By Leo Knepper
Pennsylvania law currently exempts union members and management from prosecution under the laws governing stalking, harassment and threatening to use weapons of mass destruction. The legislation closing these loopholes, HB 874, was approved by the House and Senate. It now heads to the Governor’s desk for a signature.
It is absurd for anyone to be exempt from prosecution for these types of serious crimes. As noted by the PA Independent, this exemption impacts real people:
Sarina Rose, vice president of development for Post Brothers Apartments, said union-affiliated contractors also photographed her children at the bus stop and taped them at their sporting events. The legal loophole gave them a pass, she said.
“‘If there was a pedophile photographing my children or if I had an ex-husband who threatened to shoot me with a gun, I could certainly implore law enforcement to do something about it,’ Rose told the House Judiciary Committee. ‘But because there are certain trades in this self-proclaimed active labor dispute with my company, the DA’s Office self-admittedly treats these cases differently.'”
How and why did this original exemption bill get passed? Outrageous.
Signed by Governor Wolf 4 November.