Midterms may set state on radical political course
Elections have consequences. Every election season we hear that statement, and the 2022 elections are no different.
Who we elect to our General Assembly on Nov. 8 can halt the effort to amend our state constitution altering the balance of power, eliminating the right to an abortion and imposing more stringent voter ID requirements.
In the final days before their summer recess, members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly rushed a series of major constitutional amendments through its first phase of legislative approval. They were able to do this by waiving the rules so they could hold votes past 11 p.m. There were no public hearings and no opportunity for public input.
Make no mistake about it, amending the Constitution is a big deal, since it is the foundation upon which our state government rests. Amending the Constitution should not be done instead of legislating, to make an end run around the governor’s veto and to take away personal rights. It certainly should not be accomplished through last-minute procedural maneuvering in the late hours of the night.
This legislation would change the political landscape in several ways:
Declare that the state Constitution does not grant any right relating to abortion and no right to public funding for the procedure. The practical effect of this amendment will be the elimination of any avenue to challenge laws restricting reproductive rights in state courts.
Give the legislature power to stop any regulation with a simple majority vote, which will not be subject to the governor’s signature or veto. This change would substantially alter the separation and balance of powers as defined in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
Restrict the types of approved voter ID and require voters to present ID in every race, even if they have been voting in their local precinct for many years. This amendment does not require the government to make the approved forms of voter ID widely available to voters.
Require elections be audited by the Auditor General, reinforcing a lack of trust in election administration at both the county and state levels.
Change the selection process for lieutenant governor by taking power away from voters to select the person for that post and allowing political parties to select nominees instead.
As required by the Constitution, the secretary of state has been publishing public notice of the proposed constitutional amendments in local newspapers in August, September and October.
The public notice informs voters about the process for amending the Constitution and the substance of the proposed changes.
You may ask: If the amendments are not on the November ballot, then why is this information important to know now and what does this have to do with voting for members of the General Assembly?
In order for the constitutional amendments to appear on the ballot, the legislation must be passed, without any changes, during the next legislative session beginning in January 2023. Once passed for a second time, this series of referenda could be on the ballot as early as the May 16, 2023, primary ballot and as late as the November 2024 general election ballot. Who is elected to serve in the General Assembly on Nov. 8 will determine whether the constitutional amendments are passed for a second time.
What you can do: Educate yourself on this legislation. The League of Women Voters has created an explainer to help.
Ask the candidates running for state House and Senate what their positions are on these proposed constitutional amendments and how they will vote on them should they be elected or reelected.
Use your vote Nov. 8 to send a message that you oppose these proposed constitutional amendments and the process used to get them on the ballot; and you do not want to see them on the ballot in 2023 or 2024.