HARRISBURG – Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) today supported Senate passage of legislation that will let voters decide whether the Pennsylvania Constitution should be amended to create a voter ID requirement, provide sexual abuse victims with a way to sue their abusers and reform the state regulatory review process.
The General Assembly previously approved the amendments in the 2021-22 legislative session. Approval of Senate Bill 1 this session would let voters have their say.
“The citizens of my district and statewide shouldn’t be treated as mere spectators in the debates over these crucial issues, they deserve to have a voice,” Coleman said. “These issues are not new. For years, legislators have made their opinions known. Now, it’s time for the people to decide.”
Thirty-five states, the world’s developed countries and many developing ones have voter photo ID requirements, and a 2021 Franklin and Marshall College poll found that 74% of Pennsylvania voters said the commonwealth should join them in making elections more secure.
Senate Bill 1 also includes a proposed constitutional amendment that will create a two-year window to allow sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers. Victims of sexual abuse who were abused as children have been unable to seek justice after the age of 30 due to a statute of limitations provision in Pennsylvania law.
In addition, Senate Bill 1 includes a separate proposed amendment that would allow the General Assembly to reject a regulation by majority approval, as opposed to a two-thirds vote, in both legislative chambers.
Under Pennsylvania’s current regulatory review process, the executive branch has circumvented the General Assembly and the normal legislative process, ignoring any legislative or public input that runs counter to executive branch regulatory goals.
“The process for amending the constitution is a lengthy one, as it should be. A majority of lawmakers supported these amendments in the previous legislative session, and the Senate has taken a step to secure approval in the current session,” Coleman said. “I urge the House of Representatives to follow suit and give the people the power to finally decide these serious matters.”
CONTACT: Gary Day