Question 1 - PASNAP Union Nurses at Temple Health – Chestnut Hill Hospital: Do you support or oppose the recent cuts to Medicaid enacted last year? If so, what benefit do you see in these cuts? If not, what policy actions can be taken at the state level to combat or reverse these effects?

And how is a person with a debilitating illness supposed to fulfill the Medicaid work requirements coming in January 2027?

“Thank you for these questions. First of all, if you have a debilitating illness, you will be exempt. There are exemptions to these terrible Medicaid work requirements. That’s number one. You will be exempt, not required to fulfill. These [cuts] are complete denial of identity, saying that individuals have got to find work, community service, even as they are sick. These requirements were expanded to include individuals up to the age of 64, retired. I’ve been on calls with individuals and they ask me, “Do I have to fulfill these work, school, or volunteer requirements?” The answer is yes, even up to age 64. I am completely opposed to these requirements.

Now, what can the state do about it? We, in my office, have been sharing information about how to comply. We’ve been sharing information about the exemptions, about how to comply with the work requirements. The state doesn’t have enough money to pick up from what the federal government has taken from us. Medicaid is a national program. This is happening in all 50 states, but it is completely outrageous. What we should do, and what we’re encouraging people to do, is to use their vote. The folks who got this policy in were voted in, and we’ve got to vote them out. And that can be done on Nov. 3.”

Question 2 - Alden Park Tenants Union: What can be done at the state level to lower the cost of housing and enforce laws that hold corporate landlords accountable for unsafe living conditions?

“For over a decade, I was an advocate with the Tenants’ Rights Organization, now called Turn, and so I’m very familiar with the challenges that tenants face in the high cost of housing. In fact, for many years, I represented tenants in their actions to stay in their homes and avoid cruel evictions by landlords. On this first question at the state level, I have been able to secure over $100 million a year for housing affordability programs. When I got into the state Senate, this program was only $7.5 million a year, over time, $100 million a year, and this money is going to support tenants as well as people seeking home ownership across the Commonwealth.

That’s one thing that’s happening at the state level, and we need to make sure that there are strong habitability requirements. Habitability means that the living conditions that tenants live in are acceptable, and I am 100% for having these strong habitability laws across the Commonwealth through legislation in Harrisburg. This is a basic human right, housing, and if you don’t have housing, you are obviously in a very tough condition. So thank you to the residents at Alden Park Tenants Union, and all those who are organizing tenant unions across the Commonwealth. I am also a supporter of getting a right to organize as a tenant, as tenant unions, so that tenant unions can be formed across this state to battle the power of corporate landlords.

Question 3 - Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education: How will you ensure stable funding for green space in Philadelphia to increase community access and funding to nature?

“I have been a consistent supporter of funding for green spaces, including funding for the Friends of the Wissahickon, several projects that they have done, as well as several projects in Montgomery County. I believe that we have to make sure that the constitutional requirement for a protected environment is enforced, not just letters on a piece of paper. I also want to share that I have had consistent support for environmental issues, not just in green spaces. I supported renewable energy incentives for solar. I have solar on my home. I’ve got a rain barrel at my home.

Now, what we can do for stable funding is look at our state budget and identify line items where we can consistently have this funding. We have the Grower Greener Fund. The Grower Greener Fund is intended for this purpose, in part. It can be expanded. These are statewide programs that can and should benefit Philadelphia. But our green spaces, our nature, even where we are right now in this interview [Richard Allen Lane SEPTA station], we are outside in a community green space. It’s so important.”

Question 4 - What state-level policies and investments would you advance to help neighborhoods like Germantown retain affordable housing, support locally owned small businesses, and improve the neighborhood’s infrastructure while ensuring longtime residents have a meaningful role in the process?

“As I have shared previously, I have been able to increase the amount of money for affordable housing from a mere $7.5 million a year all the way up to $100 million a year. This is for affordable housing projects that are throughout the Commonwealth, but also in Germantown. I’ve also been able to help small businesses, providing over $1 million to the Weavers Way on Chelten Avenue, providing over $2 million to the development at Chelten and Germantown. These are investments that will help our communities revitalize.

For over 25 years, I did neighborhood revitalization as a lawyer, so this is dear to me. Now, on the question of infrastructure, we’ve got to look at how we can improve the SEPTA stations and build housing near the SEPTA stations. This will also increase the number of neighbors and the strength of our neighborhoods. We have many challenges in Germantown. We’ve got a number of vacant properties, we’ve got a number of vacant commercial properties on Chelten Avenue.

I’m looking to get a plan for Chelten Avenue so it can be revitalized all the way down from Wissahickon and all the way up as well. We can make Chelten Avenue a viable place again. For many of you may not know, I used to live by [Chelten and Morris]. We can make it alive again, and certainly residents must have a role in this process. Residents understand the neighborhood and have a vision for Germantown. That vision must be incorporated in the future.”

Question 5 - Chestnut Hill Local: Where has your political party fallen short in state/local politics? What would you like to see done differently in the coming years?

“The number-one challenge for us and the number-one failure is inclusion. We’ve got to do much more to make sure everyday citizens feel included in the political process. And what we see most particularly is low levels of voter participation. These low levels are in large part because our party is not engaging with everyday voters. For instance, in 2024, Philadelphia was the 64th county out of 67 for voter participation. We’ve got to let our neighbors know what is at stake in these elections, so that they can participate.

The second thing we’ve got to look at is the way the party is organized. We unfortunately have some ward organizations that are not responsive to everyday individuals, and these ward organizations need to be open, so that the committee people vote on who they might want to endorse.

We need much more openness in this process, and that’s what I would like to see. One, spending more time with voters to let them know what’s at stake. Two, open wards, let the committee people decide who they want to support. This, I think, will make a significant difference in how the Democratic Party is effective here in Philadelphia. Now, of course, there’s many policy positions where I agree and disagree with people. That is in every party. We must have a big tent. Where we have those who are more liberal and less liberal, we need a big tent so we can include all of the voices in this great city.”

Closing statement.

“This is Art, I am your state senator making laws in Harrisburg, and the one thing I would like to share with you, and I’ve said this many times, whether you’re Black, brown, or white, rich or poor, however you might identify, you all have worth. We all have dignity, and we have to get elected officials who recognize that we all have dignity, and we can do that by raising the minimum wage because hardworking people should not be paid $7.25, $8.25 [per hour]. We can do that by recognizing that hardworking people deserve paid family leave. These are all changes we can get with a Democratic majority in the state Senate. We’re in a position to have the governors, the House, and the Senate, and with this trifecta, which has not been achieved in over 30 years, we can see some of the important changes that we want to see in our neighborhoods. So I encourage you to vote for me, but not just for me. We are on a team, and a Democratic team. Once we win, we can make the changes that we all deserve in Pennsylvania. Thank you.”