Electoral College Reform, Medical Marijuana, Civil Unions, and Other Pending State-level National Is
In recent years, Cohen has brought pending state-level national issues to the Pennsylvania House, introducing bills establishing Pennsylvania's membership in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, legalizing medical marijuana, and allowing people to get civil unions in Pennsylvania.
Cohen first introduced House Bill 1028 for Pennsylvania to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact on April 5, 2007. He introduced House Bill 841 to join it on March 10, 2009. On May 12, 2011, he was the lead Democratic sponsor on House Bill 1220 to join it, while Republican Rep. Thomas C. Creighton was the prime sponsor. With the enactment of the compact in California, Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes represent 14.5% of the remaining 138 electoral votes from ratifying states needed for the compact to take effect.
On April 29, 2009, Cohen introduced House Bill 1393 to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania saying that he believes it is time to get rid of a decades-old negative image surrounding marijuana and replace it with "a new, honest image.". Hearings on the bill were held, but not enough support obtained for the Health and Human Services Committee to call up the bill for a vote. The bill was rewritten, renamed the Governor Raymond P. Shafer Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, reintroduced on June 15, 2011, and re-referred to the Human Services Committee on June 23, 2011. Despite the lack of public hearings in 2011, Cohen's medical marijuana bill continued to gain public support. On September 15, 2011, Cohen served as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute faculty on the subject of Legalizing Marijuana, discussing his bill to have legal medical marijuana, and submitting materials for the course record. He told the Philadelphia Daily News the difficulties in passing his legislation, saying "There's not a single Republican in the legislature who is willing to say he supports it. Governor Corbett said he'd veto it." He warned that "There will be people moving to New Jersey to take advantage of the (medical marijuana) law there. I think that is clear."
Labeled a "Stand-Up Pol" for being one of only 16 members of the PA House to oppose banning gay marriage by statute in 1996, Cohen was the first House member to introduce legislation to seek Recognition of same-sex unions in Pennsylvania, bringing forth legislation for civil unions on April 22, 2010 (House Bill 2447) and, with ultimately 43 co-sponsors, on February 14, 2011 (House Bill 708). His announcement press conference was hosted by the Pennsylvania Interfaith Alliance and other groups. Newsletter, February 9, 2011 The bill is in the House Judiciary Committee. It gained renewed attention with President Obama's May 9, 2012 announcement of support for same-sex marriage. Cohen, with seven other state legislators, later co-sponsored House Bill 1835 introduced by Babette Josephs to bring marriage equality to Pennsylvania, and was an initial member of a new Pennsylvania LGBT Equality Caucus.
Cohen introduced legislation creating wheelchair accessible taxicabs for the disabled in Philadelphia (House Bill 1914) in 2010. He also supported a system of workers compensation coverage for taxi drivers. He supported a lawsuit filed by Disabled in Action against the Philadelphia Parking Authority claiming that Philadelphia's unique failure among the nation's ten largest cities to have accessible taxis violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. Cohen also involved himself in regulatory issues seeking to improve the economic viability of the Philadelphia taxicab industry.
Cohen has frequently opposed attempts to privatize Pennsylvania's governmental services. He has been an angry voice against Republican attempts to require the showing of identification, regardless of whether or not the voter's identity is known by election officials.
Cohen has long been active in issues of criminal justice, serving on the Crime and Corrections subcommittee in 1977-1978 under the leadership of Joseph Rhodes. In 2005, he unsuccessfully tried to get the FBI to reopen its investigation into the Pennsylvania murder of Baltimore federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna, focused on prosecuting drug dealers at the time of his death. The Luna case remains unsolved. He also tried to get the FBI to fully investigate the disappearance of Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar, who was prosecuting drug dealers at the time of his disappearance. Gricar was in 2011 declared legally dead, but the search for him continues.
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