A share of Butler County is without state representation due to a senator's retirement and a representative's extended absence.

Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, has not returned to Harrisburg for a vote since a Jan. 24 Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that he is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in Harrisburg in 2017. On Friday, staff at his Lyndora office confirmed that he hasn't been in, as did his Harrisburg office.

No statement explaining his absence has been issued, and he has been unreachable by various media.

Much of Ellis' district overlaps with the district previously represented by state Sen. Don White, R-41st. However, as of Feb. 28, White retired and formally resigned from his position.

Health issues contributed to his retirement decision, according to staff in his Kittanning office.

A special election to replace White is scheduled May 21.

Until then, people like Tom Faller of Chicora are without a local representative on the state level.

“If he's not coming to work, he ought to resign,” Faller said of Ellis. “If he's not going to work, I don't even know what we can do.”

Faller, a Democrat, said he has voted for Ellis before, but only because he has mostly run unopposed. He speculated that there might be more difficulties in Ellis' situation than are publicly known, as Ellis has not been charged with a crime. Faller supposes, however, that there's a simple reason for the representative's absence.

“If he shows up, he's going to be challenged,” Faller said. “People are going to ask him hard questions.”

Not all in the affected area are bothered by Ellis' absence. Faller's next door neighbor, Fran Waltman, said if Ellis ran again she would “probably vote for him again.”

“Before I'm going to criticize anyone for anything, I'm going to pray for them,” Waltman said.

Judging anyone, even a politician, isn't her place, she said. “I guess that's just my Christian belief,” Waltman said.

Legislative session resumes in the House on Monday, according to Mike Straub, a spokesman for the Republican caucus. He confirmed Friday that calls from House leadership for Ellis to resign still stand.

“There has been no change on our end,” Straub said. “There is no amendment to any previous statements.”

Ellis has remained publicly silently on the allegations against him, but one court filing shines light on his private affairs. His wife, Monica Ellis, filed for divorce Feb. 21 after more than 20 years of marriage.

Court documents state that the couple have been living separately since Jan. 22.

Whatever the Ellis' home situation, residents of Summit, Oakland, Jefferson, Clearfield, Donegal and Fairview townships are without an available state representative or senator to call on.

Greg Walter, an old political rival of Ellis, said he finds that fact particularly irksome. Walter, who lives in Fenelton in Clearfield Township, lost to Ellis in a Republican primary early in the representative's career. “As a constituent, I'm getting the run around,” Walter said. “As someone who has no representation now, I feel frustrated.”

Walter said he recently called to urge Ellis not to support legislation expanding hunting on Sundays if it makes its way to the House. After various calls, he was unable to speak to anyone representing him, he said.

“There's all these issues coming up that pertain to us, and we have no voice in it,” Walter said. “We've got no one to talk to. And it makes it that much more critical when you don't have a senator to represent you either.”