GOP reps. to Pa. House speaker: Return to session, act on proposed amendments

Jan. 13—HARRISBURG — A group of 22 Republican members of the Pennsylvania House jointly signed a letter to Speaker Mark Rozzi requesting that he call the lower chamber into regular session to consider the omnibus package of proposed constitutional amendments.

The House has until January's end to pass Senate Bill 1 to meet legal requirements for advertising in order to have three separate ballot measures included in the May 16 primary election.

State senators on Wednesday voted 28-20 to advance the measure to the House, with one Democrat joining Republicans in the affirmative. The governor has no veto power over constitutional amendment proposals.

Voters decide whether to ratify the constitution, either approving or turning down ballot questions posed at elections.

The bill contains three measures that if approved, would require photo identification of all voters at all elections, give the state Legislature more power in overturning agency regulations by removing the governor's veto from the process, and establish a two-year period for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims in court beyond the expiration of the statute of limitations.

"Providing relief to victims of childhood sexual abuse is an issue that has been discussed and debated in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for at least the last 10 years. As speaker of our chamber, the highest position, you are the one person who can now call us back into Regular Session so that we can finally address this issue," the letter from the Republican lawmakers reads.

"We are only one step away from completing the legislative part of the constitutional amendment process. Getting these constitutional amendments, including the one you have been so passionate about, on the Primary Election ballot will give the people of Pennsylvania the opportunity to have their voices heard on these issues," according to the letter.

The lead authors of the letter are Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, and Milou Mackenzie, R-Northampton/Lehigh/Montgomery. Co-signors include Reps. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren/Crawford/Forest, Brad Roae, R-Crawford/Erie, Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-Northumberland/Montour, and Aaron Bernstine, R-Lawrence/Butler.

Democrats opposed the move by Republican senators to merge the three measures into one bill, arguing that each should be considered separately. They have long opposed the initiatives concerning voter ID and regulatory disapproval and are now in a potential position of opposition to the abuse-related measure.

Republicans have said it's an efficient way to advance legislation in a tight window, to which Democrats say as a standalone measure on the statute of limitations would sail through the General Assembly. The GOP also pointed to recent precedent. Three separate ballot questions were approved in a single, amended bill and put before voters in spring 2021. All three were adopted.

Extending the civil window to allow long-ago victims of child abuse to file claims is of chief priority to Rozzi, himself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. He's maintained a pledge to consider no other legislation until that single issue is addressed alone and presented to voters as the only ballot question this spring.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a special session of the House and Senate to specifically address the proposal. Each chamber opened its sessions Monday but swiftly adjourned. Rozzi called off the remaining two planned days earlier this week amid a stalemate over proposed rules to operate the House this session.

Republican leadership in both chambers has said the special session is unnecessary and that the proposal could and should be addressed in regular session as it has in the past.

The House has no rules of procedure in place to operate this session. There are no legislative days scheduled to conduct business on the House floor and no committees or chairmanships assigned.

The Pennsylvania Senate has begun voting in this new session including, of course, the vote on the amendment proposals. However, the office of Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman announced Friday that session days scheduled for the weeks of Jan. 23 and 30 were canceled. Session days planned for next week are still in place.

An email from Pittman's spokesperson cited the lack of organization in the House and the Commonwealth Court ruling this week, and potential appeal, that halted the planned impeachment trial that was to begin Wednesday in the state Senate.