HARRISBURG, Pa. — On the first day of the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s new legislative session, Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled his legislative priorities for the coming year.
The governor said at a Thursday press conference that he was focusing on three key areas: recovering from the pandemic, growing bipartisan cooperation in state politics, and increasing government transparency and accountability.
Gov. Wolf’s agenda includes some hotly debated proposals, like raising the minimum hourly wage from the current federal minimum of $7.25 to $12, which would increase 50 cents each year until it reaches $15.
“So that every Pennsylvanian who works a full-time job can afford the basic necessities like food, medicine and shelter,” Wolf said.
Pennsylvanians reacted with mixed views.
“That would be all right. People gotta’ have money to live,” said Thomas Cowan of Steelton.
“If the minimum wage is going to be raised, then I feel like other wages should be raised as well,” said London Sanders of Harrisburg.
“I don’t believe it would benefit us economically,” said Dustin V. of Hummelstown.
The governor’s agenda also includes a proposal to legalize adult-use marijuana. Tax funds from the legal sale of cannabis would support historically disadvantaged small businesses through grants and fund restorative justice programs to help the individuals and communities that have been adversely harmed by the criminalization of marijuana.
“I feel like it probably should have done a long time ago,” Dustin V. said.
“I don’t see what would really be wrong with that,” Cowan said. “I don’t think it’s any worse than alcohol.”
“To be honest I think it would be good for the country simply to keep people out of jail,” Sanders said. “I think it’s a petty crime.”
The agenda also includes a government reform plan that includes multiple proposals, among them a requirement for public officials to submit receipts for taxpayer-funded expenses and ban lobbyists from campaign work.
“We need to change the culture of politics in Harrisburg to increase both the transparency and the accountability in government,” Wolf said.
The plan would also prohibit elected officials from receiving any gifts.
“They use gifts to sway the politicians’ votes and I don’t think that’s right,” Cowan said.
“Granted some of them might be a little twisted and crooked but not all of them,” Sanders said. “Some people actually want to do good for the people so why not reward the people that want to do good?”
“Plenty of other government reforms could stand to be done,” Dustin V. said.
While Pennsylvanians expressed differing views on the proposals, state House Republicans quickly criticized the governor’s agenda.
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) wrote in a statement,
“The governor and his administration should have no other top priority than getting Pennsylvanians vaccinated… Over the next several months, the House Republican Caucus will work toward advancing our priorities of economic recovery, protecting families, and creating a government Pennsylvanians can be proud of.”
Any proposal would need to be passed by both the state House and Senate.
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