Pennsylvania State Representative District 124
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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Tina Burns
(Dem)
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Jamie Barton
(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
Schuylkill
Occupation
Healthcare Consultant
Education
MS
Qualifications
US Coast Guard veteran, experienced problem solver, educator, compliance officer, and community and business leader.
Affordable basic needs are a serious problem. Food, clean water, housing, and quality education should be attainable for all. I support Head Start programs to alleviate the high cost of child care and improve educational outcomes. Economic and small business development is needed, including providing a climate for job creation, ensuring workers earn living wages, and maintaining long term sustainability. Infrastructure and transportation improvements are essential. Tax reform is a priority. This should include senior property tax relief as well as a severance tax on fracking and closing corporate tax loopholes. Improved legislative regulations, including a more stringent anti price gouging policy and tax reform can address these issues.
Voting needs to remain in the hands and control of each state without any federal interference to ensure that our elections are free and fair. We also need to make sure that all election officials are non-partisan. Easier access through mail is a must and needs to be preserved. Online voting should be explored to determine if this can be done securely. Since other secured institutions, such as banking and tax administration, permit online transactions, online voting should at least be examined with the goal of increased voter participation so that more voices can be heard.
I would be in favor of establishing hard stop timelines which would be closely monitored to ensure the budgeting process is on schedule. I favor increased transparency on all funding proposals with a bipartisan budget committed to spearhead the process. This process must begin well before the budget due date to ensure consensus and timely passage.
Yes, the state should enact laws. The state should have learned its lesson from the fossil fuel industry on why legislation over environmentally impactful industries and projects is essential. That industry was left to its own monitoring for many years, and they left our state an environmental disaster with taxpayers stuck with the clean-up bills and healthcare costs from the negative impact of the pollution on human lives.
State regulation should not interfere with municipalities. Legislation should be coordinated with municipalities to ensure that protections or restrictions set forth minimum standards for data center development. Municipalities should be allowed to supplement those standards in accordance with the MPC and municipal law.
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