Letter to the editor: Legislators' Gift Ban must be passed

Pennsylvania is struggling with a long-standing issue of unlimited, unaccountable gifting to its legislators by special interest lobbyists. Gifts can be given as long as a specific exchange is not happening. This makes it very hard to document and prove, resulting basically in legalized bribery.

In 2019 the grassroots organization March on Harrisburg (www.mohpa.org) confronted then-House Speaker Mike Turzai on these issues. He signed on as a co-sponsor to House Bill 1945, the Gift Ban, and gave his word that it would pass next year. While the bill finally moved out of committee in November, time is running out to pass it into law before the end of the current session.

Right now, in the midst of the pandemic, Pennsylvania has been called the epicenter of the unemployment crisis. But while workers are going without paychecks, our elected officials are able to take unlimited free meals and vacations. We need Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff and Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler to call HB 1945 up for a vote and prove to the people of Pennsylvania that they care about the strength of our democracy.

Elizabeth F. Perkins

Squirrel Hill