Newly elected District 20 Rep. Emily Kinkead lays out her plan for exemplifying true leadership and fighting for real change in 2021.

Photo courtesy of Rep. Kinkead

Happy New Year, Northsiders!

I am incredibly humbled and grateful to be your new state representative for the 20^th Legislative District.

The new year is a time of change and hope for new beginnings. After 2020, I think we all are looking for both!

This year begins with many of the challenges we faced in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, and so many have been directly affected. While vaccines are on the horizon, distribution and accessibility remain in question. Our friends, neighbors, relatives, and local businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Federal aid is being stymied by partisanship, while our state and local resources are running low.

This pandemic brings into stark contrast the cracks and breaks in our system and clearly demonstrates how imperative it is to increase investments in our social safety net. It has shown how desperately we need accessible, affordable health care that is not tied to employment, paid sick leave, and a living wage that helps all workers save for a rainy day – or year.

I write today with the knowledge that we have serious problems to solve in our community and that everyone must be heard to work together to fight for change.

I was elected to be your voice in Harrisburg. I will listen to your needs here and take them directly to the state Capitol. I promise to push for real change on many issues, including criminal justice, economic development, health care, and more. One big issue includes raising our state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, which is long overdue. But I won’t end there – I will demand systemic changes to ensure that hard working residents have the money and support they need to take care of themselves and their families.

True leadership means rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard work to get us where we need to be, and that takes vision and an unwavering commitment to be the champion for everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us.

While many of you are frustrated or disheartened with the performance of government on your behalf, please know that I will do everything in my power to protect and serve working families, strengthen and invest in our communities, and create a working government that is by and for the people – one that we can believe in again. If you have a concern or question, please reach out to me by email at RepKinkead@pahouse.net or call me at 412-321-5523. My staff and I are happy to help you.