HARRISBURG – A recent public hearing was held before the PA Senate State Government Committee to review the legal requirements for incapacitated governors or lieutenant governors. The procedures came into the spotlight in May when Lt. Gov. John Fetterman underwent a pacemaker operation following a stroke. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman served as acting lieutenant governor from May 17th to May 23rd. Since his stroke, Fetterman has not presided over the Senate. Committee Chairman, Sen. David Argall of Berks & Schuylkill Counties said confusion remains about when Fetterman’s office first notified Gov. Wolf as to when he first required medical care. There have been three instances where this law became necessary, most notably when Gov. Bob Casey underwent a heart-liver transplant and Lt. Gov. Mark Singel served as acting governor for six months in 1993. Argall said we learned from our initial review that the law has been applied differently in all three cases and it’s unclear about whether the Governor or Lieutenant Governor needs to wait four days between notification and resuming their duties. The committee issued invitations to former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and current Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to hear their perspectives and personal experiences with the law. Singel submitted a written statement, while Fetterman declined to participate.
SEN. DAVID ARGALL