State Rep. Jared Solomon (D-202) is a cum laude graduate from Swarthmore College with a law degree from Villanova University, but he grew up over a butcher shop on Rutland Street in Philadelphia, writes John Baer for inquirer.com.

It was his great-grandparents’ shop and he lived with his public school teacher mom.

The 40-year-old Democrat from Northeast Philly is in his second term at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and has learned that the obstacle to progress is not partisanship, but a lack of personal relationships.

Solomon is part of a new, younger group of Philly lawmakers pushing long-term-oriented proposals called the Philadelphia Platform, which he initiated to address the city’s most serious issues like poverty.

It won’t work, though, unless the city, state and federal government works with the religious community and non-profit world.

“I think until we get to that point, you can throw all the policy you want at the problem but you’re not going to create a success story,” he said..

Solomon has also been an advocate of term limits and recall elections as part of election law reform, campaign-finance reform and redistricting.

He supports state legislation to create open primaries allowing independent voters to participate.

 Read more about Jared Solomon here.

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