Newsroom
It’s time to Stand up for the Sex Abuse Victims
Op-Ed Column by State Senator Wayne Fontana I was raised Catholic and spent all 12 years of schooling in Catholic schools. As an adult, I was married in the Catholic Church, raised my children in the faith and sent them to Catholic school. I still firmly believe in...
Senator Fontana Receives Dewey Award for Environmental Work
PITTSBURGH, September 27, 2018 – Senator Wayne D. Fontana (D-Pittsburgh) today received the Clean Water Action organization’s “Dewey Award.” The award is granted to individuals who are proven champions of the environment within their community. “Throughout my...
Fontana Supports Legislation to Provide Justice for Child Abuse Victims
HARRISBURG, September 24, 2018 – Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Brookline) today urged his legislative colleagues to pass legislation that would expand the state’s statute of limitations, enabling more child sexual abuse victims to seek justice. “Considering the harrowing...
Fontana Supports Call for Opening Window to Allow Child Abuse Victims to Seek Justice
Pittsburgh – September 18, 2018 – At a news conference today at the City-County Building in Pittsburgh, State Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) supported the call to open a 2-year window to allow victims of child abuse by priests to file civil actions against abusers...
Fontana Announces $2 Million in Grants Approved for Small Water and Sewer Projects, Recreation
Harrisburg – September 18, 2018 – More than $2 million in state grants were approved by a state funding authority for nine projects in his district in Pittsburgh and suburban communities in Allegheny County, state Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) said today. ...
Sen. Fontana Announces $15.75 Million in Redevelopment Assistance
PITTSBURGH, PA − September 5, 2018 − Senator Wayne D. Fontana is pleased to announce today that redevelopment projects within Allegheny County have received a combined total of $15.75 million through the state administered Redevelopment Assistance Capital (RACP)...
Senators Costa & Fontana Congratulate Pittsburgh School District on $1.6 Million State Education Grant
Pittsburgh, Pa. − August 27, 2018 − Senators Jay Costa, Jr. and Wayne D. Fontana jointly congratulated the Pittsburgh School District on the award of $1.6 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to support school improvement. “I want to...
Senator Hughes and Senator Fontana to introduce bill regulating 3D-printed guns
HARRISBURG, August 1, 2018 — Looking to stop the spread of undetectable and untraceable 3D-printed guns, Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) and Senator Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) plan to introduce a bill to ensure Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act...
Sen. Fontana Announces Funds for Local Signal Light Improvements
Brookline, July 12, 2018 – State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana today announced that five local communities will receive a total of more than $4.5 million in state grant funds for roadway signal light improvements. “These funds will upgrade traffic signals -- improving safety...
Fontana Lauds State Budget’s Investment in Education, Workforce and Economic Development
Harrisburg, June 22, 2018 – State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny) today provided the following statement on the passage of the 2018-19 state budget: “I am pleased with this bipartisan spending plan. It holds the line on taxes, keeps spending under the inflation...
Fontana Praises PHEAA Decision that Avoids Cuts to Student Grants
Harrisburg, May 24, 2018 – State Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) today said he is pleased with the PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) board decision to use additional reserve funds to maintain grants to students at the current amounts. Without...
Senate Passes Fontana’s Bill Mandating Carbon Monoxide Alarms in Childcare Centers
Harrisburg, May 23, 2018 – The state Senate today unanimously approved Sen. Wayne Fontana’s legislation that would require that working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms be installed in childcare centers that use fireplaces or oil/gas-fired furnaces. “With alarms costing an...
Inaction is Not an Option
Americans are fed up with this nation’s gun violence epidemic. It is intolerable.
Horrific accounts of deranged mass murderers using military-grade assault weapons to indiscriminately spray bullets into crowds of innocent people has become part of the regular news cycle. Lives are lost, families are destroyed and communities paralyzed.
Sen. Fontana to Introduce Bills Aimed at Preventing Mass Shootings
PITTSBURGH, February 21, 2018 – Calling it the “Protection for Pennsylvanians” legislation, state Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny) today announced that he will introduce two bills aimed at preventing gun violence and mass shootings. “These commonsense proposals...
Fontana Lauds Pittsburgh’s Departure from Financial Distressed Status
PITTSBURGH, February 12, 2018 – Sen. Wayne D. Fontana today made the following comment about Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to remove Pittsburgh from state financial recovery oversight (Act 47): “I have supported Pittsburgh’s removal from Act 47 oversight for quite some...
Fontana Announces Nearly $5 Million in Grants for Local Transportation Projects
HARRISBURG, February 8, 2018 – Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny) today announced six state multimodal grants totaling nearly $5 million. “These state dollars will help communities advance and complete a number of important projects aimed at enhancing efficiency,...
Fontana Lauds Wolf’s Budget Priorities
HARRISBURG, February 6, 2018 – Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny) today provided the following statement on Gov. Tom Wolf’s $32.9 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2018-19: “I applaud the governor’s proposal and spending priorities. I’m pleased that the governor is...
Fontana Urges State to Step up Support for Sto-Rox School District
HARRISBURG, January 11, 2018 – Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Brookline) today provided the following statement in response to an audit report indicating that Sto-Rox School District continues to struggle: “It’s important to emphasize that the state Auditor General’s...
Fontana Encouraged by UPMC-Highmark Agreement
Pittsburgh, January 4, 2018 – State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Brookline) today made the following comment after UPMC and Highmark agreed to provide in-network access to community healthcare facilities that provide one-of-a-kind services. “I’m pleased by this positive...
Fontana Calls for Action on Water and Sewer Lateral Repairs Following Recent Investigative Report
Pittsburgh – December 29, 2017 – State Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) said today that financing the repair of water and sewer laterals is in the public interest because it helps the consumer, public health and the environment, but more needs to done to help...