STATEMENT: PA Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Hearing and Voter Information Subpoenas
HARRISBURG (September 27, 2021) – Better PA Executive Director Deborah Rose Hinchey made the following statement regarding today’s vote to advance HB1596, a constitutional amendment to make drastic changes to election administration in Pennsylvania:
“The PA House State Government Committee, on a number of party-line votes, voted today to advance a series of massive changes to the administration of elections in Pennsylvania. These changes have been proposed as an amendment to the state's constitution, a process which requires affirmative votes in two consecutive legislative sessions, and then a vote of the general public. The changes would include instituting strict Voter ID, making the position of Secretary of State in Pennsylvania an elected position instead of a position appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, and another round of expensive election audits on top of the audits already mandated in Pennsylvania, among other changes. Each and every member of the committee speaking in favor of this massive uprooting of election administration in the state cited, at least in part, voter confidence in election results as a reason to move forward. This cyclical argument, stemming from those same members' continuous aggressive attacks on the validity of the 2020 election in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary, is reprehensible. It is the worst of our politics -- taking advantage of the position of trust they hold in our democracy to mislead voters for their own selfish ambitions.
“With this proposal, the House GOP continues their dangerous misuse of the constitutional amendment process to circumvent a democratically-elected governor. While the amendment passed out of committee today, we hope it will go no further. And we hope that the GOP caucus might decide to address some of the real issues facing Pennsylvania families like the COVID-19 pandemic that rages on, underfunded schools, small businesses pleading for more assistance from the General Assembly, and service providers across the state, from elder care to care for those with intellectual disabilities, that are at wits end. All the while, the General Assembly is sitting on billions in unspent federal COVID relief dollars. It's time to get back to work and stop the charades.”
“The PA House State Government Committee, on a number of party-line votes, voted today to advance a series of massive changes to the administration of elections in Pennsylvania. These changes have been proposed as an amendment to the state's constitution, a process which requires affirmative votes in two consecutive legislative sessions, and then a vote of the general public. The changes would include instituting strict Voter ID, making the position of Secretary of State in Pennsylvania an elected position instead of a position appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, and another round of expensive election audits on top of the audits already mandated in Pennsylvania, among other changes. Each and every member of the committee speaking in favor of this massive uprooting of election administration in the state cited, at least in part, voter confidence in election results as a reason to move forward. This cyclical argument, stemming from those same members' continuous aggressive attacks on the validity of the 2020 election in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary, is reprehensible. It is the worst of our politics -- taking advantage of the position of trust they hold in our democracy to mislead voters for their own selfish ambitions.
“With this proposal, the House GOP continues their dangerous misuse of the constitutional amendment process to circumvent a democratically-elected governor. While the amendment passed out of committee today, we hope it will go no further. And we hope that the GOP caucus might decide to address some of the real issues facing Pennsylvania families like the COVID-19 pandemic that rages on, underfunded schools, small businesses pleading for more assistance from the General Assembly, and service providers across the state, from elder care to care for those with intellectual disabilities, that are at wits end. All the while, the General Assembly is sitting on billions in unspent federal COVID relief dollars. It's time to get back to work and stop the charades.”
