| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| State Rep. Angel Cruz | State Rosita C. Youngblood |
Youngblood, Cruz vote to protect jobs for working Pennsylvanians
HARRISBURG, Oct. 25 – State Reps. Rosita C. Youngblood and Angel Cruz, D-Phila., stood up for working Pennsylvanians and voted against legislation that would place unnecessary restrictions on employment opportunities for employees of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The proposal, H. B. 2010, which was before the House Gaming Oversight Committee today, would prohibit all employees of the PGCB, regardless of their job requirements, from being hired by a Pennsylvania casino for two years after their employment ended with the Board. Both Cruz and Youngblood said this bill unfairly targets entry-level and other employees who play no role in how casinos are operated, regulated or developed.
“At a time when unemployment is hovering above 8 percent statewide, and 10 percent for the city of Philadelphia, why would we be passing legislation that would limit job opportunities for workers who have no hand in the decision-making process?” Youngblood said. “This is a frivolous bill that will create hardships for hundreds of working Pennsylvanians. The majority party in the House should be focused on bills that will help create jobs, not make it harder for people to fill them.”
Youngblood, Democratic Chairwoman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, added that employees of the PGCB who influence the outcome of any decision made by the Board, or who play any role in developing policy, licensing or enforcement, are already covered by the two year post-employment restrictions under current law.
Cruz agreed with his colleague, and said the PGCB would become the only state agency to limit the job opportunities for all of it employees. He said such barriers to finding better employment flies in the face of what America is all about.
“No other state agency requires its employees to jump through hoops to simply make a decent living,” Cruz said. “We have folks from the Department of Environmental Protection leaving to work for Marcellus Shale natural gas companies. We have folks who leave the Insurance Department and go directly to the insurance industry. And these are high-profile employees who have a direct hand in policy. But a custodian working for the Gaming Control Board must wait two years before he can get a job at a casino as a blackjack dealer? It just doesn’t seem right.”
Both Cruz and Youngblood said they would continue to fight H.B. 2010 if it reaches the House floor for full consideration.
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