HARRISBURG, March 2 -- State Reps. Liz Fiedler and Rick Krajewski hosted a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing Monday to highlight how an education budget focused on the people could best impact Pennsylvania students, especially the neediest populations. The committee heard testimony from a panel of pre-k advocates, including Shalonda Spencer, director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Trying Together; Damaris Alvarado-Rodriguez, CEO of Children's Playhouse Early Learning Center; and De’Wayne Drummond, president, Mantua Civic Association Parent Engagement Specialist, Head Start at Philadelphia School District. The panel shared concerns regarding workforce retention, low pay and the need for additional funding so they can increase pay for workers. The panel also described the devastating mental and emotional toll COVID-19 has taken on them, and on childcare center workers and families. They called for renewed investment in the care and education of Pennsylvania’s youngest residents. “I am deeply invested in the equitable education of Pennsylvania’s children from birth on up. As a mother, it’s personal for me and as a legislator, it’s my mission to ensure our children have access to high-quality care and education,” Fiedler explained. “We must draw a line and refuse to let some children be viewed as less valuable than others by the General Assembly. That starts by valuing the labor of the Read more
PHILADELPHIA, March 2 — Nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, which has dramatically changed life in Philadelphia and across the world, a group of elected officials who represent South Philadelphia in city, state and federal government called for improved vaccine access in South Philadelphia. State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., said that while acknowledging doses remain limited, it is nonetheless concerning that the city’s map of vaccination sites clearly shows that South Philadelphia is dramatically unserved. “I hear from constituents everyday who have spent the last year just trying to get by. Many South Philly senior citizens are unable to travel the considerable distance that is currently required of them to get the vaccine. I am advocating for them to get local access to a shot that could save their life!” Fielder said. Fiedler was joined by state Rep. Regina Young, state Sen. Nikil Saval and city Councilman Mark Squilla in sending a letter to city Health Department Commissioner Thomas Farley calling for the city to work quickly to add vaccination sites in South Philadelphia. They identified the need for vaccination sites for senior citizens specifically, as well as supporting a proposal submitted to the city by Jefferson Health, in partnership with SEAMAAC and others, to create a vaccination site at their new health clinic -- the Wyss Wellness Center -- along with other possible Read more
Letter to city Health Department Commissioner Thomas Farley calling for the city to work quickly to add vaccination sites in South Philadelphia. Read more
COVID-19 vaccine status in Philadelphia, report from Harrisburg, fighting for safe schools in PA, community mental health virtual fair, unemployment resources, community updates. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 26 -- State Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler and Rick Krajewski, both D-Phila., will host Monday’s House Democratic Policy Committee meeting on the state’s early childhood and k-12 education budget. The hearing will be held at 3 p.m. March 1. The public and media may tune in at www.pahouse.com/policy or the committee’s Facebook page --@PADemPolicy. Media inquiries may be submitted to policy@pahouse.net . Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro will join Fiedler, Krajewski and House Democratic colleagues for a look at how the education budget should take a fair and equitable approach that provides quality educational opportunities regardless of zip code. This hearing is part of the People’s Budget project which includes public hearings on environmental policy, education and infrastructure. The committee hopes to generate legislative policy that upholds Pennsylvania’s constitutional obligation to provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the commonwealth. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 25 – State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, with city and state partners, held a virtual mental health fair Tuesday, Feb. 23, to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to connect constituents with mental health support and resources. Fiedler partnered with state Rep. Regina Young, City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, and City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson to hold the event. “Many people are struggling with job loss, housing and food insecurity, virtual schooling, and the physical toll of COVID-19,” Fiedler said. “We are now nearly one year into the pandemic and it has taken other tolls on our families as well: trauma, stress, anxiety, intense fear and loss. There is a lot of stigma around asking for mental health help, but it’s critical for us to break down those barriers, to get through this pandemic and beyond.” Andrea October from the Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual disAbility Services encouraged viewers to “validate, center and allow space,” especially for teenagers and children who may be coping with the stress of the pandemic in a different way than adults in the home. Chantay Love, from EMIR Healing Center which provides education and advocacy, talked about the additional struggles many families face due to ongoing gun violence. “Grandparents are raising grandkids during a pandemic,” she Read more
Mental health virtual fair, COVID-19 status and updates, raising minimum wage, fighting for safe schools, financial fraud tips. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 19 – State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery) and Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Phila.) were joined by several Democratic House and Senate members from across Pennsylvania on Friday to call for repairs to hazardous and toxic schools across Pennsylvania . Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland), Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Rep. Kyle Mullins (D-Lackawanna) pointed to public school buildings in their districts in desperate need of repair during the virtual news conference. The legislators spoke in support of recently unveiled proposals in the House and Senate pushing for significant investment in school infrastructure. “Today’s event addressed conditions in schools all across the commonwealth, and make no mistake, these same hazardous and toxic conditions exist in communities represented by the Republican caucuses,” Hughes said. “Rural, suburban and urban communities alike face daunting challenges because of our aging public school buildings. We cannot wait any longer to act. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support on this legislation, as well as the awareness they are helping raise for this important issue.” The first proposal would expand the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program by $1 billion to help address health hazards in public school buildings across Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf put forth the RACP proposal as a top priority in his recent 2021-22 budget address. “Our Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 12 – State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery) and Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Phila.) unveiled two proposals that would address toxic, unsafe conditions in public schools across the commonwealth. The two said that concern about school conditions, including ventilation, is not new. However, air quality concerns require even more attention and immediate action amid the COVID-19 pandemic and potential return to schools. The first proposal would expand the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to help address health hazards in public school buildings across Pennsylvania, which Gov. Tom Wolf put forth as a top priority in his 2021-22 budget address. The second proposal would create the Public School Building Emergency Repair and Renovation Grant program, which would distribute grants to public schools for emergency repairs, including lead and asbestos abatement or remediation, HVAC repair or replacement, electrical system repair or replacement, plumbing repair or replacement, roof and window repair or replacement and other repairs or replacements that present a health or safety issue. This proposal would rely on federal funding provided through the American Rescue Plan. “Pennsylvania’s legislature cannot defer addressing our public-school infrastructure problems any longer,” Hughes said. “The lives and long-term health of our children, teachers and school staff are put in danger through the time they spend in Read more
COVID vaccinations, legislative updates, news from Harrisburg, community happenings, unemployment resources. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 10 – One week after Gov. Tom Wolf announced his budget priorities, Rep Fiedler joined nearly 30 state lawmakers and advocacy groups to call for a People’s Budget process, so Pennsylvanians can voice their budget priorities. Together they called for a more transparent process that brings equity and inclusion front and center. “Across the commonwealth we’re all connected by common human needs for a home, a good school for our kids, health care that won't bankrupt us, a job where we’re treated with dignity and respect,” said Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., chair of the House Democratic Policy Committee’s Subcommittee on Progressive Policies for Working People. “We’ve been told for so long that the status quo is the best we can get, but that is not true. Our state’s budget is built using taxpayer dollars and those same working people deserve to have a voice in how their public money is spent.” In their announcement statement, the lawmakers indicated they support many things in the Governor’s budget, and that the People’s Budget represents a long-term vision to create a more open process for allocating public taxpayer dollars. The People’s Budget will build on work that has been done by legislators and advocacy groups in previous sessions. Learn more about the People’s Budget here . Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 8 – Thirty members of the Fund Our Facilities Coalition, including lawmakers, unions and advocacy groups sent a letter to Philadelphia School Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite Jr. and Mayor Jim Kenney calling for them to devote themselves to transparency about decision making and to completely remedying building concerns before proceeding to reopen schools. State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., is among the members of the coalition and has been working with the group over the past two years to dedicate state funding and find other resources to fix unhealthy and unsafe building conditions in Philadelphia public schools. The letter can be read here . Read more
COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and pre-registration, Pennsylvania budget, property tax / rent rebate program, community calendar, and more. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 28 – The Philadelphia House Democratic Delegation sent a letter today to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley demanding answers to the COVID-19 vaccine problems between the city and Philly Fighting COVID, the organization tasked with administering vaccines to Philadelphia residents, according to the delegation’s chairman, state Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila. “This is a completely unacceptable turn of events,” Dawkins said. “The people of Philadelphia have relied on the city to ensure they are able to access vaccines in this critical time, and if this organization is who was designated to do the job, not only did they fail to vaccinate but also failed the people of the city by then compromising their personal information. What’s worse, to then learn the organization’s CEO was allegedly taking vaccine home. If this is true, it is completely unacceptable. How did this organization even get chosen to administer the city’s plan? It is disturbing and upsetting, and answers must be given. We all have a right to know.” “People in my district are struggling to get the vaccine while this guy is taking them home,” said state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila. “I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that what he did was illegal, and he needs to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” Kenyatta represents the 181st Legislative Read more
Armed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, leading progressive policy for working people, COVID-19 resources, and Martin Luther King Day. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14 – State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., today announced $1 million in RACP state grants from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to support the IATSE training center expansion. “It’s critical for our families that the state invest in good, family-sustaining jobs in our communities. I was proud to support IATSE Local No.8’s application to RACP for their training facility expansion,” Fiedler said. “Public funding - our tax dollars - should be invested to support working people and our communities, and this project will do just that, with the strength of the union, right here in South Philly for years to come!” The grant will support IATSE’s project to renovate the existing 10,000-square-foot facility at 2401 S. Swanson St. and cover all particulars of expansion, including an elevator and second floor addition. Work will include site and substructure of the building, structural elements such as steel and concrete, roofing and waterproofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and more. “The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local No. 8 was chartered in 1893. Local 8 and our international organization have represented workers in entertainment industry throughout Pennsylvania continuously for over 128 years. The entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing segments in our economy. As we continue to grow and service this industry, we are pressed to provide Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 12 - State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., has been named chair of a new subcommittee by House Democratic Caucus Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro. Fiedler will serve as the chair of the Subcommittee on Progressive Policies for Working People. “I am proud to chair this subcommittee and lay out a policy agenda that focuses on valuing the lives of working and poor people, over big corporate profit,” Fiedler said. The subcommittee will focus on five major areas: health care, tax reform, environmental policy, criminal justice and housing. While these topics are vital to House Democrats, Fiedler said she believes they need to be tackled at a structural level, working closely with the people who are directly affected by these issues, and working on bold plans with a clear race/class lens. “Our politics in Harrisburg and D.C. are dominated by corporate and special interests,” Fiedler said. “We are repeatedly told that the status quo is the best we can get. That is not true. All our families deserve quality health care that doesn’t send them into bankruptcy, clean water and air, fair taxes and so much more. I am excited to work with my colleagues to build a transformative platform for working people, and to amplify and center the life experiences of the 99%. I’m excited for the work we will accomplish, and grateful to Leader McClinton and Chair Bizzarro for their commitment to facilitating this important Read more
New session, housing crisis, House rules, COVID-19 testing and vaccine, economic impact payment, unemployment benefits, and more. Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7 -- On Thursday, progressive elected and movement elected officials from Philadelphia released the following statement. They include: Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym (D-At Large), Philadelphia Councilmember Kendra Brooks (WFP-At Large), Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D-District 3), Senator Nikil Saval (D-PA SD 1), Representative Chris Rabb (D-PA HD 200), Representative Elizabeth Fiedler (D- PA HD-184), Representative Rick Krajewski (D-PA HD 188). “What we saw Wednesday in Washington D.C. was insurrection. Its perpetrators marched Confederate battle flags through the halls of Congress and threatened our country’s elected representatives. They were stoked by hate, lies, and misinformation and steeped in white supremacy. They were led by Donald Trump and his enablers across this country, including a sitting Pennsylvania state senator who joined the insurrection and seven Pennsylvania congress members who voted to overturn the presidential election. Just the day before, in Harrisburg, Republican state senators denied a duly-elected Democratic senator from taking his seat, in flagrant disregard of the state constitution. “In this time of resurgent mass movements and popular politics, the right is attempting to upend our constitution and democracy. This is an attack on all of us. And it is up to us to win the struggle, not just for our politics but for our future. “It is no accident that this particular armed Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 4 – A group of 10 House Democrats announced the introduction of changes to the Operating Rules of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to reduce the impact of partisan politics, make sure ideas with broad public support get a fair hearing, and restore the people’s faith in government after the damage done by extremists in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg. The People Before Politics plan was crafted with this central idea: lawmakers work for the people, not the other way around. It focuses on openness, transparency and citizen control of the legislative process. The People Before Politics plan includes the following proposals: Amendment 1 – The Voice of the People, sponsored by Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila. This amendment would make sure each House member has an opportunity to speak at a designated time during the first full session day of the week on any topic, similar to how the U.S. House of Representatives allows members to speak. This change would end the requirement of “unanimous consent” so often abused by extremists to silence members and prevent legislative topics bottled up in committee from being heard by the people. Amendment 2 – Let the People See, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware . This amendment would restore the rule requiring a full 24 hours before final passage of any bill, including all bills amended in the House chamber or in committee, or sent over from the state Read more
Please use the form below to sign up for email updates. By completing this form you are acknowledging your request to receive periodic email updates.
By completing this form, you are verifying your request to opt in for email updates.
Thank you. Your email signup has been sent. You should start getting emails within 24 hours.
Please use the form below to email Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler.
Thank you. Your feedback has been sent.
2400 S. 9th St.Philadelphia, PA 19148-3716
P*: (215) 271-9190
F*: (215) 952-1025
Hours of Operation - Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
32 East WingP.O. Box 202184Harrisburg, PA 17120-2184
P*: (717) 787-5774
F*: (717) 705-2088