Pennsylvania State Representative District 102
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.
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Matthew Duvall
(Dem)
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Russ Diamond
(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
Lebanon
Occupation
Senior Lecturer
Education
Drexel University
One issue is affordable and accessible health care. We should work to counteract the devastating changes to Medicaid and veteran's health care from our federal politicians by implementing options at the state level, including streamlined processes for our most vulnerable populations.
Another issue is access to well-paying, family-sustaining jobs. Legislators could help by strengthening unions, providing universal childcare, and mandating leave and scheduling policies that help workers have more control over their lives.
As the chair of the Lebanon County Democratic Committee, I was closely involved in the election process in Lebanon County for the last four years. In Pennsylvania generally, and Lebanon County particularly, our elections are safe and secure. There are systems and processes in place that make it nearly impossible for fraud or cheating - and to detect any such attempts and prosecute them appropriately. I believe we need to encourage broader participation by ALL eligible voters. As such, Pennsylvania should continue to offer no fault mail-in voting. Most importantly, voters should get involved at their local polling places to see the process firsthand rather than let politicians leverage their concern for political gain.
Our current incumbent has had over ten years to put forward a solution and get consensus from his fellow lawmakers to improve the state budget process. It seems to me that until it personally impacts the people in power, it will not change. But those people also are the ones who have the ability to change it - so it must be beneficial to them to have it work (or not work) the way it does. I personally have seen the chaos a late budge causes, especially for nonprofits and educational organizations, and so I'd like to see it improved. At the very least, as an indication of good faith, lawmakers should refuse (or not be allowed) to accept their paychecks when the budget is overdue, until it's passed.
Yes to the first question, maybe to the second one (I'm not a lawyer and it seems like a lawyer-type question). Data centers, as part of the explosion of generative artificial intelligence companies, should be a serious consideration for government at every level. The state government should work with municipalities to ensure that local control isn't lost, but also to support a holistic framework that protects our environment and resources in the face of this technological challenge that is new to our time.
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