MarchOnHarrisburg Launches Majority Against Corruption Campaign: Many In Harrisburg Are Guilty Of Corruption, All Are Responsible For Making It Illegal
After six years of the Gift Ban bill being blocked by the legislature’s do-nothing gatekeepers, we’re challenging each legislator to take personal responsibility for fixing Pennsylvania’s corrupt, broken government.
On May 25th we officially launched one of our biggest campaigns yet - the Majority Against Corruption. We’re calling on representatives in the House to pass the Gift Ban by forming a majority of 102 legislators to bypass House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, who continues to refuse to bring the bill to a vote despite overwhelming support from the majority of Pennsylvanians.
Every session, more than 4,000 bills are introduced. ONE committee chair and ONE majority leader, in the House and Senate, have the power to block any legislation, no matter how popular it is with Pennsylvanians. The result is that in the 2019-2020 PA Legislative Session, over 86% of the 4,199 bills introduced never even made it to the chamber floor for a first reading.
Out of the 33 gift ban bills proposed in the past 20 years, only two made it through the first step in the legislative process and passed out of committee (in 2019 and in 2021) - a direct result of the pressure applied by MarchOnHarrisburg.
Our legislators in the House, however, can break the stranglehold that gatekeepers like Rep. Benninghoff have on legislation such as the Gift Ban by joining together. A majority of 102+ representatives can vote during session to pass the bill, no matter what the gatekeepers do.
“We’re here to find 102 righteous representatives to form the majority against corruption, which already exists in the rest of Pennsylvania,” said Rabbi Michael Pollack, Executive Director of MarchOnHarrisburg, during Tuesday’s press conference announcing the campaign. “There is not one person outside of this building who is pro-gifts, not one. We've barnstormed across Pennsylvania. We've done events in at least 30 cities across this state. Not one time has anybody ever said ‘Go bribery! Go corruption!’ Or that lobbyists should be able to take legislators to the Super Bowl. Not one time. The majority against corruption already exists. It's whether or not the people who call themselves our leaders are willing to take a stand, lead, and join the majority. It's time to find out.”
Despite the widespread popularity the Gift Ban has among Pennsylvania residents, Rep. Benninghoff, along with several other legislators, has signaled that the Gift Ban is off the table for the remainder of the legislative session. The reason given: MarchOnHarrisburg’s “antics,” referring to the group’s non-violent direct actions, including disruption of lobbyist-filled fundraisers with demands to pass the Gift Ban.
“It is beyond absurd for elected officials to refuse to act because the people overwhelmingly want them to act on an overwhelmingly popular issue. We’ve been told that it will set ‘a bad precedent’ if the Gift Ban is given a vote, as if listening to the people is a bad thing,” said Pollack.
Apparently not interested in what the people he represents have to say, in April, Rep. Benninghoff banned volunteers with MarchOnHarrisburg from stepping one foot in his office. MarchOnHarrisburg was told by the Capitol Police that anyone affiliated with the organization will be immediately arrested if they enter Rep. Benninghoff’s office, even to just ask for a meeting. When legislators deny voters a meeting under the threat of arrest, our government is clearly broken.
Our government is so ineffective that, under the governance of Rep. Benninghoff and Senate President Jake Corman, the 2021-22 legislative session is on pace to be the least productive session in decades. To date, according to the organization Fair Districts PA, this session has the least total bills enacted, the lowest percent of introduced bills enacted, the least bills introduced by minority members given a vote, and the least collaboration on bipartisan solutions.
“Recent polling shows people want policies passed that appeal to a broad segment of voters. We can't think of anything with broader appeal than the Gift Ban.” said Pollack. “We won't be shut out of our government anymore. The longer the Gift Ban stalls the more we will continue to escalate.”
We have direct actions planned for June 21st, and a 36-mile march from York to Harrisburg planned for September 9-11. You can get details and join the actions at MajorityAgainstCorruption.org.
We’re also ready to show up at the towns and district offices of legislators to demand they join the Majority Against Corruption.
“If there are legislators who are saying ‘No, I'm not going to fight to make corruption illegal. I stand with the lobbyists. I stand with the special interests. I stand with the donors and the party bosses.’ If you’re going to say that, we'll see you in your district, at your district office. We'll see you everywhere you go, because we're going to force the encounter. You need to see the face of suffering Pennsylvanians and find the courage to stand up,” said Pollack.
Below is the exact legislative maneuver required for 102+ Representatives to form a Majority Against Corruption and hold a full House vote on HB 1009:
During the "Unfinished business on the Speaker's table" part of the session, a member will move that HB 1009 "be removed from the tabled calendar and placed on the active calendar," and 102+ supporters will vote "yes."
Then, allowing for the two session day notice required, a member will move that HB1009 "proceed to second consideration," followed by another "yes" vote from the 102+ Majority Against Corruption.
Then debate will ensue, and proposed amendments will be offered and voted on. The Majority Against Corruption will vote against any motion to stop or delay the bill's movement to a final vote in the House.