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Irresponsible Legislators Should Pay

Written by Larry Roeder, Editor
2012-02-16

Pennsylvania citizens have good reason to feel uncomfortable about the outcome of the current re-districting debacle as well as the upcoming budget discussions. The emergence of a controversy surrounding the recent passage of a House Resolution has shed a light on how serious some State Legislators take their official responsibilities.

On Jan. 24 the Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution declaring 2012 as “The Year of the Bible” in Pennsylvania.

This was done in the midst of election districts and date confusion brought on by the State Supreme Court nixing our legislator’s attempts at re-districting, and just days after Governor Tom Corbett unveiled another controversial budget. Remember the non-binding resolution we are about to talk about was passed unanimously.

In part, House Resolution 535 (HR 535) declares “2012 as the Year of the Bible in Pennsylvania in recognition of both the formative influence of the Bible on our Commonwealth and nation and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the holy scriptures.”

It was introduced on Jan. 23, 2012 as a “Noncontroversial Resolution” under Rule 35 of the General Assembly. It is important to note that the first line of the Resolution clearly reads

A Resolution Declaring 2012 as the “Year of the Bible” in Pennsylvania.

Now there is controversy regarding HR 535. According to a recent report, some officials from the Americans Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania feel the resolution is exclusionary in nature and other groups are stepping up and questioning the separation of church and state as well as the exclusion of other religions.

Clearly, there are pros and cons and items for arguments on all sides. What we find appalling is that now, three weeks after they voted, several State Representatives have stepped forward to say they are sorry they voted for HR 535 and want a do-over.

Among them is Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Phila) and Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Phila) who both apologized and admitted making a mistake because HR 535 was in a stack of resolutions marked as “non-controversial” by House leaders. The resolutions came up as a group and were passed unanimously. In other words, they voted for it without realizing what was in it! They didn’t have to read far into the document, the subject was stated on the first line.

Reportedly, David Silverman, president of American Atheists condemned House leaders for deceiving well-meaning legislators into endorsing a bill that he claims is illegal and bigoted.

The State Representatives who now want to re-vote on the resolution may be recognized for re-thinking their position in light of the current uproar. But the fact remains that they should be penalized (perhaps paying for all costs incurred in a re-vote) for failing to do their job – that is reading and understanding any legislation or resolution they vote on. Cohen and Josephs, and others who are now crying foul, didn’t make a mistake – they failed to do their job. Now, they’re blaming their lack of effort on others.

A note to all State Legislators: In the future, make sure that you read every official document and understand the contents before you act on it.

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