LWVPA Files Application to Intervene In Governor Wolf’s Constitutional Amendments Case in Commonwealth Court
On Friday, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania (LWVPA) submitted an Application to Intervene in a case filed by Governor Wolf challenging a package of proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania constitution. The League is joined in our application by Sajda Adam and Simone Roberts, 19-year-old Pennsylvania voters whose fundamental right to vote would be affected by this case.
Read the LWVPA petition here.
LWVPA strongly opposes the amendments proposed in the constitutional amendment package bill (SB 106), which would dramatically shift the balance of government power in Pennsylvania and call multiple rights into question.
The amendments would:
Create significant voter confusion by asking voters to affirm that Pennsylvania impose stricter age and residency requirements that are unquestionably in violation of federal law, including a voting age of 21 that directly violates the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It also affirms a 90 day residency requirement to vote in Pennsylvania, when it is actually 30 days, creating additional confusion. Publishing this unconstitutional language could result in people not exercising their right to vote based on misinformation.
Declare that the state constitution does not grant any right relating to abortion, and no right to public funding for the procedure.
Give the legislature power to stop any regulation with a simple majority that is not subject to governor signature or veto. This change would substantially alter the separation and balance of powers as defined in the Pennsylvania constitution.
Create additional voter ID requirements, restricting the types of ID required to vote in a state with an already strict voter ID law.
Require that elections be audited by the PA Auditor General, reinforcing a lack of trust in election administration at both the county and state levels.
Changes the selection process for Lieutenant Governor, taking power away from voters and allowing political parties to select nominees.
Read our full statement on the proposed amendments here.
LWVPA supports the challenges set forth in Governor Wolf’s case challenging the General Assembly’s passage of SB 106 because they infringe on those rights, but also because, specifically with regard to SB 106’s attempt to reaffirm unconstitutional and unlawful age and residency restrictions will directly confuse and disenfranchise voters from making informed choices regarding their constitutional rights in Pennsylvania.
Susan Gobreski, LWVPA Director of Government Policy, states “The Pennsylvania constitution is meant to grant rights, rather than explicitly remove them. The legislature is, intentionally or not, engaging in active misinformation.”
The passage of SB 106 is emblematic of how broken the legislative process in Harrisburg is. Legislative leaders manipulated long standing procedural rules to ram through a bill with multiple contentious topics after 11 pm at night, late in the day, just before summer recess, with no public hearings, no genuine minority party input, and little opportunity for the public to engage or even see what was taking place.
LWVPA is uniquely situated to intervene on behalf of our Pennsylvania members in connection with lawsuits challenging Pennsylvania laws affecting voters. Unlike elected officials, LWVPA has standing to intervene because we represent voter members and expend considerable time and resources to protect the right of all Pennsylvanians to cast free and informed votes.
Said LWVPA Executive Director Meg Pierce, “SB 106 is a brazen attempt to subvert rights of voters. As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has advocated for the rights of voters for over 100 years, LWVPA could play a powerful role in this litigation.”
According to LWVPA President Samantha Apgar, “SB 106 represents an attack on voting rights and bodily autonomy. As an organization dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy, LWVPA will take all measures possible to protect the rights of Pennsylvanians.”
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Susan Gobreski, Director of Government Policy
governmentpolicy@palwv.org
Meg Pierce, Executive Director
ed@palwv.org