Description of office: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of government in Pennsylvania. It is composed of two houses: the Senate is the upper house, and the House of Representatives is the lower house. A majority vote in both houses is necessary to pass a law. The PA House of Representatives consists of 203 members representing one district each, with an equal number of constituents. Representatives must be at least 21 years old, have been a citizen and a resident of the state four years and a resident of their respective districts one year before their election, and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service. The House develops budget packages, makes taxation decisions, allocates spending, and passes laws (including redistricting in collaboration with the Senate). The House also has the exclusive authority to impeach public officials. Representatives also serve on various policy committees that may propose legislation. Term: 2 years Salary: $106,422 Vote for ONE.
County
Luzerne
Occupation
Community Organizing, Political Advocacy
Education
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in political science and history and minored in women and gender studies at Wilkes University, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude and maintained a spot in the honors program. I am currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in criminal justice.
Qualifications
Over 6 years of professional experience working within the Pennsylvania political system, which includes working on campaigns, community organizing, grassroots lobbying, fighting for working-class families, and management. I also regularly volunteer at a food bank serving local residents in need.
While Pennsylvanians currently face many issues, including healthcare access, reproductive care, gun violence, and issues relating to inflation, I believe that the most critical issue today is environmental injustice. If elected, I will support legislation that addresses each of these issues, from increasing healthcare access and affordability to requiring thorough background checks and secure storage requirements for gun ownership. A key focus of mine would be making the shift to clean energy, increasing our energy independence and creating well-paying jobs, in addition to making clean energy more widely available for working class families.
Voting is how our citizens engage directly with government and is essential to maintaining our democratic system. I will always protect and expand voting access by supporting automatic voter registration, no excuse mail in voting, and widely available and accessible ballot drop boxes, because we need to make voting easier - not harder. In order to protect our election security, Pennsylvanian Counties need Federal and State funding to upgrade our voting systems, including upgrading from outdated DREs, which may be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Finally, in order to protect the integrity of our elections, we must fully fund election boards, giving local election officials the tools and funds that they need to properly do their jobs.
As found by the Commonwealth court, our state constitution guarantees a thorough and efficient public school system and the Pennsylvania Legislator is not currently meeting that standard. I support a budget that makes significant gains in closing school funding adequacy gaps, increasing the amount of state funding per student and relieving the burden on homeowners paying property taxes. Additionally, I support legislation that would cap costs of cyber charter schools at the cost that public schools pay to educate those same students, relieving pressure on public school funding. I believe that we need to hold charter schools receiving state funds accountable, to make sure that they educate students to the same standards as public schools.
Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania, and I support this wholeheartedly. I believe that abortion access is essential healthcare, and that bodily autonomy is a human right. I will prioritize protecting abortion access, in addition to easing restrictions on abortion overall. These decisions should be made between a patient and doctor, not legislated in Harrisburg.
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