Legislation recap: January 2021
It's not all pandemic and insurrection!
This week in People’s Watch PA, I’m doing a quick roundup of progressive legislation from the month of January, spotlighting a few of the good ideas that were introduced as bill and many of the good ideas that were not introduced, at least not yet.
A whole lot of bandwidth last month was occupied by the aftermath of January 6th and the after-aftermath of the eternal 2020 election—but other, better things happened too, and I would be remiss if I didn’t bring some attention to them.
Here are some of the progressive bills introduced last month:
COVID-19 eviction mitigation.
Exempt stimulus checks and loan forgiveness grants from state and local taxes.
Require employers to offer unpaid leave to employees who are attending Protection From Abuse hearings.
Tenants’ rights for students in off-campus housing.
And some ideas that haven’t been introduced as bills yet:
Relief for renters and homeowners impacted by the pandemic.
Pennsylvania PRO Act, expanding workers’ rights, including the right to organize.
End cash bail in Pennsylvania.
Abolish prison gerrymandering.
Expand parole eligibility for life sentences.
Create a medical parole option for incarcerated Pennsylvanians who are ill and/or aging.
Board of Pardons reform: increase the number of pardons by replacing the unanimous vote requirement with a four-fifths vote.
Reproductive rights: codifying Roe v. Wade protections into Pennsylvania law.
Pennsylvania Menstrual Equity Act, requiring “Pennsylvania’s public agencies that serve those who are young, low-income, homeless, or incarcerated to make these products available at no cost.”
“One Fair Wage,” which would increase the minimum wage to $15/hr., end the sub-minimum wage, and expand the wage to gig workers, incarcerated workers, and workers with intellectual disabilities.
A resolution urging Congress to cancel student debt.
Prohibition on non-compete clauses for low-wage workers.
Protected, unpaid family medical leave.
Protection of minors from conversion therapy.
Pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-old Pennsylvanians.
Braille absentee ballots.
Require police officers to keep their badges clearly visible at all times.
Require the Department of Corrections to place incarcerated mothers in the facility closest to where their children live.
Require the State Government Commission to conduct a study on access to social workers in prisons and recommend a target number of social workers to employ in the Department of Corrections.
Establish a Broadband Authority to expand internet access throughout the Commonwealth.