HARRISBURG — By a series of party line votes, a House committee approved 12 resolutions Monday on a range of topics from authorizing two legislative studies on voting in Pennsylvania, creating a commission to pick a new state song and designating June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
The meeting by the Democratic-led State Government Committee opened with Committee Minority Chairman Brad Roae, R-Crawford, urging a single vote on all 12 resolutions since Republicans didn’t plan to vote for any of them. Mr. Roae said the resolutions are well-intentioned, but were a waste of time and wouldn’t solve any of the state’s problems.
The meeting closed with Committee Majority Chairman Scott Conklin, D-Centre, saying that lawmakers may feel voting on resolutions is burdensome, but each one is important to the constituents seeking action on them.
Between those remarks, the panel voted 12-9 separately by designated party blocs to approve 11 resolutions. House Resolution 41 on the state song was the exception, approved 11-10 by a roll call vote.
The party-line votes represented a departure from the long-standing legislative practice of approving many of these resolutions by unanimous votes.
Approved were House Resolution 32 directing a study by the Joint State Government Commission of how polling places, voting machines and poll workers can be deployed with the goal of reducing the time it takes to vote and House Resolution 47 directing the commission to study issues surrounding how Pennsylvanians formerly incarcerated for felonies can reassert their voting rights.
Rep. Joe Webster, D-Montgomery, sponsor of HR32, said recent elections have shown the need for the study especially with many poll workers leaving.
Rep. Carol Kazeem, D-Chester, sponsor of HR47, said state law allows Pennsylvanians who have served a felony sentence to regain the right to vote, but many are not aware of that right.
Mr. Roae said the commission already is conducting 12 studies and doesn’t have the resources to tackle more.
Recognizing Pride Month is important to LGBTQ+ people who want to see their lives celebrated especially at a time when there is an increase in legislation targeting them, said Rep. Jessica Benham, D-Carrick, sponsor of House Resolution 114.
Mr. Roae questioned why American service members who died while serving in the military only have Memorial Day honoring them and some groups get only a week named in honor of them.
House Resolution 110 authorizing a study by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee on whether the state government should implement location-based pay for state employees because of regional disparities in the cost-of-living was also approved party line.
Rep. Chris Pielli, D-Chester, sponsor of HR110, said having statewide pay scales for state government employees poses a problem in his area where the cost of living is higher than other parts of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Pielli said it has an impact when PennDOT tries to fill highway maintenance jobs and the Department of Labor and Industry hires people to process unemployment compensation claims, for example.
And the committee debate took a few twists on the contentious topic of having an official state song.
House Resolution 41 to establish an independent commission to solicit candidates for a new state song to replace “Pennsylvania,” the song selected in 1990, was approved by party line.
“I feel it is time to have a modern song that we can use commercially to advertise our state and increase tourism,” said Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, the resolution sponsor. He called the current song outdated.
Mr. Roae read the lyrics of “Pennsylvania” aloud and said it’s a very nice song.
Mr. Ciresi offered at one point to play “Pennsylvania” as set to music on his smartphone.
First Published: June 5, 2023, 6:37 p.m.