Democratic state house member Innamorato resigns putting majority at risk

“Sara is an unwavering advocate for her neighbors and a strong voice for all working families,”McClinton said. “Her tenacity and commitment are admirable, and she will be missed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.”

The constituent service offices in the 21st Legislative District will remain open through the Special Election, she said.

Currently, the House is not in session, but with the resignation, Democrats and Republicans are now tied at 101-101 and the Democrats have for now, lost their one member majority.

But McClinton has signed a writ for a special election to be held in the 21st  District on Sept 19. The special election to fill the vacancy in the 21st district will take place before the next scheduled session of the house, so the outcome of the election should be known before the House reconvenes, a spokesperson for McClinton said.

Since Pittsburgh is heavy democratic, it is likely that the Democrats retain their majority.

“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve as your Representative for the 21st Legislative District,” Innamorato said. “Throughout my time as a Representative, my constituents’ stories inspired and drove my legislative priorities around creating safe and healthy communities where we can all thrive. Together, we’ve done amazing things to improve our region, and I am excited to continue serving our neighbors for years to come.”

Innamorato said her decision to resign now will provide her with an opportunity to work with the next representative and fully transition them into the role before the general election in November, ensuring the 21st district has a representative solely focused on advancing the needs of the district.

Meanwhile, the $45.5 billion budget that passed both the House and the Senate is stalled because of a dispute over a $100 voucher program that was cut in a line item veto by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The Senate has declined to pass the budget to Shapiro, for his signature and is out of session until September. The budget is for the fiscal year 2024 that was scheduled to begin July 1.

Earlier this year, a Commonwealth Court judge said that the state had not adequately funded public education on an equitable basis, which is its constitutional responsibility.

For their part, Democrats argued that the voucher program would take money from the state public school system that is already cash strapped. Vouchers allow public school students to use that money for a private school of their choice. But private schools can’t accommodate all public school students and can accept whomever they want and deny whomever they want.

But Senate Republicans cried foul, saying the governor, who said he supported the voucher program, had double crossed them.

House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford, D., 70th District, of Montgomery County said Republicans are being disingenuous said it was made clear at the beginning of negotiations that the voucher program would not have the support of the House.

“It is incumbent upon leaders in both chambers to find ways to work together so that everyone’s ideas are carefully considered and advanced through the legislative process and we can deliver for all Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said.