John Rafferty Disingenuous?

The debate that occurred during Mary’s Law — which passed the Pennsylvania Senate today, Oct. 14 — unscabbed some old wounds regarding Sen. John Rafferty of the 44th District in Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties.

Rafferty, a Republican, has been accused of trying to kill the bill, SB 501, which would keep money from being involuntarily taken from the paychecks of public employees for political purposes.

The law would not stop the deduction of money for collective bargaining.

When the bill first came up for a vote in early March it failed 24-24. Sen. Scott Wagner (R-28) laid blame specifically at the feet of Rafferty and Dominic Pileggi (R-9), both of whom voted against the bill at the time.

“I have found Senator Rafferty to be the most disingenuous member of the Republican Caucus,” Wagner said. “To be honest and direct, I have watched Senator Rafferty repeatedly undermine our new leadership – Senator Rafferty is self-serving and badly wants to be Pennsylvania’s Attorney General.”

Ouch.

Well, yesterday, Rafferty proposed an amendment that would have exempted unions representing police and firefighters from the law.

It’s a dubious concept that police and firefighters would somehow think one was doing them a favor by taking their money without their permission to advocate for candidates and causes which with they might not agree, so the amendment was overwhelmingly voted down.

Rafferty then voted for final passage. Some think that’s because he sees the writing on the wall regarding what it takes to get the Republican nomination for state Attorney General, a position for which he has declared himself a candidate.

Pileggi, it should be noted, has been consistent in his opposition.

Rafferty has a tough row to hoe in his Attorney General quest. The Republican voter is certainly going to be reminded that he was the architect of the Corbett gas tax increase.

John Rafferty Disingenuous?