Profile
In March 2003, John Pippy was sworn
in as the Senator of the Commonwealth of PA’s 37th District
serving constituents in Allegheny County and a portion of Washington
County. Prior to winning his Senate seat, Senator Pippy served as a
member of the State House of Representatives in the 44th
District for 8 years.
Senator Pippy is Chairman of the
Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, which examines polices and
legislation affecting Pennsylvania communities and the fiscal health of
its cities. He also chairs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
which carries out a wide range of research activities pertaining to the
operation and performance of state-funded programs and agencies. In
addition he is Vice Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee and a
member of the following Senate Committees: Appropriations, Banking and
Insurance, Transportation and Game and Fisheries committees.
As Senator he has introduced
numerous bills that have been signed into law, among them:
-
Megan’s Law changes to provide additional information
on sex offenders on the state Megan's Law web site. The site was
criticized for not providing enough data to parents and communities
regarding sexual offenders living nearby.
-
Preventing windfall tax hikes with Act 71 which
requires municipalities and school districts in Allegheny County to
establish revenue-neutral millage rates in the tax year immediately
following the reassessment.
-
A comprehensive list of ethical safeguards to
Pennsylvania’s gaming law and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
-
Legislation preserving the pension benefits for
spouses and children of deceased Pittsburgh police officers.
Pittsburgh was the only municipality in Pennsylvania in which police
benefits are cut off when the spouse of a deceased officer
remarries.
-
A Law that will limit the scope of protests at
funerals and memorial services. This was in response to incidents
of pickets and abusive chants targeting Pennsylvania military
funerals. The protesters have been targeting grieving family members
with vulgar language and other harassments to protest social and
political issues.
Senator Pippy is the author of
legislation to reduce the size and the costs of the General Assembly.
The Legislature would be reduced from 50 to 40 senatorial districts and
from 203 to161 representative districts. The result would be a 20
percent reduction in the size of both chambers.
Senator Pippy's efforts to promote
economic development and job creation also included his sponsorship of
Senate Bill 1190, a bill that encourages and rewards employers who hire
qualified former welfare recipients. Reducing the Capital Stock and
Franchise Tax has been a priority issue for him in order to reduce the
tax burden placed on businesses that limits their ability to expand,
hire staff and provide quality, high-paying jobs. He has received The
Guardian of Small Business Award which is presented by National
Federation of Independent Businesses to legislators who voted favorably
on key small business issues.
Senator Pippy has been a long time
advocate of early childhood education programs and special education
funding initiatives. He has championed the effort to provide valuable
services and funding to Pennsylvania's facilities servicing special
needs children. He also serves on the Autism Caucus.
He is a member of the
Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation
Committee which focuses on air and water pollution laws, mining
practices and land reclamation. He is an advocate of
legislation aimed at increasing the number of environmentally friendly
“green” buildings in Pennsylvania by providing tax credits for buildings
that meet specific environmental and energy standards, and requiring
that state-funded construction also meets those standards.
A Major in the Pennsylvania National Guard who served with the Army
Reserve on active duty in Iraq and Kuwait.
He served as chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s
Homeland Security Task Force.
Born in Ubon, Thailand, Senator Pippy received an appointment to the
United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He graduated with a
Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering and served on
active duty, assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
Prior to entering the General Assembly Senator Pippy worked at the U.S.
Steel Clairton Works.
He is a member of the Advisory Boards for Penn State-Beaver and the
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He serves on the Board of
Directors for the Greater Pittsburgh Council/Boy Scouts of America and
The Heinz History Center. He is an alumni member of the American
Council of Young Political Leaders. He is a Board Fellow for the
University of Pittsburgh's Institute of Politics and serves on the
Boards of Leadership Pittsburgh and The Botanic Gardens. Senator Pippy
is a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
and a member of the Knights of Equity. Senator Pippy and his wife
Katherine and their two children, Sean and Katelyn, live in Moon
Township and are members of St. James Catholic Church in Sewickley
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11/2007
