“State Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D-61, will join the other 48 members, who hail from all three branches of state government, to attend a five-day leadership boot camp at the Council’s headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky. Hanbidge is the only Pennsylvanian included in this year’s contingent and she is the first Keystone State official to be selected for the fellowship since 2019, according to the House Democratic Caucus.

”I’m honored to have been selected as a Toll Fellow,” Rep. Hanbidge said in a statement. “I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from and with other equally dedicated public servants from across the country. I am looking forward to the challenge and to expanding my skill set for the betterment of my constituents and commonwealth.”
“We should be taking every precaution necessary to protect Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents, our children. Therefore, I will be introducing legislation that would require that the Pennsylvania Department of Health test a representative sample of each batch of baby food manufactured in the Commonwealth for the presence of toxic heavy metals.”
“Women’s issues and gender parity are more than just fairness. They are linked with growing an economy, strengthening a workforce and improving lives...If the humanitarian and legislative examples of why it is important to have gender parity do not convince you...[o]ur economy could add up to $4.3 trillion in annual GDP by 2025 with gender equality. ”
“There are women all over the country at work currently miscarrying and trying to hold that burden alone, without the resources to be able to take the time to go home and heal, or talk to counselors, or see doctors as much as they might want to or need to...I felt alone and lost when it was happening to me, and now I feel less alone because I’ve had the experience of sharing this information and having it shared in return.”
“If we are honest in our intention to reduce the number of abortions, we should be investing in creating a better sex education curricula, lowering Black maternal mortality rates, increasing access to contraception, making childcare accessible and affordable, instituting paid family and medical leave, ending the waiting list for individuals with disabilities, and ensuring that every Pennsylvania worker earns a living wage.”
“This legislation seeks to prevent deceptive interrogation tactics from being used on individuals with autism and/or intellectual disabilities, thus reducing the number of false convictions, saving money and ensuring equality and dignity to all. Confessions made due to such tactics would become inadmissible in court, unless the state can prove that the confession was voluntarily given. By implementing fair, honest interrogation processes by those most susceptible to falsely confess will be better protected from deceptive practices.”
“As Pennsylvania begins a path to recovery, we must ensure that early childhood programs are structured and funded in a way that acknowledges and attempts to correct ingrained inequalities that have persisted for too long and that we are investing in the future of our children and our economy. That means leveraging our federal stimulus dollars to provide not just temporary relief from the impacts of COVID, but a reset on the way we support Pennsylvania families.”
“We believe that pelvic and rectal exams performed without consent are part of a larger societal problem in which our bodies are not respected... Trust is integral to the doctor-patient relationship. Performance of an unauthorized pelvic exam on an unconscious patient is an obvious violation of those tenants and destroys that doctor-patient bond.”

Through a COVID Lens: Top Legislative Issues of 2021
NCSL: State Legislatures News; January 11, 2021

“Legislators on both sides of the aisle acknowledge that rebuilding the child care system and supporting their state’s economic recovery go hand in hand. But it could be very expensive to overhaul child care, and finding the money will be a big hurdle. ‘As we’re having conversations about rebuilding post-COVID,” says PA Rep. Liz Hanbidge, ‘we need to give credence to the fact that child care is part of that conversation.’”
“Founded in 1980, Laurel House began as a shelter as part of the Women’s Center of Montgomery County. It became independent and expanded to offer a wide variety of services, ranging from traditional housing to a 24 hour hotline and a children’s program. That’s in addition to an array of legal advocacy work and collaboration with the community and local law enforcement. Specifically, the grant will fund renovations and additions like a library, ADA-friendly areas, rooms to accommodate residents with disabilities, a reception area, conference room, communal kitchen and dining room, multiple new bathrooms, a children’s play area, storage, and more.”

Child Care a Necessity for Rebuilding the Economy
NCSL: State Legislatures News; November 30, 2020

“‘The more capacity people have with respect to child care, the more they’re able to work, and the more money that goes into Pennsylvania,’ [Hanbidge] says. Her legislation, HB 2810, would allocate $100 million for lower-income working parents who earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level and therefore do not qualify for the state’s child care subsidies. Another of Hanbidge’s bills, HB 2809, would use an additional $100 million to cover child care costs for essential workers.”