Opportunity for all PA SD-24

Chris is running for Pennsylvania State Senate in District 24 to take on the cost-of-living crisis and stand up for working families. He believes no one should have to choose between groceries and prescriptions, heat and rent, or child care and keeping the lights on.

Chris is running to fairly fund public schools, lower everyday costs, raise wages and make healthcare accessible and affordable for everyone — because the government should work for the people, not the powerful.

Chris Thomas — Fighting for you.

AFFORDABILITY

The promise that if you work hard and get a good-paying job you’ll be set is no longer a reality. We have to make life affordable again.

  • “The cost of living is putting enormous pressure on families across our region. Whether it's groceries, utility bills, child care, housing, or health care, too many people feel like they're working harder than ever just to stay in the same place. Yet despite these challenges, the Republican majority in the Pennsylvania Senate has repeatedly blocked commonsense legislation that would help lower costs and provide relief for working families. Instead of tackling the issues people face every day, they have stood in the way of measures that would make child care more affordable, put money back in workers' pockets, protect consumers, and support families struggling to make ends meet.” — Chris Thomas

  • Not only do we need to work to bring costs down, we need to raise folks' wages.

    It is past time to raise the wage in Pennsylvania and ensure it keeps pace with the cost of living. The minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009, while costs for housing, food, and transportation have continued to rise. 

    The Pennsylvania State House has passed legislation to raise the minimum wage multiple times, but it continues to die in the State Senate.

    More than half a million Pennsylvanians earn less than $15 an hour. Raising the wage would help working families afford groceries, housing, healthcare, and childcare. 

    Additionally, It would save taxpayers an estimated $300 million by reducing reliance on entitlement programs.

    If you work full-time, you shouldn’t live in poverty. It’s time for Pennsylvania to catch up with our neighbors, support working people, and raise the wage.

  • Surveillance pricing is when big corporations use your personal data to charge consumers the highest price they think they'll pay. 

    Chris supports banning surveillance pricing in Pennsylvania.

    He also supports prohibiting dynamic pricing on essential goods like groceries. Working families shouldn't face constantly changing prices for necessities while corporations use new technology to maximize profits at our expense.

  • Chris supports the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit.

    This would provide much-needed assistance with the costs of child care, food, transportation, clothes, and other household expenses for working families living paycheck to paycheck.

  • No one should have to choose between their family and their paycheck.

    That's why Chris supports establishing a statewide paid family and medical leave program, ensuring Pennsylvanians can care for themselves, a loved one, or a new child without risking their financial security.

  • Utility costs are out of control. While utility companies seek higher rates, working families are left paying the bill.

    Chris supports Governor Shapiro's plan to hold utilities accountable and protect consumers from unjustified rate increases.

    But accountability alone isn't enough. Pennsylvania needs more reliable energy generation to meet growing demand. Chris supports fast-tracking investment in new energy projects, especially renewables, to increase supply and lower costs over time.

    We also need to modernize and strengthen our electric grid. Extreme weather is becoming more common, and every major outage costs consumers and taxpayers money. Investing in a more resilient grid will help reduce disruptions and keep costs down in the long run.

HEALTHCARE

One thing you can never plan for is a healthcare emergency. In 2026, no one should have to choose between life-saving care and bankruptcy. And you certainly shouldn’t have to choose between your job and time with a loved one.

  • To address this, Chris supports ending surprise medical billing so families aren’t hit with unexpected, unaffordable costs.

    We need greater transparency and stronger protections for local communities, with private healthcare companies held accountable for decisions that drive up costs or reduce access.

  • Prior authorization is the process by which insurers approve care for patients and for far too long, this process has delayed care and placed administrative burdens on care providers which in turn drives up costs.

    Patients and care providers need this process to be drastically streamlined in Pennsylvania. We can achieve this by:

    • Push for faster, mandated approval timelines so urgent requests are granted when patients need it, not when the insurer gets to it

    • Fully implement electronic standardization now in order to eliminate paperwork and phone tag

    • Increased denial transparency will allow patients and care providers to easily understand why a request cannot be approved

  • Corporations, who are often located out-of-state, continue to buy up vital health systems across the Commonwealth and, without warning, cut quality of services, lay off staff, and close parts of the operation that serve as essential services for surrounding communities.

    • We’ve seen this firsthand with the loss of Tower Health services at Pottstown Hospital, including the ICU, Maternity ward, and Cancer treatment center, along with hundreds of jobs cut. As a result, essential services like step-down care and cancer treatment have been reduced or moved out of the community, forcing patients to travel farther for care at the worst possible moments.

    • We need transparency and increased protections for local communities — private companies need to be held accountable for the quality of services they are providing including adequate staff to patient ratios and there should be strict rules regarding transparency so that they can’t turn a profit and then cut and run

The way we currently fund our public schools is completely unfair: it leaves municipalities on the hook to keep up with rising costs and unbalanced budgets, and continues to force property taxes higher and higher which only serves to burden working families and folks on a fixed income. It’s past time to fairly fund our public schools.

EDUCATION

  • “I taught middle school math and science, and I have seen firsthand how the system is failing our kids both in and out of the classroom. From underfunded schools and the lingering effects of the pandemic to the mental health crisis fueled by social media, an entire generation is being left behind. And for parents the cost of childcare, and lack of access to good schools from Pre-k & onward is making even the decision to have children difficult. We can do better for parents and children.” — Chris Thomas

  • We need to fix the broken funding system that drives property tax hikes and creates unequal opportunities — this current funding model disproportionately affects children, households on a budget, and seniors

    Ensure every student has access to a high-quality education, regardless of their ZIP code

  • Provide families the flexibility to choose between full-time or part-time schedules

    Deliver care through a mix of trusted community providers and public programs

  • No hungry children — it is unacceptable that too many of our students are hungry and not knowing where they are getting their next meal.

“At a time when working families are struggling with rising utility bills, grocery costs, gas prices, and healthcare expenses, Pennsylvania cannot afford to give Big Tech and utility companies a blank check. Big Tech shouldn't get special deals that working families never would. Big Tech shouldn't get handouts while families struggle to get by.”

— Chris Thomas

NO BLANK CHECK FOR BIG TECH

  • My “No Blank Check for Big Tech” plan protects ratepayers, demands transparency, safeguards our natural resources and public lands, and ensures local communities – not just massive corporations – benefit from economic growth. While the Pennsylvania House has advanced accountability measures, Senate Republicans have failed to act. In fact, State Senator Tracy Pennycuick sponsored legislation last year to fast-track data center development and permitting with any transparency. Decisions about Pennsylvania’s future must center on working families and communities, not outside corporate influence.

  • Residents should not see their electric bills go up because Big Tech wants more power. Data centers must be responsible for meeting their own energy needs.

  • Pennsylvania families shouldn't be stuck with the bill when Big Tech comes to town. These corporations should pay their fair share by investing in our schools and local infrastructure like roads, bridges, and grid upgrades.

  • Utility companies must publicly disclose electric capacity and infrastructure planning so communities can make informed decisions.

  • Local residents deserve a meaningful voice in the approval process. Secretive non-disclosure agreements should not be used to shut communities out of decisions that affect them.

  • Keep our air and water clean, protect public lands from corporate abuse, and ensure neighborhoods are shielded from excessive noise pollution.

  • Guarantee good-paying union jobs with fair wages, safe workplaces, strong collective bargaining standards, and pathways to the middle class.