Dominic Pileggi
Encyclopedia
Dominic Pileggi is an American politician from Pennsylvania
who serves as Republican Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate
. Pileggi represents the 9th district, which includes portions of Chester
and Delaware Counties
. Pileggi earned a B.A. in economics
from Saint Joseph's University
in 1979 and his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law
in 1982.
from 1999 to 2002. He was first elected to the Senate in a special election on October 1, 2002 to fill the seat of Sen. Clarence Bell
, who died on July 26, 2002. He was sworn in on October 16, 2002. Pileggi defeated Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland
, earning 60.0% of the vote. In 2003, the political website PoliticsPA
named him to "The Best of the Freshman Class" list. In 2004
, Pileggi won a full term to his seat over Thomas Bosak with 59.4% of the vote. In 2008
, Pileggi was re-elected to a second four-year term over John Linder with 58.1% of the vote.
, Pileggi was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Republicans' floor leader in November 2006.
One of his first acts as floor leader was to introduce a set of new rules for the Senate which increased the public's ability to review Senate actions. The new rules, embodied in Senate Resolution 5, require amendments to be posted online before a vote is taken, require all roll call votes from the Senate floor to be posted online within 24 hours, require committee votes to be posted online within 48 hours, require the Senate to wait at least six hours before voting on an amended bill, require the Senate's Legislative Journal to be posted online within 45 days, and limit session times to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Pileggi said the new rules "will enable people to more easily track our actions and to determine how their Senator is representing them."
In the 2007-08 legislative session, Pileggi was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1, which rewrote Pennsylvania's Open Records Law
for the first time in more than 50 years. SB 1 was signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell
on February 14, 2008, and is now known as Act 3 of 2008. Senate Bill 1 flipped the presumption of government records in Pennsylvania, so that all records are presumed to be available for public inspection and a government agency which wants to prevent access must prove that they are legally permitted to do so. In the past, records were presumed to be closed, and citizens had to prove that they were legally permitted to access them. The new law also created an Office of Open Records, allowing disputes to be resolved without going to court. After the bill was passed, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
President Tim Williams said, "PNA specifically recognizes the leadership of Sen. Pileggi on Senate Bill 1 and praises his commitment to fairness and government accountability."
Pileggi was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1100, which transferred approximately $17 million to Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) Fund out of legislative accounts, ensuring that the HSCA Fund could meet its obligations in the 2007-08 fiscal year. The bill also earmarked funding through 2010-11. After being signed by Gov. Ed Rendell
on December 18, 2007, SB 1100 is now known as Act 77 of 2007.
Pileggi is the chairman of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee, the former Chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, and a former member of the State Planning Board, which develops recommendations for state policies and actions regarding conservation and land use issues.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
who serves as Republican Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
. Pileggi represents the 9th district, which includes portions of Chester
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
and Delaware Counties
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
. Pileggi earned a B.A. in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
in 1979 and his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law
Villanova University School of Law
Villanova University School of Law is the law school of Villanova University, the oldest and largest Catholic University in Pennsylvania. Villanova was founded 150 years ago by the Augustinians, a prominent Roman Catholic teaching order...
in 1982.
Political career
Prior to his election, Pileggi served as mayor of Chester, PennsylvaniaChester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
from 1999 to 2002. He was first elected to the Senate in a special election on October 1, 2002 to fill the seat of Sen. Clarence Bell
Clarence D. Bell
Clarence D. Bell is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1955 to 1960. At his death in 2002, Bell was the longest-serving public official in Pennsylvania....
, who died on July 26, 2002. He was sworn in on October 16, 2002. Pileggi defeated Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland
Thaddeus Kirkland
Thaddeus Kirkland is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators.-Chester-Upland School District Controversies:...
, earning 60.0% of the vote. In 2003, the political website PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
named him to "The Best of the Freshman Class" list. In 2004
Pennsylvania Senate elections, 2004
Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 2, 2004, with even-numbered districts being contested. State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2004 will run from January 4,...
, Pileggi won a full term to his seat over Thomas Bosak with 59.4% of the vote. In 2008
Pennsylvania Senate elections, 2008
Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 4, 2008, with odd-numbered districts being contested. Republicans had a net gain of 1 seat for the 2008 elections, expanding their majority to 30-20. State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the Senate seats up...
, Pileggi was re-elected to a second four-year term over John Linder with 58.1% of the vote.
Leadership of Senate Republicans
After the shakeup in leadership caused in part by the 2005 legislative pay raise2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy
In the early morning hours of July 7, 2005, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed pay increases for state lawmakers, judges, and top executive-branch officials. The vote took place at 2 a.m. without public review or commentary and Governor Ed Rendell signed the bill into law...
, Pileggi was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Republicans' floor leader in November 2006.
One of his first acts as floor leader was to introduce a set of new rules for the Senate which increased the public's ability to review Senate actions. The new rules, embodied in Senate Resolution 5, require amendments to be posted online before a vote is taken, require all roll call votes from the Senate floor to be posted online within 24 hours, require committee votes to be posted online within 48 hours, require the Senate to wait at least six hours before voting on an amended bill, require the Senate's Legislative Journal to be posted online within 45 days, and limit session times to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Pileggi said the new rules "will enable people to more easily track our actions and to determine how their Senator is representing them."
In the 2007-08 legislative session, Pileggi was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1, which rewrote Pennsylvania's Open Records Law
Freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions...
for the first time in more than 50 years. SB 1 was signed into law by Gov. 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...
on February 14, 2008, and is now known as Act 3 of 2008. Senate Bill 1 flipped the presumption of government records in Pennsylvania, so that all records are presumed to be available for public inspection and a government agency which wants to prevent access must prove that they are legally permitted to do so. In the past, records were presumed to be closed, and citizens had to prove that they were legally permitted to access them. The new law also created an Office of Open Records, allowing disputes to be resolved without going to court. After the bill was passed, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association is a trade group serving newspapers in Pennsylvania. The PNA seeks to "advance the interests of Pennsylvania newspapers" and protect the "free and independent press." It represents the newspaper industry in governmental affairs and provides public educational...
President Tim Williams said, "PNA specifically recognizes the leadership of Sen. Pileggi on Senate Bill 1 and praises his commitment to fairness and government accountability."
Pileggi was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1100, which transferred approximately $17 million to Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) Fund out of legislative accounts, ensuring that the HSCA Fund could meet its obligations in the 2007-08 fiscal year. The bill also earmarked funding through 2010-11. After being signed by Gov. 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...
on December 18, 2007, SB 1100 is now known as Act 77 of 2007.
Pileggi is the chairman of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee, the former Chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, and a former member of the State Planning Board, which develops recommendations for state policies and actions regarding conservation and land use issues.
External links
- State Senator Dominic Pileggi official PA Senate website
- Pileggi for Senate official campaign website