Category: Pennsylvania Legislation

Laws proposed or passed in the Pennsylvania Legislature

Amendments Would Limit Abortion Funding, Extend Statute Of Limitation For Child Abusers, Other Things

Amendments Would Limit Abortion Funding, Extend Statute Of Limitation For Child Abusers, Other Things

By Bob Small

Recently the local Town Talk newspaper carried a full pager to inform citizens about the status of two proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution.  We should explain that if these two resolutions are approved for a second time during the 2023-4 Legislative session, then they will graduate to ballot questions.  The resolutions are 2021-2 and 2022-1.  One might want to ask the various State Representative and State Senate Candidates for their stance on these issues in order to consider that for your decision on voting.

Resolution 2021-2 basically extends the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse by two years. Institutions which have a historic history of sheltering child abusers may try to sidetrack this bill.

Whether there should even be a statue of limitations in these cases, which if not murder, are a form of soul murder, is another question entirely.

There are four separate issues on Resolution 2022-1. 

Firstly,  “This constitution does not grant the right to taxpayer-funded abortion or any other right to abortion”.   Obviously, this would be the most contentious issue of all those mentioned.

The second issue would be that the gubernatorial candidates who win the primary –assuming they mean the two major party candidates — will choose the lieutenant governor running mate.  This would eliminate the current system, where the lieutenant governor candidates have their own primary.  The current system has helped to generate many candidates with many voices.

The third issue is a discussion of voter ID for both in-person and mail-in ballots.  The question of what qualifies as valid Voter ID would need to be clarified.

Lastly, and I’ll just quote here:

The General Assembly shall by statue provide for the auditing of elections and election results by the Auditor General.  In years when the Auditor General stands for election to any office, an Independent Auditor shall conduct the audit.

Again, we would want our elected officials to “vote with their conscience” on these issues.

Amendments Would Limit Abortion Funding, Extend Statute Of Limitation For Child Abusers, Other Things
Amendments Would Limit Abortion Funding, Extend Statute Of Limitation For Child Abusers, Other Things

Dealing With Bathroom Bills

Dealing With Bathroom Bills

By Bob Small

Let us start by agreeing that transexuals, whether female-to-male or male-to-female, remain human beings and should retain the rights of all human beings. Not a radical concept, one would think.

However, all human beings, as children say many times “need to go bathroom”. Here is where the controversy begins, both here and internationally.  The British and other controversies  be covered later.

According to 34 Pa Code section 41.21: “The entrances of all retiring rooms for women shall be clearly marked. Men are not permitted to use or frequent a retiring room assigned to women …

This seems fairly clear-cut, except for this question: where does a male-to-female transexual fit in, especially one who is pre-op?

Dealing With Bathroom Bills

Well, we now have PA Senate Bill 613 and PA House Bill 613, which, it is to be hoped, will clear this up.  While they don’t specifically use the term “bathroom”, both of these bills discuss “facilities” and “privilege”. The term “facilities” has been interpreted elsewhere to include restrooms; indeed, what else would it mean?

This information comes from PAfamily.org, which opposes men at any stage of transition entering women’s’ rest rooms.

It has occurred to me that I might be standing next to a female-to-male in the next stall, but I wouldn’t expect any problem, nor would I even know.

At any rate, this situation never seems to be addressed, probably because there’s not a power imbalance between men and other men.

Another observer to whom I was referred said, “The point is, these men were able to gain access to these spaces because of the idea that a man becomes a woman the instant he says, “I’m a woman”.

Regarding male-to-female transexuals, another viewpoint states that “We want the exact same thing that most of the other women want”. I urge you to read this article.

The following quotes are from people whom I know well, who want to remain anonymous, so fiery is the topic:

From a Springfield conservative on HB 300:

“Its proponents want to assign protections enjoyed by people with immutable characteristics (such as race, color, sex, national origin, handicap, or disability) to people with changeable behaviors and mental states”.

This seemed to be the best summation I ever heard of the conservative view.

A transexual friend now living in Vermont merely asks me to imagine having to avoid using bathrooms in public, due to fear of choosing the “wrong” one.

I just have to find one marked “men”. My life is simple by comparison.

Dealing With Bathroom Bills

House Vote Fraud Preventions Slipped Into Lame Senate Amendment In Pennsylvania

House Slipped Vote Fraud Preventions Slipped Into Lame Senate Amendment In Pennsylvania— The Pennsylvania Senate passed, April 27, SB 106 which was to be an amendment to the state Constitution that would merely end separate elections for candidates for governor and lieutenant governor and have them run on a single ballot. It would be an unnecessary and insignificant change as to how we are governed but the inside-baseball types thought it neat.

Anyway, on Dec. 15, just before the session ended, the State House overwhelmingly approved it but with additions. These included:

— A 21-day limit on emergency declarations by the governor.

— A requirement to present “valid identification prior to voting, regardless of voting method”

— The auditing of elections, including the administration of elections, certification of election machines, the accuracy of the list of registered voters, the administration of voter registration and election results.

The bill is now back in the Senate where it sits.

Constitutional amendments in Pennsylvania require approval of the same wording in consecutive sessions of the legislature, and then approval by the voters via a ballot question.

Don’t expect them to happen anytime soon, but this shows that while there may be corrupt deep staters in the Republican Party, there are good guys too.

House Slipped Vote Fraud Preventions Slipped Into Lame Senate Amendment In Pennsylvania-- The Pennsylvania Senate passed, April 27, SB 106 which was
House Slipped Vote Fraud Preventions In Lame Senate Amendment In Pennsylvania

Voter ID Downside II

Voter ID Downside II — Probably more than 99 percent of our readers are strong proponents of photo voter ID and we recently carried a column by Bob Small that swims against that tide.

We are certainly not against a requirement to show a photo before voting, but we have become far less fanatical about it.

If the precinct workers are honest the rule is not needed and if the precinct workers are otherwise the rule is not going to matter.

See Georgia, which has a photo ID requirement for voting.

The concern we have is that Pennsylvania patriots are ignoring far more crucial matters regarding election integrity with their zeal for photo identification, namely state-wide certification of poll watchers and transparent election machinery and software.

Long-standing Pennsylvania law restricts poll watchers to the county in which they reside. What is wrong with state-wide certification for them? Why shouldn’t an appropriately certified Philadelphia Democrat be allowed to make sure things are copacetic in the voting in Franklin County? And vice-versa, of course. Only a racist can oppose such a thing.

Regarding transparent election machinery, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania — which appears to be better described as the Supreme Court of Soros– has blocked an audit of Fulton County voting machines.

The State Legislature wanted it. Fulton County wanted it. Commonwealth Court was OK with it. Why block it?

Well, the Democrat Party opposed it as did Dominion Voting Systems, the supplier of the machinery.

But why would they oppose it? All an audit would show was that the system was honest and the results were fair, right? RIGHT?

It shouldn’t need to be said but voting transparency should always take precedence over the secrets of corporations.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is a white supremacist, and likely a homophobic misogynist who hates Mexicans.

Which gets us to a rather interesting thing going on in Pennsylvania legislature and might be the buried lead.

In April, the Pennsylvania Senate passed SB 106, an amendment to the state Constitution which would end separate elections for candidates for governor and lieutenant governor and have them run on a single ballot. It would be an unnecessary and insignificant change to how we are governed but the inside-baseball types thought it neat.

Anyway, in December, just before the session ended the State House added to the bill:

— A 21-day limit on emergency declarations by the governor.

— A requirement to present “valid identification prior to voting, regardless of voting method”

— The auditing of elections, including the administration of elections, certification of election machines, the accuracy of the list of registered voters, the administration of voter registration and election results.

The bill is now back in the Senate where it sits. The amendments require approval of the same wording in consecutive sessions of the legislature, and then approval by the voters via a ballot question.

Don’t expect them to happen anytime soon, but this does show that while there may be corrupt deep staters in the Republican Party, there are good guys too.

Voter ID Downside II
Voter ID Downside II

Pennsylvania 5G Law Passes With Little Fanfare

Pennsylvania 5G Law Passes With Little Fanfare

By Bob Small

HB 162 was passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature, and signed into law as Act 50 on June 30 by the Gov. Tom Wolf. The Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act was passed with only three dissenting votes and little notice. The idea is to accelerate 5G infrastructure in Pennsylvania

We all, of course, want the modern world of 5G and any route to this sounds like it must be harmless. Well, yes and no. First, we learned of this item at the July Swarthmore Borough Council Meeting. We learned that the mini-towers required for 5G could be planted on the grass strips that many of us have between sidewalk and street.

This is property we had thought was owned by the homeowners and, we assumed, was part of what we pay taxes for We assumed we had control of what goes on on these strips. Guess not.

Now, according to State Senator Tim Kearney (D-26 and a former fine Mayor of Swarthmore) there are but sevem exceptions whereas a municipality can “refuse the installation of small cells.” None of these 7 exemptions apply to these street strips already having a planting of any kind of tree, neither fruit trees or saplings, or… These would probably have to go, though that’s a small price for progress, one supposes.

The apple harvest we had this year may be our last.

There’s an exception for Historical Markers, but this would not necessarily apply to, say, Swarthmore’s Historically Black Neighborhood. Each case like this might have to be brought up individually. How this might effect Swarthmore College is still unclear.

We have also been told that all these initial requests will be coming to your town by the end of the†month.

According to Legiscan.com, the only three nays, in the State House, were Democrat Kevin J. Boyle, and Republicans Carl Walker Metzgar, and Brett R. Miller, none of whom mentioned it on their websites.
Boyle, who participated in some forums I organized, did not respond as to his reasons to vote against this bill. No one in the Pennsylvania Senate opposed it.

Bob Small is a resident of Swarthmore.

Pennsylvania 5G Law Passes With Little Fanfare
HB 162 was passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature, and signed into law as Act 50 o

RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain

RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain — This gentle warning has been passed to us that you are about to be again robbed by the Rose Tree Media School District.

Pennsylvanians would save a lot, and we mean a lot, more money if education funding followed students and not systems. If we learned anything from the pandemic it’s that Pennsylvania schools are way fat.

More importantly, though, education would be greatly enhanced and parents would be greatly empowered.

Your little boy is being taught he should be a little girl? Fire the fools and find a new school.

If vouchers are too radical for you, rescinding the prevailing wage law would save 20 percent of the cost of this looming boondoggle. Just sayin.

Anyway here is how the heist is starting:

I want to provide you with an update on the progress towards our new elementary school. We understand how critical selecting the location for our new elementary school is — a decision we do not take lightly. Over the last several months, our Project Oversight Committee (POC) and Core Design Group (CDG) for the new elementary school has been working extremely hard to reach this point. We are very excited and proud to announce the location of our new elementary school in Edgmont Township! 

Prior to this decision, the POC and District administration completed several decision worksheets, narratives, and a full site comparison analysis including anticipated costs, facilitation sessions, and several conversations with the School Board and local city and municipal regulatory agencies. Understanding the locations of new developments and our existing students within each elementary’s school’s boundaries, the team sought to minimize impact and costs when selecting the new site. In addition, key priority drivers for this decision included: 

  • Location, size, and cost of the property 
  • Site attributes including accessibility, entry points, utilities, drainage, soils, environmental integration, etc. 
  • Transportation impacts: time spent on the bus for students, the number of buses needed, staff impacts, etc. 
  • Timeline to develop property
  • Other unique attributes such as a redistricting plan, community goals, housing developments, and logical locations

Over 23 sites were vetted as potential options during the last two years. Sites in Middletown Township and Edgmont Township were shortlisted, but ultimately the property in Edgmont Township was selected and the sale finalized for the new facility. Local, community schools have been a keystone of our District for many years, and the selection of the current site reflects our ongoing commitment for neighborhood schools.

Currently, we are working on finishing the Schematic Design Phase of the project. We invite you to join us next Tuesday, June 29 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. for a Public Presentation that will outline the work and progress completed so far. This will include a 30-minute presentation and a 30-minute Q&A section. You can attend either in-person at the Penncrest High School Auditorium or virtually via Microsoft Teams. The link to join the meeting virtually will be posted at 6:00 p.m., 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting, on our Room to Learn Room to Grow website, our District’s website, and social media. 

I encourage you to visit RoomtoLearnRoomtoGrow.org/pre-design-phase for ongoing updates to our progress. We’re very excited to provide our students with room to learn and room to grow!

Regards, 

Dr. Eleanor DiMarino-Linnen

RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain
RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain

Jenn O’Mara Birthday Greeting

Jenn O’Mara Birthday Greeting –– A few days ago was my birthday, and in the evening I got a call from my state rep Jenn O’Mara wishing me a happy one. At first I thought it was a robo but as the conversation continued I realized it was live.

Jenn O'Mara Birthday Greeting
Thank you, Jenn O’Mara

I was impressed. Granted, if my birthday was in June and this was an off-year election perhaps I wouldn’t have been so honored but I was still impressed.

So thank you Jenn, you made my night. I will be voting straight R, Nov. 3, which means for Bob Smythe in Pennsylvania’s 165th House District but what you did was very nice and you seem like a nice person.

If you want to get my vote push for ending prevailing wage. It would have made the cost of Springfield’s new white elephant high school about 20 percent less. Single parents, newlyweds with diabetic kids and the elderly are paying for it you know, and the extra money doesn’t help the trades unless you happen to be the one running the union.

Don’t sweat it though. I doubt Smythe will try to end it either.

Jenn O’Mara Birthday Greeting

Bill Would Allow Reopening Some Pa Businesses With Conditions

Bill Would Allow Reopening Some Pa Businesses With Conditions

By Sen. Doug Mastriano

I introduced legislation this week to get Pennsylvania working again.  Calling it “Pennsylvania Healthy Citizens and Healthy Businesses back to work initiative,” it applies strict health and safety measures on businesses to allow them to resume operations.  The governor should not have the sole and arbitrary power to judge which businesses should survive.  His only answer to this was creating a star-chamber like secret waiver process, which at last count has 25,000 requests pouring in.  The entire process is a well-guarded secret with zero accountability or transparency.  We have no idea if those approved/disapproved are getting political payback, or how decisions are being made.  Is it constitutional that he is wielding so much power, unprecedented in Pennsylvania’s history?  It is not up to Governor Wolf to pick winners and losers and he is indeed doing that.  This was made evident in a recent expose by the Philadelphia Inquirer, which discovered the Wolf Family legacy company to remains open, despite his order to the contrary.

Pennsylvania is indeed confronted by a contagious virus, which has necessitated certain emergency measures to curtail its spread.  This encompasses distancing, sanitary health practices, health conscience behavior, a sanitary workplace, among many other considerations as listed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  These are designed to ameliorate the spread of COVID-19.  Chief among the considerations is the need to avoid the spike in infected people that sadly occurred in other nations, such as in Italy.  This spike overwhelmed their health care facilities and left scores not receiving the help that they required.

The key concern of Governor Tom Wolf in this environment was to reduce the spread of the virus across the state by severely restricting/limiting what he called “non-essential” and later,  “non-life-supporting” business activity.  His order to avoid a spike in cases was triggered by the governor’s 19 March order that initially called for the closure of all businesses across the state deemed non-essential that evening.  Wolf’s unilateral closure order impacted tens of thousands of businesses; millions of jobs and put at stake the very lives and economic well being of our citizens.  His draconian order took no account of CDC or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines on allowing low contagion risk jobs to remain operational, but at the stroke of a pen, unilaterally issued a proclamation that will be calamitous for our state.  Hardest hit among these are; single-parent families, young couples, the independently employed (who still are not eligible for unemployment, despite my engagement with the governor to reverse his position on this), non-profits and small businesses.  There is a real and present danger that Wolf’s cure may be worse than the virus.

And then there is Wolf’s much-vaunted waiver office.  The governor’s waiver process lacks accountability, has no oversight and grants him unilateral power of who can and cannot be open for business.  This is too much power in the hands of one man and as we saw with the Philadelphia Inquirer exposé, it is already being used for political payoff.

My “Pennsylvania Healthy Citizens and Healthy Businesses back to work” legislation will allow businesses to reopen if they agree to abide by CDC mitigation measures to contain the spread of the virus. We need a safe, fair and balanced approach to reopening businesses.  Not the secret and random Wolf waiver process, but rather an approach that takes the incompetence and corruption of Harrisburg bureaucrats out of it.  A process that uses the expert advice of CDC and OSHA to provide direction on how certain businesses can reopen, which will at the same time, protect the health and welfare of our people and our state.

The preponderance of the “non-life sustaining businesses” closed by Governor Wolf are categorized by the Federal Government as low to medium risk at spreading the diseases and that’s without them already implementing the CDC’s health conscience best practices.  Imagine how safe they will be with the implementation of CDC’s guidance.  The way ahead for Pennsylvania is to offer businesses deemed by Gov Wolf as “non-life supporting” to resume operations but under certain conditions.   To reopen, mangers, owners, and staff agree to comply with CDC and OSHA COVID-19 mitigation measures until the state of emergency has ended.  These businesses do not require a waiver, but agree to enforce CDC and OSHA policies during the COVID-19 health crisis and will be responsible for meeting these standards if inspected by the PA Department of Health or local law enforcement.  Timely and full compliance is required to continue operating the business during the crisis.  An appeals process will be established at the Department of Labor to handle any concerns of disagreement with an inspector’s findings and monthly reports will be filed with the relevant committees in the House and Senate (Health, Labor, etc) to provide oversight and transparency.  The House and Senate Labor Committees will adjudicate any appeals or complaints that are challenged by the businesses in disagreement with a Department of Labor’s decisions.

Businesses that resume operations during this health crisis agree to abide by the following healthy practices delineated by both the CDC and OSHA:

Businesses that resume operations during this health crisis agree to abide by the following healthy practices delineated by both the CDC and OSHA:

  • Implement a generous sick leave policy, without retribution, for anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath)
  • Employees who develop COVID-19 symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath) will immediately be sent home and not return until cleared by a healthcare professional
  • Sick employees must remain at home until their symptoms have passed and/or they receive a clean bill of health from their healthcare provider or state/local health officials
  • Employees with sick family members, or family members at higher risk (elderly, those with a weakened immune system, heart conditions, respiratory disease, chronic medical condition, diabetes, etc), should not work in a public area and all efforts should be made for them to work from home
  • Employers allow as many employees as possible to work from home (telework)
  • Employers must ensure that there is a minimum of six feet between workers, as well as six feet maintained between the employee and the public.
  • Employees at higher risk of suffering severe consequences or death by COVID-19 (elderly, weakened immune system, heart conditions, respiratory disease, chronic medical condition, diabetes, etc), will not be permitted to work in a non-life supporting business until the crisis has passed.
  • Employees with a sick family member will not return to work until that family member is cleared by a professional healthcare worker.

Additionally, the business will agree to:

  • Implement sanitary policies and a regular cleaning schedule to reduce exposure to COVID-19
  • To disinfect workspaces and areas with access to the public in addition to the workspaces and especially the restrooms.
  • Have adequate cleaning supplies available, as well as disposable paper towels, etc. The business will also ensure that tissues, hand sanitizers, gloves, medical masks, and other necessary sanitary products are available on site should an employee need them.
  • Online meetings will be encouraged rather than in-person
  • Employees will not share tools, equipment, phones, desks, computers or electronics.
  • Employers will agree to allow employees to remain home to care for sick relatives if necessary
  • Employers will develop flexible emergency leave policies during this health crisis and have non-punitive measures in place for those that need time off due to health concerns
  • Employers will not require their employees to have a COVID-19 positive test result to take sick leave
  • Employers will suspend non-essential operations and go to “minimal manning” to reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19
  • Employers Adopt “flexible worksites” that allows telework, etc. to reduce the likelihood of exposure
  • Break rooms and cafeterias should be closed
  • Postpone all non-essential meetings.
  • Limit public interaction and use curbside pickup, and online meetings.
  • Seek ways to increase building/office ventilation and circulation,

In closing, I’m reminded of a local florist that is operated by a husband and wife.  They can do all transactions online and deliver the arrangements to the customer.  They will not exchange money, see or meet any people and are at zero risk of spreading the virus.  There is another local business in my area that is operated by a husband, wife and their daughter.  Again, the transactions can be done online and the goods can be left out for pick up or delivery.  They will have no interaction with the public and are at zero risk of spreading the virus.  Having such low-risk businesses shut down at the whim of the governor lacks reason or justification.  He’s doing nothing to limit the health crisis while causing unnecessary pain to the community.   What’s the point of shutting down any activity that has zero to little risk of spreading the virus?  This is simply an example of the heavy hand of big government, needlessly crushing hard-working families and small business owners.

By implementing the above best practices, the spread of the virus will be contained/migrated, while at the same time allowing Pennsylvania to reopen for business.   Many of the businesses shut down by the governor’s unilateral order are considered by CDC and OSHA criteria as low risk of spreading the virus.  Mandating the implementation of these commonsense and life-saving measures, as described by CDC and OSHA, will ensure the safety of our citizens and the survival of our businesses.  Without compromising the health and welfare of our people, this balanced/commonsense approach is in the best interest of Pennsylvania.  Governor Wolf, it’s time to think about the people of Pennsylvania and get “safe businesses” back to work.

Doug Mastriano represents Pennsylvania Senate District 33

Bill Would Allow Reopening Some Pa Businesses With Conditions
Bill Would Allow Reopening Some Pa Businesses With Conditions

Murt Quits Ammo Tax Bill

Murt Quits Ammo Tax Bill — The neo-feudalists who want to be our kings and queens are using the pandemic to try to sneak in a new law to make it harder for sane, law-abiding adults to defend themselves.

Murt Quits Ammo Tax Bill
Note that the prime sponsor withdrew his name.

The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee received, March 10, House Bill 2344 which would require a  “permit to purchase” for ammunition, and tax all ammo purchases. 

The prime sponsor was Thomas Murt, a Republican who represents the 152 District, which consist of parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties.

Murt has withdrawn his name from the bill. That’s a good thing but the bill remains with 10 other solons backing it.

This bill is counter-productive to the problem it presumes to solve namely mass shootings and random acts of violence. What must be recognized and what its supporters deny is that it is good for sane, law abiding adults to have guns and ammunition, while it is bad for the insane and criminal to do so.

The bill is aimed solely at the sane and law-abiding. Hey sponsors, if you need a clue as to how to solve the problem consider that the United States had 450,000 more mental hospital beds in the 1950s that it does today with about half of the population.

If you want another clue, consider that mass school shootings in the United States didn’t start happening until those who rule us declared the start of life to be just a matter of opinion.

If you still need a clue, consider that murders in Philadelphia plummeted when the state overruled the city to give the residents the right to carry.

The bill is not likely to go anywhere.

“This unconstitutional legislation is an affront to every law-abiding gun owner in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” House Judiciary Committee, Chairman Rob Kauffman (R-89) said. “HB 2344 goes on the list of anti-Second Amendment legislation that will never see the light of day as long as I’m Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in Pennsylvania.”

Murt Quits Ammo Tax Bill

Gift Ban Introduced In Pa House

Gift Ban Introduced In Pa House

By Leo Knepper

In late 2014 and early 2015, five current and former members of the General Assembly were charged with bribery and other charges related to their acceptance of cash “gifts” from a lobbyist. The House and Senate changed their chambers’ rules to prohibit the acceptance of cash gifts from lobbyists, but the law hasn’t changed. One of the reasons the law wasn’t changed was because banning only cash gifts could raise questions for lawmakers about the kinds of gifts they can still accept.

What kinds of gifts can they accept? Virtually anything as long as they follow the disclosure rules. Lawmakers are required to disclose gifts of more than $250 per year from any source and transportation, lodging, and hospitality worth more than $650. Over the years, those gifts have included everything from Super Bowl tickets to Turkish rugs. As long as they follow the rules, pretty much anything is fair game.

That might finally be changing. On Nov. 18, the House State Government Committee advanced House Bill 1945. Per the co-sponsorship memo:

“The legislation will prohibit public officers, public employees and candidates for public office from accepting a gift of cash in any amount. The same individuals will be prohibited from accepting any gift that has either a fair market value or an aggregate actual cost of more than $50 from any one person in a calendar year. In addition, public officers, public employees and candidates for public office will be prohibited from accepting hospitality, transportation or lodging that has either a fair market value of an aggregate actual cost of more than $500 from any one person in a calendar year…Gifts and hospitality, transportation and lodging received that attain these thresholds will be reported on the individuals’ Statement of Financial Interests along with the circumstances surrounding the receipt of the same.”

At CAP, we generally aren’t a fan of banning things or unnecessary regulations. However, given the sheer number of public officials from Pennsylvania who end up in prison, we think that enacting these changes makes a lot of sense. There is room for improvement in HB 1945, but it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. 

We will be keeping our eye on the legislation and will keep you informed about its progress.

Mr. Knepper is executive director of Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania.

Gift Ban Introduced In Pa House
Gift Ban Introduced In Pa House
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