Repubs Abusing Power: Reform turns into screaming match in Pennsylvania House

[Emit]

So much for civility.

In a standing-room-only committee hearing Wednesday, state House Republicans voted to remove one Democrat from every House committee. They also made it easier to ignore amendments to bills.

House Democrats responded by cat-calling, booing and screaming at House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny.

The ironic part of it all? Lawmakers were bickering over government reform.

Wednesday’s partisan spectacle was unusual even in Pennsylvania politics.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm3seSNiOdI&feature=player_embedded

~snip~

At Wednesday’s hearing of the House Rules Committee, lawmakers screamed epithets about dictatorship and slavery, saying, “Welcome to the gulag.”

One called Turzai “Monarch Mike” for bringing the rules on a vote without allowing some Democratic members to speak.

In the end, Democrats stormed out of the room while a roll-call vote on the changes took place.

The committee approved the measure, which now goes to the full House, where Republicans hold a 112-91 majority. The GOP regained the House majority for the first time in four years in the November election.

~snip~

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/reform_turns_into_screaming_ma.html

Pa. State Democratic Chairman Jim Burn calls on House Majority Leader Mike Turzai to step down

State Democratic Committee Chairman Jim Burn is calling on House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, to step down from his leadership post after exhibiting what he called an inability to lead at Thursday's rancorous Rules Committee meeting.

Calling the meeting an "unfortunate incident that was supposed to be Day 1 of bi-partisan reform in Pennsylvania government," Burn said Turzai stifled debate from Democratic members who didn't like some proposed House rule changes the Republicans wanted to make.

One proposal would remove a Democrat from every House committee, reducing their numbers to nine on a committee compared to 15 Republican members. Another proposal intended to streamline debate on the House floor by allowing amendments to be tabled without tabling the entire bill as had been the rule before.

~snip~

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/pa_state_democratic_chairman_j.html

[old mark]

1. K&R- Democrats have over 1 million more registered voters than republicans in PA,

yet the GOP managed to take our 1 Senate seat, many House seats, and gained overwhelming control of State politics, including the governorship.

Our Democratic voters simply did not show up.

Vermont is looking better to me all the time.


mark

[Emit]

3. Yes, sorry to hear that old mark

Sadly, with Repubs abusing their power as shown in the video, maybe more Democrats will be motivated to vote in future elections.

[LiberalEsto]

2. Bi-partisan means

Republicans plus Republicans. Nobody else allowed.