LIST OF ISSUES
Election Integrity
Federal law and Article VII of the Pennsylvania Constitution call for an election day, not an election season. To protect against election fraud early voting should be limited to absentee ballots, which should be issued upon request and limited to those who cannot physically make it to the polls. Absentee ballots should be reserved for those who are impacted by proximity or circumstances which prevent him or her from traveling to the polling place on election day. A picture ID should be required to vote at the polling place. Non-secure elections undermine the most basic and foundational element of our republic. Our election process MUST be trustworthy and accurately record the will of the electorate.
Limited Government
Our Founding Fathers intentionally created a system of government with clearly defined limitations, in order to protect the individual liberty of the governed. The power and influence of government should be restrained. Our Commonwealth's enormous bureaucracy is comparable to the bloated and unaccountable governments of states like California and New York. It will take some time to reduce the bureaucratic leviathan, but first steps can be taken immediately to start the process. Every department of the state government should undergo an independent audit to identify and eliminate waste. A review of regulatory and oversight boards should be conducted by the House for the purpose of eliminating those which are unnecessary. Steps must be taken to make unelected bureaucrats accountable to elected officials and elected officials accountable to the people. The benefits of legislators in the PA government should be reasonable and in accordance with the typical benefits afforded to citizens within the private sector. A legislator who uses his or her position for his or her personal benefit should be held responsible for violating the trust placed in him or her by the electorate.
Education
Public schools throughout the Commonwealth have a wide range of success and failure, therefore, we must give students trapped in failing schools additional options. No student in Pennsylvania should be held back by forcing him or her to attend a failing school or a school incapable of meeting the needs of specific students. School choice is not a threat; it's an opportunity for all schooling options to compete and improve. However, the opportunity for students and parents to choose must be planned and orderly, not chaotic. Often well-intentioned solutions have unintended consequences. Wise planning and implementation must be an element of choice. Local control of schools should be maximized and state and federal influence should be minimized. School policies should never supersede parental rights, schools should be first and foremost student focused, and school officials, to include administration and boards of directors, must be accountable to the taxpayers. Outside influences such as associations, unions, and advocacy groups should not drive policies, curriculums, or operations of any publicly funded school.
Rights and Freedoms
The U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions should be interpreted through an originalist lens. Describing the constitutions as "living, breathing" documents does not mean the documents should be adapted to comply or fit neatly with the constant fluctuation of cultural "norms." Living and breathing refers to the documents' foundational principles, which are applicable to all times. The foundational protections as outlined in the constitutions ARE NOT negotiable. As a result of personal experience, the founders' greatest fear was oppression at the hands of the government. Freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. and PA constitutions are intended to protect the American citizen from the potential tyranny of the American government. This includes the right to bear arms. The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution was specifically intended to allow the citizenry to defend themselves against tyranny. The first amendment specifically guarantees the five basic elements of a free society. The second amendment ensures that the citizenry can defend themselves against an oppressive government determined to strip its citizens of the rights guaranteed by the first amendment and additional constitutionally protected rights. Any infringement upon the fundamental rights recorded in the either the U.S. or Pennsylvania constitution is a threat to individual liberty and the Republic as a whole. There can be no compromise on rights and freedoms which are protected by the Constitution.
Balancing the Budget and Taxes
Deficit spending within the state and federal government is NOT sustainable, nor is it complicated. Just like any household or business, the government cannot spend more than it takes in. Deficit spending is a tremendous threat to the financial security and quality of life for all Americans, present and future. Winston Churchill said, "It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required." Balancing the Commonwealth's budget should not simply be a goal; it must be what is required. To increase revenue and unleash the free market, balancing the budget must be accompanied by across the board tax cuts for individuals and businesses, and a simplification of the tax code. The government does not "make" money, they "take" money. Tax reform will spark investment and grow Pennsylvania's economy. We must make PA a business friendly state to create jobs and remain competitive. There are some taxes which should be eliminated all together. On top of that list is the inheritance, or death tax. This tax is immoral! It is legalized theft of property and possessions individuals worked for over their lifetimes. It's the double jeopardy of taxes and must be eliminated.
Life
It is our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable people within our society, born and unborn. I will protect the sanctity of life, because it is the most fundamental human right. Liberty and the pursuit of happiness are meaningless if one is not alive to experience freedom and joy. However, the pro-life movement must be more empathetic and understanding with women who are facing unwanted pregnancies. It's not enough to march and protest. Pro-life advocates must listen to and speak with compassion on this issue. We must be as committed to changing hearts as we are to changing laws.