Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

Every kid. Every school. It’s the right thing to do.

The Pennsylvania Constitution is absolutely clear:

“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.”

But for too long we haven’t been living up to our moral and constitutional obligation. It was so bad under decades of Republican majorities in the House and Senate that school districts sued the state – and won. The courts said the legislature was underfunding our schools, overburdening local taxpayers – and leaving kids behind.

Until now. Democrats are now in the majority in the House and have listened to schools, families and the courts. The PA House passed a bill to provide equity to every student and to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

Our plan delivers more than $5 billion in targeted investments over 7 years to address inequities in funding.

Our plan delivers equity and predictability for all schools with at least an additional $1.4 billion in dedicated basic education funding -- $200 million per year for seven years.

Our plan ensures transparency and accountability for Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools and provides $3.2 billion in savings to taxpayers over 7 years to public schools.

Our plan reduces the burden on taxpayers, providing a billion-dollar tax cut over 7 years.

Now, it’s up to the Senate Republican Leaders to do the right thing and fight for every kid.

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Raise the minimum wage for working families, Pennsylvania’s economy

Working hard is at the core of what Pennsylvanians are about. Raising the minimum wage is about economic fairness and economic sense: every state around Pennsylvania has raised their wage multiple times since our last raise. The PA House has passed legislation to boost our state's economy by raising the minimum wage and making sure it keeps pace with inflation. This would put more money in the pockets of low-wage workers, money that would be spent on goods and services in our local businesses.

Fill out the form to email your state senator and their leaders in the state Senate to let them know that you support an increase in the minimum wage.

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Junk the Junk Fees, Beat the Grinch Bots, and Stop Scammers to protect Pennsylvanians

Hard-working people like you who want to buy tickets to see your favorite sports team, enjoy concerts, or even just order dinner to be delivered after a hard day’s work are being taken advantage of – and House Democrats are leading the fight to stop the scammers and protect your wallet.

The PA House of Representatives has passed bills to end Junk Fees, stop Grinch Bots, and end Speculative Ticketing. Join House Democrats in urging the Senate to immediately act on these bills and get them signed into law before one more Pennsylvanian falls victim to scammers.

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Protect Abortion Care in Pennsylvania

January 22 marked 50 years since Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that finally gave pregnant people agency over their bodies and made abortion legal throughout the country.

Unfortunately, the current Supreme Court overturned Roe last summer, paving the way for states to ban abortion and restrict other critical reproductive health services. This past November, voters across America and in Pennsylvania sent a clear message: pregnant people are not ready to give up their bodily autonomy or their right to make reproductive care decisions for themselves and their families.

Because state laws are now all we have to ensure access to abortion and other reproductive care, we need to continue fighting to protect the right of every person to make those decisions without interference from Harrisburg. The fact that a person can get pregnant should not cancel those rights.

Even in the face of last November’s rejection of their extreme position on women’s autonomy and reproductive care, some Republicans in Harrisburg continue to push legislation that would interfere with people’s health choices, including restricting and even outlawing abortion care. We are determined not to let them succeed.

House Democrats are committed to allowing people to make their own decisions regarding reproductive care and keeping politicians out of doctors’ offices. We are determined not to let politicians in Harrisburg put your life or the lives of your family, friends and neighbors at risk by eliminating access to these essential health service.

Join us and make your voice heard.

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PASS THE PA FAIRNESS ACT

It’s time for civil rights to apply to ALL Pennsylvanians!

In 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County which found an employer cannot discriminate against an individual because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. While this was an historic victory for civil rights, this decision does not prevent a Pennsylvanian identified as LGBTQ+ to be denied housing, education, and access to public accommodations simply because of who they are or who they love.

Pennsylvania’s lack of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law is an affront to human rights, an embarrassment to this commonwealth and a deterrent for workers and businesses who could help grow our economy.

In 2021, the legislature had an historic opportunity to enshrine civil rights for ALL Pennsylvanians into our state constitution. However, the Republican majority which controls the legislature blocked the amendment. It has become increasingly clear that without the interference of GOP leaders, we have the votes to finally provide statewide discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians.

Join us in asking the Senate to pass the PA Fairness Act.

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PENNSYLVANIA CROWN ACT COALITION

Far too often, people of color – and particularly Black Americans – are subjected to incidents of racial discrimination and although strides have been made to end discrimination through policy, it still exists in reality.

Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton and Representative La'Tasha D. Mayes ask for your support for the legislation we have introduced known as The Pennsylvania CROWN Act or House Bill 1394, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. This legislation would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s hair type, hair texture or hairstyle.

The Pennsylvania CROWN Act is modeled on and inspired by the National CROWN Coalition and their ongoing efforts to pass the federal CROWN Act.

Locs, braids, twists, coils, Bantu knots, cornrows, afros and extensions are typically associated with Black Americans. Historically, these hair styles have created a point of reflection for many human resources managers, educators and coaches, who want employees, students, or participants to follow established policies and maintain a uniform “neat” appearance regardless of race, culture or ethnicity.

We can no longer stand by while Pennsylvanians are being targeted, harassed, and denied access to opportunities based on their hair type, hair texture or hairstyle.

This is why we introduced House Bill 1394 in 2023 and it passed out of the House of Representatives in a overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 182-21 on July 7, 2023. Now the Senate must move this bill out of its State Government Committee and bring it to the floor for a vote this legislative session.

Join the movement to end race-based hair discrimination by signing this petition to urge Pennsylvania legislators to vote YES on the Pennsylvania CROWN Act, so that we can put an end to race-based hair discrimination.

If your institution, corporation, business, union or organization wants to publicly support and/or endorse the Pennsylvania CROWN Act, click here to join our Pennsylvania CROWN Act Coalition.

Over 20 states have passed a version of the CROWN Act into law. Both the City of Philadelphia and the City of Pittsburgh have already passed the CROWN Act.

It’s time to PASS THE CROWN in Pennsylvania!

For more information about the Pennsylvania CROWN Act Coalition, please contact Kim Davis at kdavis@pahouse.net or call 717.783.1017.

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