New GOP Rules Limit Democratic Party Participation -- PA State House Explodes (watch the video!)

[demodonkey]

PA State House Explodes, New Rules Limit Minority Party Participation

The first major partisan brawl of the new session is underway, as House Republicans institute new rules for debate which severely limit Democratic participation.

In summary, Republicans are now able to defer amendments to committee and Democrats have lost a seat on each of the major House committee. The situation arose after Democrats attempted to bog down progress on the GOP’s reform package with 43 separate amendments (a tactic often used by the Republicans while they were in the minority).

(MORE AT LINK)

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-state-house-explodes-new-rules-limit-minority-party-participation/20669/

BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO. It's well worth the 8 minutes or so!

[wisteria]

1. So, they appear to control everything, with no decent allowed.

Sad, very sad for PA, but when things get cut, services dry up, and life gets harder for the middle class and poor in PA, we can only blame the Republicans who control everything.
And, the video is shocking. I posted it on my Facebook page, but it really needs to go viral. This is a real eye-opener as to what has been and is going on in PA.

[demodonkey]

2. PA State Democratic Chairman Jim Burn calls on House Majority Leader Mike Turzai to step down

State Democratic Committee Chairman Jim Burn is calling on House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, to step down from his leadership post after exhibiting what he called an inability to lead at Thursday's rancorous Rules Committee meeting.

One proposal would remove a Democrat from every House committee, reducing their numbers to nine on a committee compared to 15 Republican members. Another proposal intended to streamline debate on the House floor by allowing amendments to be tabled without tabling the entire bill as had been the rule before. As the committee took up those measures, Democratic members screamed epithets about dictatorship and slavery before storming out of the room while the committee vote was taking place on the proposals, which now go to the full House where Republicans hold a 112-91 seat majority.

Burn said a leader would have listened to dissenters and treated them professionally. Turzai's failure to do that shows his insecurity and inability to lead, Burn said. He urged Republican Gov. Tom Corbett to join him in asking Turzai to step down.

"He has an obligation as leader of the state to step up and get his party under control," Burn said of Corbett. He went on to say that Corbett remains silent that indicates he has no problem with Turzai's actions.

(MORE AT LINK)

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/pa_state_democratic_chairman_j.html