Lawmakers discuss proposal to impeach Pa. Supreme Court justices

(Harrisburg) — Some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to impeach four of seven state Supreme Court justices for what they say was judicial overreach — after the court redrew the Commonwealth’s congressional map earlier this year.

Legislators could act as soon as today on resolutions that would set the process in motion.

Jefferson County Republican Cris Dush broached the idea of impeachment in February, after the Democratic-majority court’s opinion overturning the old congressional map, which favored the GOP.

“The only check unfortunately that we have over the Supreme Court is impeachment. It’s not something I take lightly,” he said, “But, protecting the rule of law is something I take very seriously.”

Since then, 10 other Republicans have signed on as sponsors.

Suzanne Almeida is the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, which helped initiate the lawsuit that led to the map being redrawn.

“We want to make sure that we’re very clear now, and always, that attacking judges for a decision that you disagree with is unacceptable,” she said.

Almeida was part of a group that delivered petitions yesterday signed by over 800 people urging Dush and other key lawmakers to drop their impeachment push and focus on other issues.

The resolutions name all Democratic justices except Max Baer.

Baer wrote a split opinion.

He agreed the map was unconstitutional, but didn’t want it changed  so close to the midterms.