Senate Update

by Senator Chuck McIlhinney

Our men and women serving in the Armed Forces deserve a great deal of respect and admiration for their service to our country. The quantity and quality of Pennsylvanians serving in the military is a tremendous source of pride for our Commonwealth, and I would like to offer my personal thanks to all members of the military for keeping our nation safe and free.

Last year, I was approached about a troubling issue for some of our local military personnel by several members of Semper Fi Families, an organization that offers guidance and support to families of those serving in the military. Several military members who had stopped by to visit friends and teachers at their former schools were denied access because they were wearing military uniforms.

I was disappointed that some of our school officials would choose to discriminate against some of our bravest and most respected citizens in this manner. If those uniforms are good enough for our brave men and women to wear while defending our freedoms across the globe, then I strongly believe they are good enough to be worn in our public schools. I think that the vast majority of school officials would agree with this sentiment, but I believe that action is necessary to prevent this sort of discrimination in the future.

I have reintroduced legislation that would prohibit school officials from denying access to any member of the Armed Forces based on their uniform. Under Senate Bill 206, school officials would also be prohibited from imposing restrictions on wearing uniforms on school property. Visitors would still be expected to follow the school's visitor policy, but they would not be denied entry based on their uniform.

Senate Bill 206 was recently approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, and I am hopeful that the rest of my colleagues in the General Assembly will join me in opposing this unfair discrimination against our men and women in the Armed Forces. The members of our military have sacrificed a great deal to earn the right to wear those uniforms, and they should have every right to wear them proudly when they visit friends and former teachers in our local schools.

Senate Update is a monthly column written by Senator Chuck McIlhinney. Senator McIlhinney represents the 10th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Bucks and Montgomery Counties.