Senate Democratic Policy Committee
Senator Katie Muth, Chair
Please contact the Dem Policy Team with any questions at (717) 787-1398 or via email at dempolicy@pasenate.com for information regarding the Policy Committee.
Upcoming Policy Hearings
MARCH
26
Blighted Property
Friday, March 26, 2021 | 10:00 a.m.
Save the Date
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | 10:00 a.m.
Housing Crisis
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Earth Day, Environmental
Check Availability
Past Policy Hearings
Check below to view past policy hearing including video and testimony! Questions, comments or suggestions about the hearings, fill out the form below!
A People’s Budget: The Environment
February 25, 2021
PA Senate & House Dems Host Hearing on ‘A People’s Budget: The Environment’
Harrisburg – February 25, 2021 – At the request of Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti (D- Delaware/Montgomery), Sen. Nikil Saval (D- Philadelphia), Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D- Philadelphia), Rep. Rick Krajewski (D- Philadelphia), Rep. Sara Innamorato (D- Allegheny), and Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (D- Chester), the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee joined the House Democratic Policy Committee to hold a virtual hearing on ‘A People’s Budget: The Environment.’ This hearing discussed the current and future funding of environmental protection oversight, impacted communities, and public health concerns related to industry activity and legacy pollution.
Panel 1: Impacted Pennsylvanians
- Lois Bower-Bjornson, Washington County
- Rosemary Fuller, Chester County
- Erica Tarr, Glen Mills
- Sylvia Bennett, South Philadelphia
- Ray Kemble, Susquehanna County
Panel 2: Communities, State Investment, and the Economy
- Bishop Dwayne Royster, POWER Interfaith
- Ezra Thrush, PennFuture
- Stephen Herzenberg, Keystone Research Center
Panel 3: Public Health
Racial and Gender Bias in the Courts
February 19, 2021
PA Senate & House Democrats Join PA Legislative Black Caucus for Hearing on Racial and Gender Bias in the Courts
Harrisburg – February 19, 2021 – At the request of Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC) chair Rep. Donna Bullock (D- Philadelphia), vice-chair Rep. Summer Lee (D- Allegheny), and PLBC members Sen. Anthony H. Williams (D- Delaware/Philadelphia) and Sen. Sharif Street (D- Philadelphia), the Pennsylvania Senate and House Democratic Policy Committees held a virtual public hearing to discuss racial and gender bias in the court systems across the state. This hearing built off the continuing efforts of the Philadelphia City Council and Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson’s work toward justice in the Philadelphia court system.
“Pervasive racial and gender bias in the Pennsylvania judiciary cannot be tolerated. This policy hearing not only gives us an opportunity to listen to personal accounts of bias and unfair treatment but to also gather information about the environment and systems that create and perpetuate these biases,” Bullock said. “As lawmakers, we have an obligation to take that information to advocate for comprehensive court reforms to address bias, systemic racism and other institutional challenges that threaten the public’s faith in our justice system.”
- Judge Karen Simmons, Philadelphia Municipal Court
- Keith Smith, retired First Judicial District staff member
- Keir Bradford Grey, Chief Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia
- Deborah Watson-Stokes, Assistant District Attorney, Homicide Unit, Philadelphia District Attorney’s
- Michael Coard, Esq., Defense Attorney, Law Office of Michael Coard
- Sandra Thompson, Esq., Defense Attorney, Law Office of Sandra Thompson
- Celeste Trusty, PA State Policy Director, FAMM
- Taylor Jones, Ph.D., Director of Research and Principal Consultant, CulturePoint
- Nikki Grant, Policy Lead, Amistad Law Project
Maternal Health and Vaccine Safety Amidst COVID-19
February 10, 2021
PA Senate Dems Joined PA House Dems & the PA Women’s Health Caucus for Hearing on Maternal Health and Vaccine Safety Amidst COVID-19
Harrisburg – February 11, 2021 – Yesterday, at the request of PA Women’s Health Caucus chairs Sen. Judy Schwank (D- Berks), Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D- Delaware/Montgomery), Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D- Montgomery), and Rep. Morgan Cephas (D- Philadelphia), the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee joined the House Democratic Policy Committee held a virtual public hearing to discuss maternal health amidst COVID-19.
“Since the beginning of this pandemic, I have been deeply concerned about both the physical and mental health of mothers and families experiencing childbirth and caring for babies in the shadow of COVID-19,” Schwank said. “We must ensure that mothers and babies are receiving the best care possible and are receiving the support and services they need to maintain a healthy life during and after this pandemic.”
- Dr. Mark Woodland, M.S., M.D., FACOG, Chair & Clinical Professor OB-GYN, Reading Hospital/Tower Health, Interim Academic Chair, OBGYN Drexel University College of Medicine
- Dr. Hyagriv “Hy” Simhan, UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital, Division Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine
- Dr. Richard Beigi, UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital, President, OB-GYN’
- Dr. Aasta Mehta, M.D., M.P.P., FACOG – Philadelphia MMRC, Philadelphia Dept of Health, PA MMRC
- Dr. Sindhu K. Srinivas, M.D., MSCE, Director of Obstetrical Services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Vice Chair for Quality and Safety, Physician Lead, Women’s Health Service Line, Penn Medicine
- Nicole Chaney, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Reading Hospital
- Markita Glenn, Doula, Pettaway Pursuit Foundation
- Dr. Elizabeth Morgan, Maternal Fetal Health Specialist, Baystate Health
- Dr. Richard S. Legro, M.D, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Public Health Sciences, Penn State Health College of Medicine and Penn State Health
- Dr. Catharine I. Paules, M.D., Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases, Penn State Health College of Medicine and Penn State Health
- Dr. Rhonda C. Boyd, Ph.D., Psychologist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Raising the Minimum Wage for PA
January 18, 2021
PA Senate Democrats Hold Hearing on Raising the Minimum Wage for PA in Honor of MLK Day of Service
Harrisburg – January 18, 2021 – At the request of State Senators Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia), Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia), and John Kane (D- Chester/Delaware) the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a virtual public hearing on raising the minimum wage for Pennsylvanians. The hearing was held on Martin Luther King, Jr’s Day of Service to honor his legacy of fighting for worker’s rights and economic justice.
“It is unacceptable that Pennsylvania continues to allow its minimum wage to be the poverty wage of $7.25 an hour,” Haywood said. “We hold this hearing today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of service to continue the work that Dr. King started demanding dignity and respect for all workers, and that starts by paying workers a living wage.”
- Gene Barr, President & CEO of the PA Chamber of Business and Industry
- Alissa Barron-Menza, Vice President of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage
- Morris Pearl, Chair of Patriotic Millionaires
- Jacqui Rogers, Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition
- William Spriggs, Professor of Economics, Howard University and Chief Economist, AFL-CIO
- Kadida Kenner, Director of Campaigns at the PA Budget and Policy Center
- Adesola Ogunleye, Worker from Philadelphia
Impact of COVID-19 on Prisons
January 7, 2021
PA Senate Democrats Host PA Dept. of Corrections Sec. Wetzel & Others for Hearing on Impact of COVID-19 on Prisons
Harrisburg – January 7, 2021 − At the request of state Senators Anthony H. Williams (D- Delaware/Philadelphia) and Sharif Street (D- Philadelphia) the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a virtual public hearing on the impacts of COVID-19 on the communities, employees and inmates related to our state prison system.
“COVID-19 spares no one, including myself, in who it chooses to infect,” Williams said. “While the state has acknowledged the issue of COVID-19 spreading through our incarcerated populations and made efforts to release select inmates to reduce populations, we still have far too many incarcerated individuals and correctional staff members becoming infected with and dying from COVID-19.”
- Secretary John Wetzel, Department of Corrections
- Clair Shubrick-Richards, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society
- Celeste Trusty, Policy Director of the Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation (FAMM)
- Kris Henderson, Executive Director of the Amistad Law Project
- Brandon Flood, Secretary, Pennsylvania Board of Pardons
- Dr. Alvin Wang, Chief Medical Officer for our Department of Public Safety, Montgomery Co.
- Blanche Carney, Philadelphia Prison Commissioner
- Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of Montgomery County Board of Commissioners