ISSUES
Things We Care About
Tina on the Issues
Tina Ayala is a Hispanic Republican candidate for Pennsylvania State Representative in District 158 (Chester County area, including parts like Kennett Square, West Bradford, etc.). She is a fiscal and constitutional conservative, business professional (mortgage/real estate background), wife, mother, and first-generation college graduate who emphasizes common-sense solutions, affordability, parental rights, public safety, and legal immigration. She is not a career politician.
Hispanic Constitutional and Fiscal Conservative Tina Ayala brings a personal story of resilience from a low-income Puerto Rican family in New Jersey. She overcame hardships (including caring for her mother with epilepsy), worked multiple jobs to pay off student loans, and became the first in her family to earn a college degree (Fairleigh Dickinson University). Her platform focuses on practical, family-centered policies to make life more affordable and secure in Pennsylvania.
Affordability
Our Gas Tax Is Criminal
Pennsylvania has one of the highest gas taxes in the nation (around 58-59 cents per gallon, often ranking 3rd or 4th highest depending on the exact metric and year, with diesel even higher). Despite this, the state struggles with poor road conditions, and critics argue portions of transportation funding have been diverted or used inefficiently (e.g., past audits highlighted billions diverted from intended road/bridge repairs).
Incumbent Sappey:
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Co-sponsored a proposed bill in 2025 to add a .95 ride share tax for Uber and Lyft to pay for more roads and bridges.
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Supports a levy to collect three additional local taxes to fund transportation projects
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Sappey co-sponsored HB 1146: - Called Local Funding Options for Transportation
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Tina:
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Opposes treating the gas tax as a slush fund.
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Criticizes proposals for additional taxes, such as ride-share fees on Uber/Lyft or new local levies for transportation.
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Advocates for relief from high fuel taxes and regulations to lower costs for families and businesses.
Links: Gas tax rankings/data (e.g., Tax Foundation or World Population Review reports); past Auditor General reports on fund diversions.
Property Taxes Continue To Burden Families
Pennsylvania’s heavy reliance on local property taxes to fund schools places a significant burden on homeowners, especially in high-cost, growing areas like Chester County. Despite some relief programs, many families and seniors still face escalating bills that strain budgets for housing, utilities, and daily essentials. Critics argue incremental rebates and increased state spending have not delivered the structural reform needed to meaningfully lower costs.
Incumbent Sappey:
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Supported incremental tax rebates and additional state spending; HOWEVER, these half measures do not deliver meaningful, structural relief or tax reduction for working families and seniors in the district.
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Also backed Democratic budgets that emphasize additional education and other spending without pursuing deeper, broader property tax cuts.
Tina:
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Will fight for meaningful property tax relief and reforms that actually reduce the burden on working families and seniors in the 158th District.
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Advocates for spending restraint, school choice to improve efficiency, and pro-growth policies that lower overall taxes rather than shifting money through Harrisburg.
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Believes families deserve real relief at the kitchen table, not just programs that cushion high costs.
High Cost Of Living Requires Real Tax Relief
Chester County families face elevated costs for housing, utilities, and daily expenses amid strong growth. While targeted credits help some, opponents argue broader tax relief and regulatory reform are essential to make the district more affordable for working families, not just low-income households.
Incumbent Sappey:
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Authored the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit (state EITC) and opposed certain utility rate hikes; HOWEVER, she has also:
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Supported budgets and policies emphasizing new spending on education, healthcare, and environment alongside incremental relief programs. This contributes to sustained high overall taxes and regulations that keep housing, energy, and daily costs elevated for middle-class families in Chester County.
Tina:
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Opposes treating tax credits and rebates as a substitute for meaningful, across-the-board tax cuts
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Will push for deeper reductions in property and income taxes, less regulation that drives up costs, and aggressive economic growth policies to increase supply and opportunity.
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Focuses on comprehensive solutions that lower everyday costs for all families in the 158th District so they can thrive without relying on government programs.
Transparency
Visibility For Families In Schools And Healthcare
Parents and families deserve full visibility into what their children are learning in school and how critical public health decisions are made. Too often, important information is kept out of reach, limiting accountability and parental involvement in education and healthcare.
Incumbent Sappey:
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Voted against HB 1332, the Empowering Parents with Curriculum Transparency bill, which would have required school districts to post curricula, instructional materials, and related information online for easy access by parents.
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Voted against HB 1893, Transparency Update to the Disease Prevention and Control Act of 1955, which would have amended Pennsylvania health code to make non-confidential, disease-related outbreak data subject to the state's Right-to-Know Law, aiming to increase public access while keeping individual patient identities private. Sappey and other Democrat opposition to this bill during the COVID-19 pandemic served to limit information and transparency regarding vital medical and public health issues.
Tina:
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Will push for full transparency in schools and healthcare so parents have the information they need to make the best decisions for their children and families.
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Strongly supports parental rights, curriculum visibility, and accountability during public health crises.
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Believes families—not government bureaucrats—should have clear access to what is being taught and decided in their communities.
Protection for Our Daughters
Keep Men Out Of Women's Sports
Tina will always vote to protect biological females’ opportunities, fairness, safety, and hard-earned achievements in sports. Girls and women deserve a level playing field based on biology, not ideology.
Incumbent Sappey:
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Voted against the Protecting Women’s Sports Act (HB 972) and related legislation that would have preserved women’s sports for biological females.
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Supported policies allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports, which critics say undermines years of training and sacrifices by female athletes and risks costing them scholarships and opportunities.
Tina:
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Will always vote to keep biological males out of women’s sports and protect the rights, fairness, and future of our daughters.
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Believes girls deserve equal opportunity and a level playing field based on biological reality, not politics.
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Stands firmly with female athletes who have worked hard to achieve success through dedication and talent.
Legal Immigration & Opportunity
Welcoming Those Who Follow the Law. Protecting Pennsylvania Families.
Tina Ayala believes America is a nation of opportunity—a place where people from around the world have come to pursue freedom, build a better life, and achieve the American Dream. Our country has been strengthened by generations of legal immigrants who embraced our values, worked hard, and became part of the American story.
Like President Ronald Reagan, Tina believes America should remain a beacon of hope for those seeking freedom and opportunity. But that promise depends on having an immigration system that is legal, orderly, and fair. When people are encouraged to live outside that system, everyone is harmed—including the immigrants themselves.
Living without legal status often means living without security. It can leave people vulnerable to exploitation, limit economic opportunity, and make it harder to fully achieve the American Dream through homeownership, entrepreneurship, stable careers, and building generational wealth. We should want better for those who come here seeking a brighter future.
While border security is the responsibility of the federal government, Pennsylvania has a responsibility to ensure that our laws, taxpayer dollars, and public policies support legal immigration, protect public safety, and strengthen our communities.
As Your State Representative, Tina Will:
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Support legal immigration that strengthens America and Pennsylvania.
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Oppose state policies that incentivize illegal immigration or misuse Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars.
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Support law enforcement and policies that help keep our communities safe.
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Advocate for responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources so Pennsylvania families, seniors, veterans, and those truly in need remain the priority.
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Work with local leaders to ensure our schools, healthcare systems, infrastructure, and public services can meet the needs of our growing communities.
"America's promise has always been that with freedom, hard work, and personal responsibility, anyone can build a better life. I believe legal immigration protects that promise for the families already here and for those who dream of becoming Americans." — Tina Ayala
School Safety
Our Schools Should Be The Safest In The Nation
Schools should be the safest places for our children. Parents deserve peace of mind knowing every possible step is being taken to protect students and staff.
Incumbent Sappey voted against legislation SB 621 School Safety and Security - Amendments to Act 44 of 2018 that would authorize and empower schools to employ armed security guards.
Tina:
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Supports security personnel, common-sense locks, advanced technology, and allowing individual schools to decide if armed security guards are needed to protect students.
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Believes schools should have every available tool to ensure the safety of our children.
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Will fight to make Pennsylvania schools the safest in the nation through practical, locally driven solutions.
Public Safety & Supporting Law Enforcement
Support the Police
Tina Ayala strongly supports law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods safe. Police deserve the tools and protections they need to do their jobs effectively.
Incumbent Sappey:
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Has not prioritized or actively supported key measures to equip and protect police.
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Votes against backing law enforcement against rising challenges.
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For example, HB 2171 - Documenting ICE Civil Liberties Violations is a bill that ultimately will put the public against local law enforcement.
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Tina:
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Will support police with body cameras and legal indemnity protections so officers can confidently protect the rights of citizens without fear of frivolous lawsuits.
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Stands with our law enforcement heroes and believes we must back the blue to maintain safe communities in the 158th District.
Safe Communities Begin with Safe Neighborhoods
Every family deserves to feel safe in their home, at work, in their schools, and throughout their community. That starts with supporting the men and women who put on a badge every day to protect us.
Tina Ayala believes law enforcement officers deserve respect, proper training, modern equipment, and leaders who stand behind them as they carry out their difficult responsibilities with professionalism and integrity.
Public safety and accountability are not opposing values—they go hand in hand. Supporting our police also means ensuring they have the resources, training, and technology needed to build trust and keep our communities safe.
As Your State Representative, Tina Will:
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Support funding for training, equipment, and technology that help officers do their jobs safely and effectively.
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Support the responsible use of body-worn cameras to protect both officers and the public while increasing transparency.
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Back policies that strengthen recruitment and retention of qualified law enforcement officers.
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Support first responders and ensure they have the resources needed to protect our communities.
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Work with local law enforcement to address crime, drug trafficking, and public safety concerns affecting Chester County.
Tina believes Pennsylvania should focus on strengthening partnerships with law enforcement and providing officers with the tools they need to protect our communities while respecting the constitutional rights of every citizen.