PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Tom Wolf has signed 40 bills into law, including one that updates the criminal code to remove language barring homosexuality.
“These outrageous and offensive provisions are relics from the past and it’s about time we removed them,” said Rep. Todd Stephens, R-North Wales, who co-sponsored the bill.
“While there’s still more work to do, this is a good step in the right direction to make sure LGBTQ friends and neighbors feel welcome here in our commonwealth.”
Democrats call it a good first step, but some say much more needs to be done to codify protections for Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ citizens.
“It is still legal in many contexts to discriminate against someone based on orientation, or gender identity or expression,” said Rep. Mike Zabel, D-Drexel Hill, on Tuesday. In 2021, he pushed a similar effort in the House to remove “homosexuality” from the criminal code.
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“The LGBTQIA community is still cruelly targeted by state policymakers on a number of fronts,” Zabel added.
No Republicans in the House voted against the bill, but a handful of conservatives abstained. All 50 state senators voted for the bill.
The governor also signed a bill that increases election funding to counties but blocks private grants or funding. Another bill signed into law sets a minimum number of ballots that must be printed for each election.
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Among other signed bills, one by Rep. Wendi Thomas, R-Richboro, increases Medicaid rates for skilled nursing facilities, and requires a certain percentage of a facility’s total costs to be spent on residents or resident-related care. Another bill by Rep. Tracy Pennycuick, R-Harleysville, requires victims to be allowed to testify at bail hearings.
A bill by Rep. Frank Farry, R-Langhorne, sets time limits on when fireworks can be set off and increases fines for violations. Another of Farry’s bills relaxes privacy requirements to help providers communicate with each other while treating mental health and substance abuse issues.
Wolf also vetoed a bill that would have prevented municipalities from banning certain kinds of energy utilities. Some cities across the country have outlawed natural gas in new construction.
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