Click here to watch the full interview.

ERIE – Yesterday, Governor Josh Shapiro was in Erie discussing his continued focus on bringing people together to get stuff done for all Pennsylvanians and fighting to protect real freedom all across the Commonwealth.

From delivering historic funding for our public schools and putting money back in Pennsylvanians’ pockets, to protecting our fundamental freedoms and safeguarding our elections, Governor Shapiro has been delivering for Pennsylvania families and standing up for our Commonwealth.

See below for some of what Pennsylvanians are seeing and reading about Governor Shapiro in Erie yesterday:

Erie News Now: First at 4: Gov. Josh Shapiro Visits the Blue Couches

Question: Some of the things that are really concerning to your constituents today: cost of living, groceries, gas. Where are you right now and where is your administration on working through where we are right now.

Josh Shapiro: I think it’s clear whether you’re here in northwestern PA or anywhere else, really across the country, things cost too much. I mean, gas is now $4 a gallon. You go to the grocery store and things cost more. Our farmers are paying more just for the basic fertilizers that they needed. All of that is directly because of two things that have happened in Washington, DC. Number one, these tariffs, which have jacked up the prices on goods. And, number two, the war, which was, you know, frankly a war of choice, that I think is becoming more and more clear by the day was a mistake the way in which the President engaged in it. And that has led to these soaring oil prices, which has an impact on so many other aspects of our economy.

Question: What is the secret to getting both sides of the aisle to work together?

Josh Shapiro: I think too oftentimes in our politics, people who disagree, or maybe are registered in different parties, they don’t sit down and talk like this. So I try and bring Republicans and Democrats together. We sit down in my office and you know, we might talk about 10 issues and have real profound disagreements on seven of them. Unfortunately, today in our politics, you’re incentivized for running away from the table, for yelling and screaming, for tweeting nasty stuff at others. I try and ignore those seven things where you disagree, stay at the table, and focus on the three things where we can make some progress. And I think that’s the key. I’ve got a desire to continue to bring people together, to find common ground. If you look at our track record on cutting costs, on hiring more police to reduce crime in our communities, on investing more than 30 percent additional funds in the Erie School District, something that hadn’t happened before but have been talked about for years, on being first in the nation when it comes to the number of bridges we’ve prepared, on being first in the nation when it comes to the speed of our permitting process, on having the only growing economy in the Northeastern part of the United States, and, by the way, creating more jobs than all but two states in the whole country. Things are moving in the right direction because we have found ways to talk, to find common ground, and to get stuff done.

Question: What’s one thing that Pennsylvanians will see in the coming year, thanks to your administration? What are you most proud of that you think you’ve really made endroads on?

Josh Shapiro: Erie schools are going to see continued investment, not just in their bottom lines, but more money for vo-tech and CTE. Our local police are going to see more resources to help them keep our community safe. … You’re going to see continued investments from the state. And there’s a lot I still want to do. For example, I think we’ve got to raise the minimum wage here in Pennsylvania. We’re at a paltry $7.25 an hour. And I want to see us take that up to $15 an hour. Unfortunately, the Senate has yet to pass the bill. The House has passed it five times. I will sign it the second it gets to my desk. So we’ve not only gotten a lot done and we’re going to continue those investments. There’s other things I want to get done right away, like raising the minimum wage.

Question: Who inspires you to keep your head going in the right direction?

Josh Shapiro: I’m inspired every day when I had this privilege of going around Pennsylvania and meeting people in their communities who were doing great things. I write about that in the book. The people who aren’t on your news program, but who are making a huge difference every day. I meet them and I’m excited about them and I’m inspired by them.

Meadville Tribune: Gov. Shapiro talks faith, future of democracy at Erie event

Chloe Forbes

• He’s also trying to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, a change that would gradually go into effect over the next few years and has passed the Democratic House but now faces an uphill battle in the Republican-led Senate.
• Shapiro was outspoken about his position on the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and establish new voter identification standards nationwide. The act came out of President Donald Trump’s accusations in 2024 that noncitizens were going to illegally vote and steal the election.
• “It’s designed to make certain people not have access to the most powerful tool we have as Americans and that is the right to vote,” Shapiro said.
• Critics of the act have said that having to show proof of citizenship, via birth certificate or passport, would make online and mail-in voter registration impossible and make it harder for rural citizens to register to vote, having to find transportation to their county voting office.
• Shapiro said he believes there’s a pathway to work together and create a voter ID program on the state level, where elections are administered, but not as a weapon to suppress voters. He called the executive order Trump signed on Tuesday to create a list of eligible voters “unconstitutional.”
• He pointed out the “chaos” in the political realm and the fragmentation that he currently sees and said that he hopes the midterms and the election in 2028 provide a way to redefine the Democratic party as “being the party of getting stuff done” and “being the party of freedom and opportunity.”
• He said it’s important that, “we define the party in a way that doesn’t push people out but invites people in and focus on tangible solutions to real problems every day.”

###