2022 Senate Focus

Senator Pat Browne was again elected by his colleagues in the Senate Republican Caucus to serve as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman for the 2021-22 Legislative Session. The committee, one of the most powerful of the Senate’s standing committees, reviews all legislation for its fiscal impact and plays a crucial role in developing the state budget. Browne has served in this role since 2014.

Before being elected Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Browne served as Senate Majority Whip from 2011-14. Besides serving as Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Browne is also a member of four Senate Committees: Finance (Vice Chair); Aging and Youth; Law & Justice; and Local Government. Senator Browne is Co-Chair of the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Early Childhood Education Caucus and the Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus. He previously Co-Chaired the Basic Education Funding Commission, the Special Education Funding Commission and the PA Public School Building Construction and Reconstruction Advisory Committee (PlanCon). He also serves as a member of the board of the Public-School Employees’ Retirement System, the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Legislative Audit Advisory Committee.

Senator Browne was re-elected in November 2018 to his fourth full term as state Senator for the 16th District, representing constituents in parts of Lehigh County. Senator Browne is the author of dozens of initiatives ranging from child protection to job creation to education to reforming state government. He wrote several laws which fundamentally reformed Pennsylvania’s public pension systems and created an independent fiscal office to monitor state spending and the budget process.

He rewrote both the Pennsylvania Basic Education and Special Education funding formulas. In addition, Senator Browne is the Founding Chairman of the Early Childhood Education Caucus and the Arts and Culture Caucus. Senator Browne has received national recognition for his Early Childhood advocacy and is widely acknowledged to be Pennsylvania’s key proponent. Senator Browne also authored a law to hire citizens with disabilities.

In 2009, Senator Browne crafted the one-of-a-kind, 130-acre Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) to help revitalize and expand the tax base of the then financially struggling city of Allentown. There has already been more than $1 billion of new development investment in Allentown and more than $3 million in annual school property tax revenues for Allentown School District generated through the zone. The NIZ has already served as a model for economic development in other distressed areas – cities, boroughs and townships – throughout the Commonwealth with the creation of the City Revitalization and Improvement Zones (CRIZ) which will afford a similar tax financing program to smaller cities in Pennsylvania.

Senator Browne has been an ardent supporter of Lehigh County Fire and EMS Companies. He has secured $2.7 million in state funds for dozens of fire companies, supporting new vehicle purchases, fire house renovations and the acquisition of life saving equipment. After hearing from local advocates, Browne secured $400,000 to fund the Lehigh Valley Homeless Veteran fund, which is working to end the tragedy of veteran homelessness in the Lehigh Valley.

Senator Browne received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Temple University. Prior to his legislative service, he was employed with the accounting firms of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse as a tax manager and senior tax associate, respectively. In addition to being a CPA, he is also a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Born and raised in Allentown, Senator Browne attended Allentown Central Catholic High School. He resides in Allentown with his wife, Heather, and son, Alex.

Chair: Ellen Millard-Kern

Thought of the Day: Judy Barberich-Brogan