Pa. House continuing with Monday voting session despite coronavirus concerns

• Ed Mahon
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  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Matt Rourke / AP Photo

FILE PHOTO: The dome of the Pennsylvania Capitol is visible in Harrisburg.

Despite concerns from some lawmakers about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Pennsylvania House plans to return to the state Capitol for a legislative session on Monday.

Democratic state Reps. Summer Lee (Allegheny) and Mike Schlossberg (Lehigh) both voiced objections on Twitter on Sunday. Lee pointed out that one of the items on Monday’s calendar is a resolution honoring former Republican President Ronald Reagan.

As of now, @MikeTurzai and @PAGOP stubbornly insist on us coming in to Harrisburg for session – putting us, our families, and constituents at risk while we fight to contain COVID-19 throughout the commonwealth – all to name some bridges and honor Ronald Regan in resolutions.

— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) March 15, 2020

And to be clear: Rules can be changed to allow for remote voting. This is clearly an emergency which would allow such circumstances. Plenty of work to do here assisting w coordination of social services.

— Mike Schlossberg (@MikeSchlossberg) March 15, 2020

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, also weighed in.

PA residents aren’t practicing social distancing as #COVID-19 cases spread and start to spike.

PA Legislature: Hold our beers.🍺 https://t.co/BJz1slAHpO

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) March 15, 2020

On Saturday, Senate leaders canceled the chamber’s Monday session, but its members will be on 12-hour call. The Senate is scheduled to return to session Tuesday and Wednesday.

But Mike Straub, a spokesman for the House Republican Caucus, said the House plans to return to session Monday.

“Still on — first up on the agenda some temporary rule changes to potentially allow for some level of proxy voting,” Straub said in an email late Sunday afternoon. “The Senate being out Monday limits some of what we can do —  so mostly rule changes on Monday, and planning more virus related heavy lifting Tuesday.”

Straub said lawmakers plan to keep action this week focused on coronavirus-related bills, not resolutions.

Bill Patton, a spokesman for the House Democratic Caucus, said that while many Democratic lawmakers are questioning the need for a full voting session on Monday, most still plan to attend.

Both chambers are expected to take votes this week related to helping communities impacted by the spread of the coronavirus, although legislative leaders haven’t announced details.

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has closed the state Capitol to visitors.

What are the remote voting options?

The state House has 203 seats (with a few vacancies) and the state Senate has 50 seats. Straub said the House has previously passed temporary rules to allow ill members to vote from home.

“Those kinds of rule changes are being discussed at this time, but nothing has been decided, and again, would require a vote on the House floor before we could institute a proxy vote system,” Straub said in an email Saturday. “Considering right now we have no standard option for remote or proxy voting — we are a very long way from a situation where the entire House could vote remotely.”

Straub said a quorum of members have to be present to vote on rule changes. After Philadelphia Democrat Roni Green is sworn in Monday, 101 members will need to be present to hit the quorum threshold.

In the state Senate, Republican caucus spokesman Jenn Kocher said the Senate’s leave system allows members to vote remotely if they are in their district, or driving to or from their district.

“Even with that we have to have 26 members there. For the entirety of the Senate to vote remotely, we would have to look at rule changes,” Kocher said in an email. “I do not have a legal opinion on this but the Constitution also says we must conduct session in public. Not sure how have everyone vote remotely would fit that.”

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