House Bill 497 Advances to Senate

by Auciel Hicks

After receiving a passing vote of 148-56 in the state house of representatives, Pennsylvania House Bill 497 (HB497) now moves to the Pennsylvania state senate backed with bi-partisan support.

The bill, which seeks to change election law, is primarily sponsored by Representative Joseph Webster (D-PA150). Chester County’s own Representative Chris Pielli (D-PA156) is one of the bill’s many co-sponsors.

Webster shared a memo to discuss more specifics about the bill, mentioning, “Current law prohibits foreign citizens and groups from spending on elections in the United States but allows domestic corporations to spend money on elections, even if they are partially or fully owned by foreign individuals or entities. This loophole in our laws has allowed foreign entities to influence our elections.”