Updates below include:

• S.A.V.E. America Act
• Next Steps in the Primaries
• The Equal Pay Law
• PA Budget
• Abortion Ballot Measures in Other States
• And What The Fund is working on

What are we watching?

Alerts on current issues...

S.A.V.E. America Act - The never ending roller coaster is still going. The Senate is debating the bill, and it could take weeks. While it looks like it will fail to get a vote there is a clear message - speaking up is critical. This time two weeks ago Sen. Fetterman was in favor of the bill. As of writing this newsletter, he has switched his vote. SO many called and wrote his office - and this is why reaching out to elected officials is critical. 

While we will continue to watch this harmful bill, as of now, it will not pass. One concern is that the longer debate goes, the higher the likelihood that Senators may flip their vote. This is why it is important to continue to reach out (I call every other day). For phone numbers and a script, click HERE.

Primaries - Primary season is in full swing! Primaries are critical - it determines who is on the ballot representing the Democrats and Republicans in the general election in November. In the state of Pennsylvania, we have closed primaries - meaning that only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for who will represent their respective parties on the ballot in November. Interestingly, a lawsuit was recently filed by Ballot PA Action saying that our closed primaries are unconstitutional. Read more, HERE.

Important dates:

• Last day to register to vote: May 4, 2026 Register to vote HERE!
• Last day to apply for a mail in ballot: May 12, 2026 
• Election day: May 19, 2026  

Click HERE to read more about the primaries and what you can do.

The Gender Wage Gap - Did you know that PA ranks 29th in the country for the gender wage gap?

A gap that has INCREASED the past two years.

AAUW's annual report "The Not So Simple Truth" (released last week) reviews the most recent national data around the gender wage gap, including racial and ethnic disparities. Black women make $0.65 to the dollar and Latinas make $0.58 to the dollar of White men. The effects of long-standing systemic sexism and racism continue to be felt in the lack of fair pay.

The Equal Pay Act is a bill that would

• Prohibit employers from asking about prior pay
• Prohibit employers from paying differently based on sex
• Increase penalties for violations
• Create a fund and strengthen the state's ability to investigate complaints

The Equal Pay Act has passed the PA House and is waiting consideration in the PA Senate. Call your Senator today and ask them to call for a vote in committee! Click HERE to learn more about how to call your elected officials!

The Pennsylvania Budget - Budget season is well under way with the Governor having proposed his budget early in February and appropriations hearings occurring the past few weeks. There will be a lot of back and forth just like every other budget, with concerns that we will see another impasse like last year. We are watching the proposals closely as we know that with the cuts at the federal level, nonprofits and social services are getting hit hard. One area to watch is healthcare - while the Governor's proposal does include increases to Medicaid for example, these increases only cover the additional funds needed to maintain current services. Approximately 45,000 women in Chester County use Medicaid for themselves or their families, a critical support for the health of women and their children.

PennPolicy does a great job breaking down the budget proposals and implications. Click HERE to read more!

Abortion is on the Ballot in Other States - Abortion-related measures may be on November's ballot in up to five states.

• In Virginia and Nevada, the measures aim to reinforce their current abortion protections by adding a constitutional amendment.
• An initiative in Nebraska, which currently has a 12-week gestational limit, seeks to ban abortion and establish fetal personhood rights.
• In Missouri, residents will again vote on a ballot initiative, this time to reverse the constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights they approved in 2024.
• Abortion rights advocates in Idaho are collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would reverse the state’s current complete abortion ban.

To learn more, click HERE.

Unfortunately, because of how state law is written in PA, citizens of Pennsylvania do not have the ability to initiate a statewide ballot measure. This is why we need to amend our laws to ensure safe and accessible abortion access.

What is The Fund working on?

And what can you do...

Vote16PA

On Thursday, March 12th, we co-hosted a roundtable with Rep. Chris Pielli in support of lowering the voting age in school board elections. Our participants presented the incredible work they have done in hopes of gaining more support for the movement. We were joined by representatives from Vote16USA and the University of Maryland Director of Election Resilience Lab at the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. Reps Boyd, Nelson, and Daley joined as well as Senator Kane and Samira Sankaran, the Executive Director of the Governor's NextGen Commission. To learn more about the event and the amazing work of our students, click HERE.

Project Dignity

Did you know?

During the past two state budget cycles, education funding have included a line-item specifically for menstrual hygiene products. This was a direct result of an experience that First Lady Lori Shapiro had while touring a nonprofit. She learned that the nonprofit was collecting the supplies for the local public school. Through her advocacy efforts, the additional funding for public schools specifically for menstrual products was allocated.

So why are we working on a school district level policy? Click HERE to learn more about this important initiative!

Paid Family Leave

There may be a vote in the House on the Family Care Act as soon as next week!

What can you do?

• Contact your representative! Don't know who they are? Click HERE to find out who your elected officials are.
• Email them!
• Call them!
• Click HERE for more information, email templates, and phone call scripts!

When I am reaching out to elected officials about an issue, I email AND call - I email to create a paper trail and I call to make sure that the message is received. While this might seem like a lot, the more we communicate the better. It only takes a few minutes and has the potential to make a difference.

Contact Blake (bemmanuel@thefundcc.org) for any questions.

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