HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — AP is reporting… State Rep. Kevin Boyle has been stripped of his committee chairmanship and had his access to the Capitol limited in a rare move by Democratic leadership in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Spotlight PA has learned. Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, who has the power to choose committee chairs within her caucus, removed Boyle from his position as chairman of the House Finance Committee, a move that was finalized last week during a little-noticed, non-voting session of the chamber. In an interview Monday, Boyle said that when he arrived at the Capitol this week, he could not enter except through public entrances, which are guarded by Capitol Police and require visitors to pass through a metal detector. The Philadelphia Democrat said he had been given a new badge Monday but was unsure if it would restore his official Capitol access privileges.
Kevin Boyle
Legislators are issued badges that allow them 24-7 access to the Capitol from all doors leading into the building, including ones that are not manned by law enforcement. McClinton, also a Philadelphia Democrat, did not respond to requests for comment. House Democratic spokesperson Bill Patton also declined comment. The move to sideline an elected official of their own party is one that legislative leaders have used sparingly. When it has happened in the past, it’s almost always been used either punitively — to punish a lawmaker who has angered leadership — or because of a personnel issue involving the lawmaker. For his part, Boyle would say only that he believes Democratic House leaders were given “incorrect information about me” over the summer. He would not elaborate. “I’m not fully certain what their thinking is,” he said of leadership’s recent moves.
