Pennsylvania State Representative District 98
Description of office: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of government in Pennsylvania. It is composed of two houses: the Senate is the upper house, and the House of Representatives is the lower house. A majority vote in both houses is necessary to pass a law. The PA House of Representatives consists of 203 members representing one district each, with an equal number of constituents. Representatives must be at least 21 years old, have been a citizen and a resident of the state four years and a resident of their respective districts one year before their election, and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service. The House develops budget packages, makes taxation decisions, allocates spending, and passes laws (including redistricting in collaboration with the Senate). The House also has the exclusive authority to impeach public officials. Representatives also serve on various policy committees that may propose legislation. Term: 2 years Salary: $106,422 Vote for ONE.
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Lynn McCleary
(Dem)
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Tom Jones
(Rep)
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?
What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?
What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court's ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?
What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?
County
Lancaster
Occupation
BSN, RN Nurse Recruiter (Retired) from Penn State Hershey
Education
BSN
Qualifications
Sharp critical thinking skills; strong communication style, both professional and personal; a heart for fairness & equity; courage in the face of adversity; the ability to see all sides of an issue and make sound decisions based on data; a deep love for our democracy and appropriate trepidation.
Separation of church & state, b/c Christian Nationalism is raging and is the biggest threat to our democracy. Reproductive freedom b/c women are under attack. Marriage equality b/c I recently married the woman I've loved for 25 years and I want everyone to have that right. Public education b/c we are on the brink of earth-shifting changes if HB 2370 clears the senate, which is very exciting, but will require smart coordination and hard work. Racial justice b/c we are steadily losing ground on the progress of the past 60 years. LGBTQIA+ rights b/c if the Republicans win, nothing is guaranteed. Gun safety. The humane treatment of animals b/c many puppy mills in Lancaster County are using loopholes to avoid detection & prosecution.
Access: extended early voting, same-day registration, automatic registration when interacting with state agencies, ie PennDOT. Security: secure/monitored ballot drop boxes, extended cyber-security measures, auditable paper trails, post-election audits.
Support: public education campaigns to inform voters and control disinformation, increased funding and training resources for staff, streamline/standardize procedures across counties to ensure consistency & reduce admin costs.
Technology: online voter registration, absentee ballot requests & tracking; electronic poll books, real-time reporting of election results.
HB 2370 - Governor Shapiro is poised to sign this bill into law if it passes the Senate. It will allow for equitable distribution of funds across districts; it will tighten the regulatory oversight and reduce the amount of funds that public schools pay to charter and cyber charter schools. This bill is monumental. The Governor's budget proposal includes an historic $1.1B increase in basic education funding, of which $50M is for special education, $50M for school safety & security improvements, and $300M for environmental repair projects. Recruiting and retaining staff is supported in the budget with $25M that also strengthens the educator pipeline with higher student teacher stipends.
I am thankful for the rights we currently have, but they are not secure. With the rise in extremism and the targeting of women, we must stand strong together. Personally and medically I would prefer a 16-week window rather than 24, but it is the woman's choice.
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