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Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward looks forward to 2024 as a year that will deliver a seismic change to Pennsylvania’s education system, a long-awaited boost in the state’s minimum wage and stronger laws against human trafficking.
In remarks made after being re-elected for a second year as the chamber’s presiding officer Tuesday, Ward, a Republican from Westmoreland County, called on her Democratic and Republican colleagues to not get bogged down in the partisan bickering that is ever-present in Washington.
She said both parties should continue working together in a divided government with Republicans controlling the Senate and Democrats the House and governor’s office “to make change for the betterment of people we represent.”
She said senators have shown an ability to do that by respecting each other while “voting the way they need to vote for their areas and what they believe. What you don’t see is a bunch of mud throwing. We don’t do that here.”
About half an hour later, Democratic Sen. Art Haywood D-Philadelphia, announced he was filing an ethics complaint against Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, over his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Ward, the first female to serve as the chamber’s president pro tempore, drew praise from Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, for the numerous glass ceilings she has broken, including being the first female elected from the 39th senatorial district, to being the Senate’s first female floor leader, to her election as its president pro tempore.
“Let’s be clear, she did not achieve these remarkable accomplishments because she is a female,” Pittman said. “She achieved these remarkable accomplishments because she is the most qualified person for the position — and yes, she happens to be a woman.”
Ward commended her fellow senators for working last year to pass expanded child care tax credit, make historic investments in education and funding for community colleges along with strengthening the hospital community, supporting EMS providers and increasing public safety.
“While we have taken some solid steps forward, we must continue in helping to provide not only a prosperous path for our commonwealth but one with more certainty and minimal delay for Pennsylvanians,” Ward said. “I’m hopeful that we can together not only put Pennsylvania on a path to greater prosperity but strengthen our bonds within this chamber to put people first, especially our kids first.”
She said the commonwealth has a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this year to change the trajectory of our children by creating an education system that benefits all children.”
Talking to reporters after, Ward made it clear she sees a taxpayer-supported private school voucher program to be part of the equation to improve Pennsylvania’s education funding system as the Commonwealth Court has ordered the General Assembly to do.
Noting Gov. Josh Shapiro continues to be supportive of vouchers despite his House Democratic allies’ opposition to it, Ward said, “We can all give and take a little and do something that really works for everyone, and I look forward to it because education is the basis of our economy.”
As for the minimum wage, Ward told reporters raising that $7.25 hourly rate is on the table for consideration but declined to say how high she would like to see it go. This year, 25 states are increasing their minimum wage — some are now more than double Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, which has remained stagnant since 2009.
Ward said, “My own belief is that we will get to a minimum wage this year and get it done.”
Ward also said she plans to press forward with legislation on raising the standards for how sexual harassment claims occurring inside state government are handled. In addition, she said she would like to see further action on legislation that cracks down on human trafficking and builds on a 2022 law she championed that expanded the human trafficking offenses that require registration on the sex offenders list.
Senate Democratic leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County joined his counterpart in supporting Ward’s nomination to the chamber’s top spot. He said Ward has demonstrated she is balanced, fair, honest and gives consideration to all members’ views.
Sen. Lynda Culver, R-Northampton County, the newest member of the Senate, highlighted Ward’s efforts to win passage of a first-of-its-kind breast cancer screening bill into law and said she has “a proven track record of delivering results. But, above all, she understands and has tremendous respect for this great institution.”
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