John Pippy (PA)
State Senator (PA-37)
2008: Leadership Academy for Elected Officials
Biography
On January 2, 2009, John Pippy began his second full term in the Pennsylvania Senate. He was sworn in as the Senator of the 37th District serving portions of Allegheny and Washington Counties. Previously, Senator Pippy served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 44th District for eight years.
Senator Pippy is Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee. The Committee has primary oversight for legislation, regulations and policies pertaining to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and the Pennsylvania State Police. Senator Pippy also chairs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, which makes recommendations aimed at eliminating unnecessary expenditures and assuring that public funds are being used as intended. In addition, he is a member of several other Senate Committees, including Appropriations, Game and Fisheries, State Government, and Transportation. Senator Pippy is a member of several legislative caucuses, including: Autism Caucus, Brain Injury Caucus, Business and Jobs Caucus, YMCA Caucus, Life Sciences Caucus, Coal Caucus, Early Childhood Education Caucus, Environmental Caucus, Hunger Caucus, International Commerce Caucus, Pro-Life Caucus, and the Base Development Caucus.
Senator Pippy continues his work to reform state government. Among his efforts, he reintroduced legislation to reduce the size and the costs of the General Assembly. Under this proposal, the Legislature would be reduced from 50 to 40 senatorial districts and from 203 to 161 representative districts. The result would be a 20-percent reduction in the size of both chambers and a corresponding 20-percent reduction in taxpayer funds used to finance General Assembly operations.
Senator Pippy continues to promote economic development and job creation through legislation that encourages employers to hire qualified former welfare recipients. He has worked to lower the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax in order to reduce the tax burden placed on businesses. This tax limits a business’ ability to expand, hire staff, and provide quality, high-paying jobs. In recognition of these efforts, he has received the Guardian of Small Business Award, which is presented by the National Federation of Independent Business to legislators who voted favorably on key small business issues.
Senator Pippy has been a longtime 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 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.
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. He is a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard and served with the Army Reserve on active duty in Iraq and Kuwait. Prior to entering the General Assembly, Senator Pippy worked at the U.S. Steel Clairton Works.
Senator Pippy is a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the Greater Pittsburgh Council/Boy Scouts of America. He serves on the Boards of the Senator John Heinz History Center, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Leadership Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens. He is a Board Fellow for the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics. Senator Pippy is a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem and a member of the Knights of Equity. Senator Pippy resides in Moon Township.
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