The governor and a local group supporting gay, lesbian and transgender citizens disagree with Butler County Controller Ben Holland and state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, on the recent birth certificate debate.

Holland contacted Metcalfe after he noticed that his 4-month-old son’s birth certificate says “parent” and “parent” instead of “mother” and “father,” which he called wrong and concerning.

On Tuesday, Wolf’s press secretary J.J. Abbott said the change was made to reflect Pennsylvania’s new, inclusive laws.

“The Department of Health updated birth certificates to include all families and reflect the fact that same-sex marriage is the law of the land in Pennsylvania,” Abbott said. “Governor Wolf continues to support making government more respectful of all families and will continue to ensure state government treats all families with the dignity that they deserve.”

Sabrina Schnur, an officer with Butler County PFLAG, said Metcalfe is simply trying to rile up his base constituents and did not think his comments through.

Schnur said using “parent” is not taking anything away from the mother and father and protects some mothers when it comes time to give information for a baby’s birth certificate.

A full story appears in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.