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.
County
Montgomery
Occupation
State Representative
Education
MBA - Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania; BS - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Qualifications
Two-term incumbent
We are too divided. The mere fact that I am a Democrat makes me absolutely untrustworthy for far too many of our neighbors and similarly yields me too much loyalty from other neighbors. We abhor our neighbors that vote differently than ourselves and too many of my colleagues play into this by talking about our opponents in very negative terms. I will not do that. I do not do that. I respect each and every one of our neighbors, whether you support President Biden, long for the return of Fmr. President Trump, intend to write in a vote for Jason Kelce, or have no intention of voting at all. We don't bring unity by stoking resentment and division.
I believe that we should have same-day voter registration. I also believe we should have early in-person voting and, if you chose to vote early, you should still be able to change your mind and cast a ballot on election day and have that e-day ballot be the one that counts. This is not yet the law, but would ensure that our elections are accessible yet voters get the ability to be as informed and they would like.
I'm fought HARD to be assigned to the Children & Youth Committee, the Education Committee, and the Appropriations Committee for just this cause. We absolutely must ensure that our young people are given the educational opportunities that they deserve, our educators are given the respect they have earned, and our neighbors and businesses are able to survive and thrive in our communities without being taxed out. This is, without a doubt, a generational moment in this Commonwealth and I am fighting every day to make sure we rise to the occasion.
I will continue to protect and defend the access to abortion care in PA. I also want to invest in our families, our child care systems, our housing stock, our foster and adoption systems, and any other cracks in our institutions and safety-nets that might make abortions the last logical option for individuals who might really want to be parents but fail to see a logical, responsible way to expand their family. I have no right to make your healthcare decisions, but I sadly do have some responsibility in the structures that influence them and we need to do better.
County
Montgomery
Occupation
Retired
Education
BS Engineering, Widener University. Enrolled in Dual MBA/MS Engineering Executive Development Program, Widener University
Qualifications
Founded, owned & operated small businesses in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania serving the technology sector specializing in Advanced Semiconductors and Machine Automation
For me, it is a culture that has been created & nurtured where it is acceptable to make a career as an elected official. The incentives for maintaining a body of career politician are vast & many. Annual salaries exceed $102,000. That is roughly equivalent to the median household income in the 154th Legislative District . In other words, each State Rep makes more in one year than half of the households in this district. Couple that with car allowances, expense accounts, bloated staffing payroll, medical benefits & pensions. Presently, about one-third of the legislative body has been in office over 10 years, and several members have been in office since the 90's. I would propose a dramatic reduction in pay and term limits of 3 terms.
This is a national embarrassment. Somehow, we have managed to regress in nearly 250 years of elections. In an era considered to be the highest in technological advancements, we can no longer tally votes on Election Day. It takes weeks for the election totals to be tallied. How can this be possible? This has to be changed & quickly. I would propose Voter ID (note: I need an ID to use my township swimming pool). I would eliminate no-excuse mail-in voting. And, I would be in support of declaring Election Day a State or Federal holiday in order to promote in-person voting.
I've never held the belief funding has been the issue. I believe structural reform has to take place within our public education system. Our neighboring Philadelphia School District is a prime example. PSD's annual budget exceeds $4 Billion. That is roughly equivalent to the market caps for companies such as Brunswick Corp, Armstrong World, Whirlpool, Boise Cascade & Sallie Mae. We could double PSD's annual budget to $8+ Billion and the existing structural flaws would continue to exist. We have all the evidence we need as parents have been fleeing their public schools in favor of alternate solutions. The remedy would be to have the funding follow the student and allow the parents to determine their family's educational outcome.
This is a moral issue and every person has to look into our own hearts. There are approximately 1 Million abortions performed annually in the United States. This is more than 20x the annual deaths by firearm or by auto accident. Is one million per year the right amount? Should there be more? Our statistics compare with a long list of under-developed countries. Is this the best we can be?
