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Pippy Resigns From Senate

John Pippy is ready for a new career. Pippy, a Republican from Moon Township, resigned his state Senate seat over the weekend after seven years in the House and nine in the Senate. Pippy announced in January that he would not run for reelection in the 37th district and leaves with five months remaining in his term.

"I felt like now was the time," said Pippy. "[When] you're realizing how much you're missing in the family life, I think that's probably a good indicator that it's time to try something different."

What that "something different" is, Pippy isn't saying until July 9, when an announcement will be made, but he is "looking forward to getting back into the private sector and doing a lot of things I like."

He said that once he announced that he wouldn't be running for reelection he began receiving inquiries from organizations and individuals about his future and whether he would step down early. Pippy said he made it clear that wouldn't happen until after a budget was approved. "The most important duty as a legislator is the budget process," Pippy said.

Pippy chaired the bipartisan, bicameral Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, which studies the commonwealth's financial status and makes recommendations to the House and Senate.

"We have some challenges ahead, as do most states," Pippy said. "[With] some of the costs associated with health care and with demographics of our population being an older state, there are some tough challenges this legislature and governor will be dealing with in the next few years."

One way to trim costs, according to Pippy, is to reduce the size of the legislature. He has proposed trimming the number of each chamber by 20% and believes the public will be more attuned to that idea now that other government departments and services are being cut.

The West Point graduate and recently promoted lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait from February 2003 to January 2004 while a member of the Senate.

The 41-year old Pippy has easily won reelection in the past and believes he could have held the Senate seat for quite some time.

"Years ago, people said, 'You're 25, you're going to be there for life.' I said, 'Not likely,' and they said, 'How long do you think you'll be there?' I said, 'I don't know, but when it's time to try something different, I'll know.'"

One of those different things is watching his daughter, a sophomore at Cornell, play hockey.