The Pennsylvania Senate has initiated proceedings to remove Attorney General Kathleen Kane from office, beginning with the creation of a committee tasked with assessing whether Kane is able to perform the functions of attorney general.

Plans to form the bipartisan special committee were announced by state Sen. Joseph B. Scarnati III, R-Jefferson, president pro tempore of the upper house, on Oct. 23. Scarnati said the move was motivated by the suspension of Kane's law license going into effect last week.

“We're going to see exactly now what impact this has on the office and its functions,” Scarnati said in a conference call with the press Oct. 23.