Joseph Frank D'Orsie[1] (born c. 1986[2])is an American politician who has represented the 47th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Republican since 2023.
Early life
D'Orsie was born in York County, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Dallastown.[3][4] He graduated from Dallastown Area High School and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Duquesne University.[3] In 2012, D'Orsie served with Youth with a Mission as a missionary in the Dominican Republic.[4] From 2016 to 2022, he was communications director at Praise Community Church,[3] an affiliate of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee).[5]
Political career
In 2022, D'Orsie defeated incumbent Pennsylvania State Representative Keith Gillespie in a primary challenge and went on to win the general election to represent the 47th District unopposed.[6] D'Orsie's success in the primary was viewed as a backlash from the more ardently rightwing faction of the Republican Party because the incumbent had not been as hard-line on conservative issuses.[7]
D'Orsie is a member of the Pennsylvania State Freedom Caucus.[8]
Political positions
Education issues
After the Central York School Board published a banned resources list that included books about Black and Latino representation,[9][10] D'Orsie wrote an op-ed in the York Daily Record saying, "the concept of banning books should be intolerable to us." However, he claimed what the board drew up was not a book ban, and any talk of a book ban was a deception perpetrated by the media. D'Orsie also said instead of teaching about "heroic Americans like Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass" the district's amended curriculum included "pornographic [material]" and "hate filled, so called 'anti-racist' selections that condemn 'whiteness' and pit students against each other."[11]
In March 2023, D'Orsie introduced a bill that would prohibit bias reporting systems at state-funded universities, saying that such systems infringe on freedom of speech.[12]
D'Orsie supports school choice. He argues that a school choice program would benefit students looking for better or more specialized education, rather than continuing to fund what he claims is an ineffective public school system.[13] In December 2023, D'Orsie introduced a bill that would alter Pennsylvania's education funding to be distributed on a per student basis rather than sending funds to individual school districts.[14]
In 2024, D'Orsie sponsored legislation that would protect teachers from repercussions if they refuse to use students' preferred pronouns.[15]
COVID-19 pandemic
D'Orsie opposed mitigation mandates related to the COVID-19 pandemic and referred to such mandates as "unconstitutional" and an "abuse of power." He argued it was for individuals themselves to respond how they saw fit.[2]
Taxation
D'Orsie supports abolishing school taxes.[2]
In 2023, D'Orsie drafted a bill that would repeal Pennsylvania's automatic gas tax increase.[16][17]
Personal life
D'Orsie lives in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Adrienne, and their two children.[4][18]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe D'Orsie | 5,178 | 59.61 | |
| Republican | Keith Gillespie (incumbent) | 3,491 | 40.19 | |
| Write-in | 17 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 8,686 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe D'Orsie | 19,537 | 91.38 | |
| Write-in | 1,843 | 8.62 | ||
| Total votes | 21,380 | 100.00 | ||
References
- ^ "2022 General Election Tuesday, November 8, 2022 Official Returns YORK". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ a b c "Election 2022: Your guide to the 47th state House race". York Daily Record. April 24, 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ a b c "Joe D'Orsie". Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ a b c "About". Joe D for PA. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "About". Praise Community Church. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ Enright, Matt (November 9, 2022). "Republicans retain York County legislative seats despite challengers". York Dispatch. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ Leigh, Harri (May 18, 2022). "Two longtime York County Republican legislators ousted by challengers". FOX43. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "Find Your Local Representatives". State Freedom Caucus Network. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ Panyard, Jack (September 16, 2021). "Central York School Board declines to reverse book ban after series of protests". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ Panyard, Jack (September 10, 2021). "Book ban by Central York school board of racial justice materials spurs student protests". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ D'Orsie, Joe (March 2, 2022). "Central York 'book ban' was a myth perpetuated by the media". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ D'Orsie, Joe (March 29, 2023). "Rep. Joe D'Orsie: Let's open up our colleges for debate". Broad + Liberty. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ D'Orsie, Joe (December 17, 2023). "It's time for educational choice in Pennsylvania | opinion". York Daily Record. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Ulrich, Steve (December 11, 2023). "D'Orsie Unveils Educational Choice Legislation for PA Students". PoliticsPA. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Argento, Mike (March 18, 2024). "State Rep. Joe D'Orsie plans bills to protect teachers' refusal to use preferred pronouns". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Lehman, Tom (December 26, 2022). "Some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to prevent future automatic gas tax hikes". WGAL News 8 Local. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 76". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Representative Joseph D'Orsie". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (47TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT)(REP)". May 17, 2022 York General Primary. scytl.us. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (47TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT)". York County, PA November 8th, 2022 General Election. scytl.us. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
