Pennsylvania State Representative District 63
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 yearsSalary: $113,591Vote for ONE.Note: On Democratic and Republican primary ballots, voters will also choose members of the State and County Committees. We do not list these candidates on Vote411. For information on these candidates, we suggest you contact your local Democratic or Republican Party committee.
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Andrew Harbaugh
(Dem)
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Josh Bashline
(Rep)
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing residents of your district, and how would you address them?
What changes, if any, would you support to enable better access, ensure security, and support the processes of our elections?
What are your thoughts on the state budget process? What changes, if any, would you support so that the budget is enacted in a timely manner?
Should the state legislature enact laws concerning the impacts on water, energy, or land use from the development and operation of data centers? Would state regulation of data center development and operation interfere with the authority of municipalities to establish ordinances under the MPC (Municipal Planning Code)?
County
Clarion
Occupation
Sports Writer
Education
High School
Affordability, Education Funding, and Healthcare Access. Affordability, we need to protect and promote better jobs, union jobs, and have a competitive wage compared to neighboring states. Education funding is chaotic due to the stalemates that happen during state budget negotiations. Either funding is lost as a sacrifice to pass a budget, or it goes to charter schools that remain the wild, wild west of my state.
Voting fraud is not an issue and is nothing more than a distraction or scare tactic by anyone who uses it. As for access, folks were quick to judge the rural internet access bill that was passed under a previous administration due to the amount of red tape and steps. Our elections do not need more protections, real IDs, or passports to verify that the right folks are casting their vote. Pennsylvania already protects our elections, and any effort to do anything to "strengthen" them further is wasted energy.
If I can be blunt, we need to take the pissing contest out of it. The right wants a "balanced" budget, but won't say why it isn't or how it can be; meanwhile, the left wants to spend more, which concerns the right. There is a middle ground to be found, but no one wants to extend the olive branch to start that conversation. As someone who has seen what a stalled budget can do to an area that relies on properly funded CYS and county offices, as well as Head Start, we literally cannot afford the pissing contests that take place.
As someone who is on the Clarion Borough Council and has passed an ordinance for them in the last three months, I say we leave it up to the areas that are facing them. A blanket approach is going to upset folks. We need to trust folks at the local level to handle them as they hear directly and have the best connections with folks who are going to be impacted by them. And I will add, the ordinance I voted for I wish had more teeth, and I am taking the steps to do so by talking with other boroughs and areas in Pennsylvania who have ordinances in place to see what works and what doesn't.
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