Mark Rozzi
142nd Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
January 3, 2023 (2023-01-03) – February 28, 2023 (2023-02-28)
Preceded byBryan Cutler
Succeeded byJoanna McClinton
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 126th district
Assumed office
January 1, 2013
Preceded byDante Santoni
Personal details
Born (1971-04-30) April 30, 1971
Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Independent Democrat (2023)[lower-alpha 1]
Children1
EducationKutztown University (BA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Mark Lucio Rozzi (born April 30, 1971)[1] is an American businessman and politician who served as the 142nd Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from January to February 2023. He currently serves as representative for the 126th district.[2]

Biography

Prior to his first campaign for state representative, Rozzi ran his family’s window and door installation business,[3] which he sold in 2018. Rozzi is divorced and has one daughter.[4]

Rozzi was sexually abused and raped by a priest in the Roman Catholic Church as a child. Making it easier for victims to bring charges and file lawsuits against the accused has been one of his political objectives,[5] as well as the reason why he ran for state representative.[6] On November 26, 2019, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf chose Muhlenberg High School, which is located in Rozzi's home district[7] as the location to sign new legislation which significantly overhauls the child sex abuse statute in Pennsylvania.[7] The new law: abolishes Pennsylvania's criminal statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse and extends the timeline victims have to file civil action against their abusers; clarifies penalties for failure to report child abuse; makes conversations with law enforcement agents exempt from non-disclosure agreements; and creates a fund for victims of sexual abuse to pay for abuse-related therapy. Rozzi was among those who attended the signing ceremony. However, the amendment would also need to be passed by the next successive legislature in order for the amendment to go to a referendum where voters will decide whether to adopt it.[7] A 2021 clerical error by Wolf's administration caused the final passage of the amendment to be pushed back even further.[8]

In 2023, Rozzi was elected as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, following speculation and disputes over which party controlled the legislature. He was nominated by Republican Representative Jim Gregory as a compromise candidate, earning bipartisan support. Following his election, Rozzi said he would govern as an independent and not caucus with either party. However, according to private conversations with fellow Democrats, Rozzi would not change his party registration.[9][10][11] His private comments saying he would remain in the Democratic Party caused controversy with the Republicans who voted him for speaker, including Gregory, who said Rozzi should resign. According to Gregory and others, Rozzi repeatedly told them he would leave the Democratic Party and officially register as an Independent should he be elected speaker.[12][13]

As Speaker, Rozzi said his first priority would be to finally pass the amendment to Pennsylvania's constitution to allow victims of sexual abuse a two year gap in the statute of limitations for them to sue their abusers. Governor Wolf called a special session of the legislature so such the amendment could be passed the required second time. However, Republicans in the State Senate combined the amendment on sexual abuse survivors with two others to require voter ID and regulatory reform. Rozzi opposed the addition of the two other amendments and called the State House into recess until February 27, 2023 or until a deal to separate the statute of limitations amendment could be reached.[12][14][15] He later announced the House would be in session on February 21, where House operating rules were finally put in place after having been non-existent during the session thus far.[16][17][18] Rozzi continued his push for legislation making the sex abuse survivors amendment separate from the other two.[16] He was successful on February 24, with an amendment solely concerning victim relief passing 161-40. However, State Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman has said the three amendment package previously passed would be the last time the Senate dealt with the issue.[19]

On February 28, Rozzi resigned as Speaker of the House and returned to the Democratic Caucus.[20]

On October 21, 2023, Rozzi announced that he would not seek re-election to his state house seat, opting instead to run for Pennsylvania Auditor General.[21]

Electoral history

2012 Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic primary election, District 126[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 2,820 58.82
Democratic Frank B. Denbowski 1,592 33.21
Democratic John A. Delcollo 381 7.95
Write-in 1 0.02
Total votes 4,794 100.00
2012 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 126[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 16,811 70.21
Republican James R. Billman 7,119 29.73
Write-in 13 0.05
Total votes 23,943 100.00
2014 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 126[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 10,687 99.46
Write-in 58 0.54
Total votes 10,745 100.00
2016 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 126[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 20,479 99.79
Write-in 43 0.21
Total votes 20,522 100.00
2018 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 126[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 15,291 99.6
Write-in 62 0.4
Total votes 15,353 100.0
2020 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 126[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 18,508 67.30
Republican James D. Oswald 8,961 32.59
Write-in 30 0.11
Total votes 27,499 100.00
2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 126[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Rozzi 11,613 63.98
Republican James Daniel Oswald 6,539 36.02
Total votes 18,152 100.00

Notes

  1. ↑ During his tenure as speaker, Rozzi remained a registered Democrat but did not caucus with the party.

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Rozzi". Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ "SESSION OF 2013 - 197TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1" (PDF). Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. January 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ Couloumbis, Angela; Caruso, Stephen (January 6, 2023). "What Mark Rozzi's record can tell us about what kind of Pa. House speaker he'll be". Spotlight PA. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ Scolforo, Mark (January 31, 2023). "Unexpected Pennsylvania House speaker hopes to retain job". AP News. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ Goodstein, Laurie (August 18, 2018). "Sex Abuse and the Catholic Church: Why Is It Still a Story? - The New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ Murphy, Jan (October 23, 2023). "Rep. Mark Rozzi announces bid for auditor general: 'It's a really good fit for me'". PennLive Patriot-News. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Miller, Cassie (November 26, 2019). "In Reading, Wolf signs child sex abuse statute reforms into law". Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
  8. ↑ Caruso, Stephen (January 25, 2023). "Hopes of bipartisan cooperation give way to complete deadlock in the Pa. House". Spotlight PA. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ Caruso, Stephen; Huangpu, Kate; Meyer, Kate. "Democrats and a handful of Republicans picked the Pennsylvania House's new speaker". Spotlight PA.
  10. ↑ Seidman, Andrew; McGoldrick, Gillian. "Mark Rozzi, a Democrat-turned-independent, is now speaker of the Pa. House after a surprise vote". MSN. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  11. ↑ Lehman, Tom (January 9, 2023). "Pennsylvania lawmaker calls for House speaker to resign". WGAL News 8 Local. Hearst Television Inc. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  12. 1 2 McGoldrick, Gillian (January 12, 2023). "Pennsylvania still hasn't heard from House Speaker Mark Rozzi after his surprise election, and it's been over a week". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  13. ↑ Siwy, Bruce (January 16, 2023). "The new Pennsylvania speaker of the House is already on thin ice. What may come next". Pocono Record. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ Smeltz, Adam (January 26, 2023). "Pa. House Speaker Mark Rozzi kicks off 'listening tour' in Pittsburgh as Harrisburg remains gridlocked". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  15. ↑ Valente, Mike (January 25, 2023). "'I will keep the doors of the House locked': Speaker Rozzi not wavering from decision to adjourn". Pittsburgh Action News 4. Hearst Television Inc. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Murphy, Jan (February 8, 2023). "Rozzi wants justice for child sex abuse survivors more than Pa. House speakership". PennLive Patriot-News. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ Caruso, Stephen (February 20, 2023). "The Pa. House is coming back with a Democratic majority. Will it finally be able to move forward?". Spotlight PA. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  18. ↑ Turner, Ford (February 21, 2023). "The Pa. House returned to work, fought over the rules, and moved a constitutional amendment forward". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  19. ↑ Murphy, Jan (February 24, 2023). "Pa. House votes to allow childhood sexual abuse survivors to sue". PennLIVE Patriot-News. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  20. ↑ Caruso, Stephen (February 28, 2023). "PA House Speaker Mark Rozzi steps down". Spotlight PA. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  21. ↑ https://www.readingeagle.com/2023/10/21/rozzi-enters-2024-race-for-pennsylvania-auditor-general/
  22. ↑ "APRIL 24, 2012 GENERAL PRIMARY CERTIFIED RESULTS GRAND TOTALS" (PDF). Berks County, Pennsylvania. p. 5. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  23. ↑ "November 6, 2012 General Election Certified Precinct Results" (PDF). Berks County, Pennsylvania. p. 4. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  24. ↑ "NOVEMBER 4, 2014 GENERAL ELECTION CERTIFIED GRAND TOTAL RESULTS" (PDF). Berks County, Pennsylvania. p. 2. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  25. ↑ "NOVEMBER 8, 2016 GENERAL ELECTION CERTIFIED GRAND TOTAL RESULTS" (PDF). Berks County, Pennsylvania. p. 4. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  26. ↑ "NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL ELECTION CERTIFIED GRAND TOTALS" (PDF). Berks County, Pennsylvania. p. 2. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Summary Results Report 2020 General November 3, 2020 OFFICIAL RESULTS BERKS COUNTY" (PDF). Berks County, Pennsylvania. November 25, 2020. p. 5. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  28. ↑ "2022 General Election Tuesday, November 8, 2022 Official Returns BERKS". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
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