Thomas L. Stevenson

For other people named Thomas Stevenson, see Thomas Stevenson (disambiguation).
Thomas L. Stevenson
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 42nd district
In office
January 7, 1997[1] – November 30, 2006[2]
Preceded byGregory Fajt
Succeeded byMatthew Smith
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
SpouseRoberta
Alma materPennsylvania State University
Western New England College School of Law

Thomas L. Stevenson is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he represented the 42nd legislative district from 1997 through 2006.[3]

Stevenson served as chair of the House Ethics Committee.[3] Stevenson's legislative accomplishments include the "hero scholarship bill", allowing children of firefighters, police, paramedics, and national guardsmen who are killed in the line of duty to attend certain Pennsylvania colleges for free. Additionally, he claimed that he increased funding for libraries, blocked suburbanites from having to pay a commuter tax to Pittsburgh, and provided tax credits to draw film production to the state.[4]

He lost the 2006 primary election to Mark Harris, a 21-year-old college student.[5] Stevenson was heavily criticized for his support for the 2005 legislative pay raise.[4] During a negative campaign, Stevenson attacked his opponent as a political novice by airing television commercials depicting a tree house, "the only property Mr. Harris has ever owned."[6]

  1. ^ "SESSION OF 1997 - 181ST OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1" (PDF). Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 1997-01-07.
  2. ^ Per Article II, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the legislative session ended on November 30, 2006
  3. ^ a b "Thomas L. Stevenson (Republican)". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2004-09-06. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  4. ^ a b Pace, Laura (2006-04-27). "Campaign 2006: Stevenson faces two challengers for seat". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  5. ^ "2006 General Primary- Representative in the General Assembly". Commonwealth of PA - Elections Information. Pennsylvania Department of State. 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-11-27. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  6. ^ Ackerman, Jan; Laura Pace (2006-05-18). "Campaign 2006/South: Pay-raise supporters fall". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-22.