What are your top three legislative priorities in 2025?
I’ll continue to focus on education. We’ve been fighting for a constitutional and equitable school system for all public school students and that fight is not over. We made great progress this year, but we did not finish the job. When we fully fix Pennsylvania’s broken education funding system we’ll be able to provide a 21st century education to all students, better pay for teachers, and better learning environments for everyone who spends time in our school buildings.
I’ll also be focused on bringing more affordable housing to Pennsylvania and reducing the cost of living in our Commonwealth. If we want our neighborhoods to thrive, we need to give people the opportunity to own a home, take pride in their block, and show up for their community. When necessities like childcare, utility costs, and groceries cost too much, that opportunity doesn’t exist.
What are the important issues facing your district?
There’s a big need for affordable housing in the district. If we don’t have affordable places for people to live, they’re forced to move elsewhere. That’s a terrible outcome for those residents and for local businesses and other homeowners and renters in the area. We need to keep people in our communities and give them a fair chance to support their families with dignity.
What is your favorite vacation destination?
I usually don’t have time for vacation, but I have great memories of being with my wife in Jamaica, her homeland.
What are the biggest challenges for grocers in your district?
I think grocers are feeling the impacts of inflation in their bottom line. Higher priced goods have forced consumers to cut back on what they’re buying and where they are buying from. Lately, big corporations are making big money while everyone else down the chain is getting squeezed. It’s not right and its time that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle hold them accountable.
What are your biggest challenges and successes as a legislator?
The biggest challenge would have to be working in a divided legislature and being stalled from getting a lot of common sense solutions for constituents across the finish line.
We’re successful when we can find common ground and actually get things done. Governor Shapiro says he likes to “get stuff done” and it’s my job to help get stuff done in the Senate, especially when it comes to pushing for Democratic priorities in the state’s budget. It’s not easy, but there are solutions and funding we do deliver on. Those are the wins we celebrate.
What is your favorite food or meal to cook?
I really like a big, fresh salad with seasonal vegetables. A good salad is all about your ingredients. And of course, coffee ice cream.
What do you like to do for fun?
I love to listen to jazz. I also love to watch an Eagles, Phillies, or a Sixers game. I think March Madness is the best time of year. I’m a big sports fan so if I have down time and my wife is out of town, I’m most likely watching a game.
What is your greatest success as a legislator over the past few years?
This year I worked hard to help deliver a historic down payment on our responsibility to fix Pennsylvania’s education funding system with an increase of over $1B for Pre-K to 12 education funding. As I said, our work isn’t finished but that investment marked a significant milestone for Pennsylvania’s public education system.
We also celebrated first-time, state investments in indigent defense and student teacher stipends to address Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage and start putting our money where our mouth is when it comes to valuing teachers.
