Staff Reports
Pennsylvania’s statehouse turned from budget drama to wardrobe drama this week when Rep. Eric Davanzo was escorted off the House floor for wearing a red‑and‑white striped jacket with a blue, star‑spangled tie. The GOP lawmaker says he wore the outfit to celebrate the nation ahead of July 4 and America’s 250th. The Speaker’s office disagreed and called the jacket a “costume,” ordering him to remove it or leave the chamber.
What happened on the House floor
According to reports and Davanzo’s own social posts, chamber officers told him the jacket violated expectations for professional attire and that the ruling came from Speaker Joanna McClinton’s office. Davanzo refused to remove the jacket and chose to exit the floor. A spokeswoman for the Speaker, Nicole Reigelman, said the jacket “did not appear to be professional attire,” and enforcement of dress rules is left to the presiding officer. This all played out as lawmakers debated the state budget and as the Commonwealth marked the country’s semiquincentennial.
Rules by whim: who decides what’s “professional”?
Here’s the problem: House rules don’t list every acceptable outfit. That means a single official — the Speaker — gets to decide what looks like a suit and what looks like a costume. That kind of open‑ended authority invites inconsistent rulings and partisan theater. If decorum matters, make a clear rule. Otherwise you get arbitrary enforcement and lawmakers policing each other’s patriotism rather than the people’s business.
Double standard? Pride colors vs. flag suit
Republicans point out that during Pride Month some Democrats and staff wore pride‑colored shirts, hats and shoes on the floor without being told to change. Davanzo and colleagues like Rep. Tim O’Neal and Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa blasted the removal as selective. Krupa summed it up bluntly: the House rules “do NOT make the Speaker the fashion police.” If enforcement varies depending on which side of the aisle you’re on, that’s the real scandal — not a red, white and blue jacket.
There’s an easy fix: write down what’s allowed and stick to it, or stop pretending the chamber is above petty politics. If the Speaker’s office wants respect for decorum, it should earn that respect with consistent rules — not viral ejectments. Watch for whether Speaker McClinton issues a direct statement, if Davanzo brings the jacket back for round two, or if the House finally clarifies its dress code. Until then, Pennsylvania voters get to watch who’s policing patriotism and who’s policing politics.
