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.
County
Lancaster
Occupation
Consultant and Educator
Education
B.A. in Spanish Linguistics and Literature from University of Pittsburgh & M.A. in Spanish from Millersville
Qualifications
15 years as a former educator that recently stepped back into the classroom, Served PA-163 first in Constituent Services under Rep. Zabel, then as District Director for Rep. Boyd, former elected official serving Upper Darby Twp. Council representing the 2nd. District
In the 97th, I have had numerous conversations about affordability. First, when it comes to affordable housing, we must increase funding for housing, defend tenants' rights, and support current legislation that raises the eviction ceiling. We also need to tackle the rising costs of utilities. Representing the people of PA means being a representative that favors their constituents over company profits, or corporate donor wishes. With that, I will fight to erase the "junk fees" seen as flat customer charges on utility bills. These fees are above and beyond customer usage and tax that serve no purpose for the resident.
PA is known for its free, fair, and secure elections. I would, however, like to see more help available for seniors that come to the polls. Many that are affected by conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer's, or others, may have a hard time signing their signature, or organizing the boxes they see on the page to fill them out.
One of the main tasks of the General Assembly is to pass the state budget. Unfortunately, over the years, and while I worked for the House, the budget has been delayed many times to a point where it affected county services, non-profits, transportation, public schools, and more. This is simply unacceptable. Pennsylvanians deserve that we do the job that they elected us to do, without using the budget appropriations as political scorecards. I am in support of beginning the process earlier in the year, enacting legislation that, if at an impasse close to the June 30th deadline, all legislators should remain in Harrisburg, working to make the deadline. If it's delayed, I support freezing legislators' pay until they finish their job.
First and foremost, I am opposed to data centers coming into our commonwealth. But they are here. Yes. It's necessary for the state legislature to enact laws to protect us and our resources from the rampant growth of data centers. Here in the 97th, people are concerned about the possibility of rising energy costs as well as how the massive amount of water needed to cool these facilities will leave us and our farms with a lack of water supply. As we fight to protect our environment, our health, and our families with the rise in technology, it's also imperative that we create regulations that ensure usage reporting and expenditures to provide transparency of operations of these facilities to the public.
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