Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009. It’s the lowest minimum wage compared to all of the commonwealth’s neighboring states.
From the ongoing fight to fully fund public education to the legalization of adult use cannabis, the Pennsylvania General Assembly will have their work cut out for them in 2025. Democrats will also have to work on protecting three Supreme Court justices who are up for retention election in the new year.
Pennsylvania seniors and residents living with disabilities have until Dec. 31 to apply for the commonwealth’s rebate through the Property Tax / Rent Rebate program. Over 550,000 residents have applied so far.
The new year will usher in the bitcoin-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses that, together, could push states to become more open to crypto and for public pension funds and treasuries to buy into it.
Pennsylvania has some of the oldest school buildings in the country and cleaning toxic schools will cost billions of dollars. A new round of funding will help restart the cleaning process.
Members of the LGBTQ community mourned the loss of transgender members on Transgender Day of Remembrance at the PA Capitol and renewed calls for the Fairness Act
Democrats haven’t had control of the PA Senate since the last time they tied the chamber in 1992. They are eyeing these four races to take control.
Medical debt is an issue that disproportionately impacts rural Pennsylvanians. Efforts to reduce medical debt have been thwarted by legislators representing those communities.
State Rep. Arvind Venkat remains optimistic that the PA General Assembly will combat medical debt in the next legislative session after efforts to combat it stalled over the past year.
Josh Shapiro and PA lawmakers agreed to the 2024-25 fiscal budget and it includes a historic $1.11 billion education funding increase.
