Justice Clarence Thomas issued a vigorous dissent Monday in response to the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision not to hear a challenge against the Pennsylvania state court&#8217;s ruling that permitted ballots to be counted even if they were received three days after Election Day.
“One wonders what the Court waits for,&#8221; Thomas <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/022221zor_2cp3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a>. &#8220;We failed to settle this dispute before the election, and thus provide clear rules. Now we again fail to provide clear rules for future elections. The decision to leave election law hidden beneath a shroud of doubt is baffling. By doing nothing, we invite further confusion and erosion of voter confidence. Our fellow citizens deserve better and expect more of us. I respectfully dissent.&#8221;
Thomas acknowledged that the case before the Court would not have changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, but he also warned that the unwillingness of the Supreme Court to deal with the issues presented in the case now could hold potential problems in the future.
&#8220;We are fortunate that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to change the receipt deadline for mail-in ballots does not appear to have changed the outcome in any federal election. This Court ordered the county boards to segregate ballots received later than the deadline set by the legislature. Order in Republican Party of Pa. v. Boockvar, No. 20A84. And none of the parties contend that those ballots made an outcome-determinative difference in any relevant federal election.&#8221;
&#8220;But we may not be so lucky in the future. Indeed, a separate decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court may have already altered an election result,&#8221; he said, going on to mention a state Senate race.
&#8220;That is not a prescription for confidence,&#8221; Thomas continued. &#8220;Changing the rules in the middle of the game is bad enough. Such rule changes by officials who may lack authority to do so is even worse. When those changes alter election results, they can severely damage the electoral system on which our self-governance so heavily depends. If state officials have the authority they have claimed, we need to make it clear. If not, we need to put an end to this practice now before the consequences become catastrophic.&#8221;
“That decision to rewrite the rules seems to have affected too few ballots to change the outcome of any federal election. But that may not be the case in the future,” Thomas warned. “These cases provide us with an ideal opportunity to address just what authority nonlegislative officials have to set election rules, and to do so well before the next election cycle. The refusal to do so is inexplicable.”
Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch also dissented in the case.
“There is ‘reasonable expectation’ that the parties will face the same question in the future,” Alito wrote in his dissent, echoing Thomas&#8217; warning about potential future problems. “And that the question will evade future pre-election review, just as it did in these cases.”
“These cases call out for review, and I respectfully dissent from the Court’s decision to deny certiorari.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-gop-lawmakers-call-on-museum-to-honor-justice-clarence-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black GOP Lawmakers Call On Museum To ‘Honor’ Justice Clarence Thomas</a>
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Clarence Thomas

‘Citizens Deserve Better’: Justice Clarence Thomas Dissents In PA Election Case

2020 Election

Pennsylvania

Samuel Alito

Justice Clarence Thomas issued a vigorous dissent Monday in response to the Supreme Court&#039;s decision not to hear a challenge against the Pennsylvania state court&#039;s ruling that permitted ballots received three days after Election Day to be counted.

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The Pennsylvania state legislator who stoked outrage in 2019 when he harassed an elderly woman and attempted to dox two Christian girls for praying at a Planned Parenthood announced Monday he is running for lieutenant governor.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, a Democrat who represents a portion of downtown Philadelphia and became the first openly gay member of the State Legislature in 2012, released a video earlier this week announcing his candidacy.
Both the governor and lieutenant governor are separately elected offices in Pennsylvania primaries, and current Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has said he will be vacating the office in 2022 to run for Sen. Pat Toomey&#8217;s (R-PA) seat in Congress.
WATCH:
<iframe title="I’M RUNNING" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ejiy3kNTI6g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;I think every day about the values my Army officer parents instilled in me. To take responsibility, to show empathy, to have courage and to be authentic,&#8221; Sims said in his announcement. &#8220;I want to put those values to the direct service of the commonwealth.&#8221;
&#8220;We need adults in the room, and I want to bring bold visionary leadership based on lived experience and shared values to the Commonwealth,&#8221; Sims also said.
Sims made national headlines in 2019 when he harassed a mother and her two teenage daughters while they were publicly praying outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic. He recorded himself offering $100 to anyone who would be willing to dox them, which means to expose their address and other personal details.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is not the first time <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianSimsPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@briansimspa</a> has harassed pro-life women. 
Three weeks ago, Brian Sims offered viewers $100 to doxx these teen girls:
&quot;I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify these three, and I will donate to Planned Parenthood&quot;<a href="https://t.co/ZS61gIFosn">https://t.co/ZS61gIFosn</a> <a href="https://t.co/R77mqyhsLR">pic.twitter.com/R77mqyhsLR</a>
&mdash; LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/LifeNewsHQ/status/1125467623838216204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sims later apologized for the incident, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-rep-brian-sims-finally-apologizes-to-pro-life-mother-teen-girls-he-harassed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> at the time:
<blockquote>Pennsylvania state Rep. <a href="https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=1650">Brian Sims</a>, a Democrat and self-styled LGBT activist, has finally apologized to the pro-life mother and teen girls he harassed and attempted to dox for praying outside an abortion clinic in April.
After Sims live-streamed himself <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrat-rep-brian-sims-tries-dox-three-pro-amanda-prestigiacomo">harassing</a> an elderly pro-life female sidewalk counselor outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, the Democrat set his sights on Ashley Garecht, her teen daughters, and their friend. Sims mocked the women and girls, called their faith into question, and offered $100 to his viewers watching the livestream to identify them.
“This weekend I received a card from State Representative Brian Sims apologizing for his actions toward my daughters and their friend on Holy Thursday,” said a statement from Garecht sent to The Daily Wire.
“Our family forgave Mr. Sims many months ago and we extend that forgiveness again now,” she said. “It is our sincere hope that Mr. Sims will modify his conduct in the future and that he will stand in defense of all citizens who exercise their First Amendment rights in the public square, including those who advocate for life outside of abortion facilities.”
“We take Mr. Sims at his word that ‘he has learned a great deal’ from the response to his filmed harassment and intimidation,” Garecht continued, “and so he now bears the responsibility of showing by his actions that dangerous and threatening behavior toward others he disagrees with has no place in our society.”</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-rep-brian-sims-finally-apologizes-to-pro-life-mother-teen-girls-he-harassed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Democratic Rep. Brian Sims Finally Apologizes To Pro-Life Mother, Teen Girls He Harassed</a>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Rep. Brian Simms

PA State Lawmaker Who Harassed Elderly Woman, Teen Girls Praying At Planned Parenthood Running For Lt. Gov.

Abortion

Philadelphia

Planned Parenthood

The Pennsylvania state legislator who stoked outrage in 2019 when he harassed an elderly woman and attempted to dox two Christian girls for praying at a Planned Parenthood announced Monday he is running for lieutenant governor.

https://editorial.dailywire.com/news/pa-state-lawmaker-who-harassed-elderly-woman-teen-girls-praying-at-planned-parenthood-running-for-lt-gov/

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Pennsylvania

‘Citizens Deserve Better’: Justice Clarence Thomas Dissents In PA Election Case

PA State Lawmaker Who Harassed Elderly Woman, Teen Girls Praying At Planned Parenthood Running For Lt. Gov.

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