Invest in Public Schools

Fair funding of Pennsylvania’s public schools is a civil rights issue. For decades, state lawmakers in Harrisburg underfunded vulnerable public school systems across the Commonwealth, including the School District of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is also facing a shortage of certified teachers. As a result, far too many school buildings are falling into disrepair, and we risk leaving children behind. 

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As a state representative, I will:

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• Fight for funding to modernize our school buildings, ensuring students and educators can work and learn in safe, vibrant, and welcoming classrooms.

• Help school districts recruit diverse, high-quality, and motivated teachers by bolstering the state’s existing student-teacher program and lowering costs for aspiring educators.

• Invest in career and technical education programs to ensure all students have pathways to good-paying jobs and careers.

Public Transit & Infrastructure

Public transit is the backbone of the Philadelphia region’s economy—and a lifeline for communities across Pennsylvania. In high school, I rode the 57 Bus and Broad Street Subway to get to school each day. Today, I am a frequent commuter on the regional rail’s Chestnut Hill West Line to get to work. Roughly 52,000 students in Philadelphia, along with thousands of workers, seniors, and visitors, rely on SEPTA to get to school, to work, to medical appointments, and to the places that keep our region moving. Yet, instead of treating public transit like the essential service it is, we’ve allowed SEPTA and other major systems across the Commonwealth to teeter on the edge of survival. That neglect ends now.

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As a state representative, I will:

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• Support the Transit For All PA funding package to provide sustained funding to transit agencies and expand access to mass transit across the Commonwealth. 

• Fight for funding to modernize buses and rail systems to make them safe, vibrant, and more accessible.

• Invest in safer roads, bridges, and highways to reduce the risk of accidents for workers, motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians can reduce the risk of accidents. 

Make Pennsylvania More Affordable

​In a state located in the richest country in the world, all Pennsylvanians deserve to live a life of dignity and opportunity. Far too many families are struggling to make ends meet, and opportunities for young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 are shrinking. If you work a full-time job, you should be able to support yourself and your family with dignity. 

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As a state representative, I will: 

• Fight to finally raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to a livable wage.

• Protect workers rights

• Fight for reforms to ensure the ultrawealthy pay their fair share.

• Strengthen the state’s consumer protection laws to crack down on scams, fraud, and price gouging by bad actors. 

• Lower energy costs by holding energy operators and Big Tech data center providers accountable.

Housing

Housing is a human right that keeps people, families, and communities strong and secure.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must play a role in ensuring access to stable, affordable housing for all residents. 

As a state representative, I will: 

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• Support the expansion of social housing and increase the housing supply to lower costs in communities that need it most.

• Fight to preserve aging homes by providing funding for critical repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and safety improvements.

• Strengthen tenant protections to eliminate unnecessary barriers to rental units and prevent unjust evictions. 

Environmental Justice

Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean air, pure water, and the protection of our natural and historic environment. That means we have a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and future of our communities by taking action on climate change.

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Growing up in Philadelphia, many of my friends and I struggled with asthma. I later learned this wasn’t the norm everywhere—it was more common in communities facing higher levels of pollution. That’s not a coincidence. Air pollution is often the result of policy choices.

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As a state representative, I will:

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• Fight to reduce air pollution and toxic exposure impacting Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable communities.

• Work to end our overreliance on fossil fuels and make bold investments in cleaner energy sources.

• Bolster the state’s Solar for Schools programs to reduce energy costs and energy pollution for public schools.

• Invest in sustainable infrastructure to protect vulnerable communities against the effects of flooding and climate change. 

Arts & Culture

​As a state representative, I will:

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• Strengthen the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to invest in public access to local arts, culture, and music businesses and institutions.

• Invest in and expand arts and music education programs in local public schools.

• Continue to showcase the brilliant artists and entrepreneurs throughout our beloved community.