Cigar, ski and seersucker clubs — all for Pa. lawmakers

HARRISBURG — It reads like a roster of after-school clubs: There is the Ski Caucus. The Bicycle Caucus. There is even a caucus for people who like to dress up in seersucker suits.

But you won’t find this list on a local high-school bulletin board. It’s in the Pennsylvania legislature.

The state’s 253-member legislature is home to nearly 100 specialty caucuses. Some take on weighty issues, such as criminal justice reform, racial equality, and early childhood education.

But others have lighter agendas that sound as if they are extracurricular activities. Take the Afterschool Caucus. Or the Craft Brewers Caucus. Or the Cigar Caucus.

Some weren’t even started by legislators. Instead, lobbyists representing niche interests launched them and run the show, said pollster and political analyst G. Terry Madonna, who has followed Pennsylvania politics for decades.

“These organizations want to make sure that they can get their issues in the minds of lawmakers, make sure they understand the issues, and get support,” said Madonna, adding that lobbyists sometimes meet with legislators in a caucus one-on-one or take a handful of them “out to lunch, golf or socialize.”

Some legislators involved in caucuses defend them, saying they’re informational and help to build bonds among legislators. Most are not funded by taxpayer dollars, let alone cost anything.

But there are critics who think they are a waste of time.

“To just have a group of guys get together so they can have parties with the lobbyists is ridiculous,” said Mark Schwartz, a Bryn Mawr lawyer who was an aide to former House Speaker Leroy Irvis. “Pennsylvania has a very weak ethics law. These guys have much bigger problems than this.”

Some caucuses are meant to inform and inspire legislation based on lobbyists’ agendas. Madonna said anyone can create a caucus, but it only takes off if lawmakers decide to join, and typically the legislators who participate already agree with a caucus’ central cause.

Bill Patton, spokesman for the House Democratic Caucus, calls these groups “affinity caucuses.” He said they began popping up in the mid-'80s, beginning with the Coal Caucus, which still exists.

State Sen. Patrick Stefano (R., Fayette) co-chairs the Ski Caucus, meant to inform legislators about the role ski tourism plays in Pennsylvania. Ben Wren, Stefano’s chief of staff, said meetings of this caucus often include tours of ski resorts and presentations by ski lobbyists.

“The Ski Caucus is all about learning how to make Pennsylvania a more friendly place for the ski industry to do business,” Wren said.

State Rep. Harry Readshaw (D., Allegheny) chairs the Seersucker Caucus, which invites any member of the House and Senate — and any lobbyist — to wear seersucker suits to the Capitol for a photo each June.

“It’s an insignificant but fun day,” Readshaw said. “Once a year, normally during budgets, we all wear seersucker to welcome summer.”

There’s also a Cigar Caucus, which has a membership fee that funds an annual members-only cigar social event.

Still, some caucuses tackle serious policy issues and are making change.

The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus has been around since 1973 and works to advance legislation that it believes has the interests of people of color in mind. It has an independent budget, works in collaboration with black caucuses in other states, and offers scholarships.

In April, the caucus introduced a group of bills that would reform police certification processes, edit the definition of “deadly force,” and more closely monitor why police leave the profession. Since then, it’s also supported Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate legislation, mental health initiatives, and education reform.

The Mental Health Caucus was created about four years ago by State Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D., Lehigh), who saw a need for more legislative conversation centered around mental health. The caucus is open to everyone and meets regularly.

This year, Schlossberg said, has been the busiest and marks the introduction of the first legislation inspired by caucus conversations: a resolution that calls for use of language that destigmatizes suicide.

Schwartz called caucuses such as the Legislative Black Caucus “legitimate.”

“But the Cigar Caucus?” he said. “Give me a break.”

Contact Alyssa Biederman at alyssab@temple.edu.