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Pennsylvania has seen a series of hospital and maternity-unit closures, especially in rural areas across PA.  Public health infrastructure is split between a relatively lean state Department of Health and 60-plus local health departments and state-served counties.  We need a comprehensive state plan or major investment to rebuild the public health workforce & modernize the data systems.  

Every Pennsylvanian deserves to get the care they need when they need it. 

Every Pennsylvanian deserves reliable healthcare they can afford, no matter their job, income, or background. Programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, and the Affordable Care Act help millions of families stay healthy, feed their children, and retire with dignity. These programs should be supported and funded, not cut for tax breaks for the ultra rich.

Every child in PA deserves a public education that gives them the tools and opportunities to succeed. 

Decades of underfunding by the Pennsylvania Legislature has left public schools districts, many of them rural, severely underfunded with limited means to raise local revenues to maintain programs and services.  Our continued reliance on property tax revenue to fund public education has created a system where children from wealthier families and higher income communities have more resources and opportunities than students from less privileged backgrounds. This is an unsustainable system for students, school districts, and taxpayers. We must fully fund public education and identify new revenue sources to meet the constitutional requirement to fully fund public schools.

Did you know that over 70% of large corporations operating in Pennsylvania pay NOTHING IN TAXES?  

This upside down tax system taxes low- & middle-income people and small businesses too much while allowing the richest people and largest corporations to get away without paying their fair share. This has led to less and less revenue for the state to use for important things like education, infrastructure, and other services that people and local communities need.

We must shift Pennsylvania away from one of the most regressive tax systems in the nation, lower the tax burden on low- and middle-income households,

and ensure the wealthiest Pennsylvanians and corporations finally pay their fair share.

The Pennsylvania Legislature hasn’t raised the minimum wage in our Commonwealth for TWENTY YEARS! $7.25 per hour  is STILL our minimum wage today in PA,  with a tipped minimum wage of $2.83 per hour. 

What’s worse? Employers in Pennsylvania can still get a waiver to pay people with disabilities a subminimum wage and incarcerated workers can make as little as $0.19 per hour. 

• Research has found that for every 10% increase in the minimum wage, the poverty rate decreases by about 5% in the long run; a full 38% of workers who would benefit in PA have a family income below 200% of the poverty level. 
• Raising the minimum wage would have concrete impacts on nearly one in four people who would see an increase in their wage.

TIME TO RAISE THE WAGE!

We need to expand Pennsylvania’s public transit systems to grow our economy and connect more Pennsylvanians to jobs, healthcare, and essential needs.

 We must create policies to improve transit access, transit jobs, and transit funding.  Funding transit benefits all Pennsylvanians. Every county has public transit whether it’s buses, senior services, or transportation services for people with disabilities. This is about all of us.

Cutting transportation doesn’t save money, it shifts the cost back onto rural families who are already stretched thin. We need a budget that keeps our communities connected.

 Pennsylvania has an energy crisis — and Pennsylvania residents are paying the price. Electricity bills are going up largely because we are relying too much on a single energy.  Expanded renewable energy is a solution to the energy imbalance that is causing rising prices. Increasing clean energy in PA will mean cleaner air and fewer asthma attacks, more stable energy bills over time, good-paying jobs that keep young people in Pennsylvania, & stronger rural economies. We’re in this crisis because Pennsylvania has clung to coal, oil, and gas – outdated, fossil fuels that are getting more expensive and less reliable by the day. Clean energy is the path to affordability.  We must act now to lower costs and protect households.

Our right to vote must be protected at all costs for it is the foundation of democracy.  We must be allowed to freely and safely cast our ballots and ensure that trusted local election officials count every vote.

1. I support protecting and expanding access to voting by making it easier to register to vote.   
2. I believe in eliminating barriers to voting by mail, allowing no-excuse absentee voting, and protecting the right to vote by mail-in ballots, which is a safe and convenient voting method.
3. I support protecting voters, including securing voting rights for all citizens.  

I believe we cannot allow voter intimidation laws and burdensome   Voter I.D. laws to pass, for they would disenfranchise millions of voters who have the right to vote.

4. Voters need accurate information about voting rules and laws.  I support expanding voter education - making it easier for people to register to vote, check their registration, find their polling place, find answers to their questions and identify potential barriers to voting that can be corrected before election day.

5. Continuing the modernization of elections ensures they remain both easy to access and secure.

6. Fair Representation in the redistricting process by ending gerrymandering

I support a constitutional amendment to create an impartial, independent citizens' commission to redraw district lines, removing politicians from the process to ensure fairness

Easy access to voting and increased voter turnout is crucial to true representation in our democracy. 

We must also focus on the issues of women’s health and their reproductive healthcare;  including a woman’s right to abortion, ending violence against women, and providing family leave. 

Women need access to maternal care, pre- and post-natal care, preventative health and cancer screenings, family planning, contraception, and health education.  We must fund women, children’s and infants healthcare. 

Pennsylvania is one of a small handful of states with an Environmental Rights Amendment; PA voters chose to amend our state constitution in 1971 to protect our air, land, and water:

§ 27. Natural resources and the public estate.

The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people. PA. CONST. art I, § 27 (adopted May 18, 1971).

All elected officials in PA have a legal duty to uphold this right, sworn under oath.

I support the green amendment to the PA Constitution that enforces Pennsylvanians’ right to clean air, pure water, and preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of our environment.  I support investing state funds into cleaning up contaminated and dangerous areas across our commonwealth.  I support bringing funds to local communities and municipalities to help clean and restore polluted areas and to reduce the local sources of air and water pollution.

Temperatures are rising, droughts, heat waves, flooding, soil erosion, and runoff are threatening the quality of life for people living in PA, and it’s only going to get worse.  We must invest in our local communities to improve the living conditions of those who are being adversely impacted by the effects of climate change, especially those who live in the poorest of communities, resulting in poor health conditions and less desirable living environments.  

We must make a swift transition to clean affordable energy to reduce pollution in our communities.

State legislators have a significant impact on housing costs because they set the "rules of the game" for how land is used and how buildings are constructed. 

Making housing affordable requires a combination of policy reform, direct financial assistance, supply expansion, and community-driven alternatives.

As policymakers, we can take a variety of steps to reduce the costs of housing

And the way to make housing cheaper is to build a lot more of it in the places that people want to live.

We must address the housing shortage by increasing supply and creating more affordable housing options.

I propose allowing more housing of all types, including duplexes, townhomes, and smaller starter homes on small lots,  in more parts of the state. 

Since these homes are smaller, they require less land and materials, which make them cheaper than larger homes on larger lots.

Code changes would allow developers to build three- and four-family units under the residential building code, which would create great options for smaller families and

make them easier and cheaper to build.

I believe we should also make it easier to build apartments, especially in high-demand areas near businesses, retail, and transit lines.

I support expanding inclusionary zoning policies that require or encourage developers to set aside a share of new units as affordable for lower-income households.

Equal opportunity is a multi-faceted challenge that requires addressing barriers that can affect a person’s life.

We have to change the focus from treating everyone the same (equality) to providing the specific resources each individual needs in order to reach his/her fullest potential. (equity)

Diversifying Pathways to Work 

Every person should have opportunities for workplace advancement.  Encouraging employers to hire based on skills and competencies rather than degrees and credentials. strengthening vocational partnerships between high schools and local industries to provide apprenticeships and technical training

Addressing Implicit Bias in Recruitment

Even with the best intentions, human “feelings” can lead to biased hiring.  Blind resumes and structured interviews can level the playing field for individuals seeking employment

Support for Lifelong Learning

Job skills are constantly evolving. Employers should provide opportunities for  workers to gain new technical or leadership skills,

Time to stop hate & discrimination in PA!

Every person has a right to live freely and without fear.  I will fight for the fair treatment and civil rights for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians.  I have always supported & promoted protections & fairness for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians .  In Pennsylvania, the Human Relations Act does not extend protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians in Housing, Employment, and Public Accommodations. I support The Fairness Act that would extend protections to the LGBTQ+ community with the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity. 

I will work to make sure that local, safe, & equitable healthcare is accessible for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians.  I support fair & equal rights for all and when elected, I will take bold action to end discrimination and inequality.  I will stand up for justice and be your champion in Harrisburg.

Partisan gridlock has taken its toll on the legislative process in Harrisburg.

In Pennsylvania, in an average legislative session, less than 7% of bills introduced get a final vote. 

I support reforming the legislative rules so that bills with bipartisan support may be heard, & bills introduced by members of the minority party can be heard and considered. Bills passed from committee with bipartisan support should be guaranteed a vote on the chamber floor.  Bills passed by one chamber should be considered by the other chamber. We must fix the structural flaws in our legislative process in order to address all of the important issues facing Pennsylvanians.

As your state senator, I will improve accessibility for people with disabilities.  I believe that we can help thousands of children and adults with disabilities across the commonwealth by supporting, funding, and providing access to quality educational programs & services, including easily accessing healthcare and mental healthcare, preparing young people with disabilities to transition from secondary education to adult life, assisting adults with disabilities prepare, obtain, and maintain employment, improving access to reliable transportation to get to work, and expanding housing options and choices for people with disabilities.  We must ensure that all Pennsylvanians are treated with respect and dignity, and have a chance to prosper and succeed.