Mike Regan
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 31st district
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byPat Vance
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 92nd district
In office
January 1, 2013[1] – November 30, 2016
Preceded byScott Perry
Succeeded byDawn Keefer
Personal details
Born (1961-09-10) September 10, 1961
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Political partyRepublican
SpouseFran Regan
ResidenceCarroll Township, York County, Pennsylvania
Alma materAlbright College

Michael Regan (born September 10, 1961) is an American politician and former U.S. Marshal. A Republican, he is the Pennsylvania State Senator from the 31st district. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 92nd district from 2013 to 2016.[2]

Early life and law enforcement career

Regan graduated from Cedar Cliff High School and received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Albright College. He began a career in law enforcement, serving as a US Marshal in Miami before returning to fill this same role in South Central Pennsylvania in 1990. In 2002, Regan was appointed as the U.S. Marshal for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which required a nomination by President George W. Bush and a confirmation by the United States Senate. In 2011, Regan retired from federal service and was appointed as Deputy Inspector General of Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Corbett.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

In 2012, Regan was elected to serve the 92nd District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Regan won the Republican primary election with 35.6% of the vote among five candidates. He then defeated a Democrat in the general election with 71.7% of the vote.

In 2014, Regan won reelection to his House seat, running unopposed in both the primary and general elections.

Pennsylvania State Senate

2016 campaign

In August 2015, Regan announced that he was running for District 31 of the Pennsylvania Senate. In the Republican primary election, Regan faced dentist Brice Arndt, former NFL player Jon Ritchie, and attorney Scott Harper. Regan won the primary election with 52% of the vote. Many political pundits called the primary campaign one of the most competitive Republican primaries in recent history.[3]

Regan was officially elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in November 2016, defeating Democrat John Bosha with 65% of the vote.[4]

Tenure

Regan was sworn in as the Senator for Pennsylvania's 31st Senatorial District in January 2017.

Senator Regan currently serves as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee and Vice Chairman of the Local Government Committee. He is also a member of the Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee, Judiciary Committee, Law & Justice Committee, and the Rules & Executive Nominations Committee.[5]

Controversies

In 2021, Regan was criticized because his wife, Frances Regan, was appointed by Jake Corman, Regan's Senate GOP colleague, to a position on the Gaming Control Board that paid a $145,000 salary.[6]

In 2023, Regan physically removed a climate protester from blocking the door to a political event.[7]

Committee assignments

  • Law & Justice, Chair[8]
  • Local Government, Vice Chair[8]
  • Community, Economic & Recreational Development[8]
  • Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure[8]
  • Judiciary[8]
  • Rules & Executive Nominations[8]

Position on cannabis legalization

In 2021, Regan announced his intention to pass legislation to legalize recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania.[9] However, Regan has stated an opposition to Pennsylvanians' growing their own cannabis, including registered patients in the medical marijuana program.[10] Regan has stated that cannabis grown in the ground attracts mercury as a reason for prohibiting home grown cannabis, although there is no scientific support for this statement.[10] Regan voted for House Bill 1024 in the 2020-2021 legislative session, which permitted medical marijuana companies to remediate products and use additional pesticides among other provisions, but voted against the homegrow amendment, Amendment No. A-2029, introduced by Senator Shariff Street in association with House Bill 1024.[11][12]

References

  1. ↑ "SESSION OF 2013 - 197TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1" (PDF). Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 2013-01-01.
  2. ↑ http://www.house.state.pa.us/BMC/Bios/PDF/2455.PDF
  3. ↑ "Rep. Mike Regan gets GOP nod for Pa. Senate".
  4. ↑ "Pennsylvania 31st District State Senate Results: Mike Regan Wins". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Senator Mike Regan".
  6. ↑ "Top Pa. senator appoints colleague's wife to lucrative Gaming Control Board seat".
  7. ↑ "State Sen. Mike Regan involved in physical altercation with protester: Video".
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Senator Mike Regan". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. ↑ "Legalizing marijuana: Two Pa. lawmakers have joined forces in a bipartisan effort to get it done".
  10. 1 2 "PA Senator Mike Regan is anti-homegrow for safety reasons".
  11. ↑ "Sen. Ward's motion to table Amendment No. A-2029".
  12. ↑ "Roll Call: PA HB1024 - 2021-2022 - Regular Session".
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