Pennsylvania college graduates have the highest amount of student loan debt per capita in the nation, and over 1.8 million residents carrying student loan debt. Three Pennsylvania senators are hoping their latest proposal will make it easier for these students to pay back their student debt by providing them the opportunity to refinance their loans at a lower, fixed interest rate.
 

Senators Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), Katie Muth (D-Montgomery) and Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) spoke with reporters Wednesday to outline the Pennsylvania Student HELP Act, a multi-faceted bill that would allow students to refinance debt payments at a 4 percent fixed interest rate, while also enhancing protections for borrowers. 

Check out this week's 3 under 3! 

In this week's video take a look at two sorts of changes that will be seen around the capitol due to Tuesday's midterm elections, and then on Thursday Auditor General Eugene DePasquale expressed his concerns over the findings in his audit of the Susquehanna River and Delaware River basin commissions. 

Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) announced legislation, SB 1044, to raise the Pennsylvania minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024.

Under the proposed law, minimum wages would immediately be raised from the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour to $12 an hour. Tipped workers’ pay would be raised from the current $2.83 per hour to $9.00 per hour.

Both House and Senate Democratic leaders praised Gov. Tom Wolf’s $29.9 billion proposed budget Tuesday, citing innovation in property tax relief, education spending increases, and raising the minimum wage.

“Today begins a new day,” said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). “We have a new and we have a fresh start on how we are going to move Pennsylvania forward.”

Much like the governor, Sen. Costa said the Commonwealth is facing more than just a structural deficit, but a deficit in education spending and job creation, both of which he said will be reversed under Gov. Wolf’s proposed budget.

“We’ve failed to invest over the course of the last several years, and we are paying the price for it,” he added.