A Democrat and a Republican agree: Let seniors get quality care at home

Op-ed by Senators Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) and Michele Brooks (R-Crawford).

There are many choices and decisions that need to be made as we age. Medical choices are often the most important, and the most difficult, decisions that people will make for themselves and their loved ones.
One choice that people should never be forced to make is moving out of their home and into an institution because Medicaid will not cover the costs of in-home medical care.

We must act to stop crumbling schools in Philadelphia, across Pa.

Op-ed By Senator Vincent Hughes

Our schools are crumbling. Before the Inquirer reported on the deplorable conditions in Philadelphia schools, I heard that message from parents and students and even viewed it with my own eyes while visiting city schools. Seeing the conditions in which some of our students learn broke my heart but challenged me to act. And my proposal, the “Public School Building Renovation and Rehabilitation Program,” aims to help K-12 public schools fight this infrastructure crisis.

Redlining is keeping people of color out of homes

Op-ed By Senator Vincent Hughes

The practice of redlining, which segregated communities and prevented minorities from achieving home ownership as their version of the American Dream, appears to be alive and well in our city and many communities across the nation.

Veto the Drug Formulary, Governor Wolf

Op-ed By Senator Jay Costa, Jr. & Rep. Frank Dermody

Sitting on Governor Tom Wolf’s desk right now is Senate Bill 936 – legislation that would interfere with the relationship between an injured worker and their doctor, as a way to save money for the insurance industry.

Inaction is Not an Option

By State Senator Wayne Fontana

Americans are fed up with this nation’s gun violence epidemic. It is intolerable.

Horrific accounts of deranged mass murderers using military-grade assault weapons to indiscriminately spray bullets into crowds of innocent people has become part of the regular news cycle. Lives are lost, families are destroyed and communities paralyzed.