August 26, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Editor’s Note: Clarified to note that Pennsylvania puts no monetary limits on gifts. There are other restrictions.
State Sen. Jim Brewster of McKeesport, shown with Braddock Mayor Chardaé Jones and representatives of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission during a recent tour of the Monongahela River, has introduced legislation to ban gifts from lobbyists to Pennsylvania lawmakers. (Submitted photo)
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has lent his support to an effort by a McKeesport lawmaker to block gifts from lobbyists to state lawmakers.
During a press conference Tuesday near Harrisburg, Wolf introduced his fall legislative agenda, asking the state house and senate to take up several proposals this fall, including additional aid for workers who lost jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for businesses forced to close or restrict operations.
Wolf also endorsed a proposal introduced by state Sen. Jim Brewster that would ban gifts from special interests to legislators.
Pennsylvania is one of only 10 states that puts no monetary cap on gifts to members of the state house and senate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Read More
May 28, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Nearly 87,000 voters in Allegheny County have already returned their absentee ballots in advance of the June 2 primary election, a spokeswoman said this week.
Tuesday was the last day for voters to request a mail-in ballot for the primary, where voters in the Republican and Democratic parties will be selecting their nominees for President, representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and in many districts, the Pennsylvania Senate.
State and county officials have been encouraging voters to cast absentee ballots when possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More
May 26, 2020 |
By Kevin Kino | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Political newcomer Paul Eagle is running a write-in campaign for the 38th Legislative District seat currently held by state Rep. Bill Kortz.
Eagle was born and raised in Dravosburg, where he also currently resides. He took criminal justice courses at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Community College of Allegheny County.
He currently serves as a Port Vue police officer and as police/resource officer in the West Mifflin Area School District, as well as constable for Dravosburg Borough.
Eagle is interested in running for office because he feels not enough gets done due to party divisions.
Read More
May 25, 2020 |
By Kevin Kino | Posted in: Politics & Elections
With state Rep. Bill Kortz announcing his retirement after 14 years, residents of the 38th Legislative District will be selecting his replacement.
Nick Pisciottano is currently seeking the Democratic nomination in the district, which includes Baldwin, Dravosburg, Glassport, Liberty, Pleasant Hills, Port Vue, South Park Twp., West Mifflin and Whitehall.
Pisciottano is a fourth-generation West Mifflin resident with deep roots in the community.
“I have grandparents, and great-grandparents that have been involved in local politics, local volunteer clubs, school teachers, things like that, for generations,” he says.
Read More
May 18, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Allegheny County voters who want to participate in the June 2 primary election — and who want to cast their ballot in person, rather than by mail — may need to go to a different polling location than usual.
Most communities in the county will have only one polling location open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In McKeesport, all city voters who intend to cast a ballot in person will vote at the Public Safety Building (old Municipal Building) at the corner of Lysle Boulevard and Market Street. A list of Mon-Yough area polling locations follows this story.
Read More
April 18, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
(Allegheny County illustration)
All Allegheny County voters will have the option of casting a ballot by mail in the June 2 primary election.
County officials on Friday announced that all registered voters will receive an application for a mail-in ballot, as well as a postage-paid envelope. Registered voters also may apply for a mail-in ballot online at alleghenyvotes.com, if they have not already requested an absentee ballot.
A spokeswoman said the county is having difficulty finding enough workers to staff polling stations because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More
April 08, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Duquesne News, McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections
Duquesne’s Nickole Nesby and Braddock’s Chardae Jones joined more than 30 other mayors of cities and boroughs across Pennsylvania to ask the federal government to increase production of medical supplies and coordinate distribution to communities.
In a letter signed by 113 municipal leaders from across the United States and released Monday, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group called on the federal government to do a better job of coordinating response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s time for leaders in Washington to have our back,” said John Henry, mayor of West View, north of Pittsburgh. “The federal government must do its job coordinating national disaster response to get us the masks and ventilators we need to save lives. Every minute counts.”
Read More
January 21, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
State Rep. Bill Kortz speaks at a rally of Pennsylvania motorcyclists. The Dravosburg Democrat, an avid motorcycle rider, announced his retirement on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy state Rep. Bill Kortz.)
State Rep. Bill Kortz confirmed Tuesday that he will not seek re-election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly in November.
In announcing his retirement, the Dravosburg resident called his 14 years as a legislator “a tremendous honor and a privilege” but said it was time for him “to take care of my health and step aside for future leaders” of his Mon-Yough district.
A former steelworker at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Plant with 30 years of service, Kortz, 65, a Democrat, was first elected to the legislature in 2006 and represents the 38th District, which includes Dravosburg, West Mifflin, Glassport, Port Vue, Liberty, Pleasant Hills, South Park, Baldwin and Whitehall.
The legislature was in session on Tuesday and Kortz was not available for an interview.
Read More
January 07, 2020 |
By Ann Belser | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections
County Councilman John Palmiere, Democrat from Baldwin Twp., is sworn in by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Dan Regan. Palmiere represents District 6, which also includes Clairton, Elizabeth Borough, Jefferson Hills and Pleasant Hills. Looking on is Common Pleas Judge Kathryn Hens-Greco. (Photo by Ann Belser/Print, special to Tube City Almanac)
If its first meeting was any indication, Allegheny County Council could be in for a contentious new year.
On Jan. 2, the night that all of the new and re-elected members of council were sworn in and Pat Catena of Carnegie was elected as the new council president, a dozen residents availed themselves of the public comment period to talk about the poor quality of the air and water in Allegheny County.
“Of all the issues that come before you, none is more serious than the toxic air that we breathe everyday,” John Detwiler of Squirrel Hill said. “Our county’s air is among the worst in the nation, it affects the health and the very lives of our friends and our neighbors, so all of us should care about our air.”
He called on the new council to reshape the Board of Health through its confirmation process to make the board more responsive to air quality issues.
Read More
December 07, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
State Sen. Jim Brewster speaks during a breakfast for veterans last month in White Oak. (Photo courtesy state Sen. Jim Brewster)
Saying “public service is about reaching out and meeting the needs of those you represent,” State Sen. Jim Brewster kicked off his re-election campaign Friday with a rally at the Monroeville municipal building.
Brewster, a Democrat from McKeesport, is seeking his third full term representing the 45th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
The former McKeesport mayor, who was first elected to the state senate in 2010 to replace former state Sen. Sean Logan, pledged to seek bipartisan solutions to problems in education, economic development, job creation and infrastructure upgrades.
“By working side-by-side, and with the goal of helping everyone, we can do more and that is why I am seeking another term in the state Senate,” Brewster said in prepared remarks delivered Friday. “The district has a large geographic footprint, the communities are diverse, and the people are strong, vibrant and energized, yet there are challenges to overcome.
Read More
