HARRISBURG, PA — Following the historic passage of House Bill 99 and House Bill 888 out of the House Judiciary Committee, Pennsylvanians Against the Death Penalty (PADP) joined forces with a growing coalition of organized labor to urge House Majority Leader Matt Bradford to swiftly call the bills to the full House floor for a vote.
The two bipartisan bills—which would completely abolish capital punishment in the Commonwealth for all future sentencing—now await scheduling by Leader Bradford. Advocacy leaders emphasize that a vote on this legislation is backed by a united front of working-class institutions representing millions of workers nationwide and thousands across Pennsylvania.
Organized Labor’s Unified Stance on Capital Punishment
Major labor organizations have formally recognized that capital punishment fails working families:
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Service Employees International Union (SEIU): “Our death penalty system has been, by all measures, a failure. It has discriminated against defendants who are mentally ill, black and brown, or can’t afford expensive legal representation. It has provided no public safety benefit or value as a deterrent. It has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars.”
- UAW Region 9: Formally extending solidarity to end the state death penalty, UAW Region 9 framed its opposition around protecting working-class families and marginalized communities from irreversible state errors. The union made H.B. 888 a top legislative priority for the current legislative session.
- National Education Association (NEA): In its standing resolutions on judicial fairness and human rights, the NEA explicitly mandates working to “eliminate racial and socio-economic inequities in law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing of defendants,” specifically targeting capital punishment for its disproportionate impact on low-income and minority communities.
“With H.B. 99 and H.B. 888 successfully through committee, the path forward is clear, but the ball is entirely in leadership’s court,” said Kathleen Lucas, Executive Director of PADP. “From the long-established positions of national unions to the momentum generated by regional endorsements, working people have made their voices heard. We look to Leader Matt Bradford to recognize this labor consensus and allow the full House to vote on ending this broken system.”
Voices from Rank-and-File Union Members
Rank-and-file union members in South-Central Pennsylvania are also adding their voices to the call for action:
“As a 50-year union member, I know our labor movement is built on protecting workers from injustice,” said Hank Maul, former Vice President of the York Adams Labor Council and 50-year member of the International Association of Machinists (IAM). “Capital punishment expands state authority over life and death—a power that historically and continuously penalizes working-class people without wealth or status. It is time for Pennsylvania to end it.”
Take Action
PADP calls on fair-justice advocates across Pennsylvania to contact Leader Bradford’s office and request a floor vote on H.B. 99 and H.B. 888.
