Pennsylvania State Representative District 175
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.
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Marylouise Isaacson
(Dem)
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?
What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?
What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court's ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?
What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?
County
Philadelphia
Occupation
State Representative, 175th
Education
Mary received her bachelor’s in Political Science from State University of New York at Oneonta, an A.S. in Early Childhood Education from State University of New York at Farmingdale and is certified by the Temple Real Estate Institute.
Qualifications
Prior to serving as state representative, I worked as a staffer in the PA House Democratic Caucus for 12 years, , working on a range of issues from constituent services to drafting bills to bringing home resources.
Education funding, raising the minimum wage, and transitioning Pennsylvania to a green economy have been legislative priorities of mine since I was elected in 2018. I am also dedicated to protecting our waterways, commonsense gun legislation, fighting for LGBTQ and women's rights including protecting Roe, affordable healthcare for all and a government that is transparent and accountable to citizens, particularly in election reforms. I am working to address the growing shortage of teachers, bus drivers, school nurses, and education support personnel; investing in our workforce to keep our supply chain strong making much-needed improvements and investment in the childcare sector; and repairing our school buildings and the toxic hazards.
I am supportive of public financing for state and local campaigns. While I believe that Pennsylvania is moving in the right direction to catch up with other states in terms of voter accessibility and campaign reforms, we have a lot of work to do. I have been proud to look into policy and solutions to ensure that everyone is able to get out and vote – and that their vote is properly counted. I am supportive of using ranked choice voting, open primaries, mail-in voting, early voting, same day voter registration, requiring disclosures for independent expenditures, and campaign contribution limits. I have also signed on to the gift ban and am committed to ending gerrymandering.
I proudly served on the Basic Education Funding Committee that voted for a groundbreaking plan that will finally level the playing field by fully funding our schools. We recommended $6 billion in targeted investments over seven years to address inadequacies in funding. We also recommended delivering 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. Further, because Pennsylvania school buildings have been neglected and school districts cannot be expected to absorb the massive costs of construction and renovations $2.1 billion was allotted to fix school buildings so students are free to learn in safe and healthy environments.
I most recently introduced legislation to remove unnecessary barriers to receiving abortion care in PA and also have voted for a shield bill to protect people traveling to our state for abortion care. I will always fight for access to reproductive healthcare and abortion both as a state representative and as an advocate. I've supported and cosponsored legislation to increase access to care, support clinic operations and safety, and address the false and misleading practices of crisis pregnancy centers. I am working tirelessly for provider expansion, access to contraceptives, comprehensive sex education, and funding for sexual and reproductive health care. Abortion is healthcare and I am committed to ensuring it remains safe and legal in PA.
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