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House Bill 196 has dangerously re-emerged in the Senate, and was voted out of the Senate State Government Committee in a party-line vote today. Common Cause Pennsylvania continues to actively oppose the bill, which would establish judicial districts here in the Commonwealth. Electing judges in expensive, partisan elections by judicial districts subverts the role of the judiciary and encroaches on the roles of the other two branches of government.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 20, 2019) – The Pennsylvania Census 2020 Complete Count Commission is requesting state funding be added to the 2019-20 budget totaling an amount equal to $1 per person currently residing in the state to ensure a complete and accurate census count in 2020.

“It is impossible to diminish the importance of the census as the foundation of representative self-governance and every Americans’ ability to help shape the future of our families and communities. The census is critical to representation at all levels of government and the federal resources that support our states, communities, and constituencies." -- Micah Sims, Executive Director

On Tuesday, May 22nd the Senate State Government Committee took a small step in the right direction toward fixing our broken redistricting process, but there is much more work to be done. Committee Chairs Mike Folmer, Anthony Williams and their colleagues responded to the outcry of Senator Lisa Boscola, concerned citizens, and reformers to fix the dysfunctional way Pennsylvania handles the drawing of congressional and legislative districts.

Since the mid-1980s employees of state and local governments in Pennsylvania have been protected from intimidation and retaliation by the Pennsylvania Whistleblower law. Government workers who reported waste, fraud and abuse were protected from losing their jobs as long as they acted in good faith. But employees of the legislature and employees of government contractors were not granted similar protection until the Pennsylvania legislature passed HB-118 and HB-185 yesterday.