Lisa Boscola for State Senator

State Senator Lisa M. Boscola has spent the majority of her professional career working to help improve the lives of Lehigh Valley residents. Being a life-long resident of the Lehigh Valley herself, Senator Boscola is intimately familiar with the issues that face her district and the people she represents.

First elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1994, Senator Boscola served two terms in the state House and is serving her third term representing the 18th Senatorial District, consisting of Northampton, Monroe and Lehigh Counties. Prior to her election to the General Assembly, Senator Boscola served as Deputy Court Administrator with Northampton County. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Villanova University.

Over the years, Senator Boscola has worked tirelessly to bring property tax reform to the residents of Pennsylvania and has voted “NO” to every state tax increase, legislative pay raise and pension increase during her terms in office. In fact, when the General Assembly voted to raise the pensions for lawmakers and state employees, Senator Boscola refused the increase. She has also brought home to the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountain region our fair share of state funds by fighting for and personally delivering more than $9.8 million dollars in grants for worthwhile local projects. She has also fought to ensure that our emergency services are equipped with the necessary tools to protect our communities through various grants and loan programs.

Continuing her commitment to fighting for the working families and small businesses of the 18th District, Senator Boscola began the effort in the 2007-08 legislative session to extend the rate caps placed upon electric utilities as part of the de-regulation law passed a decade earlier. Over 60% of Pennsylvania’s electricity consumers will see their rate caps removed in January 2011. Citing record profits of utilities and outlandish compensation packages for their corporate executives, Senator Boscola stated that a possible 50% or more rate increase would unduly harm working families, senior citizens and the business community at a time of great economic uncertainty. She is continuing this fight into the 2009-10 legislative session.

Senator Boscola currently serves as the Democratic Chair of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. She also serves as a member of the Appropriations Committee, as well as the Judiciary, Banking and Insurance, Transportation and Game and Fisheries Committees. In addition to her committee assignments, Senator Boscola currently serves as co-chair of the Economy, Business and Jobs Caucus. Throughout her legislative career, she has also been an active member of the Legislative Sportsmen Caucus, American-Italian Caucus, Autism Caucus, Lupus Caucus, Firefighter and Emergency Services Caucus and Early Childhood Education Caucus.

Senator Boscola resides in Bethlehem Township with her husband, Ed Boscola, and her two cats, Trixie and Turbo.