Prioritizing the needs of Pennsylvanians

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19th District State Rep. Aerion AbneyPhoto courtesy of Rep. Abney

By Pennsylvania 19th District State Representative, Aerion Abney

Welcome to the new 19th Legislative District. I am honored to serve as your new State Representative and be your champion in Harrisburg. I am in the process of getting my District Office staffed and will be making plans to begin remote office locations later this summer and into the fall. Stay tuned for further details about our remote office days and what days we’ll be in Hazelwood. In the interim, please visit my legislative website (https://pahouse.com/abney/) for frequent updates, and to sign up for my weekly e-newsletter.

By the time you are reading this update, we hopefully will have passed our state budget. Typically, June is one of the busiest months for the state legislature, as we try to move bills we support across the finish line and pass a $40+ billion budget.

As we worked in Harrisburg to put together the state budget, I’ve been advocating for a plan that prioritizes the needs of Pennsylvanians and the people in our community. We have a unique opportunity with this budget, thanks to a massive surplus, which I think we should be investing in education, infrastructure, housing, and direct assistance to individuals and families who need a hand up.

I also introduced my first piece of legislation in June, a bill that would require the state to collect data on the experiences of folks within the justice system. Collecting this information would be an important step in making sure that people are treated fairly by our justice system and will help state policy makers determine how our laws are applied and how we can move forward in improving our criminal justice system where improvements are necessary.

I look forward to meeting with and hearing from you all throughout the summer about how my office can be of assistance to you. Please do not hesitate to give my office a call at (412) 471-7760.

Hazelwood Initiative, Inc., publisher of The Homepage, is a community development corporation and a registered community organization. Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. does not profit by or receive compensation from contributors or organizations for mentions or links in Homepage articles.

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The Homepage is a print newspaper delivered monthly to households in Greater Hazelwood, Glen Hazel, Greenfield, Hays, New Homestead, Lincoln Place and The Run. Hazelwood Initiative, Inc., a community-based nonprofit, publishes The Homepage through a grant from the City of Pittsburgh and advertising revenue from local businesses and organizations. The mission of Hazelwood Initiative, as a community-based development corporation, is to build a stronger Hazelwood through inclusive community development. Sonya Tilghman, Executive Director of Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. (she/her) Juliet Martinez, Managing Editor of The Homepage (they/them) Sarah Kanar, Layout and Design of The Homepage(she/her)

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