Joseph F. Markosek (born January 27, 1950) is an American politician who served as a member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

for the 25th district from 1983 to 2021. In February 2018, Markosek announced his retirement and endorsed his son,

Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name * Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...

, to replace him.

Early life and education

Markosek was born in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. He graduated from the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

in 1972.

Career

Before taking office in 1983, Markosek worked with

Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was renamed "Westinghouse Electric Corporation" in ...

as a buyer of nuclear components. He was sent to Three Mile Island immediately following the nuclear accident in 1979 as part of the repair/recovery team.

Pennsylvania House

House Appropriations Committee

Markosek served as the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. The committee was composed of 37 members. The committee conducts budget hearings each spring to review and evaluate the governor’s executive budget proposal. It also meets regularly while the House is in session to evaluate legislative proposals for fiscal implications prior to moving a bill forward in the legislative process.

House Transportation Committee

Previously, Markosek served as Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee. His leadership led to the passage of Act 44 of 2007, Pennsylvania’s major transportation funding mechanism, which has provided more than $2 billion in additional transportation funding for Pennsylvania. Markosek also advocated for the widening of the Route 22 corridor in the Murrysville region of his legislative district.

Legislative initiatives

Throughout Markosek’s career, he worked to services services for Pennsylvania’s citizens with developmental disabilities, particularly those with

autism spectrum disorders The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder, neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) ...

. He also led special committees to investigate issues such as auto theft and problems faced by older drivers. While Markosek was pleased the legislature enacted a texting ban to help make our roads safer, he continued to work to enact comprehensive

distracted driving Distracted driving is the act of driving while engaging in other activities which distract the driver's attention away from the road. Distractions are shown to compromise the safety of the driver, passengers, pedestrians, and people in other vehic ...

legislation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Markosek, Joseph F. 1950 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives People from Monroeville, Pennsylvania University of Notre Dame alumni 21st-century American politicians