OpEd by Senator John Kane
“I can emphatically say I have more trauma from six months in solitary than four combat tours in the Marines.”
This is what we heard from a solitary confinement survivor, Reverend Dr. Chris Kimmenez, at our policy hearing this past Tuesday in the city of Chester. Over the past year, each of us has experienced the effects of isolation, separated from friends, family, and loved ones by the pandemic.
OpEd by Senator Marty Flynn
I must address the call for an investigation into the results of the 2020 Election made by Pennsylvania Senate Republicans. To be honest, folks, I had a hard time deciding if I should even write this. It’s frustrating to have to respond to claims so absurd. The Republicans are living in a fantasy world, and they want us to pay for their room and board. This is beneath us. It should be beneath them, too.
Op-ed by Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti
There’s a common perception that first responders – police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and veterans are tough. We see first responders as thoroughly trained experts, ready to handle a multitude of high stakes, stressful scenarios. In a similar vein, we perceive veterans as strong, selfless individuals who can handle extreme situations with discipline and fearlessness. In many instances these generalizations can be true, but I think they rarely tell the whole story.
Op-ed by Anthony H. Williams
New York City has become the first major American city to complete a primary election through ranked choice voting. This alone is a historic win for the Black, brown and marginalized people of New York City. The candidates who received 50% of the vote in this primary now go on to become the Democratic and Republican nominees for Mayor of New York City.
Op-ed by Senator Sharif Street
Every day in America over three hundred people are shot. On Tuesday night 18-year-old Nasir Marks was fatally shot multiple times in West Philadelphia at around 7:30 p.m. A half-hour later, just before 8 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed in my district in North Philadelphia. On Wednesday morning a mass shooting left a total of 10 people dead in California. Gun violence dominates the news cycle and threatens to numb us to routine reporting of loss of life comparable only to the pandemic in its infancy.
Op-ed By Senator Sharif Street
On Tuesday Pennsylvanians will have the opportunity to select ballot measures, two of which fundamentally alter the Governor’s executive powers and ability to respond to emergencies.
In March 2020, Governor Wolf signed a COVID-19 Disaster Declaration to provide increased support for the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.