 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
Growing Our Economy and Job Creation
Matt has been a leader in the green building area over his first two terms in the Legislature. He sponsored legislation that provided $35 million in tax credits for green building of new structure or retrofitting an existing structure into a green building. The bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously and ultimately was included in the Energy Independence Strategy as a $25 million grant program for green building in the context of small businesses and homeowners. Matt has also sponsored legislation that would provide tax credits for high performance manufacturing and glass technologies. He firmly believes that green sector development can provide a strong base from which our region and state can grow economically and add homegrown jobs.
Matt fought for taxpayers and against increased taxes on families and small businesses. To catalyze economic development, Matt pushed for tax policies that facilitate new businesses and job growth. He has been a leader in providing the right framework in place to attract and retain life science companies, biotech companies, and start ups to Western Pennsylvania.
Reforming State Government
A budget watchdog, Matt bucked his own party's leadership and supported tough legislation to reduce the size of the legislature and cut its budget by 20% to make Harrisburg more fiscally responsible. He supported a measure introduced by a member from across the aisle to bring a bill to cut the size of the legislature to an immediate floor vote.
During his first term, Matt led the fight to bring about the following reforms during his first-term in the Legislature:
- Ban legislative business from being conducted between 11:00 p.m and 8:00 a.m. so that there are no more middle of the night activities;
- End wasteful perks like taxpayer-funded private car leases;
- Require all bills to spend twenty-four on the legislative calendar before being voted;
- Post all votes and expense records online;
- New Open Records Law;
- Eliminate the practice of ghost voting where legislators can vote from remote locations while absent from Harrisburg.
Delivering Educational Opportunities For Our Kids
As the father of two young daughters, investing in education has been a top priority of Matt’s in Harrisburg. Matt has fought to increase funding for full day kindergarten, pre-K initiatives, and overall education funding. He has also pushed to increase our state’s investment in math, science, and engineering at the high school level and to ensure that our local high schools have the resources necessary in these areas to prepare our students to compete in a highly competitive global economy.
To support our local community, Matt secured critical investments for our libraries to make necessary upgrades to facilities and children's book collections, and new athletic, classroom, and playground equipment for our schools.
Matt also introduced legislation that would require all state schools to disclose their four-year tuition and fee schedule to all parents and students so that the cost of a college education is transparent. We have payment schedules for cars and mortgages so it is appropriate for the cost of a college education to be similarly transparent.
Protecting Our Children In School
Matt passed legislation that would provide children with food allergies the ability to carry life saving equipment known as epi-pen auto injectors. Matt's bill required schools to permit children who demonstrated the ability to self-administer the opportunity to carry an epi-pen on their person so that they have access to this device as quickly as possible in the event the child suffers anaplylactic shock due to a food allergy. Matt also introduced legislation that would provide for diabetes management in school settings for children with diabetes. The bills provide parents with the peace of mind that their children are as safe as possible in a school setting.
Open Records Reform
Pennsylvania had the worst open records law in the nation prior to 2007. Matt led the fight and supported the effort to revamp Pennsylvania’s open records law. Under the new law, Pennsylvania government will now be one of the most open in the nation.
Property Tax Relief
As a homeowner, Matt Smith recognizes that our property taxes must be reduced. We must build upon and expand the recently enacted property tax relief for our Seniors. Matt believes we must go beyond shifting taxes into different categories to lower property taxes and he will work to bring about long-term property tax relief for our Seniors, new homeowners, and potential new homeowners who are considering moving into our region. Matt will focus on the following means to achieve this goal: (1) maximize gaming revenues in the most efficient and effective manner possible; (2) eliminate unfunded state mandates that result in “pass throughs” to our local taxing entities; (3) continue the push in our area for shared services through Councils of Government (COG); (4) drive all savings from his government reform initiatives that could result in savings of almost $1 billion over ten years directly into property tax relief. Matt believes that government must look inward at savings achievable through cutting costs, eliminating waste, and running an efficient operation before it looks to the citizens of the Commonwealth to bear this burden.
Affordable and Accessible Health Care
Matt Smith has worked to make health care more affordable for individuals and small businesses and lower the incidences of hospital acquired infections. As a small business lawyer, Matt has seen the impact of our failed health care system first-hand with small business clients who want to hire additional employee and create jobs, but are reluctant because they are worried about their health care insurance costs from year to year. This is unacceptable. As an initial common sense and practical step, he supports the creation of local health networks which would allow individuals and small businesses the opportunity to pool resources and spread costs to lower their health care insurance burden. Matt also supports the continuing expansion of the PACE and PACENET programs so that more Seniors can benefit.
If there is an issue of concern to you, please contact us at:
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
