Rep. Vereb leaving PA House of Representatives

Mike Vereb is putting politics behind him in a big way.

The five-term Pennsylvania state legislator resigned last month as chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Committee after his party's disastrous showing in the November General Election. (Republicans lost every countywide race.)

Now he's leaving the state House of Representatives, announcing Tuesday that he will not seek re-election to another term in Montgomery County's 150th House District, a very safe Republican district that he could have held for the next decade or more.

It's a dramatic about-face for what looked like a promising political career for the retired police officer.

Vereb issued the following press release today:

HARRISBURG — State Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) today announced he will not seek another two-year term serving the residents of Pennsylvania’s 150th Legislative District.

“I can’t thank the residents of the 150th District enough for trusting me with the opportunity to represent them for a decade,” Vereb said.  “I’m proud of what we accomplished.”

Vereb, currently serving his fifth term, first took office as a state representative in 2007 amidst a wave of reform.  He served on a bipartisan commission established that year by the speaker of the House to bring transparency and accountability to the institution’s procedures.

Vereb served two terms as House Republican Caucus Secretary, a leadership position earned when he was selected by his colleagues.

During his tenure in the House, four bills Vereb introduced were signed into law.  When his sudden cardiac arrest prevention legislation was signed into law in 2012, Vereb helped make Pennsylvania the first state in the nation to pass a law protecting its student athletes from this threat.

Vereb sponsored a law giving crime victims a voice in the parole process by allowing them to be heard at parole hearings.  Another law he introduced strengthened penalties against coaches and other sports officials who sexually prey on youth athletes.

Vereb also sponsored a law to protect crime victims and their families against re-victimization by their criminal aggressors.

Vereb also served as co-chairman of the Basic Education Funding Commission, which developed a fair and reasonable formula to distribute state education dollars among Pennsylvania school districts.  He serves as chairman of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Safety and Security Committee, a voting member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and as chairman of the commission’s Criminal Justice Advisory Committee.

Vereb helped usher the Commonwealth’s recent transportation funding plan through the state House and secured funding for several local bridge projects, including the replacement of Betzwood Bridge.

“When my term ends later this year, I’ll look forward to new opportunities and challenges,” Vereb said.  “I still have a year left to serve and I plan to make it a good one.”