Press Releases
Baby Formula Manufacturer ByHeart Awarded $1.75 Million in Grant Funding
Reading- December 6, 2021 − Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th District) announced today that ByHeart was awarded $1.75 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant funding for improvements to a Reading-based facility. ByHeart’s Project Lexington is...
Alvernia’s Reading CollegeTowne Awarded $1 Million in Grant Funding
Reading − December 6, 2021 − The second phase or Alvernia’s Reading CollegeTowne project was awarded $1 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant funding for Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget.\ The grant funding will go...
Senate Dems Discuss Evaluating and Improving Drug Treatment Centers at Policy Hearing
READING, December 6, 2021 – State Senator Katie Muth (D- Berks/Chester/Montgomery), Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, today joined Senators Judy Schwank and Christine Tartaglione to host a public hearing on evaluating and improving drug...
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542 Receives $745 Thousand for Training Facility
Reading − December 3, 2021 − Sen. Judy Schwank and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542 announced $745,000 in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant funding from Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget. The funding...
Schwank, Rozzi and Guzman Applaud $7.5 Million in State Funding for R-Phils, Tout Community Effort to Improve Stadium
Reading − December 3, 2021 − Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district), Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-126th) and Rep. Manny Guzman (D-127th) applauded today’s awarding of $7.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding by Gov. Tom Wolf and the...
Borough of Topton Receives Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant
Reading – November 19, 2021 – State legislators Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-134th district) announced today that the Borough of Topton was awarded a $168,594 Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) grant from the Pennsylvania Department...
Governor Mifflin, City of Reading, Fleetwood Awarded $1.35 Million from State
Reading, PA – November 19, 2021 – Berks County State Legislators announced three Greater Reading Area projects received a total of $1,352,687 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community of Economic Development’s (DCED) Commonwealth...
Sen. Schwank to Host Telephone Town Hall on Fraud
Reading, PA – November 15 - State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) will host a telephone town hall on Thursday, November 18 at 7 P.M. on fraud prevention. The event will give constituents an opportunity to ask questions they may have about how to protect themselves...
Schwank Comments on Senate Passage of Capital Budget Project Itemization Act
Harrisburg - November 10, 2021 - State Senator Judy Schwank (D-11th district) today announced that the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 915, the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act of 2021-2022, which includes potential funding for...
Senate Dems Virtual Hearing Focuses on Ending Lifetime Parole in PA
HARRISBURG, November 4, 2021 – State Senator Katie Muth (D- Berks/Chester/Montgomery), chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, today joined state Sens. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) and Judy Schwank...
Sen. Schwank Visits Berks WIC Facility, Touts the Importance of Boosting Enrollment
Reading, PA − November 4, 2021 − Yesterday, State Senator Judy Schwank (D-11th district) toured and met with the staff at the Berks Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition Center at 1110 C Rockland Street, Reading, PA 19604. WIC has improved the nutrition and...
Schwank, Adams Announce Pardon Project of Berks County
Reading, PA- November 1, 2021- Today, State Senator Judy Schwank (D-11th district) and Berks County District Attorney John Adams announced the beginning of the Pardon Project of Berks County. Pardon Projects pair individuals seeking a pardon for a past crime with a...
Sen. Schwank and Sen. Vogel Announce Legislation to Protect Pennsylvania Grain Farmers
Harrisburg – October 22, 2021 – This week Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) and Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47th district) announced plans to introduce legislation that would protect farmers from grain handlers that become insolvent. Pennsylvania currently has no...
Schwank Offers Amendment to Allow DACA Recipients to Receive Teaching Certifications
Harrisburg, PA – October 18, 2021 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-11th district) introduced an amendment to SB 224 that would authorize Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients to obtain teaching certifications in Pennsylvania. SB 224 removes barriers...
Senate Dems Virtual Hearing Focuses on Legislation to Better Accommodate Working Pregnant Pennsylvanians
HARRISBURG, October 5, 2021 – State Senator Katie Muth (D- Berks/Chester/Montgomery), chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, today joined state Sens. Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery/Delaware) and Judy Schwank (D-Berks) to host a virtual...
Women’s Health Caucus Urges Legislators and Advocates to Focus on Policies Which Help Pennsylvania’s New Parents
Harrisburg, PA − September 27, 2021 − The Co-Chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus again calls on their colleagues and the citizens of Pennsylvania to support the #OptInPA Campaign, a movement to help birthing people and improve maternal health across the...
Pa Senate Democrats Call on Republican Colleagues to Take Action on Government Transparency and Accountability Measures
Harrisburg, Pa. − September 22, 2021 − Senators Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny), Katie Muth (D-Chester, Montgomery, and Berks), Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery and Delaware), John Kane (D-Chester and Delaware), Tim Kearney (D-Chester and Delaware), and Judy...
Two Reading Organizations Receive $420,000 in Gun Violence Reduction Grant Funding
Reading, PA − September 8, 2021 − Two Reading area non-profits, RIZE and The Village of Reading, received a total of $420,000 in Gun Violence Reduction Grant Program funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). RIZE, a youth arts...
State Senators Saval and Schwank to Introduce State Mask Legislation
Harrisburg, PA – August 30, 2021 – Today, State Senators Nikil Saval and Judy Schwank announced they will soon introduce legislation to support Governor Tom Wolf’s call for mask mandates in the state. Senator Schwank’s forthcoming bill would require general indoor...
Schwank Hosts Telephone Town Hall on Back-to-School Health and Safety
Reading, August 16, 2021- State Senator Judy Schwank (D-11th district) is hosting a telephone town hall on back-to-school health and safety for the upcoming school year on Tuesday, August 17 at 7 p.m. Guests will include: Olubunmi Ojikutu, Chair, Department of...
Local Legislators Announce $475K in Grant Funding for Berks
READING, PA − August 2, 2021 − State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) and Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-126th district) announced three Berks County organizations received a total of $475,000 in Keystone Communities Program (KCP) grant funding from the Pennsylvania...
Three Boroughs Represented by Schwank Receive Grant Funding for Traffic Safety Improvements
Reading, PA − July 7, 2021 − Kutztown, Shillington and Wyomissing Boroughs were awarded Green Light-Go grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) totaling over $780,000, according to State Senator Judy Schwank. Kutztown received...
Uptick in Unemployment Fraud Scams
Reading, PA − June 29, 2021 − My office has seen a significant uptick in calls related to unemployment fraud since the implementation of the new Unemployment Compensation (UC) system. As many are aware, the rollout of this new system has been very difficult....
Schwank Sponsored Milk Bill Passes Senate
Harrisburg, PA − June 23, 2021 − The Pennsylvania Senate voted 50-0 to approve a bill that would allow milk processors more flexibility in labeling. The legislation stems from a dairy industry study Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) requested in 2018 which...
Berks County Awarded Grant Funding from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
Reading, June 10, 2021 Three projects put forward by the Berk County will receive $884,403 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for three projects according to Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district), Rep. Mark Rozzi...
Legislators Reaffirm their Commitment to Protecting Access to Abortion Hosted by PA Women’s Health Caucus
HARRISBURG, PA − May 25, 2021 − Chairs, members, and advocates of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus (WHC) gathered today to reaffirm their commitment to protecting abortion access in response to the recent anti-abortion hearings in the Pennsylvania House...
Schwank Announces $200k Grant Funding for District 11
Reading, May 25, 2021 − The city of Reading and the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Berks have been awarded state Blight Remediation Program grants totaling $200,000 by the Commonwealth Finance Authority, State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) announced...
PA Senate Democrats Hold Policy Hearing on the Impact of the State System of Higher Education Redesign Plan
Harrisburg – May 17, 2021 - At the request of state Senators Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny), the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a virtual public hearing on the impact of the Pennsylvania state system of higher...
PA Senate Democrats Introduce Spending Plan for $7 Billion in Federal American Rescue Plan Funds – The New Deal For PA
Harrisburg, Pa. – May 12, 2021 – Today, Pennsylvania Senate Democrats unveiled the “New Deal for PA” – a $6.15 billion investment of federal funds coming to the Commonwealth pursuant to the American Rescue Plan. “My Senate democratic colleagues and I today...
PA Women’s Health Caucus Responds to Today’s Dangerous Anti-Abortion Hearing in the House Health Committee
Harrisburg, PA − May 4, 2021 − The co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus (WHC), Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery, Delaware), Representative Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia) and Representative Mary Jo Daley...
PA Senate Democrats Joined by PA Sec. of Ag & Second Lady Gisele Fetterman for Policy Hearing on Food Insecurity in Pennsylvania
Harrisburg – April 30, 2021 - At the request of Pennsylvania State Senators Judy Schwank (D- Berks), Tina Tartaglione (D- Philadelphia), and Sharif Street (D- Philadelphia), the Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a virtual policy hearing to discuss the issue of...
Berks Legislators Announce Act 13, MultiModal Grants
HARRISBURG- April 21, 2021- The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved $1.55 million in grant funding for transportation, recreation and environmental projects in Berks County, according to members of Berks County’s legislative delegation. Three projects received...
Senate Votes to Strengthen First Amendment Rights for Teachers
HARRISBURG – April 19, 2021 – The Senate of Pennsylvania unanimously approved a measure to align Pennsylvania with every other state in the nation in preserving and protecting First Amendment rights for educators, according to the measure’s sponsors, Senators Kristin...