Jessica Benham

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

Jessica is working together with Organized Labor to hold oil and gas companies accountable for the ways they treat workers and their disregard for environmental regulations. Fines shouldn’t just be the cost of doing business. Learn more

Jessica Benham has brought back millions of dollars in investment in public safety in our communities, including for violence prevention, victims services, and public safety facilities throughout the district. Moving forward, she is committed to bringing back more state dollars to invest in violence prevention and public safety in House District 36. Learn more

She understands that we need to address the root causes of violence, ensuring economic opportunity and stability for families, providing for well-funded education and after school programming, and investing in our business and residential districts. Learn more

Economy

State Representative Jessica Benham has fought for budgets every year that cut cost of living, and invest your tax dollars into public health infrastructure and preparedness, support for families, workforce development, and investments in businesses. Learn more

Education

Accessibility starts early – Jessica supports early childhood programs that meet the needs of all children, including kids with disabilities. She supports legislation ensuring that Pennsylvania schools are well-resourced by state dollars so that local property owners don’t bear the increasing weight of the costs of special education. Learn more

Early education should be public, free, and inclusive for all students. Jessica will work to ensure that early childhood programs and educators have the state resources and supports they need to provide high quality early education to all children. Increasing state investment in district-run early childhood education is critical for our kids, but also for their parents to be able to work – allowing them to provide for their family and contribute to our region’s economy. Learn more

Government Reform

Jessica supports a ban on gifts to elected officials, limits on contributions to political candidates, and full disclosure of all spending meant to influence the outcome of elections. Learn more

Jessica also supports rule changes within the General Assembly so that bills with clear bipartisan support receive a vote in committee and both chamber floors, instead of potentially being left to die without a vote in committee. Learn more

She supports a redistricting commission to draw fair lines for Congressional, State House, and State Senate districts. She supports legislation to ensure transparency, public input and clear, enforceable criteria for redistricting. Learn more

Guns

Representative Benham is a proponent of commonsense legislation like comprehensive background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm safety training, and safe storage laws, which she has voted for in Harrisburg. Learn more

Healthcare

Jessica believes that all Pennsylvanians deserve access to quality healthcare and is fighting to protect the Medicaid expansion that has benefited over 3,000,000 residents. She is also fighting for people with disabilities and seniors to receive long term health care supports and services in the dignity of their own homes. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

As someone who did not have a car before this job necessitated one to get to Harrisburg often on short notice, Jessica believes firmly in the importance of sustainably funding public transit. She will continue to work with her colleagues to encourage the State Senate to take up House-passed transit funding legislation. Learn more

Jessica has seen the disproportionate impacts of worsening landslides and flooding in our community. She has heard resident concerns and will advocate for strategic and significant investments in our local infrastructure. Jessica believes that increased state investment in expanded water management, especially along the Route 51 corridor, will provide the protection that residents need and deserve. Learn more

As data centers begin to try to establish themselves in Pennsylvania, Jessica remains concerned about protections for local communities, including around workforce, the environment, and utility costs. In Harrisburg, she is working with her colleagues to protect workers and consumers. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

Jessica also supports implementing solutions to maternal mortality and policies that make it easier to raise children, like universal Pre-K, early childhood programs, and paid sick and family leave. Learn more

Jessica is pushing for a higher minimum wage, and to protect the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain. She has voted for minimum wage increases every time legislation has come before the House. Learn more

Jessica is also fighting for the individuals providing services to kids and adults with disabilities to be fairly paid, because the work that those individuals do is valuable. Jessica supports fully funding our Medicaid waiver programs so that kids and adults with disabilities can receive the services they are entitled to under the Olmstead Supreme Court decision. Learn more

Employment rates for people with disabilities remain low, which is why Jessica supports increasing programs for high school students with disabilities to emphasize employment, increasing funding for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and increasing incentives for businesses to hire people with disabilities. Jessica also supports ending the practice of sub-minimum wage. Learn more