(Editor’s note: The following is the second part in a series offering Daily Herald readers a closer look at Republican State Representative Jerry Stern.)
Representative Jerry Stern must divide his time between Harrisburg and two offices in his district.
The juggling act is not an easy one on some occasions, according to the 80th district legislator. Stern’s district includes seven municipalities and nearly a dozen and a half townships. The representative must also spend about 50 to 60 voting days in the state capital. Stern must also attend committee meetings both in Harrisburg and throughout the state.
“During the budget process, I spent two weeks in Harrisburg just dealing with those issues,” said Stern who is a member of the appropriations committee.
“I’m on the agricultural committee and in the summer months we have to attend Ag Progress Days in State College. We hold committee meetings right there,” said Stern in describing the diversity of locations and settings where committee meetings can be held other that Harrisburg.
Stern said he has also attended committee meetings in Pittsburgh, Erie and other cities and towns throughout the state.
“Is it worth going to a hearing in Scanton about Children and Youth Services, for example, when you have to entertain the needs of your district back home,” pondered Stern when weighing the various responsibilities a state representative has to deal with on a regular basis.
“You can’t fool your constituents. They know if you are in the office or not, they know if you are doing your job,” Stern told The Tyrone Daily Herald at his Tipton office on Friday.
“If you are not in your office and you are not in Harrisburg, well then where are you?” Stern asked rhetorically in explaining how residents in the district can keep tabs on their representative.
On the day of the interview, Stern related an example of the type of services he can offer to area residents in his district. He had just met with some people in the office who were trying to get a law changed.
“They really had no direction to go with their concern. I explained the process to them and what they need to do to go about it,” Stern explained in citing just how individualized the service he provides can be in some situations. In other cases, office staff can offer help on more routine matters.
Stern had spent last week in Harrisburg and spent part of his sit-down with The Daily Herald discussing the current process playing out in Harrisburg regarding Governor Ed Rendell’s spending proposal.
“I had several initiatives in the house plan and then voted against it,” said Stern in detailing what’s already happened in Harrisburg. “There is a spending plan in the state senate. They have pared it down from the house version. They’ll negotiate with the Governor and then after voting on the latest changes the senate would send the latest version back to the house for concurrence.”
Stern said he voted no on the previous house version because he did not like the taxing provisions associated with it.
The representative also gave extensive views of other issues including the gambling initiative in Pennsylvania during his interview with The Daily Herald.
Those comments from Representative Stern will be detailed in the next segment of this continuing series.
