Warminster lawmaker to keep seats on House standing committees
In beginning his fourth term at the state Capitol, Rep. Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks) has been selected for key committee assignments and will lead a new task force on education and job training.
Specifically, O’Neill, a former special education teacher with more than 25 years of experience in the classroom, has been chosen as a co-chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee’s Education and Job Training Task Force. The task force has already begun studying and crafting 21st century education policies to advance equitable education funding, as well as to streamline and improve job training and re-training options available to Pennsylvania citizens.
“One of our focuses thus far has been the administration’s budget proposal and ensuring that the money allocated to public education stretches as far as possible,” O’Neill said. “Our local school districts are faced with the same predicament as the Commonwealth in that revenues are not at the levels they once were. We want to use this task force to discuss effective use of state dollars in the classroom while avoiding the imposition of any additional mandates on school districts.”
While in Harrisburg, O’Neill will also continue his service on three of the standing committees – Education, Judiciary and Professional Licensure – on which he served last term. Already, he has cast an important vote within the Judiciary Committee to advance legislation toughening penalties for individuals convicted of cruelty to animals.
The Education Committee – an assignment O’Neill has had since his first term in 2003 – is a natural fit for him, as he has served on a number of special committees and task forces to improve the quality and cost of education within Pennsylvania. As part of the Professional Licensure Committee, the lawmaker considers legislation and regulations dealing with the Commonwealth’s 27 classes of licensed professionals.
“The Education and Professional Licensure committees often go hand-in-hand as many of the regulations we consider often deal with continuing education requirements for the various professionals licensed by the Department of State,” O’Neill said. “The goal of the committee is to ensure that the 27 classes of licensees perform their jobs to the best of their abilities and in a safe and responsible manner for Pennsylvania’s residents.”
O’Neill was also selected this term to serve as a deputy whip under House Republican Whip Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny). In this role, O’Neill works in conjunction with the Republican whip’s office to help communicate caucus positions on issues prior to House floor debates. Other responsibilities include helping Turzai monitor floor attendance and obtaining accurate vote counts.
“I am pleased to be assisting Representative Turzai this session and to advance the legislation important to our caucus and our members,” O’Neill said. “This will indeed be a busy session for me, but I feel confident that all of these assignments will allow me to be a more effective voice for the people of the 29th District.”
Rep. Bernie O’Neill
29th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(215) 441-2624
(717) 705-7170
Contact: Jennifer Algoe Keaton
House Republican Public Relations
(717) 705-2094