State Rep. Tim Hennessey
The county’s longest serving state legislator announced Friday he would seek another term in the state house.
State Rep. Tim Hennessey announced he intends to run for re-election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Hennessey currently serves as the Chair of the House Transportation Committee, one of the busiest and impactful committees in Harrisburg. He is in his fourth year as Chair of Transportation. Prior to that, he served for twelve years as the Chair of the Aging & Older Adult Services Committee.
Hennessey was the leading voice in saving the Statewide Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) from a last-minute legislative ambush. Private interests tried to convert the popular Rover bus and van service into a brokered service. Hennessey convinced Governor Wolf to intervene and save the award-winning service from a radical change, and a substantial loss of the reliable service that Rover – and similar services across the Commonwealth – provides to our medically needy, our veterans and our seniors.
Hennessey also precipitated the prompt reopening of service areas on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, after they were abruptly closed when COVID-19 set in. “It was crazy to close off these rest areas to the traveling public. They are necessary and vital. And it was great when they were quickly reopened.”
“Being Chair of the Transportation Committee affords me the opportunity to make sure that our roads, bridges and public transit systems are adequately looked after, especially here in Southeast Pennsylvania. Our transportation system is critical to our lives and economy here in our corner of the state.” He added, “most of the legislation we pass out of the Transportation Committee is passed by large bi-partisan majorities, and often by unanimous votes. I’m proud to work in a bipartisan manner. It’s the best way to get things done in Harrisburg.”
Hennessey has also brought up for discussion a number of issues, like the use of radar by local governments and automated cameras for speed enforcement for safety, which had previously been bottled up as too controversial.
As Chair of the Aging & Older Adult Services Committee, Hennessey passed legislation to insulate the Pennsylvania Lottery Fund from being raided by either party to balance the budget, and thereby protecting it for our seniors.
During his time in the Legislature, Hennessey has been honored as a Guardian of Small Business and as Advocate of the Year by several statewide associations. And the Public Transit Association of Pennsylvania named him as their honoree for his singular actions in saving the MATP system in Pennsylvania.
Hennessey has served the 26th District since 1993.
