Scott to introduce legislative package to protect government representation
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus August 19, 2025 | 9:44 AM
HARRISBURG, Aug. 19 – In the wake of the June assassination of Minnesota Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, state Rep. Greg Scott soon will introduce a package of bills designed to improve the safety and security of members of the General Assembly.
The violent political attacks in Minnesota came on the heels of the arson of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence and the attempted firebombing of Nanticoke’s Rep. Alec Ryncavage’s office earlier this year.
“These incidents only underscore the fact that political violence is on the rise, including here in Pennsylvania,” said Scott, D-Montgomery. “Political violence has no place in our democracy, and it is paramount that state legislators are safe while serving the people of Pennsylvania.”
According to a Brennan Center for Justice survey, 43% of state legislators reported experiencing threats and 38% reported the amount of abuse increased after they took office.
Scott’s first bill, co-prime-sponsored by Reps. Roni Green, D-Phila., and Heather Boyd, D-Delaware, would exempt the home address of a Pennsylvania legislator from public access under the Right-to-Know Law, a protection that already exists for state judges. Scott said this not only would make it more difficult for someone to learn the location of where they are least protected, but also limit a factor that may deter quality individuals from seeking office.
“No one should have to live in fear of their personal information being accessible to anyone who requests it,” he said.
Green agreed. "The work that we do is crucial to our communities. Our safety as legislators is threatened, and we must not let fear be a deterrent to our work. This bill is necessary to combat the rise in political violence across our nation,” she said.
A second bill would permit legislators to file a certificate of nomination to declare their candidacy for office, rather than requiring them to gather signatures on a nomination petition, similar to the requirements currently followed by magisterial district judges.
“This will help improve safety while allowing incumbents to be more focused on legislative rather than campaigning,” he said.
Scott’s third bill would establish a Capitol Police Board and transfer jurisdiction of the Capitol Police – currently overseen by the governor – to the board. This mirrors how the U.S. Capitol police force operates and would enable the legislature to evaluate whether security arrangements are sufficient in this politically volatile environment.
His final bill would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to require each member of the General Assembly to name three people who could serve as their temporary replacement should he or she die while in office. The individual named would serve as the legislator until a special election is held to fill the vacancy.
“This will ensure that the work done by the General Assembly is not affected by the death of a member, while also protecting Pennsylvanians from going without representation in state government,” Scott said.
All four bills are currently being circulated for co-sponsors and will be formally introduced soon.