HARRISBURG, January 6, 2009 – Senator-Elect Daylin Leach (D-Delaware/Montgomery) was sworn into office today and will now officially begin serving his first term as a state Senator in the General Assembly.
“I feel extremely honored to have been elected by the voters to continue to represent their interests, and even more blessed that their faith in me led me to the Senate chamber. Furthermore, ascending to the position of minority chairman of the Judiciary Committee is an awesome opportunity, and a responsibility that I will not take lightly.”
Leach was named minority chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, and it was the first time ever that a freshman Senator has earned the distinguished nomination. He will also serve on the Aging and Youth, Communications and Technology, Local Government, Policy, and Public Health and Welfare committees. Leach said that committee members will begin their work shortly after the swearing-in of legislators on January 6, 2009.
“I am eagerly anticipating the start of Senate session, and I’m ready to get the ball rolling,” Leach said. “I have been speaking with constituents and other public servants and have already started the drafting stages of some exciting projects that I hope to introduce in the near future to my Senate colleagues.”
First elected as a state Representative in the fall of 2002, Leach has focused on environmental protection, education, health care and political reform. Notable accomplishments include his measures signed into law that introduce hybrid cars into the state fleet and provide, for the first time, state funds for breast and ovarian cancer screening for low-income women. He also championed legislative redistricting reform to end the practice of gerrymandering and introduced legislation requiring that hospitals offer emergency contraception to the victims of sexual assault.
During his tenure in the General Assembly, Leach won a full scholarship to Harvard's Kennedy School of Government Executive Training Program and was awarded the prestigious Flemming Fellowship by the Center for Policy Alternatives.
Leach was overwhelmingly elected to serve the 17th senatorial district this fall. He will represent the Delaware County municipalities of Haverford and Radnor, and the Montgomery County municipalities of Bridgeport, Conshohocken, East Norriton, Lower Merion, Narberth, Norristown, Plymouth, Upper Merion, and West Conshohocken.
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