Katie Muth

Katie Muth is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who represents the 44th District. Her district includes portions of northeastern Chester County and southwestern Montgomery and Berks Counties.

Katie Muth
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 44th district
Assumed office
January 1, 2019 (2019-01-01)
Preceded byJohn Rafferty Jr.
ConstituencyParts of Chester, Montgomery, and Berks Counties
Personal details
Born (1983-09-20) September 20, 1983
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Trevor Muth
ResidenceRoyersford, Pennsylvania
Alma materPennsylvania State University (B.S.)
A.T. Still University (M.S.)
ProfessionAthletic Trainer, Adjunct Professor
Website

Political career

2018 election

Muth was unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the general election, she defeated incumbent Republican John Rafferty - who had represented the 44th District since 2003 - by a margin of 62,692 to 57,943 (52% to 48%). Her victory was part of the "blue wave" that increased Democratic and female representation in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Congressional delegation. Her candidacy was considered a long-shot in many political circles, but her well known tenacity and hard-work (Muth and her army of volunteers knocked on well over 100,000 doors over the course of 11 months), coupled with the fact that she was a working-class candidate and an outsider of the Democratic party establishment won over voters of all political parties as she went on to win what was considered one of the most shocking victories in recent Pennsylvania election history. Her campaign focused on themes such as transparency, integrity, and honest leadership.

Committee assignments

Muth sits on the following committees in the Senate:[1]

  • Finance
  • Health & Human Services
  • Intergovernmental Operations
  • State Government
  • Urban Affairs & Housing –- Minority Chair

Political positions

Muth supports initiatives such as rebate programs to decrease the burden of property taxes, along with ending increasing property taxes. She supports corporations and oil and gas industry paying their fair share in taxes. She supports state-sponsored healthcare for all.[2]

2019 budget debate

During a budget debate in June of 2019, Senator Muth took the floor and read a letter from a disabled constituent who relies on the PA General Assistance Program. Throughout her reading, Republican Majority Leader Jake Corman of Bellefonte loudly raised a point of order which was not recognized by the president (Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman). The Republican-controlled Senate voted against renewing the program 26–24.[3] The video of the confrontation became popular and Muth was acknowledged on Twitter by Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Elizabeth Warren, recalling a similar incident in Warren's career.

2020 presidential endorsement

On November 8, 2019 Muth tweeted her official endorsement of Senator Elizabeth Warren in her bid for President.[4]

Standing up for veterans at the Southeastern Veterans Center

During a 4 month period beginning in March 2020, Senator Muth fielded dozens of calls from family members, loved ones and staff from the Southeastern Veterans Center (one of six state owned veteran retirement homes in PA) located in East Vincent Township. Residents and their family members had no idea how many people were dying at the four-story veterans’ home near the Schuylkill River when the Philadelphia Inquirer broke a story on April 25.[5] The news was stunning: 26 residents had died in what had clearly become one of the deadliest coronavirus outbreaks in the state.

Muth challenged the results of an "independent" investigation in which the state found no wrong doings at the center. In late May 2020, the governor’s Office of General Counsel engaged outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation of the outbreak at the center and the way the home and the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs addressed the crisis. No details have been released.  Muth stated, "I blame a state system that is internally regulated with no guarantee of transparency, from the doctors and the director at the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to the inspectors and the secretary at the Department of the Health."

Muth continued to push for answers and later called on Attorney General Josh Shapiro to investigate the Center. As of July 2020 that investigation is ongoing.

The Washington Post picked up the story and featured it in a front-page article on July 8th, 2020 with the title, "The ‘Covid Cocktail’: Inside a Pa. nursing home that gave some veterans hydroxychloroquine even without covid-19 testing."

References
  1. "Senator Maria Collett". Senate of Pennsylvania.
  2. ISSUES & PRIORITIES
  3. Law, Tara (June 29, 2019). "Pennsylvania Senate Session Descends Into Screaming Match Over Poverty Assistance Program". Time.
  4. Cole, John. "Four SEPA Dems Back Warren". Politics PA. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  5. Vella, Vinny; Bender, William; Steele, Allison (2020-04-25). "'It's a sinking ship': COVID-19 deaths triple at state-run vets nursing home in Chester County as families clamor for information". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by
John Rafferty Jr.		 Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 44th district
2018–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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