Apr. 14, 2015
HARRISBURG – House Judiciary Committee Majority Chairman Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin) was pleased that his legislation to prohibit harassment, stalking or making threats by parties involved in a labor dispute was passed today during the Judiciary Committee’s scheduled weekly voting meeting.
“No one, management or labor, should be able to lawfully use the tactics of harassment, stalking or threatening. What starts as harassment and threats can escalate to violence and destruction of property. Our current laws perpetuate this cycle, and to change the culture, we must first change the laws,” said Marsico. “The public puts its faith in law enforcement and the judiciary to fairly interpret laws against harassment and stalking and assess cases in every facet of society, and labor disputes should not be held to a different standard.”
House Bill 874 would not impact unions engaged in lawful disputes or protests. However, both labor and management would have to live by the same rules – the same criminal law – that everyone else lives by in Pennsylvania.
“The labor community in Pennsylvania includes many unions that represent their members effectively, honorably and peacefully. But there is also a dark side to the labor community that uses intimidation and threats to pursue its objectives,” said Marsico. “These threats may never be prosecuted. As a result, a culture of violence has taken root where these abusive practices are accepted as a fact of life. Very few union members would ever be affected by this bill if it passes into law, because the overwhelming majority of union members advocate for themselves lawfully. But for those few who use criminal methods, they should be subject to criminal penalties.”
Law enforcement organizations have come out in overwhelming support of the bill, including the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association. In addition, manufacturing and contracting groups support the legislation, including the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association; Pennsylvania Builders Association; Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry; National Federation of Independent Business – Pennsylvania; Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., Keystone Chapter; Pennsylvania Business Council; and Pennsylvania Council of General Contractors.
In addition to House Bill 874, several other bills moved through the committee today, including:
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House Bill 17, which would amend the Public Employee Forfeiture Act in order to provide that forfeiture occurs when a public employee or public official is convicted of or pleads guilty to an offense graded as a felony. |
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House Bill 787, which would amend the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act so that public employees and public officials who are convicted of or enter a plea of guilty of certain enumerated offenses will have to forfeit their pensions. The offenses added by this bill include institutional sexual assault, endangering welfare of children, contraband and neglect of care-dependent persons. |
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House Bill 665, which clarifies and tightens the reforms of Act 95 of 2014, which was a broad update to the power of attorney law in Pennsylvania. |
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House Bill 299, which would provide a new condition under which the Area Agency on Aging may seek release of documents through court order when an older adult principal is in need of protective services and the agent will not provide access to the records. |
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House Bill 367, which would reform the law as it relates to the regulation of bail bondsmen. The bill would require that every bondsman be licensed as an insurance producer by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. |
The legislation will now go to the House floor for further consideration.
Representative Ronald Marsico
105th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
RonMarsico.com
Media Contact: Autumn R. Southard, 717.652.3721
asouthar@pahousegop.com