After Minnesota shootings, some Pa. lawmakers seek privacy, personal protection increase

Yahoo

6 hours ago

The assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband June 14 has put a spotlight on the risks of serving in state offices, and Pennsylvania lawmakers are responding with several proposals to tighten security for themselves and their colleagues.
One proposal by Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta would enable state candidates and elected officials to spend campaign funds on professional security. The Federal Election Commission recently decided to give congressional lawmakers and other federal officeholders this flexibility, and Kenyatta argues state officials should have the same option.
More: Lawmakers call for more safety measures after Minnesota shooting
'This will ensure that public servants in our state have access to security services if needed, regardless of their means,' the Philadelphia Democrat wrote in a memo to colleagues.
He's also suggesting that Pennsylvania State Police expand responsibilities to provide security for legislative leaders, the attorney general, state treasurer and state auditor general, in addition to the governor and lieutenant governor.
A couple lawmakers want to enhance safety by shielding home addresses and other personal information about public officials. Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Hogan argues that, in the current climate of political tension, making addresses easily accessible to the public "presents a clear danger.'
In the Minnesota shooting, the gunman reportedly showed up at the front doors of both state Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, who had shared their addresses online. Hoffman and his wife were shot but survived.
'Stuff of nightmares': How investigators say attacks on Minn. lawmakers unfolded
Reporters and voters often use information about a candidate's place of residence to verify that they live in the district they're running to represent. Hogan, R-Bucks, said his forthcoming bill will lay out a process for checking a candidates' eligibility for office without making their home addresses easily available to the public.
A similar proposal advanced by Rep. Tim Briggs focuses primarily on data privacy for police officers, current and former judges and other people who work in the criminal justice system.
The Montgomery County Democrat wants to give these officials options to prevent online dissemination of their addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, license plates and other identifying information.
Briggs said that, in light of the Minnesota attacks, he'll also look at expanding these privacy protections to cover elected officials.
Legislative language for these three proposals has not yet been released, and Melissa Bevan Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said she'd have to see the bills before weighing in.
Still, she noted that Pennsylvania law already has certain provisions meant to protect officials, including one that exempts the addresses of judges and police officers from disclosure under the state's public records law. Privacy measures for elected leaders and other officials have to be carefully balanced against transparency requirements, she added.
"I think legislatures across the country are struggling with this issue," she said. "I don't think it's an easy thing to legislate."
And House Minority Leader Jesse Topper said that a large number of people usually know where state lawmakers live because they are prominent inside their legislative districts.
"State reps are very well-known in our communities," he said. "I think, to a certain degree, there's only so much that can be done in that realm."
Political violence has erupted in Pennsylvania several times in recent memory, including in July 2024 when Donald Trump, campaigning for a second term as president, narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler.
Then, in April, an alleged arsonist set fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro's mansion while the Democrat was sleeping upstairs. Shapiro and his family escaped unharmed. The Harrisburg man later charged with the attack said in a 911 call that he was angry at Shapiro, who is Jewish, because of the Gaza-Israel conflict.
Former Pennsylvania House Speaker Mark Rozzi recently revealed that he spent several months wearing a bulletproof vest in 2022, a period when he was being stalked by a man who thought Democrats were destroying America, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat, told the outlet the experience influenced his decision to exit politics.
Bethany Rodgers is a USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania investigative journalist.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PA lawmakers pitch safety measures following Minnesota shooting