The Capitol building in Harrisburg on July 6, 2024 (Capital-Star photo by Ian Karbal)
The number of women in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly who have school-age children has increased exponentially in the past two years according to a new report, and that representation is reflected in some of the policy initiatives that the legislature has put forth.
The New York-based Vote Mama Foundation said in the report that as of February, 10.28% of Pennsylvania state lawmakers were mothers of minor children, a 225% increase from the organization’s 2022 report. And while the Keystone State still isn’t in the top ten list of states approaching proportional representation by mothers of young children, it has a key factor working in its favor: Legislators receive a full-time salary.
Pennsylvania is one of only four states — Michigan, California and New York are the others —- to pay its legislators a livable salary, the report notes. Lawmakers in states that have part-time legislatures usually need income from another source, and many are either unpaid or paid below their state’s standard cost of living. Many don’t have resources to hire staff.
“Having the salary reflect the importance of the job is so impactful in increasing the representation of everyday caregivers,” Vote Mama chief program officer Sarah Hague told the Capital-Star. “Paying a full time living salary is the top recommendation that we have for a reason.”
Legislators in Harrisburg received a 3.5% pay raise Dec. 1 that brought the annual salary to $106,422. California and New York are the only states that pay their state lawmakers more. Those in leadership positions in Pennsylvania’s legislature earn a higher salary, with House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) and Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) earning the top salary of $166,232.
A 1995 state law links pay for legislators, judges and executive officials like the governor to the Consumer Price Index for the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland area — so when inflation rises, so do their salaries.
Hague said the organization hears from mothers across the country who may be fed up with something affecting their family’s lives and want to throw their hat into the ring to run for office — for state legislatures, specifically. When they get elected, “we had so many come to us in the last few years and say ‘what job can I have that supports me through this? What do people do in these part time legislatures just to make ends meet?’” she said.
In many states, the cost of child care is more than a legislator’s salary, Hague noted, and a lack of full-time salary and benefits is a particularly significant barrier for single parents who want to hold state office.
“These volunteer legislatures have such an impact on who can get there and stay there,” she added. “I really commend Pennsylvania for just recently increasing the salary that legislators make.”
Hague said the result of having more mothers of young children in the legislature is seen in the bills being introduced and passed. She pointed to the “Momnibus” legislative package of bills focused on targeted investments and improvements in maternal health care in the commonwealth, and legislation focused on paid leave and raising the state’s minimum wage.
“We absolutely need the lived experiences of those systematically shut out from politics and decision making to inform, shape and advocate for legislation that helps all communities grow and thrive,” she said.
Pennsylvania still has work to do, the Vote Mama report found; the General Assembly ranked 12th on its list of state legislatures in terms of proportional representation of moms of young children. To reach that goal, 20 more mothers of minor children would need to be elected.
“So yes, there’s absolutely reason to celebrate, and we see hope for reaching that proportional representation, but we can’t go without saying that moms are underrepresented,” Hague said. “With more moms in the legislature comes better policies for women, children and families.”
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