After Pushback, Controversial PA Election Commission Tabled

PENNSYLVANIA — The controversial Pennsylvania bill which aims to create a five-person oversight board to investigate the integrity of the 2020 election has been tabled by House Republicans. The move comes amid intense pushback from both sides of the aisle in Pennsylvania, with opponents of the bill calling it an effort to undermine the election.

The decision to table the bill, HR 1032, was announced by Republican House Majority Leader State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff in an email circulated to colleagues.

>>PA Election Commission: What To Know About Controversial Proposal

"The left and their media allies distorted the image of a bipartisan committee into a nefarious effort on our part to interfere with the upcoming election," Benninghoff wrote, noting that the bill was launched with the "best of intentions" to improve the efficiency of elections and to learn from issues encountered this November. "Nothing can be further from the truth. This caucus has maintained its commitment to the security and safety of our election with on-time results for months."

The bill called for three Republicans and two Democrats to sit on the commission and review the upcoming election. Supporters said that the work of the commission would not begin until after the election was over, but critics said the language was purposely vague and gave wide-sweeping powers to just a few legislators.

"Pennsylvanians deserve to have their vote counted as they cast it, not decided by five individuals of a 203-member legislative body, five individuals who would effectively speak for over 12 million residents of this commonwealth," State Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-151) said.

The commission would have the power to subpoena both U.S. Postal Service employees and county election workers. Critics say it would cast doubt on an electoral process that has already been called into question this election cycle.

Benninghoff remained supportive of the bill but said in his email that now is the "wrong time to run the proposal" as the historic 2020 election approaches.

So while the bill will not be addressed during this legislative session, it could be returned to at a future time.

The bill was introduced into the legislature by Lycoming County's State Rep. Garth Everett (R-84), who chairs House State Government Committee.

It passed through that committee by a 15-10 vote along party lines in September.