The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of the Catholic bishops across the state. We monitor hundreds of pieces of legislation throughout the year and determine whether or not to take a position for or against what we feel are the ones most important to our faith.
This Voter Guide includes a cross-section of seven bills spanning seven categories to show how incumbent legislators have voted. We have also invited their challengers in the general election to indicate how they would vote on these same bills. This guide is meant to be an educational piece, which we hope will provide you with information so that you can make your own decisions.
A listing of the bills used for this comparison and their descriptions are below. Please understand we continue to work with legislators from all parties on various pieces of legislation. Unlike these, not all of that legislation has been sent to the Governor.
The Conference neither supports nor opposes any candidate or political party. The Catholic Conference aims to educate and inform Catholics about a wide range of issues.
List of issues included for comparison:
Pro Life:
House Bill 321 was a prolife measure which would prohibit the aborting of a fetus solely on the basis of a possible diagnosis of Down syndrome. The PCC strongly supported this bill and worked with prolife lawmakers to gain its passage. The bill passed both the House and the Senate but was vetoed by Governor Wolf.
Criminal Justice Reform:
Senate Bill 637 is a bill that will remove procedural boundaries that have prevented many ex-offenders from getting professional licenses in a number of professions. The PCC supported this measure, which got bi-partisan support. It’s a bill that many law enforcement professionals say will result in a reduction of crime. The bill passed both chambers and was recently signed by the Governor.
Disability Rights:
Senate Bill 906 was a measure that would delay the closing of two state long-term centers. The Wolf Administration had called for the closing of both facilities, but the PCC had concerns about what would happen to the residents. We supported the bill, which passed both the House and Senate but was vetoed by the Governor.
Health Care:
House Bill 427 required that health insurers stay out of decisions between doctors and patients suffering from Stage IV metastatic cancer. The PCC supported this measure.
Human Trafficking:
Senate Bill 60 increased penalties for those connected with crimes of human trafficking. The PCC actively supported this measure in continuing with our efforts to work against human trafficking. This bill was one such bill that was passed and signed into law by the Governor this session.
Poverty:
House Bill 33 was a move to eliminate public assistance due to a purported lack of accountability of recipients. Voting ‘yes’ on the bill would advocate the ending of that $200 per month payment. The PCC opposed this bill. The bill ultimately was signed into law.
School Choice:
House Bill 800 was a bill that would have provided tax credits toward children who were attending a failing public school and wanted to attend another school of their choice. The PCC supported this measure as we do with all bills designed to further school choice. Both the House and Senate approved the measure but it was vetoed by the Governor.
Detailed voting breakdown of legislators voting with or against PCC’s position:
Senate
|
District |
Candidate |
SB 637 |
SB 906 |
HB 427 |
SB 60 |
HB 33 |
HB 321 |
HB 800 |
|
11 |
Judith Schwank (D)* |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
11 |
Annette C. Baker (R) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
29 |
David Argall(R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
*incumbent
House
|
District |
Candidate |
HB 321 |
SB 637 |
SB 906 |
HB 427 |
SB 60 |
HB 33 |
HB 800 |
|
5 |
Barry J. Jozwiak (R*) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
5 |
Graham S. Gonzales (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22 |
Peter Schweyer (D)* |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
122 |
Doyle Heffley (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
123 |
Peter James Symons (D) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
123 |
Timothy F. Twardzik (R) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
124 |
Jerome P. Knowles (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
124 |
Taylor Evan Picone (D) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
125 |
Joseph P. Kerwin (R) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
126 |
Mark Rozzi (D)* |
NV |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
NV |
Yes |
|
126 |
James Daniel Oswald (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
127 |
Vincent D. Gagliardo (R) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
127 |
Manuel Guzman (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
128 |
Mark M. Gillen (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
129 |
James A. Cox,(R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
129 |
Kelly McDonough (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
130 |
David M. Maloney (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
130 |
Francis Lamar Foley (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
131 |
Kevin Branco (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
131 |
V. Milou MacKenzie (R) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
132 |
Michael Schlossberg SchMichael (D)* |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
133 |
Jeanne McNeill (D)* |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
133 |
David Molony (R) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
134 |
Ryan Mackenzie (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
135 |
Stephen Samuelson (D)* |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
135 |
Scott J. Hough (R) |
Yes |
Yes |
NV |
Yes |
Yes |
NV |
Yes |
|
136 |
Robert Freeman (D)* |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
137 |
Joseph T. Emrick (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
137 |
Katelind A. Brennan (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
138 |
Ann L. Flood (R) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
138 |
Tara M. Zrinski (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
District |
Candidate |
HB 321 |
SB 637 |
SB 906 |
HB 427 |
SB 60 |
HB 33 |
HB 800 |
|
183 |
Jason Ruff (D) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
187 |
Gary Day (R)* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
187 |
Michael E. Blichar (D) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
