Good Government Platform

From the start of my campaign, I’ve said that we need to get Harrisburg working again, because our elected  officials have lost sight of the very people that sent them there. I  truly believe that the way we pick our legislators, and the way they  seem to pick us, their voters, is a major factor. Fortunately, our  district boundaries do make sense, but we’re surrounded by districts  that look like they were drawn by puppies with pencils when in fact they  were drawn by politicians eager to pick the specific neighborhoods and  even the streets they want in their district and get rid of the one’s  they’d rather not have to answer to. It’s called Gerrymandering. 

That’s why I’ve proudly had a Fair Districts sign planted in my front lawn. I  strongly support this organization’s goal of bringing Pennsylvania  fair, contiguous legislative districts, drawn by independent  commissions. I don’t trust the Republicans to continue drawing maps and I  don’t trust the Democrats to resist the urge to swing the pendulum in  the opposite direction in an effort to exact political revenge. An  Independent commission that draws legislative districts is a crucial  step to allowing each voice to be heard and everyone knows it, even  though some don’t have the political backbone to support it. 

In fact, I would take it a step  further and argue that district boundaries (and census counts) need to  consider the community of origin for incarcerated individuals and we  need to restore voting rights for residents of our society that commit  not-voting-related crimes. If prisoners are afforded their rights to  legal defense, the right to an education, the right to health care, and the right to protection, why are we denying them the right to vote and  have their communities receive the resources that come with being  appropriately counted.  I am thrilled that Fair Districts is an ally in  the fight against Prison Gerrymandering and want you to know that Fair  Districts has an ally in me!

I will fight to protect the right of  all citizens to exercise their franchise in every election and reap the  rewards of proper representation. 

In my platform on Restoring Good  Government I promise to support:

• Early voting, automatic registration, vote by mail, and the mailing of voting reminders
• Restore voting rights for incarcerated citizens convicted of non-voting-related crimes
• Reform the redistricting process with an independent citizens commission implementing a transparent framework
• Establish a co-sponsor threshold for legislation that would trigger a guaranteed  floor vote
• Provide financial support to sustain public media outlets critical for government accountability
• Reform our campaign finance laws

As your State Representative, I will champion your right to vote and the integrity of elected office. In  the meantime, I encourage every eligible voter in the 154th district to  register to vote, verify your registration and make a plan to vote.