A deal to close a loophole in state House rules that works to protect lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct from facing institutional sanction is being quietly negotiated, leaders in the chamber confirm.

The resolution under discussion would expand rules adopted several years ago that bar representatives from engaging in "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature" against state House employees, per Spotlight PA.

Critics say those existing rules — adopted after a former state House lawmaker was accused of sexual misconduct, including against a colleague, and refused to leave the General Assembly — don't go far enough.

The rules still leave hundreds of people, from state Senate and administration officials to lobbyists and journalists, unprotected under state House policies. While an aggrieved person can seek legal action, the state House is unable to consider the complaint and handle it institutionally.

And by focusing on fellow employees, the current rule takes a restrictive view of the job of a lawmaker, which also includes on-duty ribbon cuttings, fundraisers, and constituent meetings, a 2019 report on the General Assembly's sexual harassment policies noted. 

THE CONTEXT: The bipartisan resolution currently under discussion would broaden the scope, specifically forbidding lawmakers from engaging in sexual harassment "while performing House-related services or duties or in or on any House owned or leased property or facilities."

In 2019, then-state Rep. Brian Ellis (R., Butler) was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at his Harrisburg residence. The person who brought the allegation was a state employee, but not a state House employee, and could not file an ethics complaint. Ellis denied the allegations.

The eight-member House Ethics Committee is charged with enforcing the chamber's rules and investigating potential violations. Consequences could range from censure to expulsion, depending on official findings.

Right now, victims who approach the committee but don't work for the state House would have to seek a remedy elsewhere, said state Rep. Todd Stephens (R., Montgomery), chair of the committee.

The changes being eyed by chamber leaders would also allow the committee to release information on its investigations if "information regarding a complaint or an investigation has entered into the public domain."

READING RECS: Sunday is Juneteenth, a holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S. The Philadelphia Inquirer's A More Perfect Union series offers a powerful look at the roots of systemic racism in the cradle of American democracy and the inequities that persist hundreds of years later.

DADDY ISSUE: Sunday is also Father's Day, and we dedicated a recent edition of our PA Local newsletter to the founding father of this commonwealth and the king-size debt that created Pennsylvania as we know it.

VOTE GEAR: A Doug Mastriano hat worn inside a Somerset County polling place on primary day rekindled a debate there about Election Day limits on political attire. The Tribune-Democrat lays out the legal precedents.

'DYNAMIC DUO': Here's a fun one from Pittsburgh City Paper about a pair of beagles that became a "hyper-local Nextdoor pet sensation." 

COFFEE KIND: Which Philly coffee shop are you? To find out, simply consult Philebrity's handy alignment chart (lawful, neutral, chaotic, etc.).