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Capitol Recap Capitol Recap AROUND THE ROTUNDA Volume 5 Number 413 PLS coverage of Capitol events including press conferences, bill signings, & media availabilities September 25, 2018 CONTENTS DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM BILLS AROUND THE ROTUNDA 1 By Robert Cochran Pennsylvania Legislative Services | September 25, 2018 COMMITTEE NEWS 7 NEW LEGISLATION 38 Democrats held a press conference this morning to announce a package of bills aimed at LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 41 providing numerous criminal justice reforms in the commonwealth. UPCOMING MEETINGS 69 Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said Democrats plan to introduce legislation to begin SESSION STATUS healing the fractured relationship between law enforcement and communities across the At 6:17 p.m. on Tuesday, commonwealth. Sen Costa stated the commonwealth needs to develop training programs, September 25, 2018 policies and oversight systems to prevent unnecessary deadly force from happening and the Senate stands in to investigate properly when events do happen to deliver justice to victims and police. “Our recess until Wednesday, ultimate goal is to prevent scenarios where police are put into a situation where they feel September 26, 2018 at their lives our threatened or when police take the lives of individuals who are innocent,” Sen. 11:00 a.m., unless sooner Costa said. recalled by the President Pro Tempore. Sen. Costa indicated that upcoming legislation intends to do the following: • Improve training to municipal police officers to include diversity and sensitivity At 5:13 p.m. on Tuesday, training, situational deceleration tactics and improved use of force reactions September 25, 2018 the • Adopt model policies on the use of force and deadly force for municipalities House stands adjourned • Develop statewide database for transparency in hiring police officers, including until Wednesday, disciplinary and misconduct records September 26, 2018 at • Create specialized units to respond to crisis situations 9:30 a.m., unless sooner • Provide access to community intervention teams to allow the community to be a part recalled by the Speaker. of that conversation Rep. Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny) said he did not want it to appear that Democrats are blaming the police with these legislative proposals, but rather working together to save lives. Rep. Gainey said he introduced diversity education so police officers can understand minority communities better. Rep. Gainey also suggested forming a board dedicated to understanding UPCOMING SESSION DAYS the best practices in community-police relations. Lastly, Rep. Gainey indicated improper use House of force needs addressed through legislation. September 26 October 1 (NV), 2 (NV), 9, “These are things that don’t talk about how we point fingers but how we build a relationship 10, 15, 16, 17 that one, repairs an image and two, saves lives,” Rep. Gainey said. “If we do that, and I know November 13 we can, we have a great opportunity to repair the image that has been tarnished by some of Senate the events that happened, not only in the commonwealth, but throughout America.” September 26 October 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17 Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) stated his legislation addresses police compensation November 14 because of concerns regarding part-time wages to police officers. Rep. Miller said the unfair compensation contributes to the police officer’s stressful job. “We want the best on our streets and that also means we need to pay them appropriately,” Rep. Miller said. “The demands are too important and what we need from them is so key that we, in my opinion, are insulting them with the pay they are receiving.” Provided by Pennsylvania Legislative Services Rep. Austin Davis (D-Allegheny) said his legislation would study the feasibility of regional 240 N. 3rd St. 6th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101 policing. “Many communities are forced to operate with part-time officers,” Rep. Davis said, 717.236.6984 phone adding he would support incentives to consolidate departments. 717.236.5097 fax www.mypls.com “Police operate best when there is a genuine involved and respectful relationship with the citizens and neighborhoods they serve,” said Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny). He added that although it is important to craft legislation that improves police practices, hiring and accountability, he proposes to create a civilian review board for oversight of police departments in Allegheny County. Sen. Fontana said he would support other counties joining his legislation, but the need for this in Allegheny County is due to the existing abundance of departments located in his county. Sen. Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia) said he agreed with Rep. Miller’s assertion that too many people place blame on law enforcement which have little to do with commonwealth’s problems. Sen. Haywood advocated for individuals to comply with police officers instead of disobeying the instructions of police. Sen. Haywood saidSB 400 attempts to ensure accountability by mandating the Attorney General’s office to conduct all investigations related to police-involved shootings. Rep. Jake Wheatley (D-Allegheny) indicated his legislation would establish a licensure board to regulate and oversee police departments in the commonwealth. The lawmakers took questions from the press. Rep. Davis, have you had conversations with local police departments over regionalizing in your district and is the barrier to doing so funding? Rep, Davis: Yes, the police force that comes to mind is located in Whitaker. The hardest part is deciding who funds the borough. Sen. Costa: We have had conversations with numerous communities in Allegheny County about doing so. PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATORS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS ADVOCATE FOR SAFE HARBOR LEGISLATION By Jessica Richardson, Pennsylvania Legislative Services | September 25, 2018 Legislators and advocacy groups joined together in the Main Rotunda to urge the House to pass SB 554. Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) stated Pennsylvania has passed legislation to make it one of the least progressive states to one of the most progressive states regarding human trafficking. He said there is still one more bill to pass and that is Safe Harbor legislation which if a minor is arrested or found in prostitution they will not be criminally charged. Sen. Leach commented this is the only context in which victims are treated as criminals. He noted the bill got tied up in unrelated political issues as it was said the House would run the human trafficking bill if the Senate would run the abortion bill. Sen. Leach said it is not constitutional to charge someone with a crime because of an act they are unable to legally consent to. He urged advocates to talk to their representatives to put pressure on leadership to pass the bill. “We need to join with all the other states across this nation who have already made this a law so we can send a message and send it loud to all of our colleagues in the House; protect our children, pass Safe Harbor today,” Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) said. Rep. McClinton commented there are eight days remaining to pass the bill and the children in Pennsylvania who are victims of trafficking are not Republicans or Democrats, but they are suffering and it is time to protect these children. She said it is difficult for law enforcement to investigate these crimes because when they encounter children the children are charged as criminals. Sarah Robinson, Justice for Victims Fellow for the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation, noted this September marks four years since Act 105 or the anti-trafficking statute. She explained it was comprehensive and gave prosecutors the tools to go after the true criminals, but lawmakers have realized more should be done to protect the victims of human trafficking. Robinson commented Safe Harbor was introduced over two years ago and is supported by the National Institute of Justice and National Conference of State Legislators. Thirty-four other states and the District of Columbia have Safe 2 Harbor laws, with the first state being New York over a decade ago, she added. “In four years since Act 105 passed we have learned so much about this heinous crime but I ask members of the House today to answer us, how much longer will it take you to learn that there is no such thing as a child prostitute in Pennsylvania,” Robinson asked. Rep. Tarah Toohil (R-Luzerne) noted Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R-Bucks) began working on this issue because of traffic at the Super Bowl and National Football League games and the use of hotel rooms. She said Pennsylvania is the Keystone State and has an enormous amount of traffic as 70 percent of the North American population and its consumer markets come through here, which gives more opportunities for human trafficking. Rep. Toohil explained there are currently two amendments to SB 554 before the House, A0739 giving the Attorney General the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes and A07696 requiring health care practitioners and facilities to notify law enforcement of treatment of medical conditions associated with a sexual act for those under 16 and to submit a report to the Department of Health. William Bennett, Truckers Against Trafficking advocate, explained 40 million people every year are trafficked and said arresting children for prostitution is wrong. He argued if a child cannot consent to sex, then how can they sell it. Bennett said this gives children a reason to not seek help. He is here today because this is where to begin to combat this massive issue. “These are victims, they need our help,” Bennett said. “We don’t need to punish them anymore than they have already been punished.” Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) stated the legislature passed legislation to put the predator away for a long time and now they need to pass legislation to stop treating the victim as a criminal.
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