Improving Public Safety
Public safety begins with investing in our communities and the people that serve them. Dave has fought in the State House to deliver more resources for our first responders — pushing for a state budget that increased funding for the Harrisburg Fire Department and secured new grants for local volunteer fire companies. Thanks to his leadership, more than $100,000 in public safety grants have been awarded to our district, helping firefighters get the equipment, training, and support they need to keep our communities safe.
In 2023, a deadly strain of fentanyl hit our community, and overdoses began to rise. Dave took action, working side by side with local police departments to secure critical public safety grants — including one that brought a new K-9 officer to Swatara Township — helping law enforcement save lives and keep our neighborhoods safe.
Improving our public safety also means addressing the growing gun violence epidemic. Dave will continue to advocate for common-sense gun safety laws, responsible gun storage and use, and accessible mental health treatment to end preventable gun deaths.
Making Homes Affordable
People who grow up in our community should be able to afford to stay here, but homes are getting harder and harder to afford. Many neighbors who have lived their entire lives in Dauphin County are now priced out of their homes, and new families have little hope of affording a first home. We need leaders who stand with our neighbors in the fight for affordable housing – not the landlords who skirt the rules to make a quick buck.
Dave has fought to support and expand the Whole Home Repairs program in our state budget. He sponsored HB 734 – a landmark bill that would protect tenants in their homes and hold bad landlords accountable. Dave will continue the fight for housing solutions because every single one of us deserves a safe, affordable place to call home.
Funding Great Schools
School should be a place where kids get the tools they need to chase their dreams. But for too long, our schools have underperformed even with dedicated teachers, coaches and parents who are trying their hardest under difficult circumstances.
Schools have been underfunded for decades and students in struggling communities in particular are left behind with inequitable funding. We’re robbing our kids of critical resources like free lunches and assistance with mental health. Dave knows every child in Pennsylvania deserves the best available education and the resources to succeed and become leaders in their community, and we can’t stop fighting until every school has the resources to educate our youth.
Dave recently worked with local school districts to develop and pass critical legislation for our local schools, including Pennsylvania’s largest-ever increase in public education funding out of the House. This bill includes historic investment in education across the board while accounting for historical inequities in funding. He also fought and won a universal free breakfast for every public school student in Pennsylvania to ensure no student has to learn while hungry.
Fighting for Workers
Dave knows firsthand what it’s like when politicians make decisions that impact working families’ bottom line. When he was growing up, Dave’s dad experienced multiple layoffs that put his family in hard times.
And before his time in the House, Dave connected unemployed or underemployed individuals with good-paying jobs in his work with non-profits like the United Way.
Now, Dave fights for Pennsylvania workers on our House Floor. He has championed raising the minimum wage, expanding benefits like paid family leave and universal Pre-K, and strengthening labor unions. He has supported workforce programs and job programs for career pathways not requiring a 4-year degree. Pennsylvania should be one of the best places to raise a family, but that starts by making the American Dream more accessible to everyone.