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.
That was a beautiful thing! Thank you for making my day! It appears that we have some men with fire still in our country.
Maybe, just maybe, many non-corrupt, nearly RINO men will flip to NOT RINO after learning and feeling ‘patriot power’.
Its worse than that. In NY, they don’t count it as a nursing home death if they are taken to the hospital and die there unlike other states.
Here we have the death squad
Of course the ballots are only illegal if they interfere in a Democrat win.
Maybe Wolf is unaware that there is a challenge to the "accuracy" of the votes, in connection with undated mail in ballots.
Maybe Wolf should use his power to accelerate and settle the issue of undated ballots?
Is that not his job?
The Democrats and communists always want to kick the can down the road and move on, promising that will not happen again next time.
If the Rep gets seated, it could be used to bolster the President’s claims in PA. If there is a delay, that is.
Gov. Tom Wolf has, in Pennsylvania and nationally, spread disinformation and used it to subvert the democratic process.
There. Fixed it.
The stats have shifted considerably since June.
PA numbers as of today:
Nursing home deaths = 9079
Total deaths = 16546
Nursing home deaths as percentage of total = 58.5%
Down considerably from June and July when the percentage was kissing 70, but still well over half.
Doug Mastriano...
If only more were like him. Maybe he can run for the US Senate when the worthless Pat Tumor comes up for reelection.
Toujours Prêt Sir!
Toomey the tumor recently announced that he will NOT seek an additional term.
When you can’t be a good influence...
...it’s time to be a good riddance!
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