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Pennsylvania Senator Mike Brubaker Republican, 36th District
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EDUCATION
- Senator Mike Brubaker was born and raised in Lancaster County and graduated from
the public school system, receiving the Manheim Township High School
Distinguished Alumnus award.
- Earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from West Virginia University.
- Completed the Program for Emerging Political Leaders at the University of
Virginia Darden School of Business, the Pennsylvania Rural Leadership Program at
Pennsylvania State University, and the National Security Seminar at the Carlisle
War College; also a graduate of the Henry Toll Fellowship Program.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Served as President and Chief Executive Officer of three private companies
offering expertise to improve agricultural production, environmental consulting,
and international business development.
- Chaired the Lancaster County Association of Township Supervisors (1994-1995) and
served as Warwick Township Supervisor (1988-1997).
- Elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in 2006 and presently serving his second
term.
- Currently chairs the Senate Finance Committee (since 2011); member of the
following Senate Committees: Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Appropriations,
Banking and Insurance, Game and Fisheries, Policy and State Government (Vice
Chairman).
- Created and presently serves as Chairman of the Legislative Hunger Caucus and
the International Commerce Caucus; co-chairs the Pennsylvania Energy Caucus and
the Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus; and member of the Community College Caucus
and the Pennsylvania Legislative Manufacturing Caucus, as well as the joint
Legislature Air and Water Pollution Control Conservation Committee.
- Serves on the Chesapeake Bay Commission (Chairman in 2011) and Pennsylvania’s
Delegation to the Chesapeake Bay Commission (Chairman in 2010 and 2011).
- Member of the following national organizations: Council of State Governments (CSG),
Executive Committee, and a 2012 CSG Henry Toll Fellow; State Agriculture and
Rural Leaders Board (SARL), National Executive Committee; and appointed to serve
three terms on the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC), a
federal advisory committee.
- Member of the Churchill Society, Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of
Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania Society.
LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Fostering Business & Economic Development
- Author of Act 67 of 2011, permanently establishing the Industry Partnerships
program as part of the state's workforce development strategy bringing together
employers, educators and workforce representatives to ensure that employees and
job-seekers have the tools and training necessary to keep pace with the growing
demands of Pennsylvania businesses.
- Sponsor of legislation amended into the Omnibus Tax Code (Act 85 of 2012)
dedicating existing state tax credits to regional food banks to help encourage
donations.
- Also sponsor of a second measure amended into the Omnibus Tax Code (Act 85 of
2012) offering additional time for taxpayers to file certain reports, including
changes in taxable income; and also authorizing the state Department of Revenue
to accept a compromise of tax liability in civil tax cases, allowing individuals
and businesses to negotiate a fair settlement to avoid the costly and
time-consuming appeals process.
Advocating for Government Reform
- Author of Act 94 of 2011, which streamlines and improves the competitive bidding
process for state and local governments, including counties, cities, townships,
boroughs, towns, municipal authorities, and school districts, by adjusting the
levels for the bidding process and allowing for annual adjustments based on the
Consumer Price Index.
- Sponsor of two budget reform initiatives that would establish a two-year budget
cycle in Pennsylvania to promote greater efficiency and productivity and set a
timeline for action on specific budget items and create penalties for failure to
meet these deadlines.
- Sponsor of a measure that establishes and implements a least-cost travel policy
for state employees.
- Advocate for reducing government spending, taxes, and red tape; and supporter of
a constitutional amendment to reduce the size of the General Assembly.
Promoting Agriculture
- Author of Act 83 of 2011, which expands the definition of vocational agriculture
education to include careers in other areas, thus expanding opportunities for
students to prepare for a wide range of jobs in the agriculture industry.
- Champion of Act 209 of 2012, legislation that updates transportation laws to
recognize and accomodate modern farm implements.
- Sponsor of legislation amending Pennsylvania’s Milk Marketing Law to ensure
dairy farmers receive their fair share of existing milk premiums paid by
consumers.
- Supporter of initiatives promoting the state's farmland preservation program by
giving local taxing authorities the option to exempt farmland preserved through
agricultural easements from property tax millage increases.
Ensuring Public Protection & Safety
- Champion of Act 10 and 11 of 2009, which protect consumers from fraud
perpetrated by unscrupulous mortgage brokers by preventing them from being the
exclusive recipient of communications to a consumer and from withholding
information relating to interest rates, fees, or payments.
- Author of Act 87 of 2010, permitting Pennsylvania municipalities to enter into
contracts to provide lower energy costs for consumers by allowing boroughs that
own or operate electric generation or distribution facilities to acquire
electricity at the best value through memberships in non-profit membership
corporations.
- Advocate for ensuring adequate Pennsylvania State Police coverage for the
communities of the 36th Senatorial District, particularly following the closure of the Ephrata Barracks.
- Sponsor of legislation improving health care access and affordability by
creating a volunteer program of health care providers for low income
Pennsylvanians.
Improving the Efficiency of Public Education
- Author of two legislative measures amended into the Omnibus Public School Code
(Act 24 of 2011), reducing the requirements on school entities and postsecondary
institutions that choose to participate in the Opportunities for Educational
Excellence program, known as concurrent or dual enrollment; and placing a
two-year moratorium on continuing education requirements for professional
educators.
- Sponsor of an initiative requiring the Pennsylvania Department of Education
(PDE) to work with the State Board of Education to review the Commonwealth’s
PLANCON process, which involves all projects, plans and specifications for
school building construction and renovation, and make recommendations to improve
the process and save taxpayer dollars.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
- Recipient of the Darvin E. Boyd Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture,
the George C. Delp Award for significant personal contributions to the
agricultural community, and the Amos H. Funk Spirit of Cooperation award from
the Lancaster Farmland Trust for support of state funding for farmland
preservation.
- Honored for his work by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
with the Guardian of Small Business Award (2008-2009, 2010-2011) and by the
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry with the Small Business Person and
Owner of the Year Award (1993).
- Received the School Business Management Legislative Award from the Pennsylvania
Association of School Business Officials (PASBO).
- Honored by Lancaster County ACTION with the 2008 Outstanding Citizen Award, also
Chester County ACTION (2009), and by the African and Caribbean Business Counsel
for their 2012 Leadership Award.
- Also a recipient of the following: Hunger Leadership Award (2010), National
Communicator of the Year Award (1991), U.S. EPA National Administrators Award
(1992), PNAIA Sweet Grass Award (2009), and USA Ag Consultant of the Year Award
(1994) from NAICC, and Defender of liberty Award (2012).
PERSONAL/OTHER AFFILIATIONS
- Member of the Lancaster, Mount Joy, and Ephrata Area Chambers of Commerce, and
the Lancaster Career and Technology and Foundation Board.
- Member of the Cooper’s Hill Shooting Club.
- Member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity (Significant Sig Award, 2012); also a Toll
Fellow and Kentucky Colonel.
- Lives in Warwick Township with his wife, Cindy; they are the parents of three
grown children and two grandchildren.
- Hobbies include: Family time, international travel, golf, reading history,
gardening and hiking.
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