Dennis M. O'Brien

A graduate of Archbishop Ryan High School,{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=213&body=H |title=DENNIS M. O'BRIEN - PA House of Representatives |publisher=Legis.state.pa.us |access-date=June 7, 2017}}{{cite web|author=Julianna Cerruti |url=http://archbishopryanreview.com/1394/features/star-studded-ar/ |title=Ryan Review : Star studded AR |publisher=Archbishopryanreview.com |date=November 20, 2015 |access-date=June 7, 2017}} he attended La Salle University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Labor Relations.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasalle.edu/univcomm/2007/obrien_dennis.htm |title=La Salle University News |publisher=Lasalle.edu |date=January 16, 2007 |access-date=June 7, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He has three sons: Dennis Jr., Brendan, and Joseph.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasalle.edu/autism-conference/about-2/speaker-dennis-m-obrien-former-city-councilman/ |title=Speaker: Dennis M. O'Brien, Former City Councilman – Autism Conference |publisher=Lasalle.edu |access-date=June 7, 2017 |archive-date=June 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611174136/http://www.lasalle.edu/autism-conference/about-2/speaker-dennis-m-obrien-former-city-councilman/ |url-status=dead }}

O'Brien was first elected to the Pennsylvania House in 1976 and served two terms before giving up his seat in 1980 to challenge fellow Republican Charles Dougherty for his congressional seat.{{cite news|author=Tom Waring|title=O'Brien's new man of the House|url=http://www.northeasttimes.com/2007/0104/denny.html|work=Northeast Times|date=January 4, 2007|access-date=August 23, 2008}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

O'Brien lost to Dougherty by 480 votes in the primary. In 1982, O'Brien ran for his old seat in the Pennsylvania House and won. He was re-elected in every succeeding election he contested. Prior to his elevation to the Speakership, he served as chairman of the House Committees on Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, Health and Human Services, Consumer Affairs, Judiciary. Upon leaving the Speaker's office, he served as chairman of the Committee on Children and Youth.

Inspired by his late nephew Christopher's diagnosis, O'Brien has been an advocate for autism issues and founded the Pennsylvania Legislative Autism Caucus.{{cite web|title=PA Report 100 |work=Pennsylvania Report |publisher=Capital Growth, Inc. |date=January 23, 2009 |url=http://www.pa-report.com/uploaded_pdf/PA%20Report%20100%20-%20Jan%2023,%202009.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127050652/http://www.pa-report.com/uploaded_pdf/PA%2520Report%2520100%2520-%2520Jan%252023,%25202009.pdf |archive-date=January 27, 2020 |format=PDF |url-status=dead }}

In over 20 years, he has proposed a number of bills requiring mandatory school and health care funding for patients.{{cite news|author=Chris Buckley|title=O'Brien champion to autistic citizens|url=http://pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_514887.html|work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|date=June 28, 2007|access-date=August 23, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070519153114/http://pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_514887.html|archive-date=May 19, 2007|df=mdy-all}}

He worked with Governor Ed Rendell to organize a Bureau of Autism Services within the state's Office of Developmental Programs. In 2008, one of his bills, requiring insurance companies to cover autism treatment, was passed and signed into law.{{cite news|author=Dave Pidgeon|title=Revised autism bill passes Legislature|url=http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/223938|work=Intelligencer Journal|date=July 3, 2008|access-date=August 23, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820035848/http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/223938|archive-date=August 20, 2008|df=mdy-all}}

{{BLP sources section|date=June 2017}}

O'Brien became the Speaker of the House following deals between Republicans and Democrats. Despite a one-seat Democratic majority, the Democratic leader, Bill DeWeese, was unable to garner the votes necessary to win back the Speakership due to some dissatisfaction within his own caucus because of his handling of matters as leader, and notably due to the decision by one member in his caucus to vote for John Perzel, the incumbent Speaker. DeWeese nominated O'Brien, a Republican and a Perzel rival, in a surprise move.

O'Brien went on to defeat Perzel, 105–97.{{cite news|author=Tracie Mauriello|title=New House speaker hailed as firm, fair, passionate|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07003/750779-85.stm|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=January 3, 2008|access-date=August 23, 2008}} O'Brien was the first minority-party Speaker in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.{{cite news|author=Amy Worden|title=O'Brien's speaker deal upset GOP|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/politics/pa/8046652.html|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=June 18, 2008|access-date=August 23, 2008}}

O'Brien defeated what was described as an "underground write-in campaign" in the 2008 Democratic primary election. With no Democrat on the ballot, a write-in candidate emerged in an attempt to secure a position on the November ballot as a Democrat. He organized his own campaign and defeated his opponent 1,372–416, meaning that O'Brien was listed on both parties' ballots in the general election.{{cite news|author=Jeff Shields|title=O'Brien effort thwarts challenge|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080505_O_Brien_effort_thwarts_challenge.html|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=May 5, 2008|access-date=August 23, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018160113/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080505_O_Brien_effort_thwarts_challenge.html|archive-date=October 18, 2008}}

{{BLP unreferenced section|date=June 2017}}

Upon the election of 2008, the Democrats saw the opportunity to put their own in the Speaker's office. Representative Keith McCall of Carbon County was elected Speaker with O'Brien opting out of the race. He was named the minority chairman of the House Committee on Children and Youth. In addition to those responsibilities, O'Brien worked with the Department of Public Welfare to ensure implementation of Act 62 (mandating autism insurance in Pennsylvania) which he wrote and passed while he was the Speaker.

O'Brien announced his intention to run for one of the minority seats on Philadelphia's City Council in 2011. He, attorney David Oh, and incumbent Frank Rizzo Jr. were considered the clear favorites among the Republican contenders. On May 17, 2011, in spite of not being supported by any of the party organizations,{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} O'Brien won one of the five GOP nominations for the City Council's at-large seats, with 17.32% of the vote. Oh won 18.50% of the vote, being first among the field of candidates, while Rizzo was soundly defeated, coming in 7th out of nine candidates—a result some have attributed to his involvement in DROP, the Deferred Retirement Option Plan. O'Brien went on to be the top finisher among the minority party candidates with an approximately 10,000-vote lead. He was sworn into Council on January 2, 2012.{{cite web|location=Philadelphia County|date=November 8, 2011 |version=Municipal General and Special Election Unofficial Results|url=http://www.phillyelectionresults.com|title=Citywide Election Results|publisher=The Philadelphia City Commissioners|access-date=November 14, 2011}}

He was the sole member of Council voting to oppose a public water rate setting board, opting to instead leave that decision in the hands of the Water Commissioner.{{cite web|url=http://philadelphia.sayit.mysociety.org/council-meeting-12-december-2013 |title=View Section: Council meeting, 12 December 2013 :: Philadelphia City Council Meetings :: SayIt |publisher=Philadelphia.sayit.mysociety.org |date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=June 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727141049/http://philadelphia.sayit.mysociety.org/council-meeting-12-december-2013 |archive-date=2021-07-27 }}

O'Brien again ran for re-election to one of the two minority seats. He faced a field of five candidates, including the other incumbent, David Oh. With 100 percent of the ballots counted, O'Brien lost to Oh and Councilman Al Taubenberger.{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/live-election-results |title=Live Election Results: November 3, 2015 Municipal General & Special Election |access-date=December 16, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217131851/http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/live-election-results |archive-date=December 17, 2015 }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/obrien.html City Councilman Denny O'Brien profile], phila.gov

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{{Succession box| before= Frank Rizzo Jr. | title= Member of the Philadelphia City Council for the At-Large District | years=2012–2016 | after=Al Taubenberger}}

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{{succession box | before=John Perzel |title=Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | years=2007–2008| after=Keith McCall}}

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{{succession box | before=Stephen Wodjak | title=Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 169th District | years=1977–1980| after=John Swaim}}

{{succession box | before=John Swaim | title=Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 169th District | years=1983–2012 | after=Ed Neilson}}

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Category:Speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Category:Philadelphia City Council members

Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:La Salle University alumni

Category:Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly

Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly