CREATING JOBS + DELIVERING AFFORDABLE TRAINING 

A strong work ethic is part of Pennsylvania's fabric. The pandemic put a spotlight on the hard-working essential people that make our economy function. Corporate profits and CEO perks are higher than ever, while most workers' pay has gone down – and money trickles up, not down.

Local-business owners, service workers – everyone deserves an economy that works for them. We’ll be working to identify and promote policies that get it done.

House Democrats want to grow our economy and create good jobs in every county, in every sector, at every level – jobs with real pay and real benefits and an equal opportunity for promotion and dignified retirement. It all starts with unions. Protecting the collective bargaining rights of nurses, teachers, firefighters and other workers makes for a prosperous middle class in Pennsylvania. We’ll make sure the House is working for them – and you.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Making Pennsylvania attractive to companies who will want to come, stay and grow means having the right infrastructure to support them. Investing in our roads and bridges helps us all get around – other critical connections aren’t so easily seen.

Expanding highspeed internet, broadband access and public transportation gives businesses the foundation to flourish. Investing in infrastructure is investing in jobs – putting Pennsylvanians to work building bridges to tomorrow.

EDUCATION 

Nothing is more precious than the well-being of our children, and the best way to prepare them for life is with a high-quality education that meets the needs of today and prepares a workforce for the future. This includes a diverse approach that goes beyond the traditional workforce and includes opportunities in the trades and technical fields. Our families, our economy -- and Pennsylvania’s place as a top choice for business development -- depend on it.

This means identifying and advancing policies to make job training and higher education affordable for all. This means investing in public schools so our kids get a quality education that leads to a lifetime of success for those who work hard.

It’s enshrined in Pennsylvania’s constitution:“The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.”

Right now, Pennsylvania only kicks in about a third of the cost of public schools, unlike every other state in the country, causing a terrible property tax burden for families and senior citizens. We will identify and advance policies to lower the burden on property tax payers, provide stable funding for schools, take advantage of innovation and collaboration to save costs and improve outcomes, and actually listen to those who are working to educate our children to identify what they need most and start providing it.

ECONOMIC FAIRNESS

Pennsylvania’s revenue system is broken, leaving loopholes for billionaires and mega-retailers to shift and hide their income and avoid paying their fair share. The largest out-of-state companies making the biggest profits off of Pennsylvanians exploit the broken system to pay the least -- if anything at all -- while the small, local businesses giving back to their communities and creating the jobs, are paying the most. It means Pennsylvania puts wealth over work - your paycheck gets hit at the same rate as the rich do on income that rolls in from inheritances, trust funds and estates.

We need to work for policies that are fair for everyone – rewarding hard work for a change so families can pay their bills and small businesses finally get a break.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 

Downtowns - in rural, suburban and urban settings - have been hit hard by the exodus of landmark industries and jobs. Working with regional governments, emerging businesses, and the local workforce, we need to address this challenge by investing in our downtowns - enhancing tourism and recreation opportunities - and passing legislation that helps turn yesterday's industrial sites into today's economic drivers.