Apparently Harrisburg Republicans have been energized by the return of Donald Trump and his allies to power in Washington. In recent weeks, Republicans in the General Assembly have introduced a series of bills targeting schools, their libraries and librarians, as well as LGBTQ+ and other marginalized students.
In the House, two bills were introduced in quick succession by Rep. Barbara Gleim, a Republican representing Cumberland County. Gleim reportedly has an affiliation with Moms for Liberty, having been endorsed by the radical right-wing hate group in the last election. Gleim touted that endorsement on her social media platforms.
Both of Gleim’s bills were introduced on Jan. 22. The first is HB 236, titled “Removing Obscene Materials from Our School Libraries.” The second is HB 227, titled “The Honesty in Teaching Act.”
On Feb. 3, Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano introduced SB 230, titled “Parental Control of Student Exposure to Sexually Explicit Content in Schools.” Mastriano is remembered for his failed bid for governor, losing to Josh Shapiro. The senator is a radical right-winger, known for his MAGA-centric positions such as opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights and election denialism. Mastriano is also a Moms for Liberty favorite.
All three bills, as per General Assembly protocol, were referred immediately to their appropriate Education Committee.
Gleim’s two House bills immediately garnered opposition from LGBTQ+ activists. The Eastern PA Trans Equity Project put out notices on social media specifying why the bills are problematic for schools and students.
For the “Removing Obscene Materials” bill, the Project pointed out: 1.) the legislation would supersede the authority of professional educators; 2.) impose unreasonable burdens on schools, forcing them to self-censor materials and books to comply with the law; 3.) it doesn’t define “obscene material” which would cause material not normally considered obscene (e.g., “The Diary of Anne Frank”) to be censored; and 4.) it targets an already vulnerable population. The warning goes on to state that “while not directly [stated] in the legislation, the clear intent is to target content that is affirming to LGBTQ youth and is part of a larger effort to control what people are allowed to read.”
For the “Honesty in Teaching Act,” the Project points out that 1.) This legislation is merely a new version of a bill formerly called “The Anti-Indoctrination in Education Act”; 2.) is vague, in that the law would prohibit schools from “indoctrinating” students without defining what constitutes “indoctrination”; 3.) it would encourage “bothsidesism,” for example, teaching about the Holocaust would also require equal time be given to Holocaust denialism; and 4.) would allow teachers to not teach “controversial” subjects if they disagree with the curriculum, such as the cause of the Civil War.
PGN reached out to one of Philadelphia’s local Harrisburg representatives, Mary Louise Isaacson (D) from District 175, who is a member of the House Education Committee. Her response was swift and unequivocal: “More anti-education legislation right out of the playbook of Moms for Liberty.”
As for the prospects for Geim’s bills advancing, or even passing, Isaacson expressed no doubt.
“They’re not going anywhere this session,” she confidently stated. “This is just more of the GOP trying to limit children’s access to education; thing is, we [Democrats] have a majority in the House, and we’re not going to stand for it.”
On the Senate side of the state legislature, Mastriano has long been known as an enthusiastic follower of the MAGA agenda. In announcing his intention to re-introduce his “Parental Control” bill, he released a legislative memo that read, in part, “In the past year, I have been contacted by parents concerned with inappropriate content in their children’s school curriculum and library books. This issue is certainly not unique to Pennsylvania as parents across the country have been shocked at the increasingly sexualized material being provided to their children.”
Mastriano’s legislative language, as is usually the case with such bills, is vague about what exactly constitutes “inappropriate” content. In practice, however, it almost always involves LGBTQ+ themes or characters, or history or social issues involving other marginalized communities. The bill’s language, as in the case of Gleim’s bills, is straight out of the Moms for Liberty playbook.
Unfortunately, Republicans hold the majority in the State Senate, and so holds the majority on the Education Committee. Mastriano himself holds the position of Vice Chair. The result is that the odds of passage out of committee and in the full Senate are better, but will face an uphill battle in the House, and a hostile governor in Shapiro.
PGN reached out to Democratic members of the Senate Education Committee for comment on Mastriano’s bill. Philadelphia’s local state Sen. Anthony Williams is a member of the Education Committee, but he did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lindsey Williams, (District 38) representing Allegheny County, is minority Chair of the Education committee. In a statement to PGN, she made her opposition to Mastriano’s bill — and to the overall Republican agenda — clear.
“Since book ban bills like SB230 were first introduced in Pennsylvania, the scapegoating of LGBTQ+, trans and non-binary kids in service of the rapid dismantling of public education and democracy has only increased,” she said. “While this bill is likely to pass out of the Senate Education committee like it did last session, it does not mean it will become law. It does, however, have a real impact on the students who are already under attack. Proposals, even if they do not make it to the Governor’s desk, cause real harm. So let me be clear. No bill or law or executive order will erase queer and trans kids from existence.”
She continued: “Beyond deserving to live, trans and LGBTQ+ kids deserve to thrive. And they deserve access to books that reflect their lived experience and schools where they feel safe and supported. I was a No the last two times this bill came up, I will be a No this session, and I will be a No for any step the Senate takes towards dismantling protections for all students. My office would like to be a resource for trans children and their families. If you or anyone you know is looking for help, please contact one of my offices. We would be honored to serve you, regardless of where you live in Pennsylvania.”
Sen. Williams’ office speculates that no action will be taken on SB 230 until the Senate reconvenes at the end of March.