Lawmakers are pushing to ensure Pennsylvania has a workforce that can be competitive, citing concerns from major companies such as Amazon, which passed over Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for its ballyhooed HQ2 project, that they won’t be able to find enough skilled workers.

Two programs constantly on the tongue of lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, are Thaddeus Stevens College and the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Both aim to prepare students for careers in technical fields, something lawmakers say is needed in the modern economy.

Pittsburgh Councilwoman Erika Strassburger announced legislation on Tuesday seeking to amend the city code to ban employment discrimination against pregnant individuals, their partners and those seeking pregnancy.

The legislation gives pregnancy its own class in existing work anti-discrimination law and would extend protection to parties involved before, during, and after gestation and would apply regardless of whether a pregnancy resulted in a live birth. Strassburger said an explicit protection was necessary to ensure pregnant workers and their employees understood their rights and responsibilities in the workplace as many federal regulations allowed for loopholes. 

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) announced Tuesday that about 2,000 building security guards will see their minimum wage increase to $15 an hour on July 1.

The guards work for the city’s three major private universities. The increase stems from a 2016 law requiring companies and institutions that receive tax subsidies for buildings to pay the prevailing wage.

In early February, Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a $24 million funding proposal designed to boost the agriculture industry in Pennsylvania. The move was applauded by both sides of the aisle, as it signaled the governor’s commitment to giving Pennsylvania farmers some assistance at a time when certain areas of the industry are in trouble. 

Wolf’s Pennsylvania Farm Bill would establish a $2 million Pennsylvania Agricultural Business Development Center that would work as a resource for farmers to create business, transition, or succession plans for their farms. The bill also proposes $5 million for the Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program to fund research and development, assistance in transitioning to organic products, and aid in processing and marketing. 

Rep. Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny) joined The PLS Reporter for our series Freshman Focus.

Innamorato said she decided to run after working in the non-profit sector where she saw that structural change was needed, which she believes will come through changing policy and passing legislation.