Rep. Tom Killion Thanks Voters

I wanted to take a moment to thank local residents for their support over the years and encourage you to vote in the upcoming election Tuesday, Nov. 6.  As a reminder, local polling locations will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As you know, this time of year, some politicians choose to take the low road and grossly distort the record of their opponent in an attempt to fool voters. Unfortunately, my opponent, Democrat Beth Alois and her supporters, have taken that partisan, divisive approach.  I refuse to stoop to that level, because I think is a large part of what is wrong with our country today: too much internal division and distortion of the facts -- and not enough focus on working together to get our country back on track.  We are the greatest nation in the world, and we need to start acting like it.

With that in mind, I wanted to highlight some of my work on behalf of local residents.  I hope that after reviewing my record on the issues – and my refusal to stoop to my opponent’s tactics – that I will earn your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

As a member of the legislature and the House Appropriations Committee, I helped lead the effort to pass on-time balanced state budgets with no tax increases. I worked with my colleague Rep. Bill Adolph to successfully pass into law legislation that excludes Social Security and railroad pensions from the definition of income when calculating unemployment benefits for seniors.

This month, I worked with my colleague and friend Rep. Joe Hackett to pass a new law to improve the safety of seniors by enhancing the background check process for individuals seeking employment at nursing homes and senior centers.  I have worked to address the issue of rising property taxes in Pennsylvania and the impact it has on our seniors.  In fact, this year we increased state funding of local school districts to their highest levels ever to avoid significant hikes in local property taxes that would have hurt our seniors.  I have been active in efforts to improve our local community, helping to secure the land and raising private dollars for the creation of the Rocky Run YMCA, which provides an excellent recreational resource for area residents.

In addition, I have been the point person in the House of Representatives on working to address the exodus of doctors from Pennsylvania as a result of high medical malpractice costs. My work on this and other health care related issues led me to be named Legislator of the Year by both the Pennsylvania Orthopedic and Dermatological Associations.

Based on my record and character, I hope to have earned your support on Election Day.