Pa. state reps reach across the aisle to promote civility, the keystone of democracy

As a Democratic state representative from Philadelphia and a Republican state representative from Cumberland County, we developed a lasting friendship that started with a simple "hello" on the House floor. An effort that has become critical to us is restoring civility and bipartisanship in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Toward that end, we have joined forces to form a first-of-its-kind bipartisan caucus for the upcoming 2021-22 legislative session.

Democracy requires the consent of the governed. A republic requires respectful governing by representatives of the people. America is currently at the lowest point on both these necessities since the Civil War. The toxicity and intolerance in politics has grown to dangerous levels. Distrust or fear of government is the fastest way to destroy it. No one in America should fear their government or the police and an injustice to one is an injustice to all of us. Benjamin Franklin, a Philadelphian and former speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives implored: “Be civil to all and an enemy to none.”

President George W. Bush in his 2001 inaugural address said, “Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is a determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.” His successor President Barack Obama added: “Instead of giving in to cynicism and division, let’s move forward with the confidence and optimism and unity that define us as a people. Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully we need to find our way back to civility. And that begins with stepping out of our comfort zones in an effort to bridge divisions.”

That pursuit of civility by bridging divisions is a goal we are currently striving for. We channel the efforts of our late pioneers of the civility movement from our respective parties in the Keystone State, such as former Gov. Richard “Dick” Thornburgh, a Republican and a political gentleman whom we lost on New Year’s Eve, and the late Honorable Dave P. Richardson Jr., Kinsey’s predecessor and founding member and past-chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. Thornburgh was known for his moderation and respectful demeanor as a prosecutor, governor and U.S. attorney general. Richardson mastered the art of civility by compelling lawmakers to examine how policy affects communities color in the commonwealth.

After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest over police shootings, a toxic national campaign, and watching protesters storm the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the transfer of power, America expects after a change in presidential administrations. We desperately need a strong force of civility in our state government.

Gov. Thornburgh and state Rep. Richardson set an example and saw public service as the highest calling worthy of respect for both the constituents they represented, but also for those with whom they served. They held strong opinions on a variety of issues and fought for those ideas, but never with malice toward others and always with kindness and respect to those who did not necessarily agree with them.

Their spirit of kindness and respect is the guiding compass of our newly formed legislative body — which has a growing number of lawmakers pledging membership from both sides of the political aisle. It’s meant to serve as a medium through which Democrats and Republicans can come together through open dialogue with the goal of enacting meaningful policy that centers on helping the people of Pennsylvania.

We are not asking members to compromise their principles or vote against their districts, but we recognize that some compromise is a key element of both democracy and a civil society.

It is our intent to hold virtual meetings to allow our colleagues to interact with each other in a more informal setting, discuss bipartisan legislation as well as provide an audience for stakeholders throughout the commonwealth to present concerns to a bipartisan group.

Our caucus aims to buck this undercurrent of centering party matters in legislative matters, which sometimes deters members on both sides of the aisle from collaborating with each other. As lawmakers, working toward a better commonwealth for all should be our top priority, and legislating without listening can easily be a detriment to this goal.

Over the last five years, we have become dependable allies, and more importantly, dependable friends. Together we have promoted meaningful and diverse legislation, including raising the age to purchase tobacco to 21 and combating bullying in our schools. We have recently introduced a resolution to honor Jackie Robinson. We have never let partisanship impede the goal of doing what’s right for the people of this commonwealth. We have tried to be an example to other legislators from both sides of the aisle to look for what they have in common and respect each other.

Democracy requires unity and civility. In the legislature, despite our being from different districts and different political parties, we want to set the example that we can disagree with respect and civility. We should always be looking for what we have in common.

We are encouraging our colleagues to join us in stepping out of our comfort zones as we learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Our experiences shape how we legislate, but we must also be mindful about how our bills impact residents in different areas of the state. Consistently having conversations with members from these geographically and socially diverse regions reveal our similarities and help us to come together to create more sound legislation and, ultimately, a better Pennsylvania.

Rep. Stephen Kinsey (D-201) of Philadelphia, and Rep. Greg Rothman (R-87) of Cumberland County co-founded the new bipartisan caucus in the House of Representatives.