By Amy Worden, J.D. Prose, pennlive.com
Former state Senate Leader David “Chip” Brightbill of Lebanon County, who in a nearly 25-year legislative career left his mark on Pennsylvania with landmark legislation on economic development and environmental policy, was remembered Friday as a committed public servant and champion for his constituents following his death. He was 83 and died Nov. 6.
Brightbill served in the Senate from 1982 to 2006, representing the 48th District that included part of Berks County, as well as much of western Lehigh County. During his last six years in office, Brightbill was Senate Majority Leader.
Current Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward and Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman issued a joint statement, saying they were “incredibly saddened” by Brightbill’s passing and praising his “unwavering commitment to helping others.”
Brightbill, a Republican, was the architect of a model environmental law in 1995 that led to the clean up of 10,000 polluted sites across Pennsylvania and created 150,000 jobs.
He was instrumental in securing passage of legislation that created of the departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources, and helped preserve tens of thousands of acres of natural land and many waterways, according to David Hess, a former DEP secretary who worked with Brightbill when Brightbill was chairman of the Senate Environmental Committee.
Hess called the Land Recycling Program the most successful cleanup and economic development initiative ever created in Pennsylvania.
“His leadership was instrumental in the many legislative successes on environmental issues during the Ridge and Schweiker administrations,” Hess wrote in his blog.
Ward and Pittman’s statement noted that Brightbill’s accomplishments also included ensuring electric supplier competition in the state.
“Chip was a skilled, practical legislator who was especially passionate about helping his district,” they said. “He will be remembered for his creative approach to solving problems, his ability to negotiate difficult, complex issues and his encyclopedic knowledge of the legislative process.”
Brightbill began his career as a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News in the mid-1960s before becoming an attorney. He served on the Lebanon School Board from 1965 to 1967 and was Lebanon County district attorney from 1977 to 1981.
Brightbill lost his Senate seat after being defeated in the 2006 Republican primary, following voter outrage over the late-night legislative pay raise vote. He went on to head government relations for the law firm Stevens & Lee.
Former Gov. Ed Rendell, who worked closely with Brightbill during his administration, said although they came from different political parties, they “worked well together.”
“I think he is greatly responsible for the tremendous economic progress we made as a state,” Rendell said in an interview with PennLive.
“There was tremendous growth and it was good for the economy. And we couldn’t have done it without the cooperation of leader Brightbill. Chip was a worthy adversary, but he also knew when to join together to do things that were good for the state.”
PennLive staff writer Tirzah Christopher contributed to this article.
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