Today, an Administration that actively harmed women, Black people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and low-wage workers has been replaced by an Administration that includes Kamala Harris, the first woman, first Black person, and first Asian-American woman to serve as Vice President. We honor this long-overdue achievement.
It’s been a long four years. We fought endless attacks on our rights and carved new paths to serve the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians during an unprecedented pandemic. Now, we have mountains to move to keep pushing this country closer to the elusive promises of equality and justice for all.
“On this historic day I want to thank you, our supporters, for enabling and trusting us with the work of fighting for reproductive rights and gender justice during this crucial era,” says WLP Executive Director Carol E. Tracy. “There is no going back to ‘normal.’ Normal is what got us here. We must dream bigger and fight harder than ever before to build a society where we can all thrive in safety and dignity.”
Though we expect the Biden-Harris Administration to advance many good policies as promised in their platform, our work is cut out for us in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Serious Threats Already Underway in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s brand-new two-year legislative session just began under leadership that has routinely focused on attacking reproductive rights and workplace protections while ignoring efforts to improve the health, safety, and economic security of Pennsylvania women and families.
- Frank Ryan (R- Lebanon) already introduced a “fetal burial” bill. House Bill 118 furtively requires patients to obtain a death certificate after experiencing miscarriage or having an abortion, forces them into potentially traumatizing conversations they can already have if they choose, and creates a public record of pregnancy outcomes that violates their privacy and compromises their safety.
- Seth Grove (R-York) already introduced preemption bill (HB 46) designed to take away Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s paid leave ordinances amid a pandemic and ban similar workplace/public health protections in the future.
- Most concerning of all, Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) has already introduced House Bill 38, a constitutional amendment that will destroy judicial independence in Pennsylvania by gerrymandering state appellate court and depriving every voter of 28 opportunities to vote for statewide judges.
Notably, these lawmakers actively tried to undermine Pennsylvania’s election results, including by signing letters to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation or then-Vice President Pence urging a rejection of Pennsylvania’s votes in the electoral college.
“Unity is an important goal, but it cannot happen when the Pennsylvania legislature continues to ignore the needs of the people by threatening to strip Pennsylvanians of reproductive rights, workplace protections, and our votes,” says Amal Bass, WLP director of policy and advocacy. “While we celebrate a new day in DC, we have our work cut out for us here in the Commonwealth. We will need everyone who resisted federal attacks the last four years to shift focus back to the Pennsylvania Legislature.”
Stay tuned for our legislative priorities this session, as well as calls to action to resist these efforts to strip us of our rights.
Take Action Now to Help Stop Judicial Gerrymandering in PA
As we covered on twitter, judicial gerrymandering bill HB38 passed out of the Judiciary Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last week with a 13-12 vote.
It can be taken up on the House floor for a full vote as early as Tuesday, January 26.
Please take a moment to send your state representative a letter urging them to oppose judicial gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.
Attend the People’s Town Hall on HB38
You are invited to attend A People’s Town Hall on HB 38. The virtual Town Hall will take place Thursday, January 21 from 5:30PM – 6:30PM.
Learn more and RSVP here.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
January 2021: Our physical offices are still closed due to the pandemic but we are OPEN and working to serve your needs. Contact us here. Sign up for WLP’s Action Alerts. Stay up to date by following us on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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