VICTORY: We Passed Our First Bill!
After years of advocacy, lobbying, marching, and nonviolent direct action, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed the first bill from our legislative agenda: no-excuse absentee ballots (vote by mail!)
The legislation, SB 421, also cuts the registration deadline from 30 days before an election to 15 days before the election. While we're still pushing for same-day registration, the change gets us half-way there.
This is the first electoral code rewrite since 1937 and it only passed because of the tireless work of the democracy movement in Pennsylvania (including but not limited to Common Cause PA and the League of Women Voters PA.)
MarchOnHarrisburg has been lobbying in the State Capitol about this bill for years, and pushed for final support since legislators returned to session this fall.
This is the first win of a long journey to make corruption illegal and take democracy where it's never been.
After we celebrate this historic victory, we will head back to the Capitol Building in next week to continue to advocate for the rest of our legislative agenda and push for a hearing on a gift ban.