Rep. Robert Freeman's Biography

Rep. Robert L. Freeman (D-Northampton) was born in Easton, PA on March 9, 1956 and is the son of Joyce Styers Freeman and the late Jacob B. Freeman. He graduated from Easton Area High School in 1975. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Moravian College, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1978. He earned his Masters degree in history from Lehigh University in 1984.

Freeman was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1982 and served six two-year terms before leaving as the result of an unsuccessful bid for the State Senate in 1994.

From 1995-97 he served as executive director of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and as Democratic executive director of the Senate Local Government Committee from 1997-98. He returned to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1998 and has been re-elected ever since.

He is a former shop steward and member of the UFCW union. He is a recipient of the Elton Stone Award and the Moravian College History Prize. He authored the article “Light Rail and the Lehigh Valley,” which appeared in the New Valley Press in 1981.

During his previous 12 years in the House, Freeman served as chairman of the House Select Committee on Land Use and Growth Management (1991-92), which recommended ways to improve growth management and reduce sprawl. He was one of the leaders in revising the Municipalities Planning Code in 2000 and authored the Elm Street Program designed to revitalize older residential neighborhoods. The Elm Street legislation was signed into law in February 2004.  

Freeman is the chairman of the House Local Government Committee. He has served on the committees of Labor Relations, Local Government, Environmental Resources and Energy, and State Government.

Freeman, who resides in Easton, is married to Terri Arshan Freeman and has two stepchildren.