Latest news with #PennsylvaniaNewsMediaAssociation
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After Minnesota shootings, some Pa. lawmakers seek privacy, personal protection increase
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
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pa. Supreme Court ruling limits access to mug shots
County prisons in Northeast Pennsylvania have stopped providing mug shots of accused criminals to media organizations, with officials citing a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling as the reason for the change. The unanimous high court ruling in April in Mezzacappa v. Northampton County states that mug shots are categorized as 'identifiable descriptors' and county agencies are prohibited from distributing them under the state's Criminal History Record Information Act, or CHRIA. Police departments may provide mug shots to noncriminal justice agencies, such as media organizations, and individuals. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association takes issue with the ruling and submitted a brief to the state Supreme Court before its decision, stressing the importance of transparency when it comes to the dissemination of public documents. 'The records in this case provide significant insight into law enforcement actions and the administration of justice, and they have been available to press since law enforcement began using photography to document individuals taken into government custody,' the brief read. Melissa Melewsky, attorney for the news media organization, said that mug shots do not only provide a photo of an accused criminal at the time of their arrest; they provide a historical account of the demeanor of the accused at the time of their arrest. 'For instance, the mug shot of civil rights icon Rosa Parks displays dignity and resolve in the face of racial segregation and conveys commitment to her act of civil disobedience, in addition to serving as an official record of the fact that she was arrested,' she said. Another example Melewsky provided was Jerry Sandusky's mug shots released first by the Pennsylvania attorney general's office after his 2011 arrest and then by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections after he began serving his sentence. 'These photographs were used in media coverage initially to illustrate the defendant's custody, appearance and countenance, and then later, to confirm that the defendant was incarcerated as required by law,' she said of Sandusky's mug shot. Also significant was the release of President Donald's Trump mug shot in 2023, interesting to both his supporters and detractors, she said. Trump himself posted the image to his account on X, formerly Twitter. Local impact Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher has put a pause on providing mug shots to media sources while his office evaluates the opinion to ensure the office is complying with the law. Gallagher also plans to contact district attorneys from other counties in the state to have an understanding of their interpretation of the ruling. Luzerne County prison officials received a memo Thursday morning indicating they were no longer at liberty to provide mug shots to media sources because of the ruling. A Schuylkill County Prison employee told a Times-Tribune reporter that the prison had stopped providing mug shots to the media as of Wednesday and that officials were reviewing the ruling. * Trump (SUBMITTED) * Jerry Sandusky (SUBMITTED) * The front of the Lackawanna County Prison in Scranton Thursday, April 10, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * ROSA PARKS (SUBMITTED) Show Caption 1 of 4 Trump (SUBMITTED) Expand Supreme Court decision The case that ultimately led to April's Supreme Court decision had its roots in a Nov. 7, 2020, Right to Know request. Tricia Mezzacappa submitted the request to Northampton County Prison for the mug shots of two individuals who had allegedly been detained at the prison. The county denied the request Dec. 15, 2020, claiming the records were exempt from disclosure because they related to criminal investigations. Mezzacappa appealed and the county released the mug shots to her. In Dec. 28, 2020, Mezzacappa filed a second Right to Know request, seeking 'all mugshots taken of all inmates at the jail from October 2020 to present, including inmates released on bail' and other documents. On Feb. 3, 2021, the county denied Mezzacappa's request for the mug shots, indicating they were 'insufficiently specific and unduly burdensome in the context requested.' In denying the request, Northampton County said the mug shots comprise criminal history record information under CHRIA and that the photos could be released only by state or local police departments. In March 2021, Mezzacappa appealed the denial to the Office of Open Records, which directed the county to provide the mug shots. Northampton County, however, challenged the decision in Commonwealth Court, which ruled in favor of the Office of Open Records and directed the release of the mug shots. Ultimately, the county challenged that decision in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ruled in its favor and reversed the Commonwealth Court ruling. 'We conclude that mug shots constitute 'identifiable descriptions' as contemplated in CHRIA's definition of 'criminal history record information,'' the court wrote. 'We further conclude that … criminal history record information may only be disseminated to noncriminal justice agencies and individuals by a police department, and, thus, that the County, as a non-law enforcement agency, is prohibited from releasing the mug shots requested.' History of mug shots The official use of mug shots can be traced to Birmingham, England, in 1848, when police officers began taking photos of prostitutes and thieves. A book from that time period titled 'Accusare: Storia del Novecento' includes mug shots, indicating that at least some of those photos became public, according to a recent collection of mug shots and information compiled by local historian Nicholas Petula in his book, 'Faces of the Accused: A History of Scranton Mugshots and Criminal Activity.' Scranton, with a growing crime problem, began using a mug shot system in the 1890s, with photos accompanied by a description of the accused. Many of those mug shots became public and are included in Petula's book.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pottsville City Council poised to select new mayor, maybe
POTTSVILLE — City council is having a special meeting at 6:30 tonight with the main order of business selecting a new mayor. Pottsville Mayor Mark Atkinson stepped down abruptly in early May for health reasons. He was finishing the unexpired term of Mayor Dave Clews, who also resigned for health reasons. Four candidates have submitted a letter of interest for the mayoral seat: City council members Andy Wollyung a Democrat, who recently ran on the Democratic ballot in the May 20 primary, Tom Smith, a Republican who also ran in the May 20 primary; William Messaros, also a member of city council; and Mikaela Gavaletz, an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. With two of the four siting council members seeking the mayoral seat, the potential for a conflict of interest arises as they can't vote for themselves, said Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. According to the Pennsylvania Ethics Act, a conflict of interest arises if a person uses their authority or their public office/employment or confidential information received through their public office or employment, which is used for the private, pecuniary (monetary) benefit of the public official/public employee himself, any member of his immediate family, or business with which he or a member of their family is associated. Ed Brennan, solicitor for city council, was not immediately available for comment. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro receives media award for enacting bill to protect free speech
State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro has been recognized for his efforts to protect First Amendment freedoms. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, a nonprofit trade association for print and online news media, awarded Bizzarro its 2024 Advocate of the Year award, according to a news release Monday. The award recognizes Bizzarro's role in helping to enact legislation that protects against frivolous lawsuits targeting individuals or organizations ― including news media outlets ― that speak out on issues of public interest or concern. Philadelphia attorney Michael Berry, who drafted the legislation, was also awarded the 2024 Advocate of the Year award. Bizzarro's bill, which became the state's new anti-SLAPP law, will curtail Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs. These lawsuits have been historically used to silence or deter people from sounding a warning against people or organizations that take a position on a matter of public interest. The new law establishes a mechanism to quickly dismiss SLAPP lawsuits based on protection of free speech through a court motion. If the dismissal motion is granted, defendants may recover legal fees and damages from the lawsuit. More: Democrat Bizzarro easily wins re-election in 3rd District state House contest Bizarro, D-3rd, was the prime sponsor of the legislation. The bill passed both the House and Senate with unanimous support and was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro on July 17. 'I'm a strong advocate for the First Amendment, and in these uncertain times it is important to preserve our rights to protest and speak up against injustice,' Bizzarro said in the news release. 'I'm glad I could make sure 2024 was the year we finally got this done.' Bizzarro added it was an honor to be recognized beside Berry. 'He has been the constant in this effort, translating advocacy into action in the Legislature," Bizzarro said. "Mike was there to catch the smallest details and made sure we had an effective bill that both parties and both chambers could agree to. The unanimous votes are proof of that." Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association President and CEO William Cotter praised Bizzarro and Berry for their efforts. 'We are so appreciative of Rep. Bizzarro and Mike Berry's tireless efforts and support of Pennsylvania's anti-SLAPP law, seeing it across the finish line after more than 10 years of work," he said in the release. 'The new law will have an incredibly positive impact on local journalism statewide and protect freedom of expression for all Pennsylvanians.'' Bizzarro, who was sworn in to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2013, is serving his seventh two-year term in the 3rd legislative district, which covers Millcreek and Fairview townships. Bizzarro, 39, is from Millcreek Township. More: Bizzarro draws line: Pa. Senate must act on public transit plan vital to Erie growth A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@ Follow him on X @ETNRao. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Bizzarro receives media award for efforts to protect free speech
