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Protesters chant 'stop taking bribes' in House chamber

HARRISBURG — Demonstrators chanted “stop taking bribes” and threw dollar bills from a balcony in Pennsylvania’s House chamber Monday as part of a protest over state law that does not limit the value of gifts that lawmakers may accept.

Capitol police officers led the demonstrators out shortly after they began chanting in the House gallery, several stories above the chamber floor, as lawmakers and staff looked on.

They briefly interrupted the start of the House’s session, threw dollar bills bearing the word “bribe” in big black letters and unfurled a banner over the brass railing that read, “Some are guilty, all are responsible.”

It is the third episode in two years that demonstrators from March on Harrisburg have been arrested while protesting the state’s policy on gifts to lawmakers.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has banned gifts to executive branch employees under his authority, and has repeatedly pushed the Republican-controlled Legislature to do the same.

Gift-ban legislation has been introduced before and seen no action. House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, on Monday pledged to demonstrators that he would support gift-ban legislation.

Most other states have laws limiting the extent of gifts that lawmakers may accept.

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