Mike Turzai

Mike Turzai
140th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 6, 2015
Preceded by Sam Smith
Republican Leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
January 4, 2011 – January 6, 2015
Preceded by Sam Smith
Succeeded by Dave Reed
Republican Whip of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
January 6, 2009 – November 30, 2010
Preceded by Dave Argall
Succeeded by Stan Saylor
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 28th district
Assumed office
July 12, 2001[1][2]
Preceded by Jane Orie
Personal details
Born (1959-08-02) August 2, 1959
Sewickley, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Lidia Turzai
Alma mater University of Notre Dame
Duke University

Michael Coyne Turzai (born August 2, 1959) is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. On Nov. 15, 2016, the more than 120 members of the incoming Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus once again elected Rep. Mike Turzai for a second session as their choice for Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The formal election for speaker will take place in the full House when the 2017-18 session begins on Jan. 3, 2017. Turzai served as the House Majority Leader from 2011 through 2014. He has represented the 28th legislative district since 2001.

Career

On Nov. 15, 2016, Rep. Mike Turzai was chosen by House Republicans to be speaker-designee of the House of Representatives. On January 6, 2015, Turzai was unanimously elected by his colleagues to be Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He received a standing ovation after being sworn in.[3]

Turzai became a representative in 2001, winning a special election for a seat in the 28th Legislative District representing communities in the North Hills of Allegheny County, north of Pittsburgh.

He was elected Republican Policy Committee Chairman for the 2007-08 session where he focused on ending waste, fraud and abuse within the state’s welfare programs. Turzai also used the Policy Committee to bring more openness to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and helped usher in various reforms to the process.

After having been twice elected by his peers to serve as Majority Leader for the House Republican Caucus, Turzai led an aggressive, principle-based conservative agenda that improved the state’s business climate allowing for private sector job creation reformed the way the Legislature operates and invested in our education system.

Legislative Accomplishments

Speaker Turzai has accomplished much to move Pennsylvania forward, including creating and passing landmark school choice legislation, historic measures to bring Pennsylvanians into the 21st century through win privatization and extraordinary measures to ensure government fiscal stewardship, private sector job creation, and government transparency.

Well known for his efforts to get Pennsylvania out of the business of selling wine and spirits, Turzai championed the historic pass of Act 39 of 2016, the Adult Beverage Convenience and Wine Privatization Act. [4] The legislation allows consumers to move into the 21st century by allowing them to purchase wine from eligible grocery stores, online direct shipment and from restaurants and hotels. [5]

Act 39 of 2016 includes: • Wine will be available at grocery stores and six-pack shops. • State store hours of operation will be expanded on Sunday and holidays. • Consumers will be permitted to receive a direct shipment of wine. • Pricing will be more flexible.

Supporters say the historic legislation is a tremendous leap toward bringing Pennsylvania into the 21st century and is a significant step toward privatizing retail alcohol sales in Pennsylvania, which has some of the most restrictive laws in the nation http://blogs.thetimes-tribune.com/emptybottles/index.php/2010/06/20/pennsylvania-consumers-new-best-friend-mike-turzai/.

On Sept. 28, 2016, Turzai, a relentless champion for expanding parental choice and helping children receive a top-quality education in a safe environment,led efforts to team up with Pennsylvania's business community to develop and implement both the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program [6] which allow children once trapped in the Commonwealth's most under-performing public schools to go to a school that better meets their educational needs. [7]

Speaker Turzai has spearheaded legislation to provide career and technical education students with greater flexibility in fulfilling their graduation requirements. House Bill 2381 will allow students who participate in a vocational education program (either in a vocational-technical school or in a school district) to demonstrate proficiency on exams developed by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) in lieu of demonstrating proficiency on a keystone exam.[8] House Bill 2381 is with the Senate for consideration.

During the 2011-12 legislative session, Turzai followed through on the recommendations of the Policy Committee he chaired by working with colleagues to pass into law some strong welfare reforms, including drug testing for certain recipients.

With an aim to improve the state’s jobs climate, Turzai was instrumental in passing the Fair Share Act, a bill that abolishes joint and several liability. Turzai said, "The Fair Share Act is commonsense legislation aimed at saving jobs."[9] During the same session, he led efforts to modernize the state’s unemployment compensation system,[10] including an active job search requirement for recipients to continue to receive benefits.

In February 2013, the House also passed Turzai's legislation to reform the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project (RACP) program, a program seen by fiscal watchdogs as a “political goody bag, rewarding politicians with borrowed funding for local "economic development" projects.”[11]

Under Turzai’s leadership in July 2014, the House passed, for the fourth straight year, an on-time, balanced and conservative state budget that was well within the guidelines set for by TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights).[6] The budget also included record funding for K-12 Pennsylvania education.[12]

In August 2014, Turzai went on a goodwill mission to personally meet with Dr. William Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia.[13] Credited for brokering a deal that would allow local leaders in Philadelphia City Council to self-govern and enact a cigarette tax to temporarily help the district meet its financial obligations and keep school doors open on time for more than 200,000 students,[14] Turzai has made education a cornerstone of policies and subsequent legislation that have been embraced in bipartisan fashion.

The Philadelphia education legislation also included an important charter reform proposal allowing for a charter application and appeal process in Philadelphia, treating the city charters in the same manner as applicants throughout the Commonwealths’ 499 other school districts. By allowing direct appeals of SRC decisions to the state appeals board, charter school applicants would be afforded due process and fair and equitable treatment.[15]

Personal life

Turzai is a graduate of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, the University of Notre Dame and the Duke University School of Law. He and his wife, Lidia, reside in Marshall Township with their three sons.

References

  1. ↑ Cox, Harold (November 3, 2004). "Pennsylvania House of Representatives - 2001-2002" (PDF). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
  2. ↑ "Representative Mike Turzai (PA)". Project Vote Smart. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Lawmakers take oaths as Pa. legislature opens". philly-archives.
  4. ↑ http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/liquor_reform_pa_wolf.html
  5. ↑ http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160902_Drinking_buddies__Wolf__Turzai_buy_wine__share_a_toast_at_supermarket.html
  6. ↑ http://catholicphilly.com/2015/04/think-tank/commentaries/school-choice-tax-credits-have-proven-roi/
  7. ↑ http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20161013_Turzai_wants_more_tax-credit_scholarships_for_nonpublic_schools.html
  8. ↑ http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/local-news/2016/10/new-bill-proposes-change-to-pa-exams/
  9. ↑ Jessica M. Karmasek (27 June 2011). "Fair Share Act passes Pa. House, ready to become law". legalnewsline.com.
  10. ↑ "PA to borrow $4.5 billion pay off unemployment debt to feds". tribunedigital-mcall.
  11. ↑ ROBERT SWIFT (HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF). "House RACP debate focuses on jobs". thetimes-tribune.com.
  12. ↑ "PA Budget Live Blog: Corbett signs budget without his agenda items". PA Independent.
  13. ↑ "House majority leader, Hite discuss Phila. cigarette tax". philly-archives.
  14. ↑ "Senate passes Phila. cigarette tax; Corbett poised to sign". philly-archives.
  15. ↑ "Tradeoff in the cigarette tax bill: Potential for more new charters, more appeals". Public School Notebook.

External links

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