By Mark Walters, USA Today Network<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives<\/a> will convene in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Sept. 9, for a rare and historic session outside of the state Capitol in Harrisburg.<\/p>\n The meeting in Congress Hall<\/a> will mark the first time in 39 years that state House members will conduct the people\u2019s business in the City of Brotherly Love.<\/p>\n Lawmakers plan to honor the Declaration of Independence and the Pennsylvania Constitution\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania\u2019s Constitution predates the U.S. Constitution by nearly a decade.<\/p>\n The General Assembly\u2019s lower chamber has convened in Philadelphia<\/a>, Pennsylvania\u2019s largest city, four times since moving to Harrisburg in the early 19th century, according to a statement from House Speaker Joanna McClinton\u2019s office.<\/p>\n The House met in Philadelphia in 1926, 1951, 1976 and 1987.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the colonial era through our work today, Pennsylvania\u2019s legislators have helped steer the course of our state and nation,\u201d McClinton, a Democrat who represents Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, said in the statement. \u201c(The) historic meeting will celebrate the state House\u2019s central role in the country\u2019s founding and honor the enduring importance of representative government.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n House membership has changed over the centuries.<\/p>\n The chamber\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n On Sept. 10, McClinton will host a discussion with three speakers of other states\u2019 legislative bodies from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the historic Mother Bethel AME Church on South 6th Street in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Speakers Emanuel \u201cChris\u201d Welch, of Illinois; Melissa Minor-Brown, of Delaware; and Carl E. Heastie, of New York, will join McClinton in what a statement described as \u201ca candid discussion on the history, current state and future of democracy in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Titled \u201cA More Perfect Union: From Independence to Inclusion, 250 Years of American Democracy,\u201d the panel is in conjunction with the House session the day before.<\/p>\n Tickets for the panel are free, but advanced registration is required. Those interested can visit McClinton\u2019s Eventbrite to sign up<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mark Walters is the USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania statehouse reporter. Reach him at mwalters@usatodayco.com.<\/p>\n