Rep. drop plan to create ‘election integrity’ panel
HARRISBURG—Pennsylvania Republicans have dropped their plan to create an “election integrity” panel with subpoena power, aneffortDemocratsfearedwould leadtoa“stealthattack”onvoting.
The resolution would have createdacommitteeoffiveHouse lawmakers — three Republicans and two Democrats — to investigate and review the Nov. 3 election. The group would have been empowered to subpoena “witnesses and documents” and initiate legal filings.
Following the measure’s introductioninlateSeptember,Democrats quickly raised concerns that thepanelcouldbeweaponizedto impound ballots and delay Pennsylvania’s election results.
Republicans, meanwhile, defended the committee as a straight-forward oversight panel. While leadership planned to call up the resolution for a vote last week, the plan was delayed after a GOPrepresentative tested positive for the coronavirus.
In an email to House Republicans on Friday, Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, said he had removed the controversial resolution from the voting calendar“fortheremainderofthis legislative session” after talking with members.
“The common themes from thoseconversationsshowthatyou understand this select committee was being formed with the best of intentions, but the left and their media allies distorted the image of a bipartisan committee into a nefarious effort on our part to interfere with the upcoming election,” he said. “Nothing can be further from the truth. This caucus has maintained its commitment to the security and safetyofourelectionwithon-time results for months.”
Benninghoff said forming the committee“istherightpolicy,”but thatnowisthe“wrongtimetorun the proposal.”
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Garth Everett, R-Lycoming, who told members of the House State Government Committee the intent of the measure was to conduct investigations and recommend improvementsfollowingtheNov. 3election.
Still, the resolution’s language said the committee’s work would be done in part to “improve the conduct of” the upcoming election. Everett declined to amend the resolution during a committee hearing in response to Democrats’concerns,butsaidhewould consider doing so when the measurereachedtheHousefloor.
Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-Philadelphia, was among the lawmakers who believed the panel could be usedtosubpoenaelectionofficials andintentionally create a delay in certifying the vote.
“I hope this is now dead and buried forever,” Boyle said Friday. “If enacted the proposal would have a chilling effect on democracy.”
Bill Patton, a spokesperson for House Democrats, called the resolution “another dead end for a Republican caucus that ran out of newideas long ago.”
But it wasn’t only Democrats who had concerns about the measure.AsofThursday,theresolutionhadlostsupportfromabout adozenRepublicans,asourcetold
Spotlight PA.
Earlier Friday, Rep. Valerie Gaydos. R-Allegheny, said in a statement that she would oppose the resolution.
“I have urged our House Republican leadership team to permanently table this legislation immediately,” she said. “I stronglysupportfreeandfairelections andthedemocratic process, but adamantly oppose legislation whichis unclear andundefined.”
Rep.ToddPolinchock,R-Bucks, told Spotlight PA he opposed advancing the resolution so close to the election.
“Even though the resolution does not do what people fear, I did not see the need in moving it forwardatthistimeandhadsome reservations about it,” hesaid.