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PA Senator: Remove Portraits Of Convicted Lawmakers

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) --- A newly-elected state Senator is shaking things up in the state capitol by suggesting that portraits of convicted legislative leaders ought not to be displayed in the halls of the venerable building.

York County Republican Scott Wagner made history last month by being elected to the state Senate as a write-in candidate.

One of his first acts will be to offer a resolution calling for an end to the display of portraits of former legislative leaders who've been convicted of corruption, portraits that can still be prominently seen along the main first floor corridor of the capitol.

"They were convicted of a crime, they went to jail," said Wagner, "and they may be part of history, but it's not the part of history that I want to be a part of. I want to be part of an honorable institution."

Wagner plans to offer a resolution, which does not have the same weight as a bill that would become law, because he says he doesn't want to clog up the legislative process with something he believes is a simple matter of doing the right thing.

He hopes calling attention to it will get results.

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