The saying is true — “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
It seems as though just yesterday I was sworn in for my first term to serve as your state representative.
Now in my fourth term serving you, I understand how incredibly lucky I am to continue advocating for our community’s needs in Harrisburg. It is not a duty I take lightly, and I am proud to stand up for what moves Pennsylvania forward, including good schools, family-sustaining jobs, enhanced services for elderly citizens and much more.
Since joining the General Assembly, I’ve helped bring millions of your tax dollars back to our community, ranging from historical preservation projects to providing school districts with diverse and innovative investments necessary to ensure an educated, developed and skilled generation. I’ve voted to pass commonsense acts, including increased assistance for senior prescription programs, providing concrete animal protection laws and supporting grandparents raising grandchildren.
And while I am proud of all the successes my office and the entire commonwealth have achieved since 2013, I am aware of the tasks that still lie ahead of us.
I continue to serve as a vocal advocate for investments in education on all fronts. It is important, now more than ever, to help educate and train the next generation of community leaders. I remain a vocal advocate of supporting and respecting our community’s police and fire departments and their evolving needs. I support my colleagues who have introduced bills making sure elections are free and democratic, and that your vote counts.
I have also begun to introduce bills that will enhance our community and other communities across Pennsylvania. I have put together different pieces of legislation that would continue to provide tax exemption for deceased veterans’ spouses, increase the legal age to purchase tobacco products, provide benefits for paid fire chiefs and require child day care providers to install safety guards on doors. As introductions and voting begins on these bills, I will provide updates and insights.
Moving forward, I pledge to work with members of both parties to pass sensible and effective legislation. It is our obligation to work together to improve the lives of Pennsylvania residents, to move our state forward and continue to create progress. When we come together, it is for the benefit of all.
And so, as 2019 kicks into full gear, I encourage you to help me do my job to the best of my capability. We may not agree on every issue, but I am here to serve you and represent you.
In order to represent your needs, my team and I want to hear from you. Whether you stop by our office in Jay’s Commons in Scranton, or call us at 570-342-4348, or you attend one of my community events, hearing what issues and causes are most important to you helps me mold and fine tune my policy standpoints.
I look forward to working with and for you.
