Pennsylvania State Representative District 81
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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Caleb J. Donahue
(Dem)
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Rich Irvin
(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
Huntingdon
Education
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
District 81 is comprised of many older voters. Easier access to healthcare benefits is a top priority if elected, and I will write and sponsor bills designed to protect and expand access to Medicare and Medicaid for Pennsylvanians. My district also has several working class voters, and I believe it is important to protect labor unions and to ensure every worker has fair wages and protections.
Photo ID at polling places has become a hot topic for debate. While I am not opposed to Photo ID, I strongly believe that if implemented, new voters who don’t already have a Photo ID must have a quick and efficient way of providing a photo on their voter-ID cards at no cost. As a former poll worker, I support increasing awareness and pay for poll workers as incentivization for the increasing lack of availability in smaller rural precincts. I also support the Automatic Voter Registration for younger voters at the DMV.
I strongly believe that compromise is key to success, however if a budget isn’t passed on time, lawmakers should forfeit their pay. This will incentivize lawmakers to prioritize Pennsylvanians instead of partisan politics.
While I believe that the creation of data centers should be heavily scrutinized and limited based on environmental concerns, I believe that municipalities and the state must 100% agree and collaborate with each other should any project come into fruition. All projects should be voted on by a countywide referendum. The state legislature should increase environmental regulations of data center projects and provide for more frequent audits.
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