Stories tagged: "Jessica Benham"

LGBTQ Gov. Tom Wolf and state Reps. Jessica Benham (at podium), Dan Frankel, Malcolm Kenyatta, and Brian Sims speak at a news conference to unveil the Pennsylvania Fairness Act in June. The bill, which would ban discrimination against LGBTQ communities, has been sitting in committee for months. (Courtesy of Pennsylvania House of Representatives)
LGBTQ GOP Lawmakers Failed Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ Communities Again in 2021

Republicans could have stepped up this year to prevent LGBTQ discrimination and remove stigmatizing language in the PA criminal code. They chose not to.

Patrick Berkery Patrick Berkery December 29, 2021 1:55 pm EST
State State Rep. Jessica Benham is sworn in on Jan. 5, 2021. Benham is the first openly queer woman and openly autistic person elected to the state Legislature. (Courtesy of Pennsylvania House of Representatives)
State More Women Than Ever Are in the PA Legislature. That’s Still Not Enough.

Women make up approximately 51% of the state population, but just under 29% of the state Legislature. Several groups are working to change that.

Patrick Abdalla Patrick Abdalla March 18, 2021 6:11 pm EDT
Elections Courtesy of Jessica Benham
Elections From ‘Bad Kid’ to the State House: Meet Jessica Benham, Pennsylvania’s First Openly Autistic, Bisexual Representative

Newly elected state Rep. Jessica Benham is changing the makeup of the Pennsylvania Legislature.

Ashley Adams Ashley Adams November 16, 2020 6:05 pm EST

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A woman holds photos of gun violence victims at a rally at the Pennsylvania Capitol pressing for stronger gun-control laws, Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy) Law and Order Community Members From Across PA Gather in Harrisburg to Urge Lawmakers to Take Steps to End Gun Violence
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, takes the stage at an election night party in Pittsburgh, early Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Mental health John Fetterman Expected to Return to Senate ‘Soon,’ but No Specific Timeline Yet
This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio are still on fire at mid-day Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Environment Testing Shows No Signs of Soil, Water Contamination in Pa. From Ohio Train Wreck and Chemical Burn
In this 2018 file photo, a makeshift memorial stands outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in the aftermath of a deadly shooting in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Law and Order As Trial Nears, Lawyers for Suspect in Tree of Life Massacre Cite Mental Health Issues