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Chris Rabb

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For the American stunt performer, see Chris Raab. For the musician, see Chris Rob.

Chris Rabb
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 200th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byTonyelle Cook-Artis
Personal details
Born (1970-02-21) February 21, 1970 (age 54)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children2
RelativesMaurice Rabb Jr. (father)
Billy Murphy Jr. (uncle)
Madeline Wheeler Murphy (grandmother)
John H. Murphy Sr. (great-great-grandfather)
EducationYale University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MS)
Websitechrisrabb.com

Christopher M. Rabb (born February 21, 1970) is an American politician, professor, and author. A Democrat, he is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 200th District since 2017.[1] In a heavily Democratic district where winning the primary is tantamount to winning the election, he defeated the incumbent, who had the support of the Democratic establishment, in 2016.[2]

Early life and education

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Rabb was born in Chicago, to an ophthalmologist and professor father, Maurice Rabb Jr., and a politically active mother, Madeline Murphy Rabb.[3][4] His maternal grandmother Madeline Wheeler Murphy, was a Baltimore-based community activist, and his maternal grandfather, William H. Murphy Sr, was a judge in Baltimore[5] Rabb's great-great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., was born a slave and founded the Baltimore Afro-American in 1892.[3]

Shortly after beginning his undergraduate education at Yale in 1988, Rabb was instrumental in the removal of an image of a shackled slave from the common room of Calhoun College (named after alumnus John C. Calhoun). In the process Rabb also learned he was a descendant of Philip Livingston.[6] Rabb received his bachelor's degree from Yale in 1992.[6] Rabb got a master's degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006.[7]

Career

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In the early 90s Rabb worked as an aide to former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun.[3] He then worked for the Clinton administration in the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business.[3] Since moving to Philadelphia to obtain his master's at Penn, he has taught a business course at Temple University.[3] He published the non-fiction book Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity in 2010.[3]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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In 2016, Rabb defeated the incumbent Tonyelle Cook-Artis in a three-way Democratic primary 47% to 40%, and then defeated Republican challenger Latryse McDowell 94% to 5% in the November general election.[8] He won the 2018 primary over challenger Melissa Scott 52%-48%, and has run unopposed since.[9]

Rabb serves on a number of House Committees, including Agriculture & Rural Affairs,[10] Commerce,[11] and the Judiciary.[12][13] Rabb has put forward bills that would enable courts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to use restorative justice approaches to sentencing offenders,[12][14] and introduced and passed bills in the Pennsylvania House to repeal the use of the death penalty (House Bill 999).[13]

In 2017, Rabb helped to found the Pennsylvania Climate Caucus.[15][16] In 2024, Rabb introduced legislation to counter greenwashing, which is deceptive marketing that incorrectly suggests that a product is beneficial to the environment. According to the Center for Climate Integrity, the bill is the first of its type in the nation.[17][18][19]

On October 2, 2021, Rabb authored a memo to all members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives indicating that he will be introducing legislation to enforce reproductive responsibility among men. According to the memo, the proposal would "require all inseminators to undergo vasectomies within 6 weeks from having their third child or 40th birthday, whichever comes first." Rabb's satirical[20] memo draws attention to the double-standard of regulating women's bodies via legislation while the equivalent bill affecting men would seem absurd.[21][22] Rabb called the memo "parody legislation".[22]

Personal life

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Rabb has two sons and lives in East Mount Airy.[3]

Awards

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Published works

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  • Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity (2010) ISBN 9781605093079

References

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  1. ^ "House Session Days". Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  2. ^ Otterbein, Holly (May 19, 2016). "The Incredible Political Insurgency of Chris Rabb". Philadelphia Magazine.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Baer, John (January 14, 2017). "Meet new Philly State Rep. Chris Rabb". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  4. ^ "Biography". September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  5. ^ "The Honorable William H. Murphy, Sr.'s Biography". The HistoryMakers.
  6. ^ a b Bass, Carole (March 19, 2014). "What's in a name? Looking for answers at Calhoun College". Yale Alumni Magazine.
  7. ^ "Vote Smart". Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. ^ "Pennsylvania Elections - Summary Results". electionreturns.pa.gov.
  9. ^ "Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results". www.electionreturns.pa.gov.
  10. ^ Caruso, Stephen (January 8, 2020). "While the state farm bill is a start, Pennsylvania's agriculture leaders see further reforms • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  11. ^ Hall, Peter (May 21, 2024). "Measure to empower banks to fight financial exploitation of elders passes Pa. House panel • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Hall, Peter (April 30, 2024). "Restorative justice often leads to better outcomes for victims and offenders, experts say • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Sweitzer, Justin (October 31, 2023). "Death penalty repeal bill advances in PA House". City & State PA. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Lengyel, Christina (May 3, 2024). "Restorative justice advocates ask for state-level reform". The Center Square. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "NCEL Recognizes State Legislators for their Dedication to Environmental Issues". National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. August 13, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  16. ^ "HD 200 - Rep. Chris Rabb | Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania". Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. 2020.
  17. ^ Stephens, Jenny (July 18, 2024). "Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb to Introduce Landmark Legislation That Takes Aim at Greenwashing - Bucks County Beacon". Bucks County Beacon. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  18. ^ Barton, Greg. "Proposal Would Ban "Greenwashing" In PA | WDAC". Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  19. ^ Sanders, Emily. "How U.S. governments could crack down on greenwashing". www.exxonknews.org. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  20. ^ Sadeghi, McKenzie (October 7, 2021). "Fact check: Pennsylvania bill proposing restrictions on male reproductive rights is satirical". USA Today. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  21. ^ "House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "3 Child Limit Bill Proposed in PA; Would Mandate Vasectomies". MSN. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
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