DATE: January 27, 2026
CONTACT: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org
RELEASE: NEW CAMPAIGN KICK OFF – FOR OUR COMMON WEALTH
HARRISBURG, PA – On Tuesday, January 27, at 12:00 PM, the Pennsylvania Policy Center (PPC) held a virtual press conference to kick off Pennsylvanians Together: For Our Common Wealth, a new statewide campaign calling on elected officials to commit to demanding a Pennsylvania budget that works for everyday people—not just the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.
View the press conference HERE.
View related documents on our For Our Common Wealth webpage HERE.
As the Commonwealth faces a major budget shortfall, this campaign is demanding real solutions. Speakers highlighted the urgent need to raise new revenue by requiring the wealthiest individuals and profitable corporations to pay their fair share, rather than forcing harmful cuts to schools, health care, transit, and other essential services.
The event was led by PPC’s new executive director, Felicity A. Williams and Dwayne Heisler, campaign director, alongside community leaders, legislators, advocates, and impacted Pennsylvanians from across the state. Together, they will underscore a simple truth: Real livability comes from investing in what keeps communities stable and strong.
The campaign calls on lawmakers to publicly commit to revenue solutions that protect basic needs like housing, education, public infrastructure, and environmental protections—so Pennsylvanians can thrive, not just survive.
Cutting education, healthcare, transit, and safety-net programs doesn’t fix our budget—it makes everyday life harder for workers, seniors, and families trying to get ahead. Meanwhile, the richest 1% in Pennsylvania pay taxes at half the rate of everyone else. If lawmakers ask those who can most afford it to pay their fair share, we can invest in communities where everyone has a real chance to thrive.
Pennsylvanians deserve to thrive, not just survive.
It’s time to come together, for our common wealth.
In addition to the individuals below, Representative Elizabeth Fiedler, PA HD184, also spoke.
Quotes:
Felicity A. Williams, Esq., Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center: “Pennsylvania’s budget reflects our values, and right now we are at a crossroads. Lawmakers can choose cuts that make life harder for families or they can fix a broken revenue system so our state can afford strong schools, reliable health care, safe communities, and real opportunity. For Our Common Wealth is about choosing a future where everyone can thrive.”
Connor Descheemaker, Statewide Campaign Manager, Transit For All PA: “Transit moves Pennsylvanians in all 67 counties. From commuter trains in southeastern PA to buses in the fast-growing Lehigh Valley to essential paratransit trips in McKean County, it is urgent to restore and grow freedom of mobility for our commonwealth from decades of service loss and disinvestment. Energy and logistics hubs need workers; our elders need access to food and healthcare; and our urban centers need thriving, multiuse cores. And it’s only possible with new, dedicated investment in our future.”
Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center: “Pennsylvania is heading toward a major budget crisis, and cuts to education, health care, and transit are not the answer. Pennsylvanians Together calls on lawmakers to make the wealthiest individuals and profitable corporations pay their fair share so we can invest in what keeps communities stable and strong. This campaign is about building a budget that lets people thrive — not one that leaves them barely getting by.”
Rep. Nikki Rivera, PA HD96: “As a first-term legislator, I’ve been impressed with my House colleagues’ and Governor Shapiro’s proposals for bringing more revenue to PA. What we need is for our Senate to pass the House revenue legislation that will fund much-needed programs for seniors, preschoolers, people with disabilities, healthcare, food benefits, transportation, affordable housing, and much more. With the volatility happening at the federal level, now more than ever we need a strong Pennsylvania.”
Charlotte Bruce, Director of Policy, Children’s HealthWatch: “As a network of pediatricians and child health researchers, we know that federal cuts to our safety net will harm children and families across Pennsylvania.
Thousands of families are at risk of losing health care and SNAP, our nation’s first defense against food insecurity. Our research shows this will lead to poorer health outcomes across Pennsylvania, and, ultimately, higher costs for everyone.
In a state as prosperous as Pennsylvania, no one should have to choose between affording food, rent, and health care. The Pennsylvanians Together campaign seeks to create a budget that supports Pennsylvanians of all ages.”
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