Citizen Action Center

Summary

HB 300 was introduced by Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) and other Democrat members of the LGBTQ Caucus and is on a fast track. The senate version is SB 150, introduced by Sen. Santarsiero (D-Bucks) and senate Democrats. It passed the House by a slim 102-98 vote on 2/2/23. It is critical that your State Senator hear from you ASAP to oppose both of these bills.

Everyone deserves the right to be treated with dignity and respect. But HB 300 would instead make harmful changes to our state non-discrimination law by creating special protected classes for “sexual orientation” and gender identity” thereby creating a host of consequences that impact religious freedom and privacy rights. The state non-discrimination law (the Human Relations Act) was enacted in 1955 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of color or national origin. Its broad scope affects public accommodations – including schools, businesses, health care and more. It affects employment and housing.

Female athletes would be forced to compete against biological men and would lose their right to privacy in spaces like bathrooms, locker rooms, dorms, and shelters. Religious entities such as Christian schools and ministries could lose the right to exercise their convictions about human sexuality in employment and more. Creative professionals could be forced to engage in messages that violate their conscience. Medical doctors could be forced to prescribe hormones or perform sex reassignment surgeries. Women’s shelters could be forced to admit biological men who identify as women.

Summary

Pennsylvania Democrat lawmakers are pushing a radical abortion bill that not only would permit abortion at any stage in pregnancy but would effectively abolish every current limit and regulation on abortion, including the protection to keep taxpayers from paying for elective abortions.

This Abortion-Until-Birth legislation – which the Democrat sponsors are calling the “Reproductive Rights” Amendment – is a proposed amendment to enshrine abortion in the Pennsylvania Constitution. It would mean the abortion industry could perform an abortion for any reason, at any stage in pregnancy with no state restrictions.

While we need to improve our outdated state laws that currently allow abortion up to six months in pregnancy, we certainly do not want to further sacrifice the well-being of women and girls in Pennsylvania; which is exactly what this abortion bill would do.

Act Now: Tell your State Representative and State Senator to oppose any effort to pass this abortion amendment.

Summary

Marijuana use is harmful, more adults and children are using and becoming addicted, and increasing its accessibility for “recreational” use increases those harms. In states experimenting with the retail sale of marijuana for non-medical use, we’re seeing many of these negative consequences, especially with the retail sale of high-potency marijuana products that can be 99% THC.

There is evidence that shows more traffic accidents, more children ending up in the ER and more teen and young adults are using in states that fully legalize. This is especially why medical organizations, addiction treatment centers and law enforcement oppose the legalization of a currently Schedule 1 federal narcotic like marijuana.

No amount of tax “revenue” is worth the sacrifice of our children and communities, and the push for legalization neglects the real costs incurred with such action. In Colorado, one analysis found $4.50 in costs for every $1 brought in by tax revenue.

Summary

Upcoming legislation would make Lifeline Scholarships available to children who live in failing school zones. This scholarship would be an absolute game changer for families in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and elsewhere in Pennsylvania where school districts fall in the bottom 15 percent of performance metrics based on state testing. 

Students that live within the attendance area of a low-achieving school deserve access to the educational alternatives like Lifeline Scholarship Accounts. It could be used toward tuition, fees, and textbooks.

Lifeline Scholarship Accounts would directly fund students, helping families with children in the lowest-rated school districts choose a school where that child can thrive educationally. There is built-in accountability because we know that ultimately parents know which schools best serve the needs of their children. Parents have the right to choose where their children attend school and we should empower more parents to provide their child a better solution for success in education.