What's the gig deal?

Legislating can be a full-time job – the General Assembly is one of just 10 full-time state legislative bodies in the country – but for some Pennsylvania politicians, that still leaves plenty of time in the day for their side jobs. From teachers and pastors to salesman and singers, more than half of the members of the General Assembly have reported an outside business interest or alternative forms of income

Here is a handful of legislators who have their hands full with their jobs:  

Mike Kelly 

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, recently named the new chair of the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, rose to prominence thanks in no small part to his automotive dealerships in Western Pennsylvania. The federal government’s takeover of General Motors and an ensuing tug-of-war over his dealership’s ability to sell Cadillacs inspired his congressional bid. In Kelly’s hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, his dealerships currently employ more than 100 people.

Eddie Day Pashinski

Democratic state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski isn’t just an active voice on legislative issues in Harrisburg; he’s also the lead voice behind Eddie Day and the Starfires and Eddie Day and the TNT, two regional acts familiar to NEPA residents. His musical talent earned him an induction into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2023, and it’s not uncommon to find Pashinski performing at the occasional legislative event, like Penn State’s Ag Progress Days or the annual Capital All-Stars Softball Game.

Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz

Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, the Democratic state representative for Berks County’s 129th House District, gets a bird’s-eye view of her community via her restaurant, Mi Casa Su Casa Cafe, located on Penn Street in Reading. The cafe specializes in Latin American and Caribbean fare, and was established after Cepeda-Freytiz, the owner of the restaurant, left New York for Reading back in 2007. 

Marla Brown 

Plenty of lawmakers have also gone down the teaching path, some in government and politics but others in a more active style. State Rep. Marla Brown, now in her second term representing the 9th District in Western Pennsylvania, teaches 13 fitness classes a week at the local YMCA. Brown has said the work keeps her healthy, active, and engaged—and it can act as a nice reprieve from the negativity that can come in Harrisburg.