Pennsylvania's House of Representatives will convene in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Sept. 9, for a rare and historic session outside of the state Capitol in Harrisburg.
The meeting in Congress Hall will mark the first time in 39 years that state House members will conduct the people's business in the City of Brotherly Love.
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Lawmakers plan to honor the Declaration of Independence and the Pennsylvania Constitution's anniversaries through resolutions celebrating the milestones in the city where they were adopted 250 years ago. Congress Hall is where the U.S. Congress met from 1790 to 1800.
Pennsylvania's Constitution predates the U.S. Constitution by nearly a decade.
The General Assembly's lower chamber has convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's largest city, four times since moving to Harrisburg in the early 19th century, according to a statement from House Speaker Joanna McClinton's office.
The House met in Philadelphia in 1926, 1951, 1976 and 1987.
"From the colonial era through our work today, Pennsylvania's legislators have helped steer the course of our state and nation," McClinton, a Democrat who represents Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, said in the statement. "(The) historic meeting will celebrate the state House's central role in the country's founding and honor the enduring importance of representative government."
And marking Pennsylvania government's growth, the historic Congress Hall at 6th and Chestnut streets cannot fit all 203 House members, requiring lawmakers to meet in two groups. The 5:45 and 6:45 p.m. sessions will be livestreamed for the public.
House membership has changed over the centuries.
The chamber's greatest growth occurred in 1874, when it doubled to 200 members. It grew to 204 members in 1899-90, according to a House roster posted by Wilkes University. A 1949-50 roster shows 208 members and another in 1965-66 lists 209. The next year, it was reduced to its current 203 members.
On Sept. 10, McClinton will host a discussion with three speakers of other states' legislative bodies from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the historic Mother Bethel AME Church on South 6th Street in Philadelphia.
Speakers Emanuel "Chris" Welch, of Illinois; Melissa Minor-Brown, of Delaware; and Carl E. Heastie, of New York, will join McClinton in what a statement described as "a candid discussion on the history, current state and future of democracy in America."
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Titled "A More Perfect Union: From Independence to Inclusion, 250 Years of American Democracy," the panel is in conjunction with the House session the day before.
Tickets for the panel are free, but advanced registration is required. Those interested can visit McClinton's Eventbrite to sign up.
Mark Walters is the USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania statehouse reporter. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Why the Pennsylvania House is holding a historic session in Philly