Robert Jubelirer
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Robert C. Jubelirer (born February 9, 1937 in Altoona, Pennsylvania) is a Republican Pennsylvania political leader. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1975 to 2006, and simultaneously served as the President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania between 2001 and 2003.
He served as President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate, but on May 17, 2006, he lost his bid for re-election in a party primary and left office on December 1, 2006. He was replaced as President Pro Tempore by Joseph B. Scarnati III.[1]
He is married to Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer.
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[edit] Early life
The son of a prominent county judge, Jubelirer attended Pennsylvania State University and the Dickinson School of Law. He was admitted to the bar in Blair County, Pennsylvania and practiced law for several years before entering politics.
He was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1974 to represent the Altoona area. He was elected Majority Leader in 1981. Jubelirer served as President Pro Tempore of the State Senate from 1985 to 1992. After serving briefly as Minority Leader from 1993 to 1994, he again became President Pro Tempore.
[edit] Lieutenant Governor
When Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge resigned on October 5, 2001 to become President Bush's Homeland Security Advisor, Lt. Governor Mark Schweiker became Pennsylvania's 44th Governor.
By provision of the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1968, Jubelirer as President Pro Tempore was automatically elevated to Lt. Governor and sworn in the same day.
Jubelirer's elevation to the office was not without controversy. Jubelirer retained his position in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Critics and political foes argued that this violated the separation of powers principle and threatened the checks and balances guaranteed in the state constitution. A lawsuit was filed by State Rep. John Lawless, Joseph Wiedemer and Leechburg Area School Board member Charles A. Pascal, Jr. to block Jubelirer's simultaneous service in the Senate and the executive branch, but the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court rejected the argument and issued a per curiam decision (Lawless v. Jubelirer, 811 A.2d 974 (Pa. 2002)) allowing Jubelirer to hold both offices simultaneously. Jubelirer continued in both offices until January 21, 2003 when Schweiker's term expired. He declined to accept the Lt. Governor's salary during his term.
As Lt. Governor, Jubelirer performed the duties of the new office. These included serving as President of the Senate, Chairman of the Board of Pardons, and Chairman of the Emergency Management Agency. In addition, he served as acting governor when Schweiker left the state.
After his term as Lt. Governor expired, Jubelirer cosponsored a bipartisan bill in the state senate that would amend the state constitution and allow the Governor to choose a candidate to fill a mid-term vacancy in the Lt. Governor's office upon approval of the senate. The bill was not passed.
[edit] 2006 Primary Defeat
In May 2006, Jubelirer was defeated in the Republican primary by Blair County Commissioner John Eichelberger. He, along with Chip Brightbill, the Senate majority leader, were the first top-ranking Pennsylvania legislative leaders to lose a primary election since 1964. [1] The defeat was attributed primarily to his role in drafting a legislative pay raise bill in July 2005.
Initially, Jubelirer defended the raise. However, after internal polling showed his support falling, he opened discussion of a repeal of the unvouchered expense provision. However, newspapers reported that he [2] tried to block efforts to repeal the entire raise.
In the wake of the controversy, the Senator issued a statement in which he called the pay raise a "mistake". "I apologized for it in my district. I now think it was the wrong thing to do. Hindsight is 20-20. I'm not shifting the blame to anybody. I accept the responsibility." He also pledged to return the money he had received from the unvouchered expense account.
During the campaign, Jubelirer's more conservative challengers attacked him on abortion. Despite statements during the 2006 campaign that he was pro-life, Jubelirer's opposition to the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act and [3] a "pro-choice" rating by both the National Abortion Rights Action League and Planned Parenthood were used by opponents to counter his arguments. Jubelirer himself [4]told the Jewish News Weekly Of Northern California that he was "a pro-choice Republican" and that he did not support the Republican platform on abortion.
[edit] Sources
- ^ Baer, John. "Astonishing defeats for Jubelirer, Brightbill", Philadelphia Daily News, May. 17, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Jubelirer's Web Site
- Blazina, Ed. "Pay raise backlash ousts top legislators", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 17, 2006.
- Barnes, Tom. "Top Senate Republican backtracks on legislative pay hike", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 11, 2005.
| Preceded by Mark S. Schweiker |
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania 2001–2003 |
Succeeded by Catherine Baker Knoll |
| Preceded by Robert J. Mellow |
President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate 1995–2006 |
Succeeded by Joseph B. Scarnati III |
| Lieutenant Governors of Pennsylvania |  |
|---|---|
| Latta • Stone • Black • Davies • Watres • Lyon • Gobin • Brown • Murphy • Reynolds • McClain • Beidleman • Davis • James • Shannon • Kennedy • Lewis • Bell • Strickler • Wood • Furman • Davis • Shafer • Broderick • Kline • Scranton • Singel • Schweiker • Jubelirer • Knoll |
