State Senate Nixes Gov. Wolf Nominee to Head Pennsylvania State Police
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- In a rare move, the Pennsylvania state senate today voted down a governor's nominee to a high-level post, rejecting Gov. Wolf's nomination of Marcus Brown to be state police commissioner.
Opponents of Brown had cited a litany of concerns, including his decision to wear a state police uniform despite not having risen through the ranks.
As the senators debated Brown's nomination, Sen. Anthony Williams (D-Phila. and Delco) dismissed those concerns.
"While he may not be a perfect individual, he has an extraordinary record," Williams said.
But Brown's nomination was defeated in a vote mostly along party lines.
Still, the battle may not be over, according to the senate minority leader, Jay Costa (D-Allegheny).
"We will be encouraging the governor to send Marcus Brown's name back over again, to allow him to continue to serve as the acting commissioner of state police, to allow him the opportunity to win over the folks in the troopers' association."
A spokesman for the governor says Brown will continue as acting state police commissioner.
Senate majority leader Jake Corman (R-Centre/ Mifflin/ Juniata/ Huntingdon) said he hopes Wolf will not resubmit Brown's nomination.
"I'm not a constitutional lawyer. If he does, we may end up in court some day with it. But I don't want to go down that road. I want the governor to respect the Senate," Corman (in top photo) told reporters.
Corman says Wolf should respect the process and look for a new nominee.
