A voice for YOU in Harrisburg

I want to be a voice for seniors because I know how hard it is for older people to afford prescriptions, even with access to good healthcare. 

My parents sunk deeply into debt when faced with health issues, due to the high cost of drugs to treat my mom’s Parkinson’s disease. 

Many older folks are finding themselves draining their savings - funds from a lifetime of hard work - just to keep up with treatments for chronic conditions or tough diagnoses. It’s just not right. 

I want to be a voice for working families because I know how many people struggle to make ends meet, while working hard for too little pay. 

I’ve heard from local schoolteachers who are waiting tables on the side because their salary isn’t enough to support their family. I’ve met mothers who want to work, but can’t, because childcare costs are higher than the wages they would earn. 

We need to ensure that everyone has a livable wage and the opportunity to be financially independent.

I want to be a voice for the environment. Just in our district, in the past year, we’ve had thousands of flooded basements, closed roads and power outages that have been disruptive and expensive - keeping people from traveling to work and kids from being in school. 

We need to focus on improving infrastructure and making progress toward more sustainable options that make a difference in preventing extreme weather events - because these are happening more and more, right where we live.

Yes, we need to become less dependent on foreign fuel, therefore we need a huge investment in greener energy. Although many companies and politicians have promoted natural gas and fracking as good for Pennsylvania, for too long the environmental harms of those activities have disproportionately burdened lower income communities and communities of color.   There must be greater investment and support in areas that have been predominantly focused on fossil fuel extraction, in a cleaner and greener direction.

I believe one of the most important life decisions we will ever make is whether or when to become a parent. Everybody should have the freedom to make their own decision with those they love and trust, based on what is best for their lives, families, and circumstances.  

Once someone has decided to seek an abortion, I want them to be able to have access to safe and affordable medical care. I want them to be supported, not restricted by laws that dictate their decision or place unnecessary barriers on the process. 

I am a legal gun owner who believes in common sense safety regulations. I am not trying to take anyone's guns away, and recognizing that we have a tremendous problem, want to find better solutions.   

I believe more needs to be done to protect Pennsylvanians from gun violence. In addition to expanding background check laws to include long guns, we should increase investments in community violence intervention programs, and pass an extreme risk protection law (“red flag” law). I also support passing a firearm safety training law. 

Corporate profits are at record highs, while the average person is paying more for almost everything from gasoline to food to housing.  These are all essentials that hard working people need! 

Corporations are getting tax breaks and the rich keep getting richer, at the expense of everyone else.  Raising a family isn’t easy right now which is why I want to make childcare, prescription drugs and healthcare more affordable.

Big oil companies are having record profits and their shareholders continue to get richer. They should no longer get subsidies and tax breaks.  They need to pay their fair share.  I also support a gas tax holiday. 

I am a vocal advocate of unions and worker’s rights. I believe that in order for workplaces to succeed (as well as the country), the worker needs to have a seat at the table. I will support a worker’s right to choose whether or not to have union representation.  Employers should not be able to interfere with that right.  

It is also important for workers compensation benefits to be available and workplace safety to be a priority. It is important that Pennsylvanians have the protections of the prevailing wage laws and that public services do not become privatized. 

Gender rights are human rights.  These rights have an impact beyond the individual, to the entire society.  Discrimination against women is ongoing and effects women in every demographic.  

The legislature needs to address many areas, including equal pay for equal work, paid family leave, and sexual harassment in the workplace.  When women are able to live full lives and participate freely in their communities, the entire community will benefit.

LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.  They deserve a voice as well as protection from discrimination and harm.

A thorough and efficient education is a constitutional right in Pennsylvania and that right is being denied to countless children across the state of Pennsylvania.  The hold harmless rule does not work to provide proper funding to many districts in the state. The legislature needs to provide fair funding to all public schools. 

The teacher shortage needs to be addressed on multiple levels: give incentives to students majoring in education and support current teachers who have faced incredible challenges.  Property tax reform is necessary, however the legislature needs to find a compromise that shares the tax burden as fairly as possible to provide adequate funding.

A livable wage helps everyone in our communities, by pulling people out of poverty and allowing them to prosper and fully contribute to their families and the overall economy.  When families and individuals thrive, so do our local businesses.

I believe the opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on Pennsylvania families and communities.  I fully support solutions such as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, supply limits, and limiting opioid substances for minors.  I also support the efforts of AG Shapiro for the opioid settlement which should help communities by getting them resources needed to address this crisis.