AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
May 23, 2016
Issues
1.) State Representative Jamie Santora is Removing His Sponsorship of HB 1510!
2.) Update on State Senator Mario Scavello
Details
1.) Many of you contacted Representative Jamie Santora (R-163- part of Delaware County) about his co-sponsorship of HB 1510 and the fact that he had signed onto the letter to President Obama asking that he rescind the bathroom edict to schools. Remember HB 1510 would add “sexual orientation and gender identity or expression” to the PA Human Relations Act which impacts employment, housing and public accommodation. On Thursday I received an email from Representative Santora asking to speak with me. We spoke at length that afternoon. I explained to him that “public accommodations” in the bill included opening the bathrooms to not only those who are sexually confused about who they are, but it opens the doors for a sexual predator to take advantage of the law. He told me that when the law was explained to them bathrooms never came into the conversation. Representative Santora responded that if that was the case, he would remove his name as co-sponsor of HB 1510, but he wanted to talk to some others when he got back to Harrisburg on Monday.
Representative Santora called me at 11:00 a.m. this morning and said he was removing his name as co-sponsor! He thanked us for explaining the “public accommodations” component of the bill, BUT we could not have done it without your emails and phone calls. So . . . . thank you for your activism!!
2.) Several people have contacted us about the response they received from State Senator Mario Scavello (R-40 — parts of Monroe and Northampton Counties) and the fact his name is listed as a co-sponsor of SB 974 (the companion bill of HB 1510). He has told them that he is not a co-sponsor of the bill and he has asked that his name be removed. (Note: Turns out he WAS a previous co-sponsor of SB 974! He said in an email, “The initial description of SB 974 differed dramatically from the actual language contained in the resulting bill. I withdrew my sponsorship.”)
I don’t know how long it will take the state website to be updated reflecting the removal of Rep Santora from HB 1510 and Senator Scavello from SB 974. The ones pushing these two bills will NOT be happy!!
Keep up the pressure on State Rep Scott Petri and State Rep Katharine Watson, the other two who signed the letter to President Obama and are co-sponsors of HB 1510.
Action Steps
1.) Thank Representative Santora for making the right decision in removing his name as co-sponsor of HB 1510. He and others have been misled as to what this bill would actually do. Here’s his contact info:
Email: jsantora@pahousegop.com Phone: (717) 783-8808
2.) Thank Senator Scavello for not sponsoring SB 974 — encourage him to make sure his name is removed from the list of co-sponsors on the state website
Here’s his contact info: mscavello@pasen.gov Phone: (717) 787-6123
3.) Continue asking State Reps Scott Petri and Katharine Watson how they can sign onto the letter to President Obama AND be a co-sponsor of HB 1510 which opens every bathroom door in PA to whomever. For more information on just what the bill would do, check out our Fact Sheet. You can also check this page for more resources.
Here’s Petri’s contact info: Spetri@pahousegop.com Phone: (717) 787-9033
Here’s Watson’s contact info: kwatson@pahousegop.com Phone: (717) 787-5452
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