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Rep. Joshua Shapiro is in his first term in
the State House, representing the 153rd
Legislative District in Montgomery County.
Prior to joining the State House, Rep.
Shapiro worked in Congress for more than
eight years, including five years as Chief
of Staff to former Pennsylvania U.S. Rep.
Joseph M. Hoeffel III.
What are the most important environmental
issues that face your district? What are the most important environmental
issues facing the Commonwealth?
The most important environmental issues
facing my district are: preservation of
open space, smart land planning, flood
mitigation, and storm water management.
Statewide, these issues are also
important but we must also be committed
to cleaning up our rivers and streams,
mine reclamation, conservation, state
and local park rehabilitation, hazardous
site cleanup programs, and many of the
other concerns that I and others fought
so hard to secure funding for in Growing
Greener II.
How and why did you get involved in
politics? As a freshman legislator, what
have been the biggest challenges and
the highlights?
I have been in public service for more
than a decade and believe it to be a noble
profession. I believe that government can
be a catalyst for positive change and I am
honored to play a role in that change.
The biggest challenge is just simply juggling
the many demands on your time
with the needs of family. The highlights
are many. Legislatively, I am most proud
of the fact that I played an important role
in shaping Growing Greener II—the
largest investment in Pennsylvania’s
environment in history. I am also very
proud of the constituent work that we do
on a daily basis as we make government
really work for Pennsylvanians.
What is the role that groups like
PennEnvironment play within the
political process?
I rely on PennEnvironment and its members
to inform me about important environmental
initiatives and dangers that may
be posed to the environment from government
action. PennEnvironment is by far
one of the most effective voices for the
environment in the Commonwealth.
Growing Greener II was a huge environmental
victory this year, giving $625
million to cornerstone environmental
programs—how will this benefit your
district and the region?
Growing Greener II will help my district
by funding important open space conservation
initiatives, easing flooding problems,
and helping my communities to
coordinate planning strategies that will
ease congestion.
With the passage of Growing Greener II,
what do you think should be the next
big initiative that the environmental
community tackles in Pennsylvania?
With the onslaught of development in
the southeast, I think it is imperative that
we develop a comprehensive strategy for
upgrading our wastewater treatment
plants to ensure safe and clean drinking
water for generations to come.
What is the role of public input in the
current political process? Why is it
important for legislators like yourself?
I very much welcome input from my
constituents. While I know I can’t please
all the people all the time, I do rely heavily
on the advice of my constituents to
inform my judgment on legislation and
do my best to be responsive to the views
of my constituents. |
