PHILADELPHIA (January 7, 2025) – Following is a statement from Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) and AFT Pennsylvania, on the start of the 208th legislative session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly:
“Today, members of the General Assembly swore an oath before their families and communities to support, obey, and defend the constitutions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The swearing-in ceremony is always a highlight of the legislative session because of the palpable collegiality, sense of purpose, and optimism in the House and Senate chambers.
“I congratulate the members of the General Assembly on the great honor and privilege of representing the people of our Commonwealth. I am particularly grateful that Rep. Joanna McClinton has once again been elected House Speaker. I also want to acknowledge the newly sworn members who earned the support of our union: Sen. Patty Kim, Sen. Nick Pisciottano, Rep. John Inglis, and Rep. Sean Dougherty. We look forward to working with all members of both chambers who commit to strengthening public education and supporting organized labor.
“This legislative session, we especially look forward to working with Governor Shapiro and legislators toward achieving a constitutional system of funding public education by closing the $5.4 billion adequacy gap and codifying a timeline to meeting the requirements set by the landmark 2023 Commonwealth Court ruling. The only practical way to meet our obligations to public schools under the Pennsylvania Constitution is to make sure public funds appropriated for public education are transmitted to public schools – and public schools only.
“The growing and diverse communities of our Commonwealth deserve nothing less than for lawmakers to adhere to the oaths they so solemnly swore today.”
