Biographical Information
County
Bucks
Occupation
Retired
Education
BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Industrial Engineering, PhD Information Science
Qualifications
I'm an engineer and teacher and have lived in the district for 33 years. After a wide ranging career in industry, taught Energy and Sustainability Policy at Penn State; family owned a local small business; community volunteer, and served on West Rockhill Township's Conservation Committee.
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?
1) Safeguarding democracy and election integrity, without which little else matters. My opponent signed a letter to US Congress in 2020 asking that acceptance of Pennsylvania electoral votes be disputed. 2) Political interference in our personal lives, first and foremost a woman's right to make her own decisions about her own body. I will oppose any legislation that curtails personal freedoms subjective grounds. 3) Reforming school funding is an urgent and overdue pressing issue impacting children, parents, teachers, property tax payers. 4) Protecting our water, air and climate, starting with special interest tax breaks subsidizing oil & gas companies billions yearly. In clear need of immediate reform, especially as LNG exports are pending.
What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?
I would support mailing a ballot to every registered voter for every election without the need to apply or renew. I support a simpler process for completing and submitting mail in ballots, including no privacy envelope, no date requirement, and more drop off locations. I would like for election results to be released on election day, by improvement in ballot processing or by starting the count earlier. I support the Governor's Election Security Task Force, while regretting its necessity. Expanded mail-in balloting is a reliable and constructive way to improve voter engagement and take pressure off in-person voting logistics and concerns. And finally, I would support expanded civic and voter education in our schools.
What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court's ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?
For starters, I would have voted for HB 1422 to modernize cyber charter funding and save millions for county schools. Incredibly, my opponent did not. The bill makes fair and practical adjustments to the amounts school systems are required to pay cyber schools, including special needs funding based on a student's needs, and ensuring that cyber schools follow the same rules as traditional public schools. The bill passed with bi-partisan support. I agree with the Court's Ruling that our school funding system must be reformed. I support shifting the bulk of the responsibility of school funding to the state and away from local property taxes, so that all schools are fairly and properly funded, regardless of zip code.
What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?
I agree with much of our current framework, including access to abortion medication and a 23-week window for abortion as a reproductive health option, followed by legal access if the health of the pregnant woman is in danger. I support changes to laws that delay a woman gaining access to a procedure for which she is lawfully entitled, including mandatory advanced pre-counseling and requiring parental consent or judicial review for minors. I support abortion coverage by healthcare plans, including Medicaid. I support a woman's right to make decisions for herself, in private, and have access to the healthcare she chooses.