Benham sworn in for first term in state House
Rep. Jessica Benham January 5, 2021 | 3:31 PM
HARRISBURG, Jan. 5– State Rep. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny, took the oath of office today to begin her first term as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 36th legislative district.
“It’s a great honor to represent the people of the 36th legislative district,” said Benham. “As someone who understands the current challenges we’re facing in our communities, I’m eager to get to work on creating legislation that’s rooted in viable and responsible solutions for our families, bringing opportunity for everyone.”
Benham’s legislative platform priorities include:
- Fixing the unemployment system.
- Healthcare affordability.
- Fighting for rights of workers/raising minimum wage.
- Protecting the environment.
- Investing in infrastructure.
- Fair education funding so the burden isn’t on local property owners.
“The importance of balancing our representation in Harrisburg with the challenges faced by those living in our communities is a great responsibility,” Benham said. “I also know I’ll never feel comfortable in the gilded halls and corridors of the Capitol, because that is not a true, nor prioritized reality that reflects those who we’ve been entrusted to represent. It’s that same discomfort that will fuel my fight for those who are facing a continuing struggle in Allegheny County and communities across the commonwealth.”
Prior to holding public office, Benham was Director of Development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, a grassroots self-advocacy project run by Autistic people for Autistic people. She co-founded PCAA after moving back to college, and it remains the only LGBTQ Autistic-led advocacy organization in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
Through her work with PCAA, Benham has worked to ensure that individuals with disabilities are treated fairly in the legislative process. She has provided feedback and consultation for legislation including the Autism CARES Act on the federal level and health care efforts at the state level. She advocated strongly for Paul’s Law, which states that an individual can’t be deemed ineligible for an organ transplant simply because of a disability and was signed into law in Pennsylvania in 2018.
However, her advocacy efforts are not limited to health care. Benham also has experience fighting for workers’ rights, notably during her time as a graduate worker at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was involved in efforts to organize a union of graduate student workers through the United Steelworkers.
Benham has bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Communication Studies from Bethel University, a master’s in Communication from Minnesota State University, and an master’s in Bioethics from the University of Pittsburgh.
Her district office will be located at 1810 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh. More information is available at pahouse.com/Benham.