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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

 

-- January 17 - Gov.-elect Shapiro, Lt. Gov-elect Davis Inauguration

-- Governor’s Transition

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Taps Republican Al Schmidt To Be PA’s Top Election Official

-- AP: Ex-Philadelphia Elections Official Picked For Key State Elections Post

-- Erie Times: How The New Governor’s Choices Will Impact PA In 2023

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro Announces Updated Staff List

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro’s Inauguration Promises To Be A Hot Ticket, If You Can Get One

-- AP: Republican Sen. Kim Ward Begins Brief Role As Lt. Governor As Fetterman Leaves For U.S. Senate

-- PA Senate/House Transition

-- Spotlight PA: Democrats, Handful Of Republicans Picked PA House’s New Speaker

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Democratic Rep. Mark Rozzi Becomes House Speaker, Vows To Become Independent, Fight ‘Back Room Dealmaking’

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: House Elects Berks County Rep. Rozzi As An Independent Speaker

-- City & State PA: State House Shocker - Rozzi To Lead Chamber

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Legislature Elects Rep. Mark Rozzi, Its First Independent Speaker

-- Inquirer: New PA House Speaker Was A Surprise, Here’s What Happened

-- UnionProgress.com: New PA House Speaker Sets Feb. 7 Dates For 2 House Special Elections To Fill Vacancies

-- Spotlight PA: Will A Surprise Speaker Pick Make PA House Less Partisan?

-- Inquirer: Black Philly Lawmaker Was In Line To Be PA’s First Female House Speaker; They Elected A White Guy Instead

-- Spotlight PA: What Rep. Rozzi’s Record Can Tell Us About What Kind Of PA House Speaker He’ll Be

-- Gov. Wolf Calls Special Session On Statue Of Limitations For Victims Of Childhood Sexual Abuse Constitutional Amendment Beginning Jan. 9 

-- PA Capital-Star: New House Speaker Vows To Halt All Other Legislation Until General Assembly Passes Child Abuse Survivors’ Constitutional Amendment

-- AP: New PA House Speaker Puts Sexual Abuse Statute Of Limitations Lawsuit Window Atop Agenda

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Wolf’s Call For Special Session On Child Sex Abuse Amendment Triggers New Partisan Battle In Harrisburg

-- Inquirer: New House Speaker Rozzi’s Secret Deal To Become Speaker Isn’t The First Time He’s Left Allies Reeling

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Legislature Shouldn’t Need A ‘Special Session’ To Address Child Sexual Abuse, It Should Just Do Its Job

-- Washington Examiner - Salena Zito: PA Democrats Upended As House Speaker Flips To Independent

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: 3 Suggestions For New House Speaker

-- PennLive - John Baer: Imagine What This ‘Independent’ House Speaker Could Mean For PA

-- TribLive Editorial: Surprising Resolution To PA House Speaker Vote

-- PennLive Editorial: PA House Election For Speaker Shows The Nation What Compromise, Bipartisanship Look Like

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Success Of PA House Speaker Compromise Will Depend On Cross-Aisle Trust

-- City & State PA: House Republicans Warn Members Against Accepting Deals From Democrats Ahead Of House Speaker Vote 

-- Spotlight PA: Who Will Lead The PA House? Lawmakers Will Soon Decide As Power Struggle Continues

-- U.S. Senate/House

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry Claims Wins For Equal Representation In U.S. House Speaker Battle

-- Inquirer: PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry Emerges As Key Voice Against Kevin McCarthy’s Bid For U.S. House Speaker

-- Inquirer: PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry Nominated As Republican Alternative For U.S. House Speaker

-- PennLive: Congressional Republicans Elect A New Speaker

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Sportsmanship Matters At The Bengals/Bills Game And In Congress - By Mark Singel

-- AP: PA Senator Bob Casey To Undergo Prostate Cancer Surgery

-- PennLive: Fetterman Announces Nearly 20 New Staff Hires For PA, DC Offices

-- Special Elections

-- UnionProgress.com: Legislative Leaders Agree In Court To Feb. 7 Special Election Date To Fill House Seat Held By The Late Rep. DeLuca  

-- UnionProgress.com: New PA House Speaker Sets Feb. 7 Dates For 2 House Special Elections To Fill Vacancies

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Speaker Rozzi Reaffirmed Feb. 7 Special Election Dates For 2 Other Vacant House Seats In Allegheny County

-- November 2021 Election

-- AP: Majority Of 16,000 Canceled PA Mail-In Ballots Were From Democrats

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- AP: Majority Of 16,000 Canceled PA Mail-In Ballots Were From Democrats

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

-- USA Today: 950 People Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol, Investigation ‘Farm From Over’  [In PA 75 Charged, 3rd Highest Total]

-- Post-Gazette: How The Oath Keepers Turned Pennsylvania Into A Far-Right Militia Recruiting Hotbed 

-- TribLive: 2 Years Laters: An Update On Western PA Residents Charged With Crimes Related To The Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Erie Times: Transcript Of Rep. Cutler’s Testimony To U.S. House Committee Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol Bares Part Of Ex-President PA Pressure Campaign To Overturn Election

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: 2 Years After Assault On U.S. Capitol, Democracy Remains Under Attack

-- UnionProgress.com: Crawford County Man Pleads Guilty To Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol, Faces U.S. Prison

-- Williamsport Sun: Williamsport Man Sentenced To Jail, Probation For Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- AP: Proud Boys Go To Trial On Sedition As Probe Heats Up On Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Progressive Leaders Plan Harrisburg Rally To Remember Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Gov. Wolf Calls Special Session On Statue Of Limitations For Victims Of Childhood Sexual Abuse Constitutional Amendment Beginning Jan. 9 

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Wolf’s Call For Special Session On Child Sex Abuse Amendment Triggers New Partisan Battle In Harrisburg

-- PA Capital-Star: New House Speaker Vows To Halt All Other Legislation Until General Assembly Passes Child Abuse Survivors’ Constitutional Amendment

-- Inquirer: New House Speaker Rozzi’s Secret Deal To Become Speaker Isn’t The First Time He’s Left Allies Reeling

-- AP: New PA House Speaker Puts Sexual Abuse Statute Of Limitations Lawsuit Window Atop Agenda

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Legislature Shouldn’t Need A ‘Special Session’ To Address Child Sexual Abuse, It Should Just Do Its Job

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- TribLive: Cold Weather, Refinery Issues Push National Gasoline Prices Higher; PA Prices Largely Unchanged

-- Bloomberg: Fertilizer Prices Fall To Lowest In 19 Months As Natural Gas Price Drops

-- WSJ: Natural Gas Prices Plunge As Unseasonably Warm Weather Is Forecast

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Fall For 4th Week As Energy Crisis Abates

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- Gov. Wolf Calls Special Session On Statue Of Limitations For Victims Of Childhood Sexual Abuse Constitutional Amendment Beginning Jan. 9 

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Meet The New General Assembly: Diversity, Historic Firsts And A Doc In The House

-- Inquirer: Philadelphia Democrats Have A Big Problem - Turnout In Free Fall

-- MCall - Ford Turner: PA Enacted 166 New Laws In 2022, The Most In 6 Years

-- Budget 2023

-- Dept. Of Revenue: December State Revenues $319.9 Million, 8.6% Over Estimates; Up $503.1 Million For Fiscal Year

-- Independent Fiscal Office: December State Revenues $429.8 Million, 11.9% Over IFO Estimates; Up $1.16 Billion For Fiscal Year

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- Inquirer: New COVID Variant Drives Increase In Cases In PA, NJ

-- WHYY: Philly Schools To Temporarily Return To Mandatory Masking

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- WHYY: Still Awaiting Ruling, PA School Funding Lawsuit Stretches Into 2023

-- Inquirer: Progressives Organizing To Monitor PA School Boards In Pushback To Book Bans, ‘Harmful’ Actions

-- PA Economy

-- TribLive: Joe Hardy, 84 Lumber And Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Founder, Dead At 100

[Posted: January 8, 2023]