Dear Friends,
I want to begin this week’s email by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to so many of you. On Election Day, I ran into several readers of this weekly email who shared the incredible acts of kindness you’ve done—or plan to do—for neighbors facing food insecurity. I also saw many overflowing food donation boxes. Your generosity is humbling, and I am so proud to serve as your representative.
I also want to thank everyone who worked or volunteered at the polls. Your energy, endurance, and commitment to fair and open elections made the day possible. You are the heartbeat of our democracy. I was deeply encouraged by the many voters who showed up to make their voices heard. Your participation keeps our democratic process alive and ensures it reflects the values we share as a community.
Congratulations to all those who’ve committed to serving the residents of the 61st Legislative District. Your entry into public office represents the trust and confidence of your neighbors, and we look forward to the progress and partnership ahead. To every person who stepped forward to serve—thank you for your courage and dedication. Public service requires conviction, resilience, and a deep commitment to the people. Your willingness to lead strengthens our community and serves as a reminder that democracy depends on all of us showing up and engaging. Here’s to continued involvement, respectful conversations, and our shared determination to shape a brighter future together.
The situation regarding SNAP benefit payments continues to evolve. Last Friday, a federal judge ordered the administration to make full payments using emergency funding reserves, rejecting the plan to issue only partial benefits during the shutdown. The President and administration responded that it could take months for benefits to be distributed and also issued guidance to supermarkets warning them not to discount or give away food to customers who typically receive SNAP benefits.
This week, the court found the administration to be willfully withholding food aid for political reasons and ordered that the full funding be released. The administration has appealed the ruling, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to block the order while the case proceeds, allowing 42 million food-insecure American to go another week without relief.
As a follow-up to last week’s email about the federal government shutdown, I want to briefly touch on the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) program. While LIHEAP applications are now available, Pennsylvania must delay the opening of the 2025–26 season by one month—until December 3, 2025—due to the ongoing federal shutdown. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has not yet received its federal allocation for the 2025–26 LIHEAP funds. DHS will continue to accept and review pre-season applications but cannot approve or fund them until a federal budget is passed and funding is released. As always, for a list of heating resources, please dial 211 or contact my office at 610-277-3230.
Last week, I joined my colleagues urging the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to require all utilities pause the termination of heat-related services for LIHEAP-eligible households until the program reopens. PECO responded that they “…will not disconnect service for residential customers who have been confirmed by PECO as low-income, which includes those participating in CAP or who have directed their LIHEAP grant to PECO within the last two years.” You can read PECO’s full press release on this issue here. If you have trouble contacting PECO or need assistance, please reach out to my office—we’re here to help.
On October 22nd, the House Judiciary Committee took significant first steps toward providing reproductive healthcare and privacy protections for all Pennsylvanians. During the 2023–24 session, Representative Otten and I introduced a constitutional amendment to protect Pennsylvanians’ access to contraception, fertility care, and abortion. Unfortunately, last session, although the amendment received a hearing, it never came to a vote in the Judiciary Committee or on the House floor.
I am proud to share that last month we took the first steps in moving a constitutional amendment that will allow Pennsylvanians to decide whether access to contraception, fertility care and abortion should be a protected right in the commonwealth. Introduced as H.B. 1957, by Reps. Danielle Friel Otten, La’Tasha D. Mayes, and me, this proposal represents a vital step toward protecting reproductive freedom and ensuring that decisions about personal health care remain private and free from government interference.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, the responsibility for safeguarding reproductive rights has shifted to the states. In response, states such as Ohio, Michigan, Vermont, and California have taken action to enshrine reproductive freedom in their constitutions. Pennsylvania must now do the same to guarantee these protections for future generations.
In this country, approximately 25 million people in 16 states have had their ability to access reproductive healthcare significantly impacted or ended entirely by compete or near complete abortion bans. We are seeing higher rates of maternal mortality and increased rates of infant death. Women living in U.S. states with abortion bans—such as Louisiana and Texas—face nearly twice the risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth, or shortly after giving birth compared to women in states where abortion remains legal and accessible, according to a report from the U.S. non-profit Gender Equity Policy Institute. Research shows that states that enacted abortion bans have a 5.6% increase in infant mortality and that those rates were higher in populations which already had elevated infant mortality rates.
When serving in the minority, the Republican-controlled House and Senate were repeatedly positioned to advance abortion prohibitions and restrictions. I have voted on this issue multiple times and have consistently opposed efforts to limit reproductive freedom. In 2022, during a late-night session, the General Assembly passed a proposed constitutional amendment stating that “the constitution does not grant the right to taxpayer-funded abortion or any other right relating to abortion.”
While the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has previously upheld protections for abortion access, the Dobbs decision demonstrated how quickly changes to a court’s composition can overturn established precedent. It also showed how misleading legislative language—such as an amendment “framed” around ‘taxpayer-funded abortion’—can serve as a vehicle for broader attempts to eliminate reproductive rights. Beyond the cruelty of denying medically necessary care for women on Medicaid—such as those experiencing ectopic pregnancies—this proposal would have jeopardized the rights and health of all women and girls across the Commonwealth. This amendment sunset after the 2022 session when Democrats took control of the House.
Constitutional amendments in Pennsylvania must pass the House and Senate in identical form during two consecutive legislative sessions. The Department of State is then required to advertise the proposed amendment statewide. Once the identical resolution has been approved in both sessions and the advertising requirement has been met, the amendment is placed on the ballot for voters to decide in the next general election. If a majority of voters approve the measure, it becomes part of the Pennsylvania Constitution.
Over the past 25 years, 100% of the 11 amendments to the constitution certified by the Pennsylvania Department of State have passed (visit here for more information on amendments). The language used in these amendments can significantly affect how voters interpret and respond to them. For example, the Republican-led amendment to increase the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75 and the 2022 “taxpayer-funded abortion” amendment both contained language that could influence voter perceptions or obscure the amendment’s underlying intent—such as extending the tenure of judges from a particular political party. The passage rate of these amendments does not necessarily reflect their popularity but more the lack of transparency about the process or the proposals themselves.
I believe that amendments to the state constitution should be presented to voters in plain, neutral language, accompanied by both partisan and nonpartisan explanatory commentary. Pennsylvanians deserve the opportunity to weigh the true pros and cons of each proposal, rather than rely solely on the framing or intent provided by the General Assembly.
My proposed amendment would ensure that the state may not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most personal decisions. It protects the right to choose or refuse an abortion, use contraceptives, or access fertility care—free from discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or relationship status.
The explicit language of HB1957 states:
- Every individual has the fundamental right to exercise personal reproductive liberty and make and effectuate decisions regarding the individual's own reproduction, including the ability to choose or refuse to prevent, continue or end the individual's pregnancy, the right to choose or refuse contraceptives and the right to choose or refuse fertility care, all without discrimination on the basis of race, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or relationship status. The Commonwealth may not deny, burden, infringe upon or abridge this right unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.
Following feedback from colleagues and the public, we have filed amendment to add the following language.
- Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability, except that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion that, in the professional judgment of an attending health care professional, is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.
- As used in this section, the term "fetal viability" means the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of an attending health care professional and based on the particular facts of the case, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus's sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.
While negotiations continue with various members, I am hopeful that we can work together to ensure all Commonwealth residents can make their voices heard on the issue of preserving access to abortion, fertility care, and contraception through this amendment. I am also encouraged to see H.B. 1957 moving through the legislative process.
When Democrats assumed the majority in the House, we implemented new rules to enhance transparency by requiring public hearings on proposed constitutional amendments and by ensuring that these measures appear only on general election ballots, when the greatest number of voters can participate. Last month, the House Judiciary Committee hosted a hearing followed by a voting meeting on the amendment.
While our state Supreme Court has affirmed that restricting access to abortion is a form of sex discrimination, this amendment would enshrine in our constitution that reproductive freedom—including access to contraception, fertility care, and abortion—is a protected right in the Commonwealth, ensuring that these rights are no longer left vulnerable to political interpretation or attack. This amendment is about trusting individuals to decide what is best for their bodies, their families, and their futures.
In addition to H.B. 1957, several other key bills were advanced to strengthen privacy, patient safety, and access to reproductive health care across Pennsylvania, including:
- H.B. 1640 – Protects health care records related to reproductive services from disclosure in Pennsylvania civil and criminal actions or investigations, ensuring patient confidentiality.
- H.B. 1641 – Instructs insurance companies not to take adverse action against health care providers who offer reproductive services to out-of-state residents.
- H.B. 1643 – Prohibits Pennsylvania courts from enforcing judgments from other states in cases involving reproductive health care services, preserving Pennsylvania’s legal independence.
- H.B. 1966 – Prevents Pennsylvania courts from cooperating with out-of-state civil or criminal cases involving reproductive health care and blocks other states from arresting people in Pennsylvania for abortion-related crimes.
- H.B. 670 – Expands protections for individuals accessing reproductive health facilities by strengthening civil actions against blocking or obstructing access.
- H.B. 2005 – Removes the required 24-hour waiting period for abortion.
Women’s Health Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Gina H. Curry (D-Delaware) commented, “With discourse in Washington continuing to threaten women’s health and safety under the current federal administration, it’s time for Pennsylvania to step in to protect the medical rights and bodily autonomy of our constituents. The communities most impacted by restricted reproductive rights are our most vulnerable—our communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, and lowest earners. These bills don’t only protect the rights of women; they provide additional safeguards for Pennsylvanians most at risk. The time to act is now.”
Together, at a time when women’s bodily autonomy is being restricted across the country, these measures reaffirm Pennsylvania’s commitment to protecting privacy, safeguarding access to care, and preventing political interference in personal medical decisions. I will keep you updated as these bills move through the legislative process.