by peter e. bortner
A former state representative wants to return to Harrisburg politics by running for a seat in the state Senate.
Tim Seip, a Washington Township Democrat who served two terms in the state House, said Wednesday that he will run against incumbent Rush Township Republican David Argall to represent the 29th District.
"I miss being in a position to affect change," Seip, 42, said in explaining why he wants to return to the political arena. "I feel very compelled to seek office again."
Seip is scheduled to make the formal announcement of his candidacy at 7 p.m. Friday at the Ramada Hotel, Pottsville.
Since the 2000 Census, the district has included all of Schuylkill County and parts of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties.
The state Legislature's plan to redraw the district to conform with the results of the 2010 Census has been rejected by the state Supreme Court, so exactly what the district will look like on Election Day, Nov. 6, is uncertain.
Argall has represented the 29th District since 2009, when he won a special election to replace the late Sen. James J. Rhoades. Argall had served as the state representative of the 124th District since 1984.
Argall serves as vice-chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and is a member of the Senate Appropriations, Aging and Youth, Community, Economic and Recreational Development and Inter-Governmental Operations Committees.
Reading Anthracite President Brian Rich has announced his bid as a Republican candidate for the 29th District, and Argall has also announced that he is running for re-election.
A faculty member in the social work department at Kutztown University, Seip said the state Legislature has mishandled several issues that have hurt Schuylkill County, including the controversy of Marcellus Shale taxes and/or impact fees.
"This has been miserably mishandled," he said. Pennsylvania already could have collected more than $500 million, which could have properly funded education, from Marcellus Shale natural gas producers, according to Seip.
Another problem that has worsened, Seip said, is the state budget. Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposals, unveiled Tuesday, are part of an unhealthy trend, Seip said.
"Pennsylvania lost a tremendous amount of funding for education in last year's budget," he said. While state legislators claim credit for not raising taxes, they are being dishonest, according to Seip.
"You've underfunded education" and forced local governments to raise taxes, he said.
Seip won his seat in the state House in 2006, defeating county Controller Gary L. Hornberger in the race to succeed Republican state Rep. Bob Allen, whom Hornberger had beaten in the primary.
Two years later, Seip again beat Hornberger to win a second term.
However, in 2010, Republican Mike Tobash defeated Seip as part of a statewide GOP surge that saw the party recapture a majority of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation, a U.S. Senate seat, the Governor's office and control of the state House.
Seip is proud of having been able to get legislation through the House on property tax reform. Having served in the House will be an advantage on many issues if he is elected to the Senate, Seip said.
"I have a relationship with a lot of people in the House that want to work on the same things I do," he said.
Before serving in the Legislature, Seip was a social worker, and he thinks that background is a good one for public service.
"I've spent years helping people," he said.