HER OPPONENT - Rep John Lawrence
It's not what he SAYS,
It's how he VOTES!
On January 29, 2019, more than a year before COVID, Senate Memo titled “Constitutional Amendment – Absentee Ballots” was issued introducing SB421 (Act 77). This memo states in part:
“Pennsylvania’s current Constitution restricts voters wanting to vote by absentee ballot to [enumerated] situations... We propose to amend the Constitution to eliminate these limitations, empowering voters to request and submit absentee ballots for any reason – allowing them to vote early and by mail.”
Constitutional amendments must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions and be voted on by YOU during an election. John Lawrence and his colleagues robbed us of this right.
Furthermore, Act 77 gave the county board of elections the authority to determine the methods by which mail-in ballots may be returned. This resulted in the use of ballot drop boxes throughout our county.
Sources:
Senate Memo
Act 77 (SB421)
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2019&sInd=0&body=s&type=b&bn=421
Commentary
Commonwealth Court Opinion
By Judge Leavitt, January 28, 2022
“For these reasons, we grant summary relief to McLinko and declare that Act 77 violates Article VII, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, PA. CONST.art. VII, §1.”
https://www.pacourts.us/assets/opinions/Commonwealth/out/244MD21_1-28-22.pdf?cb=1
Why did John Lawrence vote for HB 2060 which stripped individuals of their constitutional right to bear arms in the absence of due process?
Sources:
HB 2060
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2017&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=2060
Commentary
Pa. Senate passes bill requiring surrender of guns in certain domestic violence cases
By Charles Thompson, October 3, 2018
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/10/pa_senate_passes_bill_requirin.html
The Truth About Hb 2060 That Your Representatives Don’t Want You To Know
By Joshua Prince, Esq., October 4, 2018
Why would John Lawrence join the 18 Republican lawmakers who broke ranks and joined all the Democrats in voting NO for the COVID Tuition Grant Program that would have required the Department of Education to direct school funding to parents - not institutions?
Approximately $14,000 per child would have been available - income tax free - to parents so they could send their children to the school of their choice during the 2021/22 school year.
Sources:
HB 1254
Commentary
The Same Tired Talking Points Articulated by the Same Anti-School Choice Unions
Why would John Lawrence want to exempt School Board Directors from personal liability for "civil damages on account of ANY injury to a person or property caused by a vote or debate preceding a vote by the member which is within the scope of the member's office?"
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Why didn't John Lawrence join his Republican colleagues in cosponsoring these bills?
Sources:
Why didn't John Lawrence join his 62 Republican colleagues in cosponsoring this bill?
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The NRA glossed over Lawrence’s YES vote for HB 2060. However, the FOAC is serious about their activism and offered no such cover for Lawrence’s YES vote.
Sources:
2022 Voter Guide
https://foac-pac.org/voters_guide/guides/2022-Chester-County-State-Primary-Voter-Guide1652321589.pdf
2018 Voter Guide, General Election - 13th District
2021 - increased state spending by 8.8% (or $3.2B) over the previous year’s budget
2020 - increased state spending by 7.4% over the previous year’s budget
2019 - increased state spending by 4.7% over the previous year’s budget
Sources:
SB 255 – 2021 Budget
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2021&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=255
Commentary
2021 Budget Takeaways
By Nathan Benefield, June 29, 2021
“The spending increase greatly exceeds inflation and population growth. The new budget includes total ongoing general fund spending of $39.78 billion, an increase of 8.8% over last year’s enacted budget.”
https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/research/2021-budget-takeaways/
SB 1350 – 2020 Budget
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2019&sInd=0&body=s&type=b&bn=1350
Commentary
Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania position on SB 1350
“SB 1350 increased spending by more than 7.4 percent over the previous year's enacted budget. Spending increases should be limited to the rate of inflation plus population growth. The rate of inflation plus population growth is 2.1%. In other words, this budget increased spending by more than three times what would be reasonable.”
https://index.teamcap.org/votes/2020-House-SB-1350-RCS1764
HB 790 – 2019 Budget
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2019&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=790
Commentary
This Year’s Budget Continues Past Trends
By Tirzah Duren, June 28, 2019
“…this appropriations bill represents a 4.7 percent increase over last year's enacted budget.”
https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/2019/06/28/this-years-budget-continues-past-trends/
The American Conservative Union Foundation
Sources:
Pennsylvania House Member Information
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