Pennsylvania lawmakers pass election reform bill; Senate Republicans balk on voter ID

(WHTM) — Democrats in the State House and Republicans in the State Senate continue to pass legislation they know is unacceptable to the other chamber and has no chance of becoming law.

The most recent example, an election reform bill full of Democratic priorities that ignores the GOP’s biggest request.

The State House passed an election reform bill that would allow pre-canvassing and curing of mail-in ballots, drop boxes, and early voting. The most powerful Democrat sponsored it.

“House Bill 1396 is a commonsense measure to improve the way Pennsylvania conducts our elections,” said Democratic Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton.

The bill didn’t address voter ID and didn’t get a single Republican vote.

“We’re working on the voter ID bill,” said Rep. Thomas Mehaffie (R-Dauphin).

Rep. Mehaffie’s House Bill 771 would require an ID to vote, but expands what’s acceptable.

“You can bring in a utility bill, different forms of ID from all parts of government, federal, state, and county government,” said Mehaffie.

Bill 771 would also let those without an ID sign an affidavit, with penalties for those who falsify.

“If you don’t have anything or you refuse to sign the affidavit, then you’ve got to vote provisionally,” said Mehaffie. “That’s the failsafe in all of this.”

A failsafe, Mehaffie says, so courts don’t rule it unconstitutional for disenfranchising voters, but some Democrats say too restrictive.

“You should be able to go and do your constitutional right to vote and not have to have impediments, said Rep. Mary Isaacson (D-Philadelphia). “We should be making voting easier, not harder.”

Not restrictive enough for some Republicans, which kept it from a House vote.

“Would I like to see improvements on it? Sure,” said Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Franklin). “But listen, this is the back and forth that we have in state government.”

There’s no shortage of back and forth between the House and the Senate. Rare is success on the thornier issues.

“Yeah, it was a party line vote, but it starts a conversation with our colleagues in the Senate, and I think we need more of those conversations today,” said Rep. Nate Davidson (D-Cumberland/Dauphin).

The House and the Senate, and Republicans and Democrats, are going to have to get together and talk about exactly what they want to get something done. If not, they will proceed as they have done for several years and not get anything done, when almost everyone agrees something needs to get done.