Tom’s First-term Accomplishments and Legislation

In just his first term, Tom has achieved much legislative success. Tom is truly an effective legislator, fighting for the taxpayers in the 13th District.

Tom has:

• Increased the state's share of basic education funding reducing the pressure on school boards to have to raise property taxes (out of 501 school districts state-wide, Oxford received the 2nd largest percentage increase and Avon Grove came in 12th on that list - Octorara and Coatesville also did very well).
  
• Introduced legislation to eliminate school property taxes on primary residential properties (this legislation is in the finance committee - Tom is working closely with Chairman Levdansky to move this legislation forward - the most important issue facing the 13th district).
  
• Successfully fought to eliminate the 'sales and use' tax on helicopters and their parts. As a result, Keystone Helicopters in Sadsbury, the north part of the 13th District, will be creating approximately 300 new jobs.
  
• Passed his legislation (now law) that doubled, from 30 to 60, the amount of credits a community college student can transfer into one of our fourteen state universities.
  
• Passed his legislation in the House to allow municipalities to be reimbursed by developers for conditional use fees - it now awaits a Senate Committee vote.
  
• Passed his legislation in the House allowing clean and green property owners to install energy production infrastructure, alternative or otherwise, without losing their preferential ACT 319 tax status on the entire parcel - it now awaits a Senate vote.
  
• Passed his legislation in the House adding dextromethorphan (dxm - a cough suppressant that has hallucinogenic and potentially fatal effects when abused in its raw, powder form) to the Uncontrolled Substance list to prevent teens from purchasing it online - it now awaits a Senate vote.
  
• Introduced legislation to prevent Homeowner Associations from disallowing homeowner installation of roof solar panels. Tom is working with the state's HOA association to make sure HOA's rights to regulate are protected in this legislation.
  
• Introduced legislation to strengthen municipal comprehensive plans weakening the developers grip over our land use laws.
  
• Introduced legislation to require more heavily intoxicated DUI offenders to have to install ignition interlock systems as part of their sentencing (awaiting a Transportation Committee vote on April 21st).
  
• Introduced legislation strengthening the Dept. of Agriculture's PA Preferred Program to benefit our farmers (awaiting an Agricultural Committee Hearing on April 22nd at the Penn Twp Building, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm - open to the public).
  
• Voted against the expansion of gambling (table games) because the revenues are going into the general fund and not towards property tax relief.