AFA of PA ACTION ALERTPA Senate Chamber

August 1, 2016

Issue

These State Senators Signed a Letter to Obama, But There’s a Problem!

Details

This is a little lengthy, but bear with us!

On June 22nd twenty four Pennsylvania state senators sent a letter to President Obama urging him to rescind the May 13th “Dear Colleague” letter to schools which threatens the loss of federal funds if they did not open the girls’ bathrooms, sports, locker and shower facilities to boys and vice versa.   This is similar to the May 17th letter that ninety-seven State House members signed and sent to Obama.

The letter originated from Senator Randy Vulakovich’s office.  It is signed by Senator Joe Scarnati, Senator Richard Alloway, Senator David Argall, Senator Ryan Aument, Senator Camera Bartolotta, Senator Michele Brooks, Senator Jake Corman, Senator John Eichelberger, Senator Mike Folmer, Senator John Gordner, Senator Scott Hutchinson, Senator Bob Mensch, Senator Guy Reschenthaler, Senator Mario Scavello, Senator Lloyd Smucker, Senator Patrick Stefano, Senator Pat Vance, Senator Elder Vogel, Senator Scott Wagner, Senator Kim Ward, Senator Don White, Senator Gene Yaw, Senator John Rafferty.

However, these senators are also co-sponsors of SB 974:  Pat Vance and Scott Wagner!  In fact, Senator Wagner has been the one pushing the hardest in the Senate to get  the words “sexual orientation and gender identity or expression” added to the PA Human Relations Act which impacts employment, housing and public accommodations.   He is the chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee where he successfully pushed through two of the bills that SB 974 was broken into —  SB 1307 with SB 1306 folded into it via an amendment that was offered by Senator Wayne Fontana.  Click here for more information on what happened.

It should be noted here that Senator Camera Bartolotta is a member of the Senate Urban Affairs  and Housing Committee also.  She voted for the “Religious Exemption Amendment” that was introduced by Senator Mario Scavello during the committee meeting.  However, when that amendment failed Bartolotta still voted for SB 1307!

Action Steps

Contact these three senators:

Senator Camera Bartolotta  email       Phone:  (724) 746-3762

Senator Pat Vance — email   Phone:  (717) 975-1985

Senator Scott Wagner —  email        Phone:  (717) 846-2828

Message:  Thank you for signing the June 22nd letter to Obama concerning the May 13th “Dear Colleague” letter to schools demanding they open the girls’ bathroom, sports teams, locker and shower facilities to boys and vice versa or lose federal funding.  However, how can you then in turn support bills such as SB 974, SB 1306 and SB 1307 which would open women’s bathrooms, locker and shower facilities to men who think they are women??   You seem to be confused about the issue!  Combine the words “gender identity or expression” and “public accommodations” and you open the bathrooms, locker and shower rooms to whomever!   I ask that you remove your support for the above mentioned bills, as well as SB 1316.

Thank these senators for signing onto the letter and ask for their continued opposition to SB 974, SB 1306, SB 1307 and SB 1316:

Senator Randy Vulakovich  — contact form    Phone:  (412) 487-6600

Senator Joe Scarnati — email     Phone:  (814) 265-2030

Senator Richard Alloway  — email      Phone:  (717) 264-6100

Senator David Argall —   email   Phone:  (610) 562-3411

Senator Ryan Aument —  contact form       Phone:  (717) 627-0036

Senator Michele Brooks —  email        Phone:  (724) 588-8911

Senator Jake Corman —  contact form       Phone:  (814) 355-0477

Senator John Eichelberger —  email      Phone:  (814) 695-8386

Senator Mike Folmer —   contact form       Phone:  (717) 274-6735

Senator John Gordner —   contact form     Phone:   (570) 784-3464

Senator Scott Hutchinson —  contact form     Phone:  (814) 677-6345

Senator Bob Mensch —  contact form       Phone:  (215) 541-2388

Senator Guy Reschenthaler —  contact form     Phone:  (412) 571-2169

Senator Mario Scavello —  email     Phone:  (570) 620-4326

Senator Lloyd Smucker —   email      Phone:  (717) 397-1309

Senator Patrick Stefano —   contact form      Phone:  (724) 626-1611

Senator Elder Vogel —  contact form       Phone:  (724) 774-0444

Senator Kim Ward —  email     Phone:  (724) 600-7002

Senator Don White — email     Phone:  (724) 357-0151

Senator Gene Yaw —  contact form    Phone:  (570) 322-6457

Senator John Rafferty —  email    Phone:  (610) 831-8830

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