HARRISBURG – The Senate State Government Committee approved legislation today which would amend the state’s constitution to permit gubernatorial candidates to choose their running mate after the primary election – a process that mirrors how presidential candidates currently select their vice presidential running mates.
Senator David G. Argall (R-Berks/Schuylkill), the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 761, extended his gratitude to the committee for its support, noting the importance of such reform in Pennsylvania given the current dynamic between Governor Wolf and Lieutenant Governor Stack. “Both the governor and lieutenant governor have both openly admitted that they rarely speak to one another weeks at a time, and to say that this type of relationship is embarrassing would be a severe understatement,” Argall said. “It’s plain and simple: Pennsylvania’s residents deserve to have their top two leaders of the executive branch function as a team in order to best represent their interests.”
The measure would not take effect until 2022 since Pennsylvania’s constitutional amendment process requires that the proposal be approved by the House and the Senate during the same legislative session in which it was introduced, followed by a re-approval of the House and Senate in the next legislative session in 2019 before it is placed on the ballot for the approval of Pennsylvania’s voters.
The bill will now move to the full Senate for consideration.