News & Brews September 25, 2023
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Lawmakers challenge automatic voter registration
CNHI News reports that members of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus “say they will take legal action against Gov. Josh Shapiro for his implementation of automatic voter registration.” The lawmakers’ concern is less the end and more the means, as they say Shapiro is “pick'[ing] up [former Gov.] Wolf’s mantle of running roughshod over legislative powers.” Any such change, they note, should be made by the Legislature, not unilaterally by the governor.
Which party supports free speech more?
A new poll from RealClear Politics dives into the topics of free speech and government censorship. The poll analyzes Americans’ sentiments on these topics, broken down by factors including age, gender, and political party identification. Among the findings: “Republican voters (74%) and independents (61%) believe speech should be legal ‘under any circumstances,’ while Democrats are almost evenly divided. A bare majority of Democrats (53%) say speech should be legal under any circumstances, while 47% say it should be legal ‘only under certain circumstances.’”
Op-Ed: LNP takes ‘cheap shots’ from ‘high horse’
GOP state Sen. Ryan Aument (Lancaster County) writes that “the Democratic-led Pennsylvania House hasn’t taken any votes since July 7, because its leadership hasn’t called its members back to session for over two months. They haven’t finalized the state budget; they haven’t voted to release the Level Up funding for the commonwealth’s 100 most underfunded school districts, or any other program; and they haven’t returned to the table to negotiate a path forward on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania.” And yet, amid this, the LNP Editorial Board takes “partisan cheap shots from its high horse” by criticizing Republicans on supposed inaction on education. Aument writes, “It seems to us that since the state House is run by Democrats, the LNP | LancasterOnline Editorial Board purposely chose not to place any blame on them, despite their failure to even bother showing up to do their job.”
WaPo ‘votes nay’ to Fetterman-inspired (non-) dress code
The uber-liberal Washington Post is breaking from its idolization of everything Left to voice opposition to the new Senate (non-) dress code. As you know, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ditched the Senate’s dress code so Sen. John Fetterman could wear his hoodie and shorts on the Senate floor. The WaPo Editorial Board writes, “We vote nay. Dressing formally conveys respect for the sanctity of the institution and for the real-world impact of the policies it advances. Putting on a suit creates an occasion for lawmakers to reflect, just for a moment, on the special responsibilities with which the people have entrusted them and on a deliberative process that at least aspires to solemnity.”
Pa. House (finally) set to return this week
After a two-month-plus hiatus, the Democrat-controlled Pa. House is set to return to session tomorrow. While they were out, the Senate sent them the remaining code bills necessary to complete the state budget. But House Democrat leadership refused to return to work, leaving the budget undone. This is the second such House hiatus this year. You’ll recall that former Democrat House Speaker Mark Rozzi sent the chamber on an extended absence earlier this year, too.