Pennsylvania GOP could outright refuse to seat Democrat in state legislature - Polidicks

http://www.wesa.fm/post/days-after-election-win-lindsey-williams-may-still-face-fight-her-senate-seat#stream/0 After facing allegations of being a socialist, a slew of negative advertisements and a lawsuit challenging her eligibility to serve, Lindsey Williams won a narrow victory in the state Senate 38th District on Tuesday night. That might have been the easy part. Williams could face what a top Senate Democrat calls a "nuclear option:" a refusal by Senate Republicans, who control the chamber, to seat her. Senate Republicans have not said that they will actually allow Williams to take office when a new Senate is sworn in early next year. “No decisions have been made on seating her,” said Jennifer Kocher, a spokesman for Republican Majority Leader Jake Corman. “But there are some pretty clear concerns about her eligibility to serve, given the criteria in the law.” At issue are questions about Williams’ residency, which were the subject of a Republican-backed lawsuit filed in October. State law requires Senators to have lived in the state for the four years prior to their election. Williams was in the process of moving to Pittsburgh for a job with a teachers union in November 2014. But she voted in Maryland during that year’s general election, and registered as a voter in Pennsylvania in December. “I believe I have met all the requirements to run for office,” Williams said Friday. “And I wouldn’t have run if I didn’t.” Williams’ attorney, Chuck Pascal, filed an objection to the lawsuit, saying it had been filed months after a deadline established under state election law. Commonwealth Court Judge Michael Wojcik agreed, and the suit was tossed out. Pascal’s objections never addressed the substance of the accusations. That’s not unusual for a preliminary objection, which challenges the very right to file a suit before addressing its merits. But Republicans have seized on the fact that Williams didn’t provide evidence of her residency. Williams has furnished copies of a job acceptance letter from the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers dated shortly before the 2014 election, as well as social media posts that show her in Pittsburgh prior to that date. She said that in 2014, she voted in Maryland early "becuase it was too late to change my registration." If Republicans refuse to seat Williams, Costa said Democrats would likely take the matter to court. Duquesne University law professor Bruce Ledewitz previously told 90.5 WESA that the matter would likely end up before the state Supreme Court, which he expected would likely conduct its own review. "You can't give one party the power to expel members of the other party," he said. Same GOP that threatened to impeach the state supreme court when they ruled Pennsylvania was illegally gerrymandered.

This was in my PA district but I voted in NC this year. What would happen if she doesn't get seated? Would the runner-up win or would it just sit empty?

Reading the article makes it seem like she was obviously in Pennsylvania at the time so I don't see what the GOP is complaining about?

Enemies of the United States, domestic.

They didn't win, that's what they're complaining about. The GOP is showing their true colours as they once again try and win by any means possible, including changing the rules mid-election or just disregarding the rules.

Because of partisanship and post-truth there is no feasible thing the GOP can do to really hurt them. They have no morals or scruples and so have much more political capital built-in compared to Democrats.

So basically Pennsylvania voters need to drag any senators who try to stop her from rightfully taking her seat and insure they can't stop her.

This is the sort of thing the 2nd Amendment was made for. If voting them out doesn't work, if they don't give a shit about the law so that doesn't work, protests don't work, then it's time to physically drag ass out of power

This sort of behavior from the GOP should be grounds for getting dragged out into the street a flogged imo.

Why is it even up to them goddamnit. They should not be threatening this at this point. the state approved her candidacy to the seat some 8-9 months ago and that should have been the end of it.

The GOP wants total and unquestioned power

If they actually manage to not seat her they'll be a special election and guess what? She will have lived in Pennsylvania long enough to not be contested. And the whole shitshow could make even more people vote for her. Congratulations GOP you played yourself.

This is the GOP we are talking about, they will probably try to appoint a republican to the position.

It'd go to Tom Wolf, whose a Democrat.