State Representative Joseph F. Wagner was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1991 and has been a member of House leadership since 2001. During that time, he has served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, the Joint Committee on Election Laws, and the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Among his many legislative accomplishments are authoring four omnibus job creation bills, passing the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act, incorporating a ban on texting while driving into the 2010 Safe Driving Law, and authoring legislation establishing MassDOT which created efficiencies by streamlining and unifying transportation agencies. His ongoing commitment to workforce development has resulted in establishing a dedicated funding mechanism for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund and continued support for job training initiatives through his advocacy in the state budget process. Additionally, he was a key player in reauthorizing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, focusing on job creation, workforce pipeline training, and directing state dollars to universities, high schools, and middle schools across the commonwealth. He has also helped secure substantial state investment in the City of Chicopee, including state support for road and bridge improvements, a new public library, and two new high schools.