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Committee reports bill to create an official Pennsylvania poet laureate position
Summary
House Bill 1046 would establish a Pennsylvania poet laureate, selected by a five-member committee and serving without salary; the committee reported the bill after brief discussion about appointment authority and the position’s purpose.
The House State Government Committee voted to report House Bill 1046, which would create a statutory position of Pennsylvania poet laureate and a five‑member nomination committee to recommend candidates to the governor.
Representative Freeman, sponsor of the bill, said more than 40 states and many municipalities have poet laureates and that an official position would promote contemporary poetry and provide readings at ceremonial occasions. “Poetry has a way of uplifting humanity … it seems appropriate that it should be something that we would use at various important events,” Freeman said. The bill specifies that the post would carry no salary; the laureate could receive expense reimbursement.
Representative Webster and others offered endorsements of the idea as culturally valuable. Representative Schusterman, who opposed the measure, said the governor could make such an appointment by executive order and questioned concentrating appointment authority in gubernatorial appointees on the selection committee. Freeman responded that a statutory position and committee would increase the likelihood of selecting a candidate suited for public ceremonial occasions.
The committee approved the measure and reported it to the House. The bill includes provisions for appointment, duties such as readings at gubernatorial inaugurations and legislative openings upon request, and expense reimbursement but no salary.
