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Fireworks erupt in Pa. Senate over refusal to seat a Democratic senator
Pennlive ^ | 5 January A.D. 2021 | Jan Murphy

Posted on 01/05/2021 2:26:48 PM PST by lightman

The usual solemn and joyous occasion that surrounds the Swearing-in Ceremony in the Pennsylvania Senate was anything but on Tuesday.

The raucous session began with a dispute over mask wearing that led to the passage of a temporary rule proposed by Senate Democrats to mandate everyone in the chamber have a face covering, which a couple Republican Sens. John DiSanto of Dauphin County and Doug Mastriano of Franklin County had resisted wearing until that point.

But that was only a precursor to the real fireworks that the Senate Democrats set off.

Pa. Senate GOP leader to deny seating an incumbent Democratic senator

With shouts and long impassioned speeches, Democratic senators tried unsuccessfully to make a case to their Republican colleagues to allow Democratic incumbent Sen. Jim Brewster to be seated as the senator from the 45th senatorial district despite a challenge filed by Brewster’s GOP opponent Nicole Ziccarelli asking the chamber to determine the winner of the contested race.

According to the Department of State’s certified results, Brewster beat Ziccarelli by a 69-vote margin. However, Ziccarelli is challenging whether mail-in ballots received from Allegheny County voters without dates on them should be counted, which is what gave Brewster that winning margin.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County, decided on Monday to leave the seat vacant for now until senators have an opportunity to review the 500 pages of paperwork that Ziccarelli filed with the Senate as well as Brewster’s response to it. He cited a provision in the state constitution that grants the chamber the authority to “judge of the election and qualifications of its members” as the rationale for allowing the Senate, rather than the election results in the senatorial district, determine the winner of that race.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday weighed in on that decision, saying, “Republicans in Pennsylvania and nationally have spread disinformation and used it to subvert the democratic process. Sen. Jim Brewster rightfully won the 45th Senate District, but Senate Republicans are ignoring the voters in the district and refusing to swear him in as Senator. This is a shameful power grab that disgraces the institution.”

He went on to call it “simply unethical and undemocratic to leave the district without a voice simply because the Republicans don’t like the outcome of the election. Voters, not Harrisburg politicians, decided this election, and Sen. Brewster is the rightful winner,” Wolf said. “All ballots were counted and certified, and the results are accurate. Sen. Brewster received the most votes in this race and should be sworn in as the senator for the 45th District. There is no precedent, and no legal rationale, for failing to do so”

The governor ended his statement, saying, ““I will do everything in my power to ensure that voters have the final say in elections.”

After a prolonged and highly contentious debate and Brewster’s decision to not hold up the swearing-in of his fellow Democratic senators who won election in November, judges ultimately administered the oath of office to them. That ceremony was preceded by the swearing-in of the GOP senators who won their election in November.

The dispute over the handling of the 45th senatorial district seat spilled over later to the election for a president pro tempore. Corman was elected by a 31-18 vote that drew support from all Republican senators, one independent and two Democrats.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate were sworn into office Tuesday. State Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster County, was elected as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: electionfraud; masks; paping; pasenate; senateofpa; tomwolf
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The election dispute between Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli and Democratic incumbent Jim Brewster for the 45th state senatorial district seat led to fireworks during a raucous Swearing-in Ceremony in the Pennsylvania Senate chamber on Tuesday.

1 posted on 01/05/2021 2:26:48 PM PST by lightman
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To: fatima; Fresh Wind; st.eqed; xsmommy; House Atreides; Nowhere Man; PaulZe; brityank; Physicist; ...

Pennsylvania Ping!

Please ping me with articles of interest.

FReepmail me to be added to the list.

2 posted on 01/05/2021 2:27:24 PM PST by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: All

Putting a pretty face on the fight!


3 posted on 01/05/2021 2:27:54 PM PST by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: lightman

Funny how all these RAT close wins have funny ballots. Every time.


4 posted on 01/05/2021 2:29:42 PM PST by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: lightman

So be won by illegal votes. Sounds familiar.


5 posted on 01/05/2021 2:30:11 PM PST by glimmerman70
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To: lightman

We wants video! . . . We wants video! . . . We wants video! . . . We wants video! . . .

TTIWWV


6 posted on 01/05/2021 2:33:24 PM PST by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
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To: lightman

Just let the dispute play out, and whoever ultimately wins can be seated.

Refuse to seat a Democrat, it’s a threat to Democracy.
Refuse to seat a Republican, it’s upholding Democracy.

/Democrat thinking.


7 posted on 01/05/2021 2:34:30 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Hope is not a plan. -- Matthew Bracken)
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To: glimmerman70

Tom Wolf lies and his policies killed seniors. FU Tom.


8 posted on 01/05/2021 2:35:08 PM PST by SteelPSUGOP
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To: glimmerman70

Illegitimate State legislators. How many does it take to throw the whole system off? These are the bodies that certify Electors.


9 posted on 01/05/2021 2:35:47 PM PST by gundog ( Hail to the Chief, bitches!)
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To: lightman

The fire that begins the turn.


10 posted on 01/05/2021 2:36:16 PM PST by conservativepoet
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I don’t want fireworks.
I want to see our people get Escape From New York baseball bats with nails sticking out, and start going to work.


11 posted on 01/05/2021 2:36:26 PM PST by RandallFlagg (Some men just want to watch the world burn. )
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To: lightman

Democrats wanted their white male privilege so badly they had to steal and disenfranchise women and minority voters.....


12 posted on 01/05/2021 2:36:52 PM PST by dragonblustar ( Fight the China take over!!!!!)
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To: SteelPSUGOP
As a reminder...data seven months old but still relevant:


13 posted on 01/05/2021 2:39:44 PM PST by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: lightman

So apparently, two Dems also believed that Brewster’s victory was suspect. I can only conclude that from their votes in support of Corman as President pro tempore.


14 posted on 01/05/2021 2:42:54 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Hope is not a plan. -- Matthew Bracken)
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To: Pilgrim's Progress

Video: https://mobile.twitter.com/therecount/status/1346555744372535298


15 posted on 01/05/2021 2:46:11 PM PST by polymuser (A socialist is a communist without the power to take everything from their citizens...yet.)
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To: lightman

Count all the votes leftists can illegally manufacture!


16 posted on 01/05/2021 2:48:21 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (400,000,000 Guns. 8,000,000,000 Rounds of Ammo per YEAR. I like our odds.)
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To: lightman

The Hall of Chumpians.

5.56mm


17 posted on 01/05/2021 2:49:17 PM PST by M Kehoe (DRAIN THE SWAMP! Finish THE WALL!)
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To: lightman

are you drunk? stoned?? or just hard up!???


18 posted on 01/05/2021 2:54:20 PM PST by sit-rep ( )
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To: lightman

“Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday weighed in on that decision, saying, “Republicans in Pennsylvania and nationally have spread disinformation and used it to subvert the democratic process.”


And there you have it. Any questioning of democrat electoral wins is ‘disinformation’ and subversive to the democratic process. So you subversives, sit down, shut up, and take what’s coming to you!


19 posted on 01/05/2021 2:55:08 PM PST by hanamizu
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To: lightman

Great chart. I took those 5 states (NY, NJ, PA, CA and MI) and added them together and got this.

27,467 nursing home deaths out of 55,672 total

49.3%. Half of the deaths were from nursing homes.


20 posted on 01/05/2021 2:57:14 PM PST by plain talk
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