Chris Rabb
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{about||the American stunt performer|Chris Raab|the musician|Chris Rob}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Chris Rabb
|image = Gov. Wolf Signs First Two Law Enforcement Reform Bills - 50112382411.jpg
|state_house = Pennsylvania
|district = 200th
|term_start = January 3, 2017
|term_end =
|predecessor = Tonyelle Cook-Artis
|successor =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|2|21}}
|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse =
|children = 2
|relatives = Maurice Rabb Jr. (father)
Billy Murphy Jr. (uncle)
Madeline Wheeler Murphy (grandmother)
John H. Murphy Sr. (great-great-grandfather)
|education = Yale University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MS)
|website = {{URL|https://www.rabbforthepeople.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.{{cite web |title=House Session Days |access-date=April 9, 2018 |url=http://www.legis.state.pa.us/SessionDays.cfm?SessionYear=2017&SessionInd=0&Chamber=H}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.phillymag.com/citified/2016/05/19/chris-rabb-interview/|title=The Incredible Political Insurgency of Chris Rabb|work=Philadelphia Magazine|date=May 19, 2016|author-first=Holly |author-last=Otterbein}}
Early life and education
Rabb was born in Chicago, to an ophthalmologist and professor father, Maurice Rabb Jr., and a politically active mother, Madeline Murphy Rabb.{{cite web|url=http://www.murphyrabb.com/AboutUs/Biography/tabid/739/Default.aspx|title=Biography|date=September 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927080526/http://www.murphyrabb.com/AboutUs/Biography/tabid/739/Default.aspx|archive-date=September 27, 2007}} 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{{cite web|url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/honorable-william-h-murphy-sr|title=The Honorable William H. Murphy, Sr.'s Biography|website=The HistoryMakers}} Rabb's great-great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., was born a slave and founded the Baltimore Afro-American in 1892.
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.{{cite news|title=What's in a name? Looking for answers at Calhoun College|work=Yale Alumni Magazine|author-first=Carole |author-last=Bass|date=March 19, 2014|url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/blog_posts/1740-what-s-in-a-name-looking-for-answers-at-calhoun-college}} Rabb received his bachelor's degree from Yale in 1992. Rabb got a master's degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/167968/christopher-rabb#.Wst__Ijwa70|title=Vote Smart|access-date=April 9, 2018}}
Career
In the early 90s Rabb worked as an aide to former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun.{{cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/20170114_Meet_new_Philly_State_Rep__Chris_Rabb.html|title=Meet new Philly State Rep. Chris Rabb|first=John|last=Baer|website=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=January 14, 2017 }} He then worked for the Clinton administration in the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business. Since moving to Philadelphia to obtain his master's at Penn, he has taught a business course at Temple University. He published the non-fiction book Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity in 2010.
=Pennsylvania House of Representatives=
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.{{cite web|url=https://electionreturns.pa.gov/Home/SummaryResults?ElectionID=63&ElectionType=P&IsActive=0|title=Pennsylvania Elections - Summary Results|website=electionreturns.pa.gov}} He won the 2018 primary over challenger Melissa Scott 52%-48%, and has run unopposed since.{{cite web|url=https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/General/OfficeResults?OfficeID=13&ElectionID=63&ElectionType=G&IsActive=0|title=Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results|website=www.electionreturns.pa.gov}} His opponents were supported by the Philadelphia Democratic establishment.{{cite news |title=Rabb: Budget process 'boggles the mind' |last=Baer |first=John |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=October 2, 2017 |page=B1 |id={{Proquest|1945372538}} }}
Rabb serves on a number of House Committees, including Agriculture & Rural Affairs,{{cite news |last1=Caruso |first1=Stephen |title=While the state farm bill is a start, Pennsylvania's agriculture leaders see further reforms • Pennsylvania Capital-Star |url=https://penncapital-star.com/labor/while-the-state-farm-bill-is-a-start-pennsylvanias-agriculture-leaders-see-further-reforms/ |access-date=24 September 2024 |work=Pennsylvania Capital-Star |date=8 January 2020}}
and the Judiciary.{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Peter |title=Restorative justice often leads to better outcomes for victims and offenders, experts say • Pennsylvania Capital-Star |url=https://penncapital-star.com/civil-rights-social-justice/restorative-justice-often-leads-to-better-outcomes-for-victims-and-offenders-experts-say/ |access-date=24 September 2024 |work=Pennsylvania Capital-Star |date=30 April 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Sweitzer |first1=Justin |title=Death penalty repeal bill advances in PA House |url=https://www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2023/10/death-penalty-repeal-bill-advances-pa-house/391660/ |access-date=24 September 2024 |work=City & State PA |date=31 October 2023 |language=en}} Rabb has put forward bills that would enable courts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to use restorative justice approaches to sentencing offenders,{{cite news |last1=Lengyel |first1=Christina |title=Restorative justice advocates ask for state-level reform |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_6dc9a9c2-0976-11ef-a72d-2768f5bb6dba.html |access-date=24 September 2024 |work=The Center Square |date=3 May 2024 |language=en}} and introduced and passed bills in the Pennsylvania House to repeal the use of the death penalty (House Bill 999). He
In 2017, Rabb helped to found the Pennsylvania Climate Caucus.{{cite web |title=HD 200 - Rep. Chris Rabb {{!}} Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania |url=https://www.conservationpa.org/endorsements/hd-200-rep-chris-rabb |website=Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania|date=2020 |language=en}}
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.{{cite news |last1=Stephens |first1=Jenny |title=Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb to Introduce Landmark Legislation That Takes Aim at Greenwashing - Bucks County Beacon |url=https://buckscountybeacon.com/2024/07/democratic-pennsylvania-state-representative-chris-rabb-to-introduce-landmark-legislation-that-takes-aim-at-greenwashing/ |access-date=24 September 2024 |work=Bucks County Beacon |date=18 July 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Barton |first=Greg |title=Proposal Would Ban “Greenwashing” In PA {{!}} WDAC |url=https://wdac.com/proposal-would-ban-greenwashing-in-pa/ |access-date=2024-09-24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Emily |title=How U.S. governments could crack down on greenwashing |url=https://www.exxonknews.org/p/how-us-governments-could-crack-down |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=www.exxonknews.org |language=en}}
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{{cite web|last=Sadeghi|first=McKenzie|date=October 7, 2021|title=Fact check: Pennsylvania bill proposing restrictions on male reproductive rights is satirical|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/10/07/fact-check-legislation-male-reproductive-rights-parody-bill/6032780001/|access-date=October 9, 2021|website=USA Today}} memo draws attention to the double-standard of regulating women's bodies via legislation while the equivalent bill affecting men would seem absurd.{{cite web |title=House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=36286 |website=The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. |access-date=October 3, 2021 |language=English}}{{cite web |title=3 Child Limit Bill Proposed in PA; Would Mandate Vasectomies |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/3-child-limit-bill-proposed-in-pa-would-mandate-vasectomies/ar-AAPauRy?ocid=msedgntp |website=MSN |access-date=October 5, 2021 |language=English}} Rabb called the memo "parody legislation".
In 2023, Rabb introduced bills to allow independent voters to vote in Pennsylvania primary elections (HB 979){{cite news |url=https://penncapital-star.com/voting/pennsylvania-students-call-on-lawmakers-to-end-archaic-closed-primaries/ |title=Pennsylvania students call on lawmakers to end ‘archaic’ closed primaries |first=Cassie |last=Miller |work=Pennsylvania Capital-Star |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=April 7, 2025 |id={{Proquest|2877493431}} }} and to provide protections for cannabis consumers and businesses.{{cite news |title=The search to solve the cannabis conviction conundrum continues |last=Sweitzer |first=Justin |work=City & State Pennsylvania |date=November 27, 2023 |id={{Proquest|2915672935}} }}
Personal life
Awards
- 2019, Rising Environmental Leader award, The National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL){{cite web |title=NCEL Recognizes State Legislators for their Dedication to Environmental Issues |url=https://www.ncelenviro.org/articles/ncel-recognizes-state-legislators-for-their-dedication-to-environmental-issues/ |website=National Caucus of Environmental Legislators |access-date=24 September 2024|date=August 13, 2019}}
Published works
- Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity (2010) {{ISBN|9781605093079}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/House_bio.cfm?id=1760 Profile at PA House website]
- [https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/167968/christopher-rabb#.Wst_lIjwa70 Profile at Project Vote Smart website]
- [http://www.pahouse.com/Rabb/ Profile at Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus website]
{{Pennsylvania House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabb, Chris}}
Category:20th-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni
Category:Yale University alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly