legislation in this compelling and promising space.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Pennsylvania has made great strides in expanding voter enfranchisement, starting with automatic voter registration. Our newly-elected County Executive, Sara Innamorato, has added ballot drop boxes around Allegheny County this year. I will continue to support any efforts that improve access to voting and increase voter education efforts.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I support the basic education funding formula that plans to invest $1.1 Billion in education this year alone. I’d also support legislation for proposed Cyber Charger reform that would send hundreds of millions of dollars back to public school systems.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: Abortion needs to remain legal and accessible in Pennsylvania.

JOE MCANDREW

MANDY STEELE

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 33 )

Gary Lotz

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Vice President, Dick Building Company

Education: Masters of Business Administration, Tulane University BA, Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia

Questions:

Q : What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Population loss is a critical issue for Pennsylvania, hindering economic growth and community vitality. To combat this, we must focus on revitalizing our communities and spurring growth. This involves creating a business-friendly environment through targeted tax incentives and regulatory reforms to encourage job creation and business expansion. Additionally, we need to invest in workforce development and skills training to ensure Pennsylvanians are equipped to compete in today’s economy, fostering innovation and prosperity statewide.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: When it comes to Pennsylvania’s voting laws, I would begin by advocating for the implementation of voter ID. This measures would be essential to instill across the board confidence ensuring the integrity of every vote cast. Furthermore, I would support initiatives to provide better resources and increased support to local election officials, ensuring they have the tools and training necessary to administer elections effectively and efficiently. By investing in technology upgrades and training programs, we can improve the accuracy and reliability of our elections while easing the burden on local election administrators.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: To remedy this legislation must be put forth to ensure that education dollars follow the student, allowing parents to be empowered to make the best educational decisions for their children. This approach fosters competition among schools, encouraging them to enhance their offerings and outcomes to attract students. Furthermore, school choice promotes innovation and diversity in education, providing families with a variety of schooling options tailored to their children’s needs and learning styles. This approach not only tackles the issue of unequal funding but also empowers families, improves educational outcomes, and elevates the overall quality of education in Pennsylvania.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I don’t see an urgent necessity to alter the existing abortion laws in Pennsylvania. Like most Pennsylvanians, I believe the decision to have an abortion is a deeply personal matter, and I am not running for office to put myself between a woman and her doctor.

“A man without a vote is a man without protection.”

- Lyndon B. Johnson, Former U.S. President

Abigail Salisbury

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Representative, Nonprofit Attorney

Education: B.A. Case Western Reserve University, J.D. Pitt Law, MPPM Pitt GSPIA

Qualifications: Incumbent of 1 year, nonprofit attorney, small business owner for 9 years, taught classes on First Amendment Law, international human rights law experience, 5 years on Swissvale Borough Council, former nonprofit executive director.

Campaign Website: http://salisburyforpa.com

Facebook URL : http://facebook.com/SalisburyforPA

X Handle: twitter.com/SalisburyforPA

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: (1) Unconstitutional system of funding public education. On the Appropriations committee, I focus on shifting from a system based on local property taxes, which exacerbates structural inequities. We must instead pool resources at the state level and invest heavily in basic education funding. (2) Infrastructure. Massive state investment in roads, water, and sewage systems is necessary. (3) The burden on 2,560 municipalities to provide public services. I hold intermunicipal meetings for my 13 communities’ elected officials, I am working on providing free grant-writing services to low-income municipalities to give them access to state grants. I work on intermunicipal cooperation efforts to help leverage small boroughs’ resources.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: This year, the primary falls on the Jewish holiday of Passover. As a Jew, I worked hard to try to change the date of the primary so that it would not disenfranchise anyone based on their religion, but ultimately I failed. We must work harder to ensure that scheduling issues known far in advance do not harm voting rights. We must also make it as easy as possible to vote, so that small mistakes on mail-in ballots do not disqualify votes and so that people can leave work to vote in person if they choose.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: We attempted to work on this last year and failed, so right now the legislation I am focused on will be the budget bill. We just finished up education budget hearings yesterday on Appropriations and I am encouraged to see the increased state investment in school districts with lower incomes and property values, but it is not enough. Once we get through the budget period for this year, it is time to tackle the larger structural issue anew on a caucus level, and new legislation will be developed to do so. I look forward to working with our Education Chair and our leadership to accomplish that goal.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I support maintaining the right to choose, but that right is meaningless if people do not have the ability to pay for their reproductive healthcare choices. Abortion is healthcare. We must therefore ensure that people have affordable or free access to healthcare in PA.

GARY LOTZ

ABIGAIL SALISBURY

Ashley Comans

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Non-Profit Manager

Education: Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Media Arts and Communications Studies

Qualifications: Working Mom, Current Wilkinsburg School Board Director, Progressive political organizer, and advocate for addressing maternal and child health outcomes

Campaign Website: http://ashleycomans.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/AshleyRComans X Handle: twitter.com/ashleyrcomans?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/ashleyrcomans/

Questions:

ASHLEY COMANS

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: The biggest priority should be making life easier for poor and working families because I believe a rising tide lifts all boats. This is connected to all of the struggles that residents in my district know. For me, it means fairly funding our public schools, taking on corporate polluters, investing in clean air and water, and expanding the power and wages of workers. I know that all of these are fights and will require someone who uses this office as an organizing space both in the community and among fellow representatives and other elected officials. We need to bring more people in and engage with them to move the priorities of their community because we have the numbers to win all of these things–we just need to get organized.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I believe that our right to vote is sacred. Voting and registering to vote needs to be made easier and not harder. I applaud our new Allegheny County Executive bringing back voter drop boxes; we should expand them to be available all around the state. I furthermore support automatic voter registration for those who turn 18. I also would push Pennsylvania to join the 11 other states who have already made election days holidays.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: The court ruling that we are not funding our public schools to our required and equitable amount may be new, but the case was filed in 2014, and this issue goes back even further. We must follow the court’s ruling and increase the state’s investment for our public schools by $200 million a year. In addition, we must recognize the years of disinvestment in our schools and begin to remedy it with hundreds of millions more a year invested over a period of time to update our facilities. Property taxes must not be the only way of funding our public schools because our zip codes should not determine our opportunities.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: The overturning of Roe v Wade is one of the most traumatic political events I, and many others, have experienced. In Western PA, we are a beacon for women and birthing people in other states who need or want an abortion. As a state legislator, I will work to enshrine abortion protections into our state constitution and legislate the appropriate amount of resources for those seeking an abortion - because abortion is healthcare. And as a mom of a young daughter, I will use all of my energy, power, and strength to fight until abortion is legal and safe across the county.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 34 )

No candidate filed

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 35 )

Matthew R. Gergely

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Representative

Education: Indiana University of PA - Graduate

Qualifications: Career in local Government and Management

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/RepGergely/

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: There are several, advocate and vote to help correct those issues.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: All, if properly supported

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: All

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: Allowing choice for women

Party: Rep

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 35 )

Party: Rep

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT: No candidate

filed

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 36

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 36 ) Jessica Benham

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://benhamforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/BenhamforPA

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

MATTHEW R. GERGELY

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 36 )

No candidate filed

Party: Rep

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 38

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 38 )

Anthony J. Olasz

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: LAW CLERK

Education: Juris Doctor- Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law/B.A. University of Cincinnati (Criminal Justice, Legal Studies)

Qualifications: My Law School Degree gives a wide variety of knowledge on all aspects that the Law and how governance plays into the life of everyday citizens. 3 Years Experience working in Municipal Law and School Law. B.A. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Legal Studies.

Campaign Website: http://olaszforpa38.net

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/profile. php?id=61555538941882

Questions:

Victoria Schmotzer

Party: Dem

Biographical Info: County: Allegheny

Occupation: Policy Analyst

Education: The Catholic University of AmericaM.S., Business, Busch School of Business & B.A., Philosophy, St. Thomas Aquinas School Qualifications: United States Small Business Administration Human Resource Specialist, US Govt. Level 5 Security Clearance; Teacher - Early Childhood Development; Legal Intern for Pittsburgh Law Firm; Staff Auditor for CPA Firm; Wrote & Published 9 News-Based Blogs; Restaurant Server Campaign Website: http://votersforvictoria.com X Handle: twitter.com/Schmotzer38

Questions:

ANTHONY J. OLASZ

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Building up a better infrastructure is not only key to maintain safer roadways and bridges but also a major key in building a stronger economy. I believe that infrastructure is also the unimpeded flow information and access to that information. We must continue to invest in our schools, both primary and secondary education, as well as our trade schools. As has been seen in the past year, our state has unconstitutionally underfunded our children. We need to focus on giving our children the best opportunity to thrive and grow as they become young adults, and that starts in the classroom. Born and raised in the Mon Valley I know exactly how important US Steel is in our area. 3000 workers go to work everyday. The proposed sale threatens Jobs.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: We must explore all avenues possible to ensure that every citizen has their voice heard on election day. The right to vote is a pillar of our society and one that must not be infringed. Instead of restricting voters access to that voice, we must explore options to get our citizens voices heard in the safest way possible.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: To ensure a fair and equitable opportunity for all students we must be more vigilant to make sure that all children have and equal and fair opportunity to not only just receive an education, but a great education. We do not tell a team in a football game that one team has to go 120 yards to score a touchdown and the other team only has to go 60 yards. The playing field must be leveled for every student in the Commonwealth and any legislation that levels that field I will support.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I am a staunch supporter of women and women’s rights. The Commonwealth has been the pinnacle for protecting women’s rights to access the critical care that they may need. We must continue to fight for women and continue to show the other states around the United States that we In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will do everything possible to protect our Women.

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Pennsylvanians in the 38th District and surrounding communities face an ongoing issue of small businesses moving away from the area and taking well-paying jobs with them. I will incentivize businesses to come to our district by using my knowledge from the U.S. Small Business Administration and power within the State House to administer low-interest rate loans and rezone critical areas in the neighborhoods to be more accommodating. I will also work with the community college in the district to incentivize residents to further their career prospects and build a better future for our residents.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: The first thing the state can do when it comes to voting access and security is to continue funding county election departments so that they have the necessary resources to facilitate fair and impartial elections. Next, with an influx of residents who speak and read different languages, it is essential to accommodate these different needs. Funding should be prioritized to provide translation devices and literature at polling places.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I will only support legislation that fixes the broken system that currently funds our schools. This legislation needs to be fair and on solid footing that ensures each community of every means receives its due share. However, every community is different, just like every school and every student. This is why I support funding allowing every student to receive an Individual Education Plan. These plans will ensure that the students, teachers, and guardians remain on the same page regarding the child’s educational path.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: The first step to protecting the right to family planning is writing it into the state constitution. I will then eliminate the 24-hour waiting period for people seeking medical treatment. A thorough conversation between them and their medical provider is sufficient to determine all options and if they are there of their own free will. The inconvenience of taking additional time away from their responsibilities and spending time and finances on travel will deter vulnerable populations from making the right decision for them. I will also offer a robust sexual education program throughout my district that encompasses all ages and appropriate topics.

“Every election is determined by the people who show up.”

- Larry Sabato, political analyst

VICTORIA SCHMOTZER

John Inglis

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Educator

Education: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Duquesne University and a Master’s degree in School Counseling from Westminster College.

Qualifications: Public Educator (2009 - Current), West Mifflin Borough Councilman (2018 - Current), South Hill Area Council of Government Member (2018 - 2022), West Mifflin Community Foundation Board Member (2014-2018) & Council Liaison (2018 - Current)

Campaign Website: http://inforinglis.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/InForInglis

X Handle: twitter.com/nforInglis

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/inforinglis/

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Education, providing jobs, and keeping our community safe. Education is the root of all opportunity. Right now, our public schools are being unlawfully underfunded here in Pennsylvania. My first priority is fixing that budget gap. After we fund our schools, we must make sure that our community has good paying jobs. The best way we can do that is to expand the union way of life. Organized labor built Allegheny County, and we have to support it. Finally, to keep our community safe we need to better support our first responders. Our local volunteer fire departments are seeing some especially challenging circumstances right now. They need state help and investments.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I think we have made a lot of progress in recent years, but there is still work to do. First, I would enact same day voter registration. Arbitrary deadlines should not stop our citizens from participating in elections. A person should be able to register and vote all on the same day. Second, I would make sure the state is providing adequate resources to county election departments. Local budget shortfalls should never be allowed to harm the security of our elections. Finally, I would look into legislation to crack down on threats made against election officials. No one should be able to intimidate the hardworking men and women who make our Democracy work.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I am in support of the proposed Pennsylvania constitutional amendment to change our state income tax to a progressive format, making it more fair and equitable. This will benefit public education and help fill the funding gap. We also should be willing to tap into the rainy day fund. The fund currently sits at a massive 6.1 billion dollars. We can’t use all of that to address the education shortfall, but it is the public’s money and the education of our children should be one of the state’s top priorities.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: There must be an explicit guarantee for the right to an abortion in Pennsylvania law. Preferably, this would come in the form of a constitutional amendment, but failing that, legislation should be passed to the same effect. We are fortunate that our current state court system leans towards recognizing the right to an abortion, but as we saw on the federal level, the courts may fail in the future to uphold that right. We also must make sure that no Pennsylvanian or other American will be punished by other states for exercising their rights here in the Commonwealth.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 38 )

Stone Sobieralski

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088815441296

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 39

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 39 )

Angela Girol

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Teacher - School Board Member

Education: Bachelor of English degree from St. Vincent College; Master of Arts in Teaching from Chatham College

Qualifications: Angela Girol has been a leader in the classroom since coming to Elizabeth Forward 17 years ago and recently received national recognition for her work. She has also worked in her community for the last five years, serving as a school board member in South Park.

Campaign Website: http://angela4pa.com

Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/angela4pa

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: As a teacher and two-term school board member, I understands the problems facing everyday hardworking folks in the 39th District who often feel forgotten and abandoned by the political and economic elites. Issues of Focus: Good Government, Reproductive Freedom, Education, Public Safety, Environment, Worker’s rights

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I support laws to codify automatic voter registration, rank-choice voting, and open primaries.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I fully support funding PA public schools at the state level by closing tax loopholes and breaks for the wealthy that cost PA $4.9 billion annually. Further, I would champion legislation to lower property taxes for the working class and seniors on fixed incomes.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I would introduce a constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion I will always support FDA-approved contraceptive methods, and the implementation of evidence-based sexual health education programs.

ANGELA GIROL

JOHN INGLIS

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 39 )

Andrew Kuzma

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://vote4kuzma.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/vote4kuzma

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 40

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 30 )

No candidate filed

Party: Dem

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 40 )

Natalie Mihalek

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Washington

Campaign Website: http://nataliemihalek.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/natmihalek

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 42 )

Dan Miller

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Legislator

Education: JD, BS Secondary Education, BA History

Qualifications: Focus on public service, 11 years as a State Representative, currently serving as Majority House Whip, 14 years as a volunteer firefighter, previous township commissioner, Team Leader in AmeriCorps

Campaign Website: http://votedanmiller.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/VoteDanMiller

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Education and jobs are always the most pressing concerns. We need to make sure that our public education system works for every child, and we need to make sure that Pennsylvanians can see and build their futures here with family sustaining jobs. I will continue to push for state funding that balances out inequities typically found in student disability and mental health supports and food insecurity and technology gaps. And pushing for targeted state investment and partnerships that look to bring high quality jobs to PA, hopefully union and hopefully working with as much American-made products as possible.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I would like to see more technology support to allow people with disabilities to vote in every polling center. I think expanding automatic registration would be positive and I think the state should offer greater financial support to counties to make sure that election workers are fairly compensated.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I believe that this year’s upcoming state budget must take a big step forward in rectifying the inequality in our school funding that many of us have said has existed for years. It may take a couple of budget cycles to fully correct the system, but it is not acceptable for the state budget to ignore this.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I have always supported Roe v. Wade and I do not believe that a woman or doctor should be at risk of prosecution for exercising their choice and profession. Codifying these long established rights would be something I would support.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Party: Rep

DAN MILLER

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 44 ) Hadley

Haas

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: Unemployed

Education: B.A. - Economics & Communications

Qualifications: Leadership - Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Founding Member —QV Strong, Former Chair—Friends of the Hearing Center at Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh

Campaign Website: http://hadleyforpa.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/people/Hadley-Haas-for-PA

X Handle: twitter.com/https://x.com/Hbeckhaas?s=20

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/hadleyforpa?igsh=ZmllNXppNmhrdw==

Questions:

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 44 )

Valerie Gaydos

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Campaign Website: http://votevaleriegaydos.com

Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/VoteValerieGaydos

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: 1. Gun Violence - Investing in community violence intervention programs and common sense legislation are proven to curb firearm deaths and casualties, including suicide and school shootings. 2. Equity in Public Education - I support implementing the adequacy formula as recommended by the Basic Education Funding Commission and investing appropriately at the state level. I believe in the need to update the funding model for charter/cyber schools and to invest in facilities and teachers. 3. Retaining and attracting a younger population—In order to thrive, Pennsylvania must retain and attract young people. Safe, healthy communities, quality schools, and job opportunities will make Pennsylvania desirable in the years to come.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I believe we need to make voting as accessible and inclusive as possible and that it is crucial to engage young people in the Democratic process. Some initiatives I would support include: 1. Open primaries in Pennsylvania. 2. Allowing eligible citizens to both register or change their registration status and cast a ballot on the day of a primary or election. 3. Allowing 16 and 17 year olds to pre-register to vote. 4. Allowing 17-year-olds, who will be 18 years old on or before the date of a General Election, to register and vote for candidates in the corresponding Primary. 5. Simplified procedures for mail-in/absentee ballots.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I support implementing the adequacy formula as recommended by the Basic Education Funding Commission and investing appropriately at the state level. I believe in the need to update the funding model for charter and cyber schools and to invest in modern facilities and incentives for teachers.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I am concerned about the Dobbs decision and the impact it is having on women’s health around our country. As a result, I would support a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to an abortion.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 45

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 45 )

Anita Astorino Kulik

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Allegheny

Occupation: State Representative for the 45th District

Education: B.A. Duquesne University 1985, J. D. Duquesne University 1989 Qualifications: Lawyer, Former Township Commissioner (13 years), State Representative (8 years) Campaign Website: http://anitaastorinokulik.com Facebook URL: http://facebook.com/profile. php?id=100058188155790

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Infrastructure repair. We need to allocate sufficient resources. Fair and equitable education systems. We need to properly fund districts that do not have an adequate tax base. Protecting the innocent victims of domestic violence.

Q : What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: Early voting should be implemented. We need to stop the attacks on proper mail-in voting.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I have long advocated for proper funding. We need to work in a bipartisan manner to properly fund education to provide every student, in every district, appropriate educational opportunities.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response –

HADLEY HAAS

ANITA ASTORINO KULIK

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 0 for PA State Representative District 45 )

No candidate filed

Party: Rep

PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE—DISTRICT 46

Democratic Primary Ballot:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 46 ) Alex Taylor

Party: Dem

Biographical Info:

County: Washington

Occupation: Unemployed

Education: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

B.A. in Political Science

Qualifications : 5 years experience in Health Care, Degree in Political Science, Worked on several campaigns for candidates who believed in building up our communities.

Campaign Website: http://www.alextaylorforstaterep.com

Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100091747118030

X Handle: twitter.com/AlexTaylor4PA46

Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/alextaylorforstaterep?utm_ source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Questions:

Q : What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: Education and the Environment are two major issues I believe that Pennsylvanians face. Better-funded schools lead to a better-educated population, which leads to better opportunities for young people and could lower crime rates, I’d support legislation to better our current education system and would propose legislation to encourage higher learning. The Environmental issues we face can be dealt with by holding businesses, that operate, in the Commonwealth accountable for damage caused to our water and air by their operations, I will support and propose legislation to keep them accountable.

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: I would support automatic voter registration for any Pennsylvania resident as soon as they turn 18, I’ll support legislation that would open our Primaries so that more of our citizens can take part in choosing the person who will be on the ballot in November. I’ll support legislation that creates a more secure voting booth, and I’ll support legislation that would provide local elections officials and their processes with the necessary man-power, and funds if needed to ensure election security and accessibility.

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: I’d support legislation that fully and equitably funds schools across the Commonwealth and supports better pay for our educators who are often overworked and underpaid.

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: I’d support an amendment to the state constitution to secure a woman’s right to choose in the Commonwealth. Short of that I’d support any laws that strengthen the rights of women when it comes to medical decisions involving their own bodies.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT:

( Choose 1 of 1 for PA State Representative District 46

Jason Ortitay

Party: Rep

Biographical Info:

County: Washington

Campaign Website: http://citizensforjasonortitay.com

Questions:

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?

A: - no response -

Q: What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?

A: - no response -

Q: What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?

A: - no response -

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

-Margaret Mead

ALEX TAYLOR

“I don’t care what responsibilities you have today, there’s no greater responsibility than being in control of your future and your future starts now! We don’t have time, no procrastinating, don’t let the discouragement take you off course, that’s not how my people or my generation will go down…this is the loudest way to make your voice heard!”

- Rihanna, Singer

“The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it”

“You’ve got to vote, vote, vote, vote. That’s it; that’s the way we move forward.”

- John Lewis

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Michelle Obama, Former First Lady