Apparently, not even the dire crisis posed in Pennsylvania by the novel coronavirus outbreak is enough to quell partisan rancor in the halls of the General Assembly in Harrisburg.
On Tuesday, while members of the state Senate were getting ready to participate in an online session of the chamber, a Republican from Montgomery County could be heard saying he liked the virtual meetings, but not for reasons of health safety or convenience.
State Sen. Robert Mensch, R-24th, of Red Hill, could be heard opining through an open microphone that the Zoom platform sessions gave him the opportunity to “stare daggers at Muth,” according to published reports.
Another voice on the broadcast could then be heard responding, “And she doesn’t even know it.”
Mensch and the other, unnamed, legislator were referring to their colleague, state Sen. Katie Muth, D-44th, of Royserford, one of three state senators representing a portion of Chester County.
Later that day, after the dialogue had been made public, Mensch, whose district abuts Muth’s in Montgomery and Berks counties, tried to walk his comment back a bit. He offered an apology to the full Senate, the majority of whom had gathered on the online platform Zoom to conduct the day’s business.
Appearing on video, Mensch, following the Senate’s protocol, directed his remarks to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, Republican of Jefferson County, who was presiding.
“Mr. President I made a comment for which I’d like to apologize,” Mensch said, without mentioning Muth by name. “It was an offhanded comment to another person in the office. And (it’s) a caution to everyone that the microphones are open. I looked, I thought it was closed. But it was a personal comment. A personal observation. Thank you.”
Muth, one of the chamber’s more progressive members and a freshman elected in 2018’s “blue wave,” made note of the slight on her Twitter account but seemed to take it in stride.
“How was your day teleworking?” she asked her followers. “Welp, mine was full of #Daggers – misogyny beaming strong in virtual workplaces,” she wrote. “Too bad we couldn’t pass bills to actually help ppl, instead of mean mugging on Zoom.”
Chester County Democratic Committee Chairman Dick Bingham, aware of the kerfuffle, said the comments were out of place for the General Assembly.
“This was wholly uncalled for,” Bingham said in an interview Wednesday. “I don’t understand the kind of attitude displayed by someone like that. But Senator Muth has our full support. She’s doing a great job.”
Mensch is a leader the GOP in the Senate, serving as Majority Caucus chairman. Muth has drawn the ire of majority members in the chamber before, once during a speech she gave concerning the state’s cash-assistance program, during which she tried to read a letter from a once-homeless man who said the program had benefited him.
Neither Mensch nor Muth could be reached for comment.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.
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April 09, 2020 at 12:57AM
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