Erie County state lawmakers sponsor resolution to mark April 18 as Erie Day

Three of Erie County’s state representatives have sponsored a resolution to mark April 18 as Erie Day in Pennsylvania.

The resolution, sponsored by Democratic state reps. Bob Merski, Pat Harkins and Ryan Bizzarro, seeks to not only draw attention to Erie’s contributions throughout history but recognize the city’s founding nearly 230 years ago.

On April 18, 1795, an act passed by the General Assembly authorized the surveying of land near Presque Isle to plan the city of Erie and help resolve the boundary between Pennsylvania and New York, according to the resolution memorandum.

Why Erie Day?

Merski, D-2nd Dist., a longtime educator in Erie, said he’s always been keenly interested in Erie history. The resolution, he said, is an attempt to highlight that history, both to his colleagues and to the Erie community.

“It’s a symbolic resolution,” he said. “Just like we celebrate the Fourth of July for the founding of our country, it’s important to mark dates and honor those who did the hard work of building what we have today. It’s important as a people to know where we’ve come from and to know where we’re going.”

Harkins, D-1st Dist., of Erie, who was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro to the Great Lakes Commission, said the “rich history” of Erie frequently comes up during seminars and meetings throughout the Great Lakes region.

“Historically, we’ve played a major role in many things over the years, with Oliver Hazard Perry and the (Brig) Niagara and the history with the Great Lakes,” he said. “We came up with a resolution that we thought would put us on the map and make sure the attention is drawn to us.”

Bizzarro, D-3rd Dist., said he thinks of himself as Erie’s “biggest cheerleader” and that it’s important to “put the spotlight” on Erie County to ensure it gets its fair share of state resources.

“I’m shocked to learn so many people in Harrisburg have never visited our city,” he said. “They don’t know the city’s history or charm, or even some of the fun facts about Erie ― our history, the things we make or grow, etc.”He added, “This resolution will draw attention beyond what Presque Isle or the recent eclipse path has done for our economy.”

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What’s the status of the resolution?

Harkins said the resolution could be signed by House Speaker Joanna McClinton in the coming days when the House reconvenes Monday through Wednesday.

That means the resolution could be approved by Thursday.

“Usually, for something like this that is non-controversial, it would probably move when we’re back in session,” Harkins said. "It's a House resolution, so the final step is passage at the House level. Ideally, I would like to see us do it on the day (April 18) to get the attention."

Harkins said the House typically signs off on these types of resolutions as close to the day as possible.

Erie was first established as a borough by act of the General Assembly on March 29, 1805. This form of government remained until the city of Erie was incorporated on April 14, 1851, according to the resolution memorandum.

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A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PA lawmakers sponsor resolution to mark April 18 as Erie Day