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Republican Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Turzai speaks during a 2017 interview.
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House Speaker Turzai hits back at protesters, defends actions on redistricting

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

House Speaker Turzai hits back at protesters, defends actions on redistricting

The six Pennsylvanians who were arrested for protesting outside of Mike Turzai's house in July went "beyond the bounds of decency" and are unaware of the intricacies behind the redistricting reform they advocate for, the state House speaker said Thursday.

Mr. Turzai criticized members of the anti-gerrymandering activist group MarchOnHarrisburg — six of whom pleaded guilty to summary offenses of disorderly conduct this week for their July 13 demonstration — for lacking the understanding of the U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions, and for targeting him without having a full understanding of the process.

"Most of these people do not know their facts," Mr. Turzai told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, alleging that redistricting advocacy groups don't address the opposition by Democrats to the Republican-controlled Legislature's efforts on redistricting reform.

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But a leader for MarchOnHarrisburg, which has been lobbying and advocating since early 2017 for the institution of an independent commission to draw legislative lines, said Democratic leaders share responsibility for the lack of action in Harrisburg on reform.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, speaks before Gov. Tom Wolf delivers his budget address for the 2017-18 fiscal year to a joint session of the Pennsylvania House and Senate in Harrisburg, Pa., in February.
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Those six protesters arrested outside of Mike Turzai's house? Judge hands them fines and fees

"That doesn't mean Speaker Turzai is any less guilty," said Rabbi Michael Pollack, the group's executive director, saying that Mr. Turzai stalled for a year and a half on redistricting bills and only acted "as the clock was running out."

The Legislature broke for summer in late June, leaving redistricting legislation on the table. A bill passed by the Senate that would have allowed voters to decide whether to create an independent redistricting commission stalled in the House as both parties couldn't reach a consensus on amendments.

The bill, though, contained a measure that would allow voters to decide whether appellate judges should run in districts instead of statewide, which Democrats alleged was an attempt by Republicans to strike back at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — which earlier this year struck down the state's 2011 congressional map as a partisan gerrymander drawn to benefit Republicans.

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There were more than 600 proposed amendments to the redistricting bill in the House, three-fourths of which were brought forth by Democrats, Mr. Turzai pointed out, saying that redistricting activists refuse to acknowledge the left's role in mucking up the process. He has said the hundreds of amendments indicated Democrats were "not serious about the issue” and instead tried to “hijack” the process.

Bill Patton, spokesman for the House Democratic Caucus, said the real roadblock to reform was the Republicans in the House who never allowed the redistricting bill one public hearing since its introduction since the spring of 2017.

"It was the citizen activists across the state that kept this issue alive and continue to do so," Mr. Patton said. "The only reason Speaker Turzai is bent out of shape right now is because he realizes there's a price to be paid by his inaction."

After the House adjourned on June 25, leadership faced pressure from groups — including MarchOnHarrisburg — to bring the chamber back for a special session, so a commission could be created in time for the next district redrawing in 2021. That hasn’t happened, Mr. Turzai said, because no consensus plan has been developed and because Democratic leaders have not asked their members to withdraw the hundreds of amendments.

The call for a special session brought MarchOnHarrisburg members to protest at Mr. Turzai's home in Marshall on July 13. It resulted in six members being arrested and charged with trespassing.

Mr. Turzai wasn't home at the time, but his two teenage sons were, he said. The protesters, he alleged, continued to bang on the door after the teenagers told them their parents weren't home.

"It is beyond the bounds of any decency to go to an elected official's home," Mr. Turzai said, adding that it was "inexcusable" for the group to subject his sons to their "harassment." He also said he believed their goal was to be arrested so they could get media attention.

Mr. Pollack, the group's executive director, countered by saying it's "inexcusable" for the speaker to "ignore the will of his constituents and the people of Pennsylvania."

"Nonviolent civil disobedience is a tactic to force the encounter with those in power so they will respond to the people," Mr. Pollack said.

Mr. Pollack's grassroots group had indicated they took part in the protest after Mr. Turzai denied their group a meeting with him to discuss redistricting reform. But the speaker denied that, claiming he never heard of MarchOnHarrisburg and that his office had never received a request for a meeting.

"We don't even know who they are, or anything about them," Mr. Turzai said, adding that the only contact his office received from the group was a phone call the day before the protest, indicating their intentions to protest.

Mr. Pollack, though, said members of his group met with staffers from Mr. Turzai's office on April 17, 2017 at 1 p.m., according to internal records. After then, Mr. Pollack said he stopped by the office once a month — and that “they’ve got to have a stack of my business cards by now.”

The director also shared a photo from the group’s Facebook page showing Mr. Turzai and Mr. Pollack talking on the stairs of the state Capitol.

“Lots of people talk to the Speaker while he is walking around Harrisburg,” Turzai spokesman Neil Lesher said. “To say he should remember someone from a brief encounter outside the Capitol months ago is ridiculous.” Mr. Lesher confirmed that he personally met with members of the group in April 2017, which he said refutes their argument they never met with the speaker or his staff.

First Published: August 10, 2018, 4:28 p.m.

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Republican Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Turzai speaks during a 2017 interview.  (Keith Srakocic/Associated Press)
Keith Srakocic/Associated Press
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