For the first time in memory, the door to the Pennsylvania House chamber has been ordered locked when not in session. Democratic House Speaker Mark Rozzi issued the order after House Republicans shared a photo of them sitting in their places Monday, ready to work in a special session called by exiting Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf. Next to Republicans was an empty half chamber, unfilled chairs, where Democrats normally sit.
“Pursuant to House customs and precedents, the Speaker is charged with maintaining order and decorum in the House of Representatives. On the evening of Monday, January 9, 2023, decorum was breached when a caucus used the chamber for a publicity stunt,” Rozzi wrote in a note to House members. “The House of Representatives is a sacred chamber to be used for conducting the people’s business, not for partisan gamesmanship. To prevent future breaches of decorum, I have ordered the doors of the house to be locked when the house is not in session. …We collectively can and must do better. Let us tone down the partisanship and sincerely work together to move Pennsylvania forward.”
