Eugene DePasquale
Encyclopedia
Eugene Anthony DePasquale (born August 3, 1971) is a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....

, representing the 95th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 95
The 95th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in York County and includes the following areas:* North York* Spring Garden Township* West Manchester Township * West York* York-Representatives:...

 since 2007. The district includes all of the city of York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...

, Spring Garden Township, part of West Manchester Township, and the boroughs of North York
North York, Pennsylvania
North York is a borough located in York County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a total population of 1,914.- Geography :North York is located at 39°58'40" North, 76°43'53" West ....

 and West York
West York, Pennsylvania
West York is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,617 at the 2010 census.-Geography:West York is located at ....

.

In April 2011, DePasquale announced that he would be running for Pennsylvania Auditor General
Pennsylvania Auditor General
The Pennsylvania Auditor General is the chief fiscal officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1850. The current Auditor General of Pennsylvania is Jack Wagner.- History :...

 in 2012 to succeed incumbent Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner (politician)
Jack E. Wagner is the current auditor general of Pennsylvania. The statewide elected office is charged with serving as the commonwealth’s independent fiscal monitor...

, who is term-limited.

Auditor General Campaign

DePasquale has made it clear that as Auditor General, he will continue his efforts to protect the Pennsylvania's environment and citizens from the damages caused by Marcellus Shale drilling. In April 2011, DePasquale announced that on his first day as Auditor General, he will order an immediate performance audit of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make sure that Pennsylvanian’s constitutional right to pure water has not been compromised.

“Due to the hands-off approach taken by the Corbett administration
Tom Corbett
Thomas W. Corbett is the 46th and current Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. He is a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania and was elected to that office in 2004 and reelected in 2008...

 and the DEP towards monitoring the impact of the drilling, it is unknown if dangerous pollutants are being introduced into our water systems" said DePasquale
“On day one, I would begin the process to assess the DEP’s monitoring of water pollution,” said DePasquale. “Pennsylvanians need someone to identify if the government is failing to protect citizens from this potential health hazard.”

In September, DePasquale announced a list of endorsements from party leaders across the state and from the Laborers’ District Council of Philadelphia and Vicinity.

Biography

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

, DePasquale graduated from Central Catholic High School
Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is administrated and partially staffed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools....

 and received a bachelors degree from the College of Wooster. He later earned an M.P.A. from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law
Widener University School of Law
Widener University School of Law is the ABA accredited law school of Widener University. The school, founded in 1971 as the Delaware Law School, operates on two of Widener's campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania....

 (evening division).

DePasquale is the grandson of the late Eugene “Jeep” DePasquale, who served nearly twenty years in the Pittsburgh City Council, including six years as president, between 1971 and 1989. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08002/846357-100.stm

DePasquale, after meeting Tracey Secrest, moved to York in 1997. Prior to serving as State Representative, DePasquale served as Director of Economic Development for the City of York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...

 from January 2002-September 2003, DePasquale, in this role, served as the chief liaison between government and business and helped to bring 51 new businesses to the city and helped streamline the permitting process.

From 2003 to 2006, DePasquale served as Deputy Secretary for Community Revitalization and Local Government Support of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for protecting and preserving the land, air, water, and energy resources through enforcement of the State's environmental laws...

. In this role, DePasquale launched the Brownfield Action Team, which streamlines the process for cleaning up brownfields and has led to the creation or retention of 45,000 jobs in 20 counties. DePasquale also brought the world's second largest wind energy company (Gamesa USA) to Pennsylvania, providing a clean energy resource for the state and creating close to 1,000 jobs.

2006-2010 Elections

When incumbent State Representative Steve Stetler resigned from his seat and withdrew from the ballot during the 2006 elections, DePasquale announced his intent to replace him. The York County Democratic Party selected him as their replacement nominee in August, and, despite having less than three months to campaign, he defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 nominee Karen Emenheiser 58.3% to 41.7%.

DePasquale was re-elected to the State House in 2008, defeating Republican candidate Lon Emenheiser 75.1% to 24.9%. .

In 2010, DePasquale was unopposed both in his primary and general re-election. On November 2, he received 97 percent of the vote.

Government and Election Reforms

Soon after taking office, DePasquale became the first Pennsylvania state legislator to post his expenses on his website. Every quarter, DePasquale provides a report that shows how he spends any taxpayer dollars, for things such as office supplies and his district office lease. He also co-sponsored the state’s new open records law, making Pennsylvania a leader in government openness.

In December 2008, DePasquale returned a total of $22,185.44 in unused office expenses. "When I took my oath two years ago, I made a promise not to squander or over-collect taxpayer-funded expenses," DePasquale said. "I'm pleased to be sending money back, because we kept expenses low, and I have made efforts to even further reduce operating costs in my next term".

In November 2010, DePasquale announced plans to author legislation that would eliminate the automatic pay raises that lawmakers receive, in the form of cost-of-living allowance increases. DePasquale became one of the first lawmakers to announce he was giving back the annual cost of living adjustment all lawmakers receive.

In 2009, DePasquale introduced two bills to open up voting to more Pennsylvanians. H.B. 238 would allow Pennsylvania voters to cast their ballots up to 15 days prior to a primary or general election. On June 12, DePasquale introduced legislation, H.B. 1672, that would allow all registered voters in Pennsylvania – even those not affiliated with a particular political party – to cast a vote in primary elections. DePasquale’s legislation would allow unaffiliated voters to choose a primary in which to vote, while voters registered with a party would continue to only vote in their party’s primaries.

DePasquale also authored House Bill 256. This legislation would call for a special election to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate and take away the Governor’s ability to fill the vacancy.

Clean Energy

On July 7, 2008, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...

 joined DePasquale to officially sign DePasquale’s alternative energy bill, the Alternative Energy Investment Act (Special Session H.B 1), as part of the Energy Independence Strategy. The bill (S.S.H.B. 1) allocates bond funding to support research, development and deployment of various alternative energy projects and technologies. The funding incentivizes alternative-energy production, including the creation of a rebate program for energy-efficient appliances and the establishment of a rebate and grant program for solar energy technology. The legislation also would allow the state to invest money and attract alternative energy-producing companies to the area.

In November 2009, Governor Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...

's office announced that the Alternative Energy Investment Fund (authored by DePasquale) helped create 37 new alternative and clean energy projects across Pennsylvania, creating over 1,200 jobs. Due to his leadership on promoting alternative energy in Pennsylvania, DePasquale was appointed to serve on the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Board, which helps fund technology companies and university research, including helping create new alternative energy companies in PA.

Public and Consumer Safety

DePasquale became the lead proponent to ban text messaging while driving.
In June of 2010 the House unanimously passed DePasquale’s bill, H.B. 1431,that would make it a crime in Pennsylvania to knowingly sell recalled children's products and would give the state attorney general and local district attorneys the authority to prosecute such offenses.

Education

In 2008, DePasquale led the effort to change the school funding formula. As a result, growing counties are receiving a fairer share of education funding from the state.

Honors/Awards

In 2008, the Pennsylvania Citizens for a Better Library named DePasquale the Elected State Official of the year.

DePasquale received a Green Power Award from Citizen's for Pennsylvania Future(Penn Future) in September 2010 for his work to promote the growth of clean energy in the state.

External links


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