Green Party of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, December 11, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT 

Chris Robinson, Communication Team Co-Leader

267-977-0570 and [email protected]

Green Party of PA Endorses Declaration of Democracy

Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) Co-chair Timothy Runkle (Lancaster) announced, “On December 5, the GPPA Steering Committee has endorsed the Declaration of Democracy statement from March On Harrisburg (MOH). GPPA Co-chair Theron Gilliland (Allegheny), who is also active with March on Harrisburg, submitted the proposal.”

“March On Harrisburg is a state-level, anti-corruption group which GPPA already supports and with which the Green Party has close ties and membership overlap,” continued Runkle. “MOH focuses on a legislative gift ban and ranked choice voting and is affiliated with Pennsylvania Action on Climate and Pennsylvania Poor People's Campaign. Furthermore ‘Democracy’ is one of the Four Pillars of the Green Party.”

Focusing on corruption within the PA General Assembly, the Declaration of Democracy says, “When it is legal to use money to buy political power and shape our society, we all pay the price. Our Legislature cannot serve both money and people. You cannot have ‘one person one vote’ and ‘one lobbyists dollar one vote’ at the same time. Every special interest has an army of PACs, and Super PACs to make sure that their voice is absolutely heard and the needs of working people are not. There are countless ways that money gets into politics. Countless ways that private, profit-driven interests are able to buy influence at the expense of the working class, our families, and our communities. While we lobby with reason, emotion, and people power, corporate lobbyists are armed with bribes and misinformation.”

The ten solutions proposed by the Declaration of Democracy are quite reasonable, “We demand a gift ban, campaign contribution limits, public campaign financing, bans on Super PACs, a ban on side jobs, and the closing of the revolving door. We demand an end to gerrymandering, open primaries, and ranked-choice voting, and we demand House and Senate rules that empower all legislators.”

Chair Jay Ting Walker, Green Party of Allegheny County, said, “It's disappointing but not surprising that so many no brainer, good government reforms have not come to a vote yet in Harrisburg. Hopefully the growing protests will finally get the attention of a corrupt capitol.”

GPPA Steering Committee Member Colleen Schmotzer (Allegheny) said, "The Declaration of Democracy resonates deeply with the core principles of a government that serves its people -- mainly Green Party values. It calls for an end to the undue influence of wealthy interests and a return to a system where lawmakers are accountable to their constituents, not to the highest bidder. By advocating for transparency, ethical governance, and the empowerment of the citizenry, this declaration seeks to fortify the very foundations of democracy. It's a call to action, urging us to recognize the power we hold to shape our society and to actively participate in the creation of a more just and equitable Pennsylvania. The Green Party is very happy to support this."

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA), https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and X, https://x.com/GreenPartyofPA

For more information:
Declaration of Democracy, March on Harrisburg, November 17, 2025, https://www.mohpa.org/blog/declaration-of-democracy

“Green Party Promotes Strong Democracy in PA,” Green Party of Pennsylvania News Release, February 20, 2019, https://www.gp.org/green_party_promotes_strong_democracy

Four Pillars, Green Party of the U.S.,
https://www.gp.org/the_four_pillars

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