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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

Transition - Governor

-- AP: Shapiro Taps Longtime Aides For Top Jobs In Governor’s Office

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Gov.-Elect Shapiro Choses Jennifer Selber, AG Crime Staffer, As General Counsel

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Shapiro Names Uri Monson, Budget Secretary, Larry Hailsham Executive Deputy Chief Of Staff

-- Post-Gazette: Michelle Henry, Shapiro’s Successor For Attorney General Is No Stranger To The Big Stage

-- PA Municipal League Envision 2032 Recommendations In 7 Key Topics, Including Healthy, Sustainable Communities

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Wolf Leaves Office With Few Regrets, No Grudges

-- PennLive: Five Things You May Not Know About Gov. Wolf

Transition - Senate/House

-- PA Capital-Star: Control Of State House Hangs On 3 Allegheny County Special Elections

-- AP: House Republicans Sue Over Special Election In Battle For House Majority

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Legislative Reference Bureau Opinion Says Neither Party Has A PA House Majority [May Only Count Living Members]

-- City & State PA: Legislative Agency Says Democrats Lack A Majority In The PA House

-- Erie Times: House Leadership War Sets Ugly Tone For PA’s Next Legislative Session

-- WESA: Slugfest In Harrisburg As Democrats, Republicans Fight Over Control Of PA House

-- AP: PA House Democrats Move To Take Power, Schedule 3 Special Elections; Republicans Protest Moves

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Dispute Over PA House Special Elections, Control Likely Heading To Court

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House’s Unprecedented Power Struggle Shows No Let Up In The Drama Surrounding It

-- City & State PA: Tug Of War For Control Of State House Intensifies

-- Sen. Ward Announces Staff Appointments For Office Of Senate President Pro Tempore

-- Sen. Pittman Announces Staff For The Majority Leader’s Office

-- November Election

-- AP: Governor’s Race Broke PA Campaign Spending Record

-- Spotlight PA: PA Governor’s Race Cost $100 Million

-- The Center Square: Top Five Most Expensive PA Senate Elections, And The Results

-- TribLive: Westmoreland County Recount Completed, No Evidence Of Widespread Errors Found

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- Spotlight PA: Wolf Administration Seeks To Finish Off PA Senate Republican Languishing 2020 Election Inquiry

-- Inquirer/TNS: Could PA Republicans Now Be In Favor Of Using Mail-In Ballots? A Lot Of ‘Soul Searching Right Now’

-- AP: U.S. Dept. Of Justice Subpoenas PA, Other Local Election Officials Where Ex-President Disputed Election Results

-- PennLive: Lawsuit Seeks Forensic Audit Of 2020 [Yes 2020] Election Results In Lycoming County

-- Inquirer: Giuliani Doubles Down On False PA Election Fraud Claims In Legal Disciplinary Hearing

-- AP: Ex-President Blowback Could Carry Less Bite In 2024 For Some Republicans

-- PennLive - John Baer: 2024 Presidential Race Starting To Take Shape, But Not A Shape Anyone Wants

-- Inquirer Editorial: Ex-President Hits New Low With Threat To Suspend Constitution

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

-- Pittsburgh Union Progress: Western Pennsylvania Charged With Crimes During Assault On U.S. Capitol Are Pleading Guilty And Going To Jail

-- TribLive: Uniontown Man Convicted Of Crimes Related To His Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Put Hold On State Constitutional Amendments

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- PUC Winter Natural Gas Reliability Reports - Households Using Natural Gas Will See A Significant Increase In Heating Bills  [PaEN]

-- PennLive: Customers Going To Pay More For Electric, Natural Gas In Central PA

-- Altoona Mirror: PA Homeowners Could See Heating Oil Prices Increase 45% This Winter

-- Williamsport Sun: Home Heating Oil Prices Remain High In Region, Winter Costs Uncertain

-- PUC Approves 10.6% Increase In Natural Gas Rates By Valley Energy, Bradford County [PA’s #3 County In Natural Gas Production]

-- PUC To Investigate Proposed 9.2% Natural Gas Rate Increase By National Fuel Gas

-- PUC Rejects Proposed Settlement With Columbia Gas Over 2019 House Explosion In Washington County 

-- PUC Approves A Partial Settlement To Increase Natural Gas Rates For Columbia Gas 4.6%

-- PUC Approves 6.8% Increase In Electric Rates For Citizens’ Electric Company Of Lewisburg

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA Natural Gas Price Up 95%; New Shale Gas Wells Up 42%

-- Williamsport Sun: PA Natural Gas Price Up 95%, New Wells Up 42%

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 3rd Quarter PA Natural Gas Production Dropped For 3rd Consecutive Quarter Over 2021; PA Hub Natural Gas Price Increased 94.7% Over Last Year  [PaEN] 

-- Baker Hughes PA Natural Gas Drilling Rig Count Same As Last Week - 22

-- Financial Times: Biden Adviser Calls Refusal Of U.S. Shale Oil/Gas Investors To Ramp Up Drilling And Collect Dividends Instead  ‘Un-American’ 

-- Power For Tomorrow: The Impact Of Natural Gas Price Spikes On Electricity Prices

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Marcellus/Utica Drillers (All Gas Drillers) Had Fantastic Third Quarter Earnings

-- Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Futures Jump 5% On Colder Forecasts For Late December 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Surge As Winter Blast Stokes Demand [Watch PA Prices Increase]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Publicly Traded Shale Gas Producers Haven’t Increased Pace Of Drilling In Spite Of Higher Prices; New Report Says Privately Owned Drillers Are

-- Canary Media Guest Essay: LNG Natural Gas Exports Hurt Americans By Driving Home Heating Costs To Record Highs

-- U.S. EIA: Natural Gas Prices To Increase Even More In December Due To Winter Demand, Rising LNG Exports

-- AAA: Gasoline Prices Nationally Lower Than A Year Ago - But Not In PA

-- TribLive: OPEC+ Oil Production Cuts, Russian Price Cap Could Disrupt Falling Gasoline Prices

-- Reuters: Oil Price Falls Close To 2022 Lows On Economic Worries, Easing Supply Fears

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- PA Capital-Star: Control Of State House Hangs On 3 Allegheny County Special Elections

-- AP: House Republicans Sue Over Special Election In Battle For House Majority

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Legislative Reference Bureau Opinion Says Neither Party Has A PA House Majority [May Only Count Living Members]

-- City & State PA: Legislative Agency Says Democrats Lack A Majority In The PA House

-- Erie Times: House Leadership War Sets Ugly Tone For PA’s Next Legislative Session

-- WESA: Slugfest In Harrisburg As Democrats, Republicans Fight Over Control Of PA House

-- AP: PA House Democrats Move To Take Power, Schedule 3 Special Elections; Republicans Protest Moves

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Dispute Over PA House Special Elections, Control Likely Heading To Court

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House’s Unprecedented Power Struggle Shows No Let Up In The Drama Surrounding It

-- City & State PA: Tug Of War For Control Of State House Intensifies

-- Scranton Times: With PA Lawmakers Salaries Up A Lot Again, Some Say It’s Time For A New Approach

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: PA Lawmakers Cash In On Inflation While Ignoring Plight Of Retirees

-- TribLive Editorial: Senate Should Follow House And End Luxury Car Leases

-- Sen. Ward Announces Staff Appointments For Office Of Senate President Pro Tempore

-- Sen. Pittman Announces Staff For The Majority Leader’s Office

-- WESA: 8 Democrats To Vie For Late Rep. DeLuca’s House Seat

-- TribLive: Democrats, Republicans To Nominate Candidates For 3 Special Election Races For House Seats

-- LancasterOnline - Brad Bumsted: Fmr Republican Lt. Gov. Candidate DelRosso Could Jump Into Allegheny County Special Election For State House Seat

-- Politics PA: Heard Around The Pennsylvania Society Dinner In NYC

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Fmr Sen. Yudichak Joins Lobbying Firm

-- Budget 2023

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA’s Delayed $100 Million System For Handling State Taxes Finally Goes Live

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- MCall: PA COVID Update: Weekly Cases Jump 30% To 13,936 As One Treatment Proves Ineffective Against New Variants, Flu Rates Soar

-- Inquirer: COVID Cases Climb In PA, NJ In Wake Of Thanksgiving

-- PennLive: Overcrowded ERs: Triple Threat Infections, Nursing Shortages Hammer Hospital Emergency Services

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- Post-Gazette: Michelle Henry, Shapiro’s Successor For Attorney General Is No Stranger To The Big Stage

-- Spotlight PA: Gov. Wolf Spends Thousands On Private Law Firms But Won’t Disclose Why

-- Inquirer: Philly DA Says Republican Effort To Remove Him Part Of An ‘Authoritarian Attack’ On Democracy

-- PA Economy

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Unemployment Near Record Laws, But Region Is Slow To Regain Workers

-- WESA: IFO: Young Workers Left PA’s Labor Force At Highest Rate After The Pandemic Began

-- AP: PA Panel Updates Anti-Discrimination Regulations

-- TribLive: REAL ID Deadline Extended Again Until 2025

[Posted: December 11, 2022]