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Freshman’s prayer in Pa. House generates complaints

A freshman Republican state representative's opening prayer in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is drawing complaints that it was inappropriately divisive

The dome on the Pennsylvania State Capitol building is lit up as dusk falls on Monday, Aug. 13, 2018 in Harrisburg. A freshman Republican state representative's opening prayer in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is drawing complaints that it was inappropriately divisive.
The dome on the Pennsylvania State Capitol building is lit up as dusk falls on Monday, Aug. 13, 2018 in Harrisburg. A freshman Republican state representative's opening prayer in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is drawing complaints that it was inappropriately divisive.Read moreStephanie Strasburg / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A freshman Republican state representative's opening prayer in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is drawing complaints that it was inappropriately divisive.

Rep. Stephanie Borowicz began the day's session on Monday with a Christian invocation that thanked Jesus for the honor and President Donald Trump for standing "behind Israel unequivocally."

She made her remarks shortly after a Muslim Democrat from Philadelphia was sworn in after winning a special election.

Democratic Leader Frank Dermody called Borowicz's invocation "beneath the dignity of this House" and asked that a group be set up to review the procedure.

Borowicz represents a Clinton County district and insists she did nothing wrong.

Republican House Speaker Mike Turzai is currently appealing a federal judge’s decision that stopped his policy of preventing nonbelievers from giving the invocations.

Movita Johnson-Harrell, a new Philadelphia representative who won a special election two weeks ago, was to be sworn in this afternoon on the Quran that belonged to her late son.