Library of Congress | Harriet Tubman
Monday July 1, 2019 11:07 AM
The Rundown: Push is on in Pennsylvania to get Tubman on $20 bill
A veteran state lawmaker from Philadelphia was seeking support last week for a resolution that would put the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on record in support of putting Harriet Tubman's image on the $20 bill.
In June 2015, then-U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced plans to put Tubman on the $20 bill in place of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.
Tubman, who escaped slavery in 1822, was a spy for the Union during the Civil War and most famously ran the Underground Railroad, which shuttled more than 70 people to freedom from slavery.
Redesign of the $20 bill was put on hold last month by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, which does not sit well with state Rep. Rosita C. Youngblood, a 13-term Democrat from Philadelphia.
"More than four years ago, the American people were asked who they wanted to see on the $20 bill," Youngblood said in a news release last week. "Overwhelmingly, they chose American heroine Harriet Tubman. What are we waiting for? Now is the time to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill."
Last week, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called for an investigation into the delay, to ensure politics are not behind the decision.
"Let's send a message to the Treasury secretary that the American people should not be ignored," Youngblood said. "It's time to honor Tubman, who freed herself from slavery, helped hundreds of other slaves escape slavery, and became a champion in the women's suffrage movement."
Former Berks man's map recognized in contest
A former Berks County man took honorable mention in the Draw the Lines PA congressional map-drawing contest, which the nonprofit organization describes as a statewide civic education and engagement initiative that aims "to help Pennsylvanians of all ages learn about and connect with the issue of political redistricting and gerrymandering … (and boost) their confidence so they can act as an effective force for democratic reform."
The map drawn by Todd Dettling, a 31-year resident of the Reading area who recently moved to North Carolina, was recognized by the contest's judges for its "visual elegance and its metrics, which are solid across the board."
According to a news release from Draw the Lines PA, entries were judged on: the look of the map; its metrics for factors such as compactness, competitiveness and county splits; the quality of the accompanying essay; and the amount of outreach that went into the entry.
Finalists from the 341 individual and team entries in the spring round are competing for $34,000 in prizes.
Gambling ban bill sent to governor
A bill that would give municipalities in Lancaster County 60 days to outlaw video gaming terminals at truck stops within their borders passed the House on a 184-17 vote last week. The vote among the Berks County delegation was 8-1, with state Rep. David M. Maloney Sr., a Pike Township Republican, the sole dissenting vote. The measure is headed to the governor's desk for his signature.
All 60 municipalities in Lancaster County voted to opt out of allowing mini-casinos within their borders.
The measure's co-sponsors, Lancaster County Sens. Ryan Aument and Scott Martin, thanked the House for ensuring "the principle of local control over gambling decisions."
"Gambling can have a negative impact on the character of a community," Martin said. "And I am hopeful Gov. Wolf will do the right thing in signing this bill into law and ensuring no community is forced to accept gambling activities they do not want."
Proposal targetsno-show locals
The state House last week approved legislation that would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to give the General Assembly the ability to pass a law creating methods for removing elected municipal officials from office if they fail to do their jobs.
"Voters expect those who they elect to represent them will show up and do their jobs," said Rep. Justin Walsh, a Westmoreland County Republican, in a news release about his bill. "If they can no longer fulfill their duties, it is expected the person would resign. Unfortunately, some of my constituents have not been represented fully due to a mayor refusing to attend to his elected responsibilities for more than a year. We need to create a way to remove those from office who don't do their job."
The measure arises from a situation in the Westmoreland County city of Monessen, where, according to Walsh, the mayor and one of four council members have not attended a single municipal meeting in over a year.
The bill was sent to the Senate.
Probation, parolereforms explored
The Senate Judiciary Committee in Harrisburg held hearings last week with criminal justice experts seeking ways to improve Pennsylvania's probation and parole system.
The hearings focused on a bill co-sponsored by Sens. Camera Bartolotta, a Washington County Republican, and Anthony Williams, a Philadelphia Democrat, to update probation policies to reduce the amount of time and money that is devoted to probationers who have completed their sentences.
Senate Bill 14 would limit the length of probation terms, provide a system of early termination of supervision for good behavior, and change the way that technical violations are handled when no crime is committed.
"The goal of probation and parole should be to help people turn their lives around and re-integrate into the community, but certain policies and practices can have the opposite effect," Bartolotta said in a news release about the bill.
Bartolotta cited the $100 million Pennsylvania spends annually to incarcerate people who commit technical parole violations, such as missing curfew or getting a speeding ticket, which she said does nothing to improve public safety or serve the interests of taxpayers.
Justice Action Network Deputy Director Jenna Moll testified that 17,600 Pennsylvanians had their probation revoked due to a technical violation in 2017 alone.
"Technical violations are both common and frustrating for probation agencies to handle," Moll said. "This one-size-fits-all response is expensive, eliminates any advancement made towards a productive and law-abiding life, and is disproportionate to the underlying issue."
Upper Pottsgrove narrows choice for new police chief
Berks burglary suspect, spotted with a safe in a toy wagon, flees by running across Route 222; police caught him anyway