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PRINTER'S NO. 4234
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
964
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY SIMS, HANBIDGE, McNEILL, SOLOMON, KENYATTA,
BURGOS, BOYLE, HOHENSTEIN, CEPHAS, SCHWEYER, SCHLOSSBERG,
WHEATLEY, McCARTER, DeLUCA, SHUSTERMAN, BIZZARRO, DALEY,
KRUEGER, KINSEY, SANCHEZ, HOWARD, DONATUCCI AND McCLINTON,
AUGUST 7, 2020
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, AUGUST 7, 2020
A RESOLUTION
Censuring Representative Russ Diamond.
WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 global pandemic, Representative
Russ Diamond has made repeated public and transphobic attacks on
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, a
transgender woman; and
WHEREAS, On July 29, following an extensive plea by the
Secretary of Health to stop the continued transphobic and
homophobic attacks against her, Representative Diamond publicly
mocked and mimicked the Secretary of Health's plea in a
statement released to the press and to the public via social
media; and
WHEREAS, Representative Diamond parroted and ridiculed the
Secretary of Health's calls for tolerance and acceptance of the
LGBTQ+ community, which still has no Statewide protection from
discrimination and faces unprecedented discrimination and
violence across this Commonwealth, by substituting the words
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"unmasked community" for "LGBTQ+ communities" from a statement
made by the Secretary of Health; and
WHEREAS, Representative Diamond has made his objection to the
science, medicine and public health expertise that supports
Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine's statewide mask order; and
WHEREAS, Representative Diamond's general disdain for the
Secretary of Health has been well documented in his written
comments and legislative measures to impede the Secretary of
Health's authority in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, That disdain has grown beyond any and all
professional disagreement or objection and is now manifest in
the type of discrimination and bigotry that the Pennsylvania
General Assembly and the population of Pennsylvania, as a whole,
must condemn in the strongest terms; and
WHEREAS, Representative Diamond's attacks on Secretary Levine
and the larger LGBTQ+ communities across Pennsylvania have made
her and other LGBTQ+ citizens fearful for their own safety
merely because they were exercising their constitutional right
to live authentic lives; and
WHEREAS, Representative Diamond also used his elected
position to intimidate, mock and ridicule the Secretary of
Health and others who identify as LGBTQ+ in this Commonwealth;
and
WHEREAS, Under section 11 of Article II of the Constitution
of Pennsylvania, the House of Representatives has the exclusive
power to determine its rules, protect its members against
violence and expel a member; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That, pursuant to section 11 of Article II of the
Constitution of Pennsylvania, the House of Representatives
censure Representative Russ Diamond for his actions, which tend
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to bring the House of Representatives into dishonor and
disrepute; and be it further
RESOLVED, That, pursuant to section 11 of Article II of the
Constitution of Pennsylvania, the House of Representatives
remove Representative Russ Diamond from his position as a member
of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, the Finance
Committee, the Gaming Oversight Committee and the State
Government Committee; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct that for
the remainder of the 2019-2020 Legislative Session, the House
not appoint Representative Russ Diamond to any standing, select
or special committee of the House, the General Assembly or any
agency, authority, board or commission.
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