Local Legislators Behaving Badly

by Pamela Nolan

Republican state Senators Dan Laughlin and Michele Brooks recently refused to seat their state Senate colleague.

Senator Jim Brewster (D-McKeesport), won re-election in November. The results were certified, and his opponent's suit challenging the count was dismissed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

His opponent subsequently brought suit in federal court. When it came time to swear in new legislators, Republicans refused to allow Lt. Governor Fetterman to administer the oath of office to Brewster. When Fetterman insisted on swearing him in, Laughlin and Brooks voted to have Fetterman removed from the Senate chambers.

The federal court dismissed Brewster's opponent's suit, and Senator Brewster has since been seated.

Notably, Laughlin and Brooks also signed onto the Texas Attorney General's suit against Pennsylvania via an amicus brief.

So Republicans Laughlin and Brooks voted to unseat their legitimately-elected colleague, voted to throw the lieutenant governor out of Senate chambers, and wanted to have your votes thrown out via a Texas lawsuit.

In addition, our Congressional Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA District 16) filed two suits of his own, one at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and one at the United States Supreme Court, to have Pennsylvania's mail-in ballots discarded. The bill allowing no-excuse mail-in ballots was passed in 2019 by the Pennsylvania legislature, but Kelly claimed it was unconstitutional. Both suits were dismissed.

Then on January 6, AFTER the Capitol was overrun by an angry mob, Kelly objected to the counting of Pennsylvania's electoral votes. His objection did not succeed.

So Republican Mike Kelly wanted to have your votes thrown out.

Draw your own conclusions about our Republican legislators.