As reported yesterday, Speaker of the House Mike Turzai is willing to sink a “safe harbor” bill designed to decriminalize and assist sexually exploited children just so he can use the Legislature to once again express his personal disapproval of Pennsylvania families who seek abortion care.
In this case, he’s targeting families in medical crisis who choose to terminate a pregnancy in the wake of a prenatal Down Syndrome diagnosis.
Unfortunately, this is the type of cynical political posturing that passes for “pro-life” in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
About the “Safe Harbor” Bill (Senate Bill 554)
Sponsored by Senator Stewart Greenleaf, advocates have been working to pass SB554 for the last four years.
Before Turzai’s sabotage, Greenleaf’s bill was written to require law enforcement to report any encounter with a minor who has been subject to sexual exploitation. The legislation also calls for the provision of safe, long-term housing, education, life-skills training, and counseling to the children who have been exploited.
Lead expert-advocates say “Safe harbor” bills such as SB554 are the most effective, victim-centered policy tools that state governments can utilize to protect child victims of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Is protecting sexually exploited children a goal of the Pennsylvania Legislature seemingly obsessed with restricting access to abortion?
The answer remains to be seen with the next vote.
The “Down Syndrome Ban” (HB2050)
If it sounds familiar to you, that’s because the Pennsylvania House already passed a bill in April with the same language as the amendment Turzai is using to sink Safe Harbor for sexually exploited children. Yes, it is unconstitutional and yes, both disability rights advocates and reproductive rights rejected the cynical attempt to divide advocates.
Advocates for Pennsylvania families did not think the Pennsylvania Legislature could not sink any lower.
And now they have.
What You Need to Do Now
We expect a vote as early as today.
We need you to find your state Representative and contact them in any way possible and urge them to vote NO on Rep. Turzai’s amendment, and to pass the Safe Harbor bill, SB554, WITHOUT it.
Thank you for speaking up for equality and justice in Pennsylvania.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing the rights of women and girls.
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