Priorities & Accomplishments
“Life has taught me many lessons that I carry with me to Harrisburg when I am fighting for you. First, partisanship should never matter when making decisions. Second, life has enough burdens and government shouldn’t be one of them. Third, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and civility.” Valerie Gaydos
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Protecting Taxpayers
Protecting Taxpayers Held the line on taxes, delivered on-time budgets, re-invested in the states Rainy Day Fund, and provided strong support for safe and secure education for kids.
Pennsylvania has one of the largest and most expensive legislatures in the nation. House Bill 444 would reduce the size of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to 151 members saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
Saved taxpayers $16,000 in just her first year by refusing a taxpayer-funded perks.
Introduced legislation to reduce the size of the legislature and which would save $15 million a year.
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Stronger Education
Stronger Schools – Investing in education with the funding to provide a quality education in safe and modern classrooms. Secured over $400,000 for our schools including historic funding for school safety.
Supporting career and technical education – along with higher education – because education shouldn’t be one-size-fits all.
Introduced the Equity in Education House Bill 1110 which would require school districts to begin to compile information listing the number of gifted children they serve. The students would be captured in the school district’s weighted special education student headcount, which would allow additional compensation to school districts to fund programs for gifted students.
Increasing accountability for ALL schools, both public and private.
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Sharing Our Values
Sharing Our Values – as a proven legislator who values the U.S. Constitution, Valerie is committed to protecting and defending our rights and freedoms. She has stood strong for policies that help children, support veterans, and respect the contributions our older residents have made to our state and nation.
With a sister as a family physician, Valerie believes that medical decisions do not belong in legislation but should be made between a doctor and patient. She has worked hard to improve health care and health choices in the legislature – from reducing prescription drug costs to improving maternal health. On the sensitive issue of abortion, Valerie stands with the mainstream of our community: believing that abortions should be rare, safe and legal, and protecting exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother while also supporting initiatives that value the family, like IVF access and making adoption easier.
Pro-Second Amendment legislator endorsed by Firearm Owners Against Crime for her defense of our Constitutional Rights.
Maintaining a work ethic that is a strong value in Western PA. Endorsed by Laborers District Council of Western PA.
Protecting and preserving personal rights and freedoms as protected under the Pennsylvania and U.S. Constitution.
Protecting animals and all living creatures. Endorsed by Humane PA Partners for a Humane PA.
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Community Safety
Delivered more than $85 Million back to our communities in Quaker Valley, Moon, North Fayette, Findlay, Ohio Twp. to help fund important community infrastructure projects, and support our fire, police, and ambulance services.
Voted for and worked to pass Helpers to Heroes Act legislation that will help recruit, retrain, and retool our local fire companies. The bill also helps provide tax relief for our local fire halls and fire responder families.
Secured $150,000 for our fire companies in the 44th district in first term alone.
Crafted the landslide Insurance fund bill House Bill 589 – to create a new insurance program for homeowners living in landslide-prone areas, as well as assistance to local governments that wish to mitigate the risk of landslides within their communities. The goal of this legislation would be to help protect Pennsylvania homeowners from the damage caused by naturally occurring landslides.
Introduced House Bill 970 otherwise known as ‘Voter Motor’ Legislation to update voter information promptly. Pennsylvania has a law to enable people to register to vote when they get their driver license. This bill will interconnect government information systems so data and information from new voter registration applications would be transmitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, as well as to other state and local agencies, taxing authorities and political subdivisions, so that data updates can be made timely and across the board.
Wrote legislation to fight human trafficking that provides law enforced with resources they need to keep our children safe and offenders off the streets.
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Sparking Job Growth
Authored and actively fighting for Association Health Plan Legislation to help small businesses and the self-insured better afford and provide health insurance by pooling – something that was removed by ACA. This legislation would really help restaurant workers and small contractors.
Introduced House Bill 136 which would eliminate the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax, otherwise known as the “death tax.” Pennsylvania currently has one of the highest inheritance taxes in the nation at 4.5% applied to transfers to direct descendants and other lineal heirs like grandchildren.
Made Pennsylvania better for job creators by fighting higher business taxes and introducing legislation to reduce health insurance costs for small businesses.
Supporting career and technical education so workers have the skills they need to attract employers and fill today’s jobs.
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Healthcare
Working to reduce healthcare costs and increase access through reforms such as tele-medicine and free-market competition in insurance sales.
Introduced legislation to create transparency and freedom when it comes to the cost of prescriptions. ACT 67, which became LAW lowering prescription drug prices for seniors
Ensuring continued support for programs like PACE and PACENet that help make prescription drugs more affordable.
Provided PPE and COVID Relief for Pennsylvanians as a key sponsor of HB 1232 which secured $50 Million in PPE and COVID Relief for Pennsylvanians (Signed into law on March 27, 2020). And, voted to provide Hazard Pay for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expanding Health Care Coverage by creating the Association Health Plan Legislation to help small businesses and the self-insured better afford and provide health insurance by pooling – something that was removed by ACA. This legislation would really help restaurant workers and small contractors!
Protecting Seniors and those in need by getting legislation passed in House to increase Transparency and Accountability in Medicaid by examining improper payments in Medicaid. (Awaits votes in the Senate).
Passed the Dental Health for All (House Bill 1417) in the House The bill would restore dental coverage for Medical Assistance recipients by ensuring that a dental benefit package includes coverages that existed before cuts were made in 2011. This bill will help reduce the cost of healthcare through preventative medicine.
Recommended by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. (HAP)
