After winning 18th District special election, “K.C.” Tomlinson running for full term

K.C. Tomlinson is keen for a two-year term.

In March, the Republican defeated Democrat Harold Hayes in a special election for the seat in the state House of Representatives that represents Pennsylvania’s 18th Legislative District.

The win meant that Tomlinson, a lifelong Bensalem resident, would finish the term of former 18th District state Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, who resigned after winning election to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

Now, with her partial term concluding at year’s end, Tomlinson is looking to again defeat Hayes, this time for a full two-year term in the House.

If she’s successful, she’ll continue carrying on a family tradition of legislating in Harrisburg. Her father is state Sen. Robert “Tommy” Tomlinson, who is currently serving his seventh term in the state Senate. Tommy Tomlinson held the 18th District seat in the House from 1991 to 1994 before becoming a senator.

K.C. Tomlinson is already carrying on another family legacy: She’s a third-generation licensed funeral director. Tomlinson Funeral Home, her family’s local business, was established in Bensalem in 1945.

Given those small business roots, Tomlinson says she’s especially sympathetic to the plight many small businesses are facing from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I absolutely support more state funding to help our small businesses survive,” she told the Herald. “They are the backbone of our economy and our community, and we cannot afford to lose them. I hope to work with my colleagues in the House, Senate and administration to find an effective way to use the roughly $1 billion left in Federal Cares Act money.”

Relatedly, Tomlinson thinks policies from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration have hurt small businesses in Bensalem and throughout Pennsylvania.

She agreed with the governor’s disaster declaration in March, saying it was needed to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed.

However, business shutdowns weren’t handled well, especially when it came to a waiver program that allowed some businesses to open while others had to remain closed, she opines.

“The governor’s waiver program was nothing short of a disaster,” Tomlinson asserts. “Small mom and pop shops were forced to be closed, while major national corporations like Walmart were permitted to stay open. The program was so poorly run that the auditor general just recently released an audit of the program and found it to be inconsistent and unfair.”

During her short time in the commonwealth’s capital, Tomlinson co-sponsored the “Let Them Play” legislation, which aimed to give school districts power over deciding the playing and audience sizes of school sports.

“I heard from hundreds of parents here in Bensalem and was proud to support this legislation on their behalf – and on behalf of our student athletes,” said Tomlinson.

COVID has also driven an increase in unemployment. Tomlinson believes people who are out of work or working reduced hours should be able to extend their unemployment compensation.

“We also must make sure that we are protecting our front-line workers, who may contract COVID in the line of duty,” says Tomlinson. “That is why I am proud to have worked on House Bill 2485 and House Bill 2486, which would list COVID as an occupational disease for our first responders and health care workers.”

Tomlinson is engaged with combating another COVID consequence: a rise in evictions and cash-strapped renters being unable to pay their rent.

“We’re working on House Bill 2868, which would strengthen the Cares Act Mortgage program and the Rental Assistance program,” Tomlinson details.

“This legislation would reduce barriers to participation and allow these critical resources to get to families quicker. I was also proud to support a state budget that had $175 million dedicated to the housing problems caused by COVID-19.”

This year has given rise to protest and debate over policing practices that many assert are discriminatory and violent. Tomlinson called Bensalem Police the “best police force in the commonwealth,” noting the outfit has national and international accreditations that speak to its well-trained professionalism.

Even so, she joined other Harrisburg legislators in believing that policing in general is in need of reform.

“In June, I voted for major reforms for our police departments, including requiring additional training in de-escalation techniques, creating a database for local police departments, and requiring local police to create a use of force policy to post online,” Tomlinson said. “These reforms all passed with bipartisan support and were signed into law by the governor.”

Asked for her thoughts on climate change, Tomlinson replied: “We must come together to work in a bipartisan manner to make sure that our environment is protected for our future generations. We need to make sure our water is safe to drink, our air is safe to breathe, and our land is preserved for years to come. I don’t think this is a Republican or Democrat issue.”

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