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Markosek will continue to focus on transportation issues

PITTSBURGH - State Rep. Joe Markosek - who defeated Dwight Evans of Philadelphia on Tuesday to become ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee - has represented Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties in the legislature for 28 years.

PITTSBURGH - State Rep. Joe Markosek - who defeated Dwight Evans of Philadelphia on Tuesday to become ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee - has represented Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties in the legislature for 28 years.

Markosek, 60, is chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

His career has been focused on transportation, and he said he expected to keep working to sustain and improve roads, bridges, and transit systems.

His most recent legislative victory was passage last month of his bill to protect senior citizens from insurance agents who falsely indicate they have special certification.

For years, he has been helping push unsuccessfully to keep drivers from using handheld cell phones on the road.

In an interview last week, he said that there were fewer dollars available in this economy and that it would be even harder to negotiate for them in a House chamber that will be controlled by Republicans in January.

He said his emphasis would be on ensuring adequate funding for existing programs, particularly for transportation and higher education.

Markosek promised accountability and transparency as he negotiates for what he believes Pennsylvanians need most.

"Caucus business, ultimately, is the business of every Pennsylvanian, and how we conduct ourselves here is going to be watched," Markosek said.

Before his election to the legislature, he worked for the Westinghouse Water Reactor Division as a buyer of nuclear components.

He was dispatched to Three Mile Island to serve as part of the repair and recovery team after the 1979 nuclear plant accident.

He lives in Monroeville, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He has one son.