If there is any legacy that will ultimately be attached to my term in office, I hope that it will reflect the ideas, innovation and the tenacity of their pursuit that has been my personal commitment to the people of the 31st Legislative District. Pennsylvania has many success stories, some unresolved problems and a few future challenges.

These are some of the most important:

TAX POLICY AND THE FUNDING OF OUR SCHOOLS

With the passage of Special Session Act 1 of 2006 we laid the framework for the lasting resolution of a taxation system that supports the schools which are essential to educating the next generation of leaders. As one of six members of the House/Senate Conference Committee that drafted this legislation, many ideas from my House Bill 15 were incorporated in the final language.  But Act 1 is just a step in the journey. These issues are still to be resolved:

• Equity in School Funding – This is the development of a formula to assure that all school districts receive adequate funding to provide an equal education for all students.
• Fast Growing School Districts – Ensuring that Districts with high growth do not fall behind in school funding while protecting the taxpayers from substantial tax increases.
• Achieving the goal of eliminating property taxes for schools by shifting to some form of  expanded sales taxes.
• Ensuring that school accountability standards are consistent with the funding provided.

Legislation is already being drafted by me and others to address these crucial problems. As Co-Chair of the House Tax Policy Committee, with over 100 members, we have the bi-partisan support for continuing this legislative activity.

BUDGET CHALLENGES

The next three to five years will present difficult choices to Pennsylvanians in maintaining a constitutionally required balanced budget. While our economy is relatively strong and revenues are growing, they are unlikely to keep pace with our needs. Therefore we will have to re-think our priorities because we will not be able to pay for all the things we desire. The problems include:

• Reduced Federal funding for required programs, especially in education and human services.   
• Health care services, especially for Medicaid which provides health care for low income individuals. The need is primarily for people over the age of 65 with low incomes who have increased health care utilization.
• Crumbling Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, storm water and sanitary sewer systems and State owned park and recreation facilities. These have been under funded for years. It cannot continue if we want to remain an economically strong State.
• Homeland Security requirements for more equipment and training for our first responders in the event of natural disasters or terrorist attacks

Raising State taxes to pay for these needs is not an apparent option for me. We will have to reduce other expenditures that have lower priorities. To do this I am developing a performance based budgeting system. This unique budgeting method has been used very successfully by Maine, Texas and Virginia. Since we cannot pay for everything, we will have to obtain the best value for our tax dollars.

REFORM OF LEGISLATIVE OPERATIONS AND POLICIES

Probably the most important task in the next session will be to accomplish the legislative reforms developed under the Jefferson Reform Initiative and the Bi-Partisan Reform Task Force. As one of four co-founders of these two groups, I am committed to ensuring that all House members play an active role in developing policies and ideas that represent their districts and the people of Pennsylvania. This includes providing that the public always has an easy access to know about all legislative activities. Specifically these include:

• Putting Lobbyist Disclosure proposals into law immediately.
• Changing the Committee structure to permit rotating chairs.
• Eliminating the seniority system for leadership and committee chair positions.
• Simplifying the legislative process to prevent late night sessions, undercover amendments and failure to address controversial issues.
• Ensuring every member can control the legislative process on their own legislation.
• Posting all members votes and Bill information on a website within 24 hours of action.
• Building an Ethics Committee with teeth.
• Addressing management issues of staff size and direction.

We will never have a better opportunity to make these changes, but will still need to gather 102 members who agree.

MY AGENDA FOR OTHER MAJOR LEGISLATION:

These are other items that will be part of my activities in the next session:

• Finding a way to ban teacher strikes so that our children do not have to endure the heartache, confusion and anger that occurs when teachers and school boards cannot agree on a fair labor contract.
• Completing work on storm water legislation that will entirely revamp the authority and responsibility for planning and implementing a storm water management system.
• Passing legislation that will significantly reduce litigation for asbestos claims by creating an inactive court docket for those who have been exposed to asbestos but are not yet ill.
• Finding a way to allow local police to use radar for speed control on municipal roads.
• Developing the principle of Common Base Zoning to protect open space while providing for reasonable, practical and common sense development.
• Rewriting the Child Labor Law of Pennsylvania to update this 1915 law and make it consistent with Federal Labor Law. This will likely become law before the end of this year

Since becoming a State Representative, over 15 of my Bills and proposals have passed into law. But there is always more work to do. I welcome your emails, letters and phone calls to learn more about these or other initiatives.