Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

January 17-- Inauguration Day For Gov.-Elect Shapiro, Lt. Gov-Elect Davis

-- Governor’s Transition

-- Post-Gazette: Josh Shapiro Is About To Become PA Governor, This Could Be His First Big Test

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro To Nominate Rich Negrin For DEP, Retain Cindy Dunn At DCNR and Russell Redding At Agriculture [PaEN] 

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro, Redding Discuss Future Of PA Agriculture; Groups Weigh In On New Governor’s Cabinet Picks

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro Names DEP, DCNR, Agriculture Secretaries - Updated List

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Fmr DEP Secretary McDonnell Said DEP’s Underfunding Will Test Its New Leader

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro Continues To Fill Out Cabinet With 5 More Nominees - Health, Human Services, Drug & Alcohol, Aging, Insurance

-- AP: Shapiro Taps Ex-Lawmakers, University Officials For Positions At Revenue, PennDOT, DCED, Banking & Securities

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Taps Pat Browne For Revenue Secretary Among 4 More Cabinet Nominees

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro Names 3 More Nominees To Cabinet Positions - Education, Labor & Industry, Administration

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Taps Suburban Philly School Superintendent For Education Secretary

-- Inquirer: PA Getting New Education Secretary: Lower Merion Superintendent Khalid Mumin

-- AP: Shapiro Names Heads Of Corrections, State Police, Retain PEMA, National Guard Officials

-- PennLive - John Baer: Can Josh Shapiro Govern In The Great Mess That Is PA Politics?

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Gov.-Elect Shapiro Should Avoid Predecessor’s Pitfalls

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Shapiro Hits The Farm Show, And The Honeymoon Is On

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Al Schmidt Nomination For Chief State Election Official Another Sign Of A New Harrisburg

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Shapiro Tries Bipartisan Diversity

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro’s Announced Appointments As Of Jan. 13

-- Gov. Wolf’s Reflections

-- York Daily Record: From Pandemic To Partisanship, Gov. Wolf Had A Hard 8 Years In Office, He Loved It All

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Gov.-Elect Josh Shapiro Talks About His, And His Family’s Next Chapter

-- Spotlight PA: Tom Wolf’s Time As Governor Is Almost Over, Here’s What He’ll Be Remembered For

-- The Center Square: PA Lawmakers Hopeful In Wake Of Gov. Wolf’s Complex Legacy

-- AP: Gov. Wolf Tops State Record Of Pardons Granted

-- PA Senate/House Transition

-- The Center Square: PA Lawmakers Hopeful In Wake Of Gov. Wolf’s Complex Legacy

-- AP: Republican House Member Who Nominated Rozzi For Speaker Calls For His Resignation

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Republican House Member Asks New House Speaker Rozzi To Resign

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA House Speaker May Not Go Independent; Asked To ‘Immediately Resign’

-- PA Capital-Star: After A Shot Of Normal, It’s Back To Chaos As Usual In PA House

-- AP: New House Speaker Wants ‘Work Group’ On Child Sexual Abuse Constitutional Amendment

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Group Will Try To End PA House Logjam As Quest To Help Child Sex Abuse Survivors Continues

-- Spotlight PA: House At Standstill As Deadline Nears To Get Relief For Child Sex Abuse Survivors On May Ballot

-- Inquirer: Lawmakers Elected A New House Speaker, But There Are Still Questions About How Things Will Work

-- WPost: PA House Members Cut A Bipartisan Deal Built On Friendship, Will The Bond Survive?

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: An Independent PA House Speaker? Now Let Independents Vote In Primaries - By David Thornburgh

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Shame On PA Senate For Using Child Sex Abuse Victims As Pawns For Political Gain

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Don’t Let Bipartisan Experiment In PA House Unravel

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Good Start For PA House, Will It Work?

-- TribLive Editorial: Should House Speaker Rozzi Register As An Independent?

-- TribLive Editorial: A Legislature That Does Nothing Can Do Damage

 

-- Special Elections

-- Spotlight PA: Court Rules Feb. 7 House Special Elections Can Move Forward

-- TribLive/AP: Judges Weigh Republican Bid To Delay 2 House Special Elections

-- TribLive Editorial: Special House Elections Are Set Now, Right?

-- U.S. Senate/House

-- TribLive: Western PA Pundits Call Washington Dysfunction In Speaker’s Election ‘A Disaster’

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Al Schmidt Nomination For Chief State Election Official Another Sign Of A New Harrisburg

-- PennLive: PA Lawmakers Renew Effort To Move Up Presidential Primary Date

-- PennLive: Hand Recount Of 2020 Presidential Election Complete In Lycoming County [Yes 2020], But Conservatives Say Issues Remain

-- PennLive: Lycoming County Recount Of 2020 Election Results Shows Difference Of 26 Votes Out Of 59,000 Votes Cast

-- PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Inquirer: Proud Boys Trial: Who Is Zach Rehl, The Right-Wing Group’s Philly Leader Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- UnionProgress.com: Westmoreland County Man Convicted Of Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol Ordered Into Drug Treatment

-- TribLive: Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry Won’t Step Back From U.S. House Probe That Could Involve Allegations Against Him In Potential Conflict Of Interest

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Local PA Republican Groups Paralyzed By MAGA Insurgencies And Infighting

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- AP: Senate Passes Proposed Constitutional Amendments; Poses Test To New PA Governor

-- PA Capital-Star: Relief For Child Sex Abuse Survivors Passes Senate As Part Of Constitutional Amendment Package

-- The Center Square: PA’s ‘Divisive’ Proposed Constitutional Amendments Inch Closer To Ballot Box

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Republican Lawmakers Are Jeopardizing Justice For Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse - By Mark Singel

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Cynicism Dominates PA Senate Republican Agenda

-- PA Capital-Star Editorial Cartoon: Is There A Statute Of Limitations On Bad Ideas?

-- Spotlight PA: House At Standstill As Deadline Nears To Get Relief For Child Sex Abuse Survivors On May Ballot

-- Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To More Than 70 Proposed Amendments To State Constitution

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- TribLive: Gasoline Prices Continue To Rise, But Increases Could Slow On Weak Demand

-- PennLive: Sheetz Cuts Diesel Fuel Price By 50 Cents A Gallon Through January

-- AP: PA Senate Bill Aims To Undo 2023 Gasoline Tax Increase

-- PJM’s Preliminary Review Of Christmas Storm Electric Generation Failures Shows Natural Gas Units Failed To Provide Power At Over Triple The Rate Of Other Generation  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection: PJM Operated Reliably Throughout Winter Storm Challenges, But ‘Generator Forced Outages Were Unacceptable’ 

-- Bloomberg: PJM Electric Grid Operator Had 23% Power Plant Failure In December Storm [Natural Gas Plants Accounted For 70% Of Almost 46 GW Of Outages] 

-- Utility Dive: PJM Generators Face Up To $2 Billion In Penalties For Failing To Provide Power During Christmas Winter Storm Elliot [Poor Performance By Gas-Fired Generators Could Lead To Political Fallout] 

-- Reuters: Grid Operator PJM Probes U.S. Power Supply Woes During December Storm [70% Of Units That Didn’t Supply Power Were Fueled By Natural Gas]

-- UnionProgress.com - Laura Legere: ‘Unacceptable’ Power Plant Failures During Christmas Storm Could Lead To $2 Billion In Penalties

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Christmas Holiday Freeze Froze Off Sizable Portion Of Appalachia’s Natural Gas Production Cutting Off Supply To Power Plants When They Needed It Most [Gas Generation Dropped By 22% In PJM]

-- MCall: Bethlehem Natural Gas Power Plant Given Emergency Approval To Keep Running During Frigid Christmas Weekend

-- Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Price Plunge Could Limit This Year’s Output Growth

-- Bloomberg: Qatar Says Natural Gas Markets Will Remain Volatile For Years

-- Reuters: Qatar, UAE Energy Ministers Say Natural Gas Will Be Needed For Long Time

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Price Falls As Ample LNG Supply Outweighs Colder Weather

-- Financial Times: U.S. Stockpiles Natural Gas As Warm Winter Temperatures Cut Demand

-- U.S. EIA: Short-Term Energy Outlook Projects Lower Natural Gas Prices In 2023, Increased Production; Coal-Fired Generation To Fall Again, Offset By Solar, Wind

-- Reuters: U.S. Nature Gas Output To Hit Record High In 2023, Demand To Fall

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- The Center Square: PA Lawmakers Hopeful In Wake Of Gov. Wolf’s Complex Legacy

-- AP: PA Senate Delays Philly DA’s Impeachment Trial Amid Court Challenge

-- AP: Commonwealth Court Splits On Legality Of Move To Impeach Philadelphia DA

-- PA Capital-Star: Commonwealth Court Opinions On Philly DA Impeachment ‘Create More Questions Than Answers’

-- PennLive: House Republican Effort To Impeach Philly DA Racked Up Nearly $1 Million In Legal Fees Taxpayers Will Have To Pay

-- Budget 2023

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Gov. Wolf: PA Ends Year With Strong Revenues, Sets Stage For 2023

-- PennLive: House Republican Effort To Impeach Philly DA Racked Up Nearly $1 Million In Legal Fees Taxpayers Will Have To Pay

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- MCall: PA COVID Update: 15,719 New Cases; State Marks 49,000 Deaths; Hospitalizations Up 25% In 2 Weeks

-- Centre Daily Times: New COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Decline In PA, Pike County High Spread

-- TribLive: New COVID Variant Dubbed ‘Kraken’ Well-Established In Western PA

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Experts Not Surprised By Recent Spike In Allegheny County COVID Numbers

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- AP: Gov. Wolf Tops State Record Of Pardons Granted

-- AP: PA Senate Delays Philly DA’s Impeachment Trial Amid Court Challenge

-- AP: Commonwealth Court Splits On Legality Of Move To Impeach Philadelphia DA

-- PA Capital-Star: Commonwealth Court Opinions On Philly DA Impeachment ‘Create More Questions Than Answers’

-- PennLive: House Republican Effort To Impeach Philly DA Racked Up Nearly $1 Million In Legal Fees Taxpayers Will Have To Pay

-- PA Economy

-- PennLive: 500+ Laid Off After Virus Disables Computers At PA Wood Cabinet Plant

-- Post-Gazette: PA Residents Most Susceptible In Country To Having Passwords Stolen, Report Finds

[Posted: January 15, 2023]