In their second year of control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, after more than a decade as a minority party, Democratic lawmakers have achieved some success.
This included addressing maternal morbidity among women of color, permanently banning texting while driving and shifting the state’s energy economy toward renewable sources.
Get on the “Momnibus”
The Black Mothers Health Club builds on a $2.3 million investment in the 2023-2024 state budget by advancing policies to eliminate alarming disparities in maternal morbidity among women of color.
In a package of legislative proposals dubbed the “Pennsylvania Momnibus,” caucus members sought to expand insurance coverage to support expectant and novel mothers. Two bills made it to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk that would become law requiring Medicaid coverage for doula services and expanding care and screening for postpartum depression.
Paul Miller’s Law
Nearly 12 years after a grieving mother asked her state representative to ban texting while driving, Shapiro signed the Paul Miller Jr. Act into law, making it a major offense for drivers to utilize handheld electronic devices while driving.
The bill, the 29th such measure in the nation, also requires state and municipal police in cities with at least 5,000 residents to collect data on a driver’s race, ethnicity, gender and age and other details during a traffic stop.
Blue-green progress
Trade unions and environmentalists apparently have opposing interests in the energy economy. But a group of House lawmakers set out to prove that it doesn’t have to be that way.
The Pennsylvania House Blue and Green Club launched its program in April by: 11-bill package which had the support of the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council. Ultimately, the only bill that became law was a federally funded grant program for public schools to install solar panels, but that effort marked improved employee support for environmental legislation.
Special elections
House Democrats maintained a single-seat majority through four special elections in 2024. While the stakes remained the same, this year’s midterm election count was less nail biters with all four falling in secure Democratic or Republican districts.
Kevin Boyle
A state representative’s struggle with mental illness turned into a Democratic scandal this spring when Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office issued and then dropped an arrest warrant for Republican Kevin Boyle.
Boyle the problems have returned publicly in February, when a video appeared on social media showing a drunken man threatening to shut down a suburban Philadelphia tavern after being asked to leave. Two months later, Philadelphia police announced that Boyle was wanted for violating a restraining order issued by his ex-wife, but later admitted that the restraining order was not in force and that the arrest warrant had been issued in error.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Democrats quickly recruited a primary challenger to prevent Boyle from running for re-election. The situation raised questions regarding Rules of voting in the Chamber that allow lawmakers to designate votes in their absence and prompted House Republicans to call for a novel investigation into Krasner.
