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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Ruth
A. Myers |
State Rep. Dante
Santoni |
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Santoni proposal to widen pool of school board candidates approved
HARRISBURG, April 23 – State Rep. Dante Santoni, D-Berks, said the state House of Representatives today passed a bill (H.B. 503) he authored that would allow constables to run for school board.
“Many communities across the state have trouble finding citizens to serve on the local school board,” Santoni explained. “A candidate who meets the qualifications for one office should not automatically be prohibited from serving in the other office. This bill would remove that clause in current law.”
Santoni said he became aware of current law several years ago when a local school board member was elected to constable and later had to resign from the board. Few people were aware of the statute, but once discovered, local authorities had no choice but to enforce it.
The office of constable is among the oldest law enforcement officer positions in the world, and constables have served Pennsylvania since the days of William Penn. They are elected to six-year terms. Under state law, they are sworn law enforcement officers elected to their positions with the authority to carry out an arrest anywhere in the state. Constables are the only law enforcement officials authorized at polling places on Election Day.
The bill, which passed the House by a vote of 149-44, now goes to the Senate for consideration.
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Attention Radio News Directors: an actuality from Rep. Santoni is available by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA126 (7-2-126) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.