Priorities

Making a middle class life affordable

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats are working to make life affordable for all of us

100% of jobs pay a livable wage

We stand with Governor Shapiro in support of an overdue increase in the minimum wage. An increase to $15 would directly benefit nearly 1.5 million workers, or 25% of Pennsylvania workers.

Protect the rights and safety of all workers

Not all workers in Pennsylvania are treated equally, and we will end that inequity. The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) provides safety and health standards and enforcement for private sector employees, but public sector employees are not offered the same protections. Also, women are not paid the same as men, and that gap widens for women of color. We are fighting to change that!

Paid family leave for 100% of jobs

Healthy employees are productive employees, and choosing between a paycheck and a doctor visit shouldn’t be a choice at all! We need to ensure that people have time off to take care of themselves and their families.

Ensuring high-quality education

State Senate Democrats are fighting for fully, fairly, constitutionally-funded education.

All Pennsylvania students deserve high quality education. We’re working to enact fair and equitable funding and to ensure high-quality,  safe learning spaces throughout the state. We’re focused on:

• Providing mental and behavioral health services to struggling students.
• Making all areas of education, from childcare to higher education, accessible and affordable for all, in every zip code.
• Retaining and recruiting high quality teachers and childcare providers.
• Investing in early childhood education.

Protecting access to reproductive health care

We’re fighting to keep reproductive care safe and available in Pennsylvania.

Health care is a human right, and no one should be denied care for any reason. Reproductive health care, in particular, is under attack at the federal level. We are fighting to keep reproductive care protections in place in Pennsylvania so that reproductive decisions are made the way they should be: by a patient and their doctor.

Reducing gun violence

The scourge of gun violence is a national crisis, and Pennsylvanians have spoken. They want and deserve safe communities for themselves and their families. Sensible, practical legislation saves lives while respecting our constitutional right to bear arms.

We’re committed to delivering commonsense, effective, and widely popular gun safety legislation, such as Red Flag laws, universal background checks, and bans on untraceable weapons.

Safeguarding clean air and water

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats are fighting to keep our air and water clean for generations to come.

It’s undeniable; we are feeling the effects of climate change. Higher temperatures and increased rainfall lead to: more respiratory deaths, damage to agriculture, increased disease and pests, and flooding that destroys homes and businesses. [Source: gis.dep.pa.gov/ClimateChange/index.html]

We support policies that focus on reducing the effects of climate change to protect our health, our homes, our communities, and our jobs.