State Sen. Robert “Tommy” Tomlinson, who has served Senate District 6 since 1994, recently announced that he is not seeking reelection this year.
In a Facebook post, he described being voted back into office six times as “humbling” and outlined some of his proudest achievements. The most impactful work, said Tomlinson, was the legalization of gaming.
“For 10 years, often working alone, I put forward a proposal that I knew would be transformative for our community. The results speak for themselves. Across the state, this legislation has generated over $17 billion in tax revenue, as well as creating over 20,000 full-time, good-paying jobs,” he said. “Locally, the impact was just as great. Bensalem, as the host community, has received over $150 million in fees from gaming.
“Surrounding communities have benefited from almost $50 million in funding that they have put to work to purchase emergency vehicles, improve our local infrastructure and to better our neighborhoods. Without this legislation, we may not have been able to secure critical funding to keep Lower Bucks Hospital open during hard financial times. The absence of that healthcare facility would have been catastrophic to our community.”
Other highlights of his tenure in office include working on legislation that would allow 100 percent service-disabled veterans to qualify for a complete exemption of property tax, and bipartisan work to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program to ensure that all children have access to quality healthcare. Additionally, Tomlinson was able to author legislation that banned texting while driving, increased penalties for repeat DUI offenders and increased access to affordable energy for low-income seniors.
Tomlinson thanked his dedicated staff, family, friends and the people of Bucks County.
“It has truly been a pleasure to serve you. While I look forward to the next chapter of my life, I will always be honored to have been your senator,” he said. “Thank you for putting your trust in me and allowing me the opportunity of a lifetime to serve you.”
