By Dick Miller
WE.CONNECT.DOTS: There are fewer politicians that I have less, philosophically, in common with than Dick Stevenson, yet he would also be on a very short list of lawmakers whom I respect.
Stevenson announced he will not seek an eighth two-year term to the PA House of Representatives. He represents the 8th District, which is comprised of, roughly, eastern Mercer County and northern Butler County. Before 2001, he was a Mercer County Commissioner and, before that, was a member of Grove City Borough Council. During his tenures, he was chair of the Commissioners and president of Council.
Residents of the district will lose some clout. In 2010, his party colleagues elected Stevenson as the Republican Caucus Administrator in the State House. He was not afraid to use his influence to the benefit of his constituents.
Because of his vacating the seat there should be only slightly noticeable change. Butler County has evolved from a conservative leaning Democrat county four decades ago to a hot bed of right wing Republicans.
Stevenson promotes himself as a “strong fiscal conservative” and, in fact, is a member of the ultra-right American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC frames the language for many of the recent years’ laws and proposed laws ranging from “stand-your-ground gun” to “marriage-is-a-union-only-between-one-man-and-one-woman” to “right-to-work.”
Large donations from Coca Cola, Kraft, McDonald’s, Wal-Mart and others fund ALEC. “Others” includes General Electric even though CEO Jeffrey Immelt is chair of President Obama’s Job Council. Until his appointment, GE was known most for shifting jobs overseas and not paying taxes.
Stevenson, however, is not the most prominent “conservative” house member who represents Butler residents. Brian Ellis, 11th District, is co-chair of the PA membership to ALEC. Ellis is debating if he should accept the new membership oath of ALEC, which puts its goals ahead of those who voted for Ellis.
Then, there is Daryl Metcalfe, of the 12th District. Metcalfe has introduced a resolution to impeach Attorney General Kathleen Kane for refusing to defend the “Defense of Marriage Act” against a lawsuit.
Metcalfe has also been a thorn in the side of his fellow Republican Governor Tom Corbett. He was a “no” vote on the recent transportation-funding bill and is trying to block Corbett’s Medicaid expansion program.
Stevenson does not draw the headlines like Ellis and Metcalfe, but does command more respect from the Governor and his party’s legislative leadership.
The 8th District could end up with another Metcalfe unless Grove City College decides they should own a piece of the seat. If either Lee Wishing or Michael Coulter, both employees of the College, announce for the vacant seat, that will be indicative of the strongly conservative College’s interest.
Thanks to Gerrymandering, Democrats chances of winning the seat are less than the Steelers making the playoffs. Even if that party were to field a respectable candidate, he or she will get no financial help from the state organization of organized labor.
Throughout Stevenson’s legislative career, he quickly became a sponsor for Right-to-Work legislation as soon as someone else introduced the proposal. It has never gone anywhere, even with GOP majorities in both the House and Senate. I failed to ask Stevenson about that sponsorship when his wife Sue was a union member with her airline steward job. She and I co-chaired a judicial campaign several years ago.
When Stevenson was chair of Mercer County Commissioners, he and I decided we were going to do something about consolidating the four local Chambers of Commerce. I was certain we would fail and that the blood spilled might hurt his political career. I told him to walk away, or at least let me take the point. He refused to avoid a fight we had no chance of winning.
Sure enough, all those Chamber business members who preached consolidation of municipalities and school districts were equally adamant that the Chambers remain independent and inefficient.
Bottom Line: We will miss Dick Stevenson.
