HIGGINS, JUDITH

Meet the Candidate

Running For:

State Senator

District:

Political Affiliation:

Democrat

Occupation:

Retired

Education: (click to expand)

Biographical Info: (click to expand)

Why are you running for office? (click to expand)

I am a veteran, and like many other veterans in the United States, we fought for the freedoms that our country, and this Commonwealth, enjoy today. I was very angry to find out the incumbent, Kristin Phillips-Hill, was part of the group planning to overturn the legitimate elections of our Commonwealth. She aligned herself with Senator Mastriano, went to Washington DC in November of 2020, and supported the "Big Lie". She also signed the letter, submitted to Mitch McConnell, to decertify PA ballots. This is completely unacceptable for anyone who is in public office and sealed my decision to run for the office. I believe Pennsylvania has tremendous potential, and the people are very hard working. Education is the key to ensuring a bright future for the Commonwealth. We need to have opportunities for young people, and those in transitioning industries such as fossil fuel, to participate in emerging industries, including infrastructure and environment. This means making two-year programs, apprenticeships and other options affordable or free to those families earning under $100,000. In my work, I have found people who are interested in upgrading their skills but cannot quit working to attend training. The focus needs to be on encouraging workforce development, and this will also help attract higher tech businesses to relocate to Pennsylvania. This will also increase the quality of life that all citizens enjoy. I am also pro-choice. I believe that medical decisions are best made between a doctor and the patient. I do not believe the legislature has an understanding of the privacy invasion, the threat to personal autonomy, and there is the issue of violating the Bill of Rights. This decision infringes upon the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution that guarantees individual the right to personal autonomy. In removing choice in Pennsylvania, under all circumstances, women are being told they are simply vessels, with no choice. This is an unacceptable position for over 70% of the United States, and I believe we need to legislate for the majority, not the minority.

Survey

Response Legend

YYes
NNo
UUndecided
−Declined to Respond/Undecided, Position Unknown/Unclear
*Comment
†Declined to respond, Position based on citation

Question	Response	Comments/Notes
1. Should education funding be directed to families through a voucher, scholarship, or education savings account so that parents can send their children to the school of their choice, including non-public schools?	N
2. Should marijuana be legalized for recreational use?	Y*	Making marijuana legal will free up a great deal of jail space, particularly affecting people of color. Once, this occurs, removing this charge from people's records will also allow for more people to enter into the workforce, participate in skills upgrades and lift families out of poverty. Just like alcohol, there can be a limit of usage, similar to a DUI for drinking, but the overall effect should be positive. The only issue remains for aligning the Federal law to the state law, to ensure that people working on Federal contracts are not losing their jobs due to conflict between those laws.
3. Should the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act be amended to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” which would require public schools and other public facilities to open up restrooms and locker rooms to members of the opposite sex?	-
4. Should Pennsylvania enter into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which would include a new carbon tax on electricity producers?	Y*	Yes, we need to be part of the initiative because our environment and our communities deserve clean air, clean water and toxins dumped into our waters. Fracking companies are not being held accountable for the damage they are doing to our environment. We have toxins being poured into drinking waters, streams, creeks, and the long-term effect is not good. We can address changing skill sets by endorsing apprenticeships, training programs and ensuring that families are not left behind during this transition.
5. Should increases in state government spending be limited to the rate of inflation plus population growth?	U*	There are too many variables in play to make a statement. Our population is aging, the infrastructure is old and decaying and there needs to be concerted and focused plan that makes sense for the Commonwealth.
6. Should our state constitution be amended to prevent taxpayer funding for elective abortions?	N*	This is a medical decision; it is health care. We have military bases in Pennsylvania, these individuals are defending our country and if they are seeking a procedure, this will be taxpayer paid. This is the most obvious violation of our contract with our military that I can imagine. I believe the Hyde Amendment has been in place for 45 years and forbids the use of federal funds for abortion except in the cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. This Amendment has typically been partnered with Medicaid to ensure that low-income families have access to health care, as well. These are health care decisions, and supporting a healthy community, is a reasonable goal.
7. Should all voters be required to show identification before voting?	N*	This is an additional burden that should not be added to the right to vote. You have to provide ID to register, it is on file, your name is in the poll book, that is all that is needed. The hysteria created by the "BIG LIE" has done nothing to make voting more universal, and the level of fraud in voting was insignificant in PA, despite the many challenges and audits.
8. Should the state reduce police funding to increase funding for social services?	N*	We need to increase funding for social services, to ensure that partnerships between police and mental health professionals are available to communities. We need to make sure police forces understand that this is an opportunity to better serve and protect, it is not a threat to them.
9. Should public schools be prohibited from allowing males who identify as females to compete in girls’ sports?	U
10. Should schools have to post curriculum online for review by parents and taxpayers?	-*	Most of the educators I have ever dealt with, including 17 years as a School Board member, are already making lesson plans and curriculum available to the parents, usually on parent portals for the districts. I am stunned over the issues that have been created over curriculum that are totally false, such as CRT, are designed to created mistrust at the local level. I believe most Pennsylvanians will see through this manipulation, and it will lead to a closer knit community who is genuinely invested in their local school districts, not as antagonists, but as partners in their children's education. Having parents involved has always been a goal of every school board I have ever worked with, but the time and involvement, not to mention the parent's own relationship with being a student, often make it hard to accomplish.
11. Should Pennsylvania municipalities be permitted to require a vaccine passport?	U*	The pandemic killed one million people in the United States. We lost family members, we lost parents, grandparents. No one knew what was going to happen, and the Administration at that time, was trying to downplay the severity. It was truly a health crisis of epic proportions. We learned a great deal, and I do appreciate that those with compromised immune systems were trying to survive, despite misinformation being promoted by state legislatures. WE must allow health care specialist to be guiding the Governor, not legislators, because they are the ones who best understand the bigger picture.
12. Should the gasoline tax be permanently reduced?	Y*	State Police has been paid for by gasoline taxes. That needs to stop. There are small communities that are relying on State Police coverage because they cannot afford to have a police department for every town and borough. It is time to revisit how we provide police and fire protection to the Commonwealth, and I fear that "waiting" will result in miscommunications, and disasters that could have been avoided. The gas tax was supposed to take care of roads, bridges and similar infrastructure, and those have been neglected because no one took the initiative to address the bigger problem. I believe we need to do it sooner, rather than later.
13. Should schools be required to notify parents of any sexually explicit content in books or instructional materials?	Y*	This is already done, and parents can have their child opt out of books or reading materials. I have been involved with a hearing to do just that, and it was done within the policies of the district and resolved. It was not sexually explicit; it was Harry Potter in the middle school language arts program.