As the Senator for the 37th District, which includes parts of Allegheny County, I know our region, its residents, and its employers play key roles in driving the state’s prosperity and overall success. A native of southwestern PA, I was raised in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and I understand the important role businesses play in our communities. In Harrisburg, I have worked and will continue to enact policies that create an environment for job growth while meeting the core responsibilities of government. It is also important to me that we maintain our historic investment in schools while exploring new ways to use tax dollars most efficiently while streamlining state government.
After serving three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantryman with the U.S. Marine Corps, I came home and started my own business, Veterans Medical Technology. As a small business owner, I believe that government should be a stakeholder in the businesses who choose to invest in our region. Government and enterprise should work to ensure that sustainable economic growth is the focus, not job-killing tax hikes. Instead of taxing a burdened community, government should invest in enterprise to expand the tax base horizontally instead of raising taxes vertically.
My legislative priorities and goals from day one have been a result of the many fruitful discussions with constituents who have shared their thoughts with me about ways to enhance Allegheny County, its workforce, and neighborhoods. I take my role seriously as a representative of 250,000 constituents who rely on my help to take their ideas and concerns back to Harrisburg.
As a result of these conversations, I was able to work in a bipartisan manner with colleagues in both chambers to improve access to breast cancer and ALS care, aid veterans and military families as they transition to new schools, properly honor veterans’ graves, bring better economic and manufacturing opportunities to Pennsylvania, assist those struggling with substance use disorders and mental health issues, improve public safety, provide more support for law enforcement, beautify our waterfronts, open up more scholarships for post-secondary education, and even provide freedoms for Jeep and Bronco owners who wish to drive without their doors!
As your state senator, I have been able to bring over $55 million back to Allegheny County for various local and municipal projects. I look forward to continuing to advocate for bringing state funds back home to my constituents and our neighborhoods.
Senate leadership has entrusted me with membership on seven prominent committees: Chair of Labor & Industry; Vice Chair of Law & Justice; Appropriations; Local Government; Community, Economic & Recreational Development; Banking & Insurance; and Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure. These assignments have positioned me – and by extension our community and its employers – to play a key role in how we move the Commonwealth’s economy, workforce and neighborhoods forward.
It is an honor to serve the 37th senatorial district and hearing from you on what matters most. Together, we are making Allegheny County a better place to live and work!