House Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, is pictured during a news conference. Siegel is proposing more strict punishment for those convicted of an attack, plot or violence against elected officials in Pennsylvania.

A state lawmaker has introduced legislation that will impose life prison sentences upon those convicted of an attack, plot or violence against elected officials in Pennsylvania.

State Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, introduced House Bill 1698 in the spring, with the bill referred to the House Judiciary Committee on July 3.

“Our democracy is under siege,” Siegel said. “Extreme partisanship and inflammatory political rhetoric have fueled a dangerous culture of violent extremism. This isn’t just a political issue. This is about the safety of those who serve and the stability of our democratic institutions.”

Siegel’s co-sponsorship memorandum noted the arson attack against Gov. Josh Shapiro in April, while Pennsylvania was also the site of an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in July 2024.

Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting fire to Shapiro’sofficial residence, is currently being held at the state prison in Waymart, the only state prison with a mental health unit for men, according to the state Department of Corrections. Balmer, 38, is charged with attempted homicide, arson and other offenses for setting a fire that tore through a section of the state-owned residence’s first floor and forced the governor, his wife, children and members of his extended family to flee in the middle of the night, hours after they celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover with a Seder in the residence. Balmer told police that he had intended to attack the governor with a hammer if he had encountered him that night, police said in a court filing. No one was injured in the blaze, which fire officials say caused millions of dollars in damage to the heavily protected residence.

Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., was fatally shot by Secret Service agents after firing a shot that grazed the upper part of Trump’s right ear.

Siegel’s proposed legislation aims to give the judicial system greater power to hold accountable those who target public servants with violence, with the harshest penalties available under state law.

“Violence against public officials doesn’t just harm individuals. It undermines the rule of law, disrupts governance, and erodes public trust in our democracy. Our system requires the use of the ballot box and not bullets or bombs to resolve our disputes and disagreements,” Siegel said. “We must send a clear, unequivocal message that these acts of political terrorism will not be tolerated in Pennsylvania.”

House Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, has introduced legislation in the wake of a mid-June shooting that killed Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and left state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife critically injured, allowing Pennsylvania’s state-level elected officials and candidates to increase protection.

Kenyatta proposes allowing candidates and officials to use campaign funds to hire professional security personnel and services. Federal candidates are allowed to do so.

“Let’s be clear: what happened in Minnesota wasn’t just tragic–it was a deliberate, evil act of political violence. And it should shake every one of us to our core,” Kenyatta said. “We are living in a moment where public servants are being targeted for doing their jobs. That is not democracy. That is terrorism. In addition to this horrific attack, we saw our own Governor, Josh Shapiro, endure a fire at his home in the Governor’s Residence while his family slept. And last summer, innocent bystanders were killed during an attempted assassination of President Trump. State lawmakers across the country are facing escalating threats and abuse from individuals who feel emboldened to use violence.”