Civil Rights & Social Justice
Honoring ‘The Great Migration,’ Pa. state agencies celebrate Black History Month
The event, in the Forum Auditorium, behind the state Capitol, focused on the legacy of "The Great Migration."
Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai will reintroduce Down syndrome abortion ban bill
Pennsylvania’s state House Speaker has fired the first shots of 2019’s culture war, saying he plans to reintroduce a controversial bill that would ban abortions based on a diagnosis of Down syndrome, even though critics say the legislation is practically unenforceable and most likely unconstitutional. Rep. Mike Turzai, an Allegheny County Republican, sponsored a similar […]
This is what hate and extremism looked like in Pennsylvania last year | The Numbers Racket
Welcome to The Numbers Racket, an occasional Capital-Star feature offering deep, but user-friendly, dives into some important data.
Could this be the year Pennsylvania lawmakers ban LGBTQ discrimination?
The legislation, nicknamed the Fairness Act, has never been brought up for a vote. This year could be different.
Pa. can’t be a role model on criminal justice reform if we undermine peoples’ rights | Opinion
By Andy Hoover Elected officials and corrections administrators in Pennsylvania have been doing a bit of a victory lap after the recent announcement that our state prison population dropped by 1,000 people in 2018. On the heels of the passage of the Clean Slate Act — a new law to automatically seal some people’s criminal records […]
Philly lawmaker wants Major League Baseball to honor Roberto Clemente
In 298 career games against the Philadelphia Phillies, Roberto Clemente — baseball’s first Latino star and a Pittsburgh Pirates great — slashed a .330 average against the cross-state rivals. That was his second best against any team. But even if Clemente tormented the Philly fanbase in life, Rep. Angel Cruz, a Democrat from the city, […]
As the fight over Trump’s Wall rages in Washington, Pa. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon is headed for the Border
The delegation headed by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer "will meet directly with immigrant advocates about the humanitarian situation as well as receive a border security briefing."
Can the Pa. Legislature be trusted to investigate its own #MeToo allegations?
There is still no system to investigate sexual harassment complaints uniformly in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Bipartisan lawmakers are floating proposals to change that.
Wolf, lawmakers have to step up this budget season to help survivors of sexual abuse | Opinion
The time is now to provide additional, sustained resources to help survivors weathering the storm both today and in the future.
Pa. voters spoke: On Budget Day, it’s time for Wolf, lawmakers to turn those words into action | Anwar Curtis
As the draw up a new state budget for 2019-2020, Gov. Tom Wolf and the General Assembly need to hear the voices of all Pennsylvanians. Not just special interests.
Black Caucus celebrates past, present and future with Black History Month kickoff
One month after Pennsylvania swore in its most diverse class of lawmakers ever, members of the state’s Legislative Black Caucus aren’t just celebrating Black History – they’re also making it. Pennsylvania’s Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC) kicked off Black History Month yesterday with 90 minutes of song, dance and speeches Monday in the Capitol Rotunda. Lawmakers […]
Can doctors and rising suicide rates convince Pa. lawmakers to act on guns?
When more than a dozen moderate Republican lawmakers lost their re-election bids in 2018, some advocates worried that the new makeup of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly could stymie legislation on progressive policy issues. As one of the state’s leading advocates for gun-control, Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFire PA, knows that moderate lawmakers can drum up […]