As (some) lawmakers work together to bring the budget impasse to an end, straining relationships in the House GOP leadership could bring negotiations to a halting crash.
More than two dozen House Republicans and Democrats have met this week to discuss ousting Rep. Mike Turzai as Speaker of the House, Kevin Zwick of Capitolwire reports. The group has even brought in an experienced attorney to draft a resolution to remove Turzai.
“It’s very serious. I think that members are getting blamed for what’s going on and I think that pot has begun to boil over,” an unnamed House GOP source told Capitolwire. “The credibility of the institution, it’s losing its value by the minute, and the person who gets held responsible in many eyes is the top dog – the Speaker.”
The anonymous source said Turzai could be gone as soon as next week if a budget isn’t passed before then, though another source called the talk an “intensified rumor,” with people looking for a scapegoat for the six months of fruitless negotiations.
The relationship between Turzai and House Majority Leader Dave Reed has reached a breaking point, after Turzai pushed for the passage of a trimmed-down spending plan that goes against the budget framework negotiated by Reed, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman and Gov. Tom Wolf.
Last month, Reed made Turzai cry during a meeting of the GOP caucus after asking for his support of medical marijuana. One person described it as a “John Boehner-like breakdown.” Rumors first started to bubble up about a possible change a few days ago when Sean Kitchen of Raging Chicken Press wrote that Turzai also wants Bryan Cutler to replace Reed as Majority Leader.
The resolution to hold an election for a new Speaker would require 102 votes, including 18 from Republicans if all 84 Democrats support the move.
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Please read carefully Joel, I know a whole paragraph may be a lot for you to handle. My point was that the governor’s proposed budget had a huge CUT in property taxes with a small raise in income and sales tax. His property tax cuts moved the weight off of homeowners and provided relief for renters. If you eliminate property taxes altogether then you lose the massive amounts of revenue that big businesses pay in property taxes on their large properties, unfairly shifting the burden back onto individual citizens to fill the revenue vacuum.
It really is like people forget that the Governor’s proposed a budget in March that made sense. It had tax increase and tax cuts. Spending increases and spending cuts. Most importantly, numbers weren’t artificially inflated with projected revenues from unbuilt casinos and projects that could never live up to the hype. Through this hostage situation of a negotiation process that the House and Senate GOP have created, we have lost real hope at property tax relief that was aimed to do exactly what the people want; to give them confidence that whatever rate they are paying is not going to suddenly fluctuate when townships run out of money for their schools.
Rational Human says: “We are one of the lowest tax states in the country for everything except property taxes.” That’s like saying we’re one of the healthiest states in the country if you ignore obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Rumors swirling that a move will be made by next week
Time to oust senators Jake Corman and Joe Scarnati, too. They are trying to raise taxes on working people while playing footsie with governor Wolf. All these career politicians care about is themselves. They forgot all about us, the people.
Anyone that doesn’t understand that the majority of PA can not afford ANY additional property tax , should not be in any leadership position and must be replaced comes November 2016. Turzai has been one big obstacle in the passage of HB 76 and only serves the special interests. We need representatives that serve the people.
Turzai needs to go. Even though he represents GOP Members of the State House that have never had an agenda but protecting special interests groups that pay for their re-election campaigns. Turzai and the Metcalfe group are committed to gridlock. It borders on anarchy to destroy government hiding behind the premise of smaller government. Why middle class voters keep re-electing and paying for State Representatives that do nothing for them and serve the special interests is totally above my pay grade.
Preach, Isaac, Preach
Wow – do you guys have any idea how state government works or what compromise means? You’re using national Republican talking points to discuss a state government that is not the same. Do you think the Commonwealth can just run up as much debt as it wants to? The legislature has essentially been borrowing money from the pension fund for years. Gov. Wolf made major concessions on pensions in an effort to get more money to pay that back. Want to get rid of the pension system? Congratulations: you just added $40 billion+ dollars that the taxpayers will have to pay for instead of the markets taking care of 70 percent.
Oh, I forgot, compromise means Republicans get everything they want or shut down the government. Silly me. I love how they keep getting elected by saying government is broken, then they get in there and make it worse so that they can keep getting elected.
You can pay more taxes. We are one of the lowest tax states in the country for everything except property taxes (remember that thing the governor’s budget cut drastically?). Funding education and getting basic social services will reduce the other costs in your life when given time to be implemented. Not to mention, if we eliminate the litany of corporate loopholes then the burden of those taxes falls more on the shoulders of those who really can afford to pay them. Even with the awful gerrymandering in this state, I cannot imagine some of those hard R’s in the Eastern half of this state won’t go down in 2016 over the exclusion of a severance tax in the budget.
tl;dr government should work like a business and invest in itself
Outed?!? Wow! Oh, wait…
Turzai is a tool. The republicans at all levels can not govern.
ELIMINATE SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES- it’s the only right thing to do for the property owners of PA. Excessive spending bad decisions hurrying bills through etc… These elected officials are not representing the people who voted them into office. We will not forget when it is our turn to vote come election time.
The diabolical and vindictive piece of shit Mike Vereb strikes again. Can’t wait until he loses his primary. What a jerkoff.
This mess is the making of Turzai and the reapportionment after the 2010 census. They drew up the districts for the PA Senate, House and US Congress, not to reflect the actual voting of PA citizens, but to create false Republican majorities, when in fact, PA is heavily Democratic.
The People of PA cannot afford to Pay anymore taxes. We all want Property Tax Elimination NOW SB 76. Wolf needs to CUT spending. They have enough of our Money. It is time they use it wisely. Consolidate School Districts & there Managers/Directors. Stop building NEW Schools & Foot Ball Stadiums/Field, Bus Barns that cost 3.5 million dollars Like in Exeter TWP. Exeter raising taxes 13 % I wonder WHY ??
It is time to get Leadership that can lead before MORE people leave to live in states where they do NOT RAPE the tax payer. Property Taxes will continue to rise until the People get DAM MAD. We are close to be just that.
$16,000 average per student per year is ENOUGH! The PSEA and their puppet Tom Wolf have gone too far this time. Absolutely NO tax increases or there will be MANY legislators heading home after next election.
Turzai is a one-issue politician, fighting for only one thing that most Pennsylvanians don’t give more than a first thought about. But it’s his legacy, he hopes, so he keeps pushing. Loser. Does nothing to help PA at all, it’s all about him.
These guys argue for their pet projects and lobbyists…”give me liquor or give me death!” or lyin’ Corman fights for his weakass so-called pension reform and lies about supporting property tax elimination by VOTING AGAINST IT. His vote sunk that run at passing what 80% of Pennsylvanians demand! He apparently lied to everyone for months that he supported the measure and is now in bed with The Wolf…Obama’s buddy. What did the Teacher’s Union pay you…Jake the Snake.
Please no tax increase without Eliminating Property Tax…Pass 76!
Sylvia, obviously your education was lacking, but maybe you’re smart enough to realize that education spending is the addiction of the Left. There will NEVER be enough money spent on education. We could triple the amount of spending on education and the union slugs from PSEA would still clamor for more. We could demonstrate that all this money is going to jobs for Yolanda’s unemployed cousins in Philly and they’re not even doing anything from 8 to 4 each day, and you would still want more money. Enough is enough. Do more with less.
Mike Turzai is doing the right thing in standing up against another tax and spend Governor, who will further burden our children and grandchildren with high taxes and more debt. We need to focus our energy on cutting spending, not promising more spending, and this is why the Speaker is the right person. He has the courage to stand up to the unions and others that are indifferent to the interests of taxpayers in Pennsylvania. A strong leader sometimes has to stand up and take the heat, and this is exactly what Mike Turzai is demonstrating — that he has the willingness and ability to do what is right for the long term even though it would be easier to go along with those that would rather go to the PA Society and party instead of making the hard calls on the important issues facing the future of PA..
Turzai has to GO HE DOES NOT CARE ONE BIT ABOUT THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PA. ANY LEGISLATURE THAT WILL COMPROMISE EDUCATION FOR LIQUOR PRIVITAZATION SHOULD NOT HAVE A OFFICE IN THE CAPITOL..
The commenter “Taxpayer” must really like paying taxes.
As someone who supports SB 76, I have my own issues with Mike Turzai, and have confronted him on several occasions.
That being said, if he’s holding up a tax increase, good for him. The people don’t want it. At least he got that right.
I am amazed at some of these comments. Some are blaming the House for the budget impasse. They DID pass a budget…Wolf vetoed it. They passed a stop gap…Wolf vetoed it.
When does Wolf get blamed for not compromising? I supposed some of you think he gets to propose the largest tax and spending increases in PA history…more than the other 49 states combined…and then act is if he “compromised” by agreeing to slightly less and/or different tax increases?
You guys negotiate like our local school boards. Why shouldn’t the Dems, who are in the minority, be compromising on how much to CUT SPENDING and how much to LOWER taxes??? Why is the compromise always how much to grow government?
He must go. He is among the worst politicians I can remember in a long, long time.
Anyone tired of “CAREER POLITICIANS”?!
The house needs to make good with the Governor by voting wunderkind Ben Zhang as Speaker.
Get rid of him. He is not a man of his word. We need an honest person who can work with fellow Republicans and also with Democrats and with Senate leadership.
typical to blame someone with some scruples and a moral compass. Not a fall in line guy. Anyone who goes with this vote to remove him should be ashamed. Wolfe was just what we thought and eveeyone still drank the kool aid. Sinful.
What we really need is the passage of h.b 76!!!
Get rid of him and get a budget done.
I wonder if the Senate can remove the entire House membership by a two-thirds vote… At least we’d get a budget then. And I’m sure Wolf would not object.
I’ve been working all day, but I’ll take credit since there wasn’t a press release on it
We Don’t Need — Ron Marsico?! That guy takes his marching orders from the FOP and the DAs. He’s a puppet.
The mutineers and traitors are busily sharpening their swords for their next round of captives they will take for their next hostage exchange. Too bad these chaps can’t join ISIS, they certainly have the right mindset.
As far as the credibility of the institution of the PA state house, it has none. It is a joke wrapped in a farce. 6 months without a budget is reprehensible. So what if it is Constitutionally required! What Constitution is that I might ask!
What a bunch of blithering idiots we have running this state.
This is great news … maybe someone like Ron Marsico will become Speaker and provide some real leadership for the HOR
1. Yes it is possible to elect a Speaker from the minority party. That is how Dennis O’Brien was elected Speaker when the Ds held a majority in the House.
2. The tension between Turzai and Reed has been palpable for some time. Turzai is more of an ideolgue and Reed is more of a negotiator. Not a good match.
Wow, some of you guys are either trolling hard or don’t understand the most basic fundamentals of our constitution.
The real question here, to my mind: is this a legitimate attempt to remove Speaker Turzai or is it merely meant to be a tool to push him to accept the bipartisan budget agreement?
Assuming this does not come to fruition, I wonder if we would see this resurface in the coming months.
He is in one tight bind. He is planning to run for governor, but he can’t cut a deal with Wolf and Senate leaders that contains a tax increase and expect to have a snowball’s chance in a primary against Scott Perry or attack Wolf on a budget he supported. But as the top leader in the House, to remain in that position, he ultimately has to support the deal that gets cut. Talk about being on the horns of a dilemma
He needs to go
Can they do this for the Governor as well while the attorney is on the clock?
Why doesn’t the Senate just remove him like they are trying to do with Kane? It’s clear he has lost his mind and become legally incompetent.
This is the most DO NOTHING CONGRESS I EVER WITNESSED!,and why did the speaker cry,could it be he would lost campaign money from the pharma. Industry?
I heard they have 107 votes already
Sean – I mean give credit where credit is due – if you’re going to post under a pseudonym at least try a little harder than that.
Yes David,you may recall that there was a GOP speaker despite a Dem majority a few years ago.
Sean Kitchen from Raging Chicken Press broke this story first. Add him to this article.
“The resolution to hold an election for a new Speaker would require 102 votes, including 18 from Republicans if all 84 Democrats support the move.”
Is it possible (within the rules), to elect a Dem speaker despite a Republican majority?
Fake aaron…the takeaway here is that turzai cried when dave reed tried to get him to support the legalization of marijuana. I didn’t see anything about eakin in the article. But has kane resigned yet. After all, she was behind disgusting porn emails. What’s wrong with her. If only we had a gop ag…
Has Michael Eakin resigned yet?