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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Governor’s Transition

-- AP: Shapiro’s Bipartisanship Talk Welcome In Fight-Weary State Capitol

-- PennLive: Gov.-Elect Josh Shapiro To Hold Inauguration Celebration At Rock Lititz, Lancaster County

-- Inquirer Column: Will Shapiro Do To PA’s Pension Billions What He Did In Montgomery County?

-- PA Senate/House Transition

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: PA Republicans Fight To Prolong House Majority And Pass Far-Reaching State Constitutional Amendments

-- LancasterOnline - Brad Bumsted: As Parties Squabble Over Claim PA House Majority, Proposed Abortion Amendment Looms Over Start Of 2023 Legislative Session

-- LancasterOnline: What’s In PA Republicans’ Package Of State Constitutional Amendments?

-- The Center Square: Now Both Parties Claim The House Majority And Authority To Set Special Election Dates

-- AP: House Republican Leader Seeks May Vote On Democratic Vacancies In House Power Struggle  [House Democratic Leader Set Feb. 7 For The Special Elections]

-- Rep. Cutler: House Republican Leader Cutler Announces May 16 Special Elections For 2 House Seats 

-- AP: State Election Agency Argues Against Delay In Filling 3 House Vacancies

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: PA Republicans Fight To Prolong House Majority And Pass Far-Reaching State Constitutional Amendments

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House Democrats Accuse Republican Leader Cutler Of Inappropriate Transfer Of $51.5 Million

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican Leader Cutler Sworn In Days After Dems Declare Control Of Special House Elections

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House Republican Cutler Says ‘The Math’ Makes Him Majority Leader

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Advocates, Lawmakers Hope PA House Power Shift Opens Door For [Good] Election Law Changes

-- PA Capital-Star: Fight Over Control Of PA House Is Harrisburg High-Stakes Lunacy At Its Worst

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Republicans Play Dirty In Power Struggle For PA State House

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: How Political Greed Backfired For PA House Democrats

-- PennLive - John Baer: Taxpayers Will Pay Lawyer Bills For Both Parties In Fight Over Who Controls PA House

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Squabbling In State House Shows Pennsylvanians How Dysfunctional The Legislature Is

-- TribLive Editorial: Voters Control PA House, Not The Parties

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA House Only Needs To Look At History To Find Bipartisanship It So Sorely Lacks - By Mark Singel

-- U.S. Senate

-- Inquirer: U.S. Senator Pat Toomey Didn’t Change In His 12 Years In Office, The Republican Party Did

-- Special Elections

-- AP: House Republican Leader Seeks May Vote On Democratic Vacancies In House Power Struggle  [House Democratic Leader Set Feb. 7 For The Special Elections]

-- Rep. Cutler: House Republican Leader Cutler Announces May 16 Special Elections For 2 House Seats 

-- AP: State Election Agency Argues Against Delay In Filling 3 House Vacancies

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Republicans Play Dirty In Power Struggle For PA State House

-- PA Capital-Star: Allegheny County Moving Ahead With Special Elections For Vacant House Seats

-- WESA: Democrats Choose McAndrew As Nominee To Replace DeLuca In House District

-- WESA: Special House Elections Attract Candidates, But Lack Certainty

-- Post-Gazette: Republicans Pick Nominees For 3 Open State House Seats In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Fmr Republican Lt. Gov. Candidate Won’t Run For House Seat

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Parties Choose Candidates To Compete For Open State Senate Seat

-- Scranton Times: Democrats Select Nominee For Sen. Gordner’s State Senate Seat

-- November Election

-- AP: Recount Requests Delay Pennsylvania Election Certification

-- WHYY: Chester County Judge Dismisses Election Recount Petitions: ‘Courts Are Not Places Where One Comes To Hedge Their Bets’

-- Spotlight PA: Despite Midterm Losses, PA Republicans Appear Unlikely To Abandon Combative Agenda

-- MCall Guest Essay: Midterm Elections Show Voters Want Governance Not Gridlock - Rep.-Elect Josh Siegel

-- TribLive Guest Essay: In PA, Independent Voters Take Center Stage - David Thornburgh

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Why Pennsylvania Is Becoming The Most Important Swing State - By David Thornburgh

-- Inquirer: Latino Voter Turnout Dropped Sharply In PA’s Midterm Election

-- PA Capital-Star: 2 Lehigh Valley Candidates Raised More Than $1 Million Each For Winning State Senate Races

-- Inquirer Editorial: Philadelphia’s Voter Turnout Is Down, That’s Bad For Democracy

-- Inquirer: Latest Campaign Finance Report Shows $1 Million Left In Republican Gubernatorial Candidate’s Account

-- WITF: Chambersburg Won’t Let Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Off The Hook For Paying Police Overtime During Campaign Event

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Advocates, Lawmakers Hope PA House Power Shift Opens Door For [Good] Election Law Changes

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Upgrade State Election Law For Voters

-- Spotlight PA: Despite Midterm Losses, PA Republicans Appear Unlikely To Abandon Combative Agenda

-- Warren Times: League Of Women Voters Brings #FixHarrisburg Campaign To Warren County

-- PennLive: Lycoming County To Begin Hand Recount Of 2020 [Yes 2020] Votes For President, State Auditor General On Jan. 9

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

-- Pittsburgh Union Progress: Allegheny County Man Convicted Of Crimes For His Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol Seeking Probation

-- Politics PA: Texts Of Former White House Chief Of Staff Show Republican PA Congressmen Perry, Keller, Kelly Plotted To Overturn The 2020 Election Results

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: PA Republicans Fight To Prolong House Majority And Pass Far-Reaching State Constitutional Amendments

-- LancasterOnline - Brad Bumsted: As Parties Squabble Over Claim PA House Majority, Proposed Abortion Amendment Looms Over Start Of 2023 Legislative Session

-- LancasterOnline: What’s In PA Republicans’ Package Of State Constitutional Amendments?

-- Post-Gazette/CapitolWire.com: Commonwealth Court Hears Arguments From Democrats’ Lawyers That Proposed Constitutional Amendments Combined Into One Bill Are Illegal

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- Warren Times: Columbia Gas Customers To See Rate Increase

-- PPL Utilities: Help Available For Customers To Assistance In Paying Energy Bills

-- TribLive: Gasoline Prices Falling Across Nation, But PA Drivers Still Paying More Than Others

-- Bloomberg: U.S. Natural Gas Prices Rise As Cold Wave Boosts Heating Demand

-- Bloomberg: LNG Natural Gas Supplier New Fortress Surges After 3,000% Dividend Increase

-- Financial Times: Biggest U.S. Shale Operator Says More Drilling Would Harm Industry - ‘Pouring Profits Into Faster Output At Expense Of Shareholder Returns Would Send Investors Fleeing’

-- Reuters: U.S. Shale Oil Production To Keep Growing, At Snail’s Pace - U.S. EIA

-- Reuters: Keystone Oil Pipeline Restart Timetable Unclear After 558,000 Gallon Leak, Traders Worry About Supply

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House Democrats Accuse Republican Leader Cutler Of Inappropriate Transfer Of $51.5 Million

-- Inquirer: Republican PA Senate Pro Tempore Kim Ward Talks About Chaos In Harrisburg, Becoming First Female Senate President, Beating Breast Cancer

-- Post-Gazette: Rep. Sara Innamorato Joins Growing List Of Democrats Vying For Allegheny County Executive Job

-- KYW: Democratic Rep. Amen Brown To Announce Campaign For Philly Major

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA House Only Needs To Look At History To Find Bipartisanship It So Sorely Lacks - By Mark Singel

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Governor Needs To Tell Public Where He Spent $400,000 On Private Law Firms

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Attack On Philly DA’s Office A Dangerous Distraction

-- Beaver Times: ‘Sinner’ Not ‘Saint’ - Voters Make Choice In 19th Century Beaver County Republican Senator’s Legacy

-- Budget 2023

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: State, School Employee Pension Costs Decrease Next Year For First Time In A Decade

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- MCall: PA COVID Update: Cases Remain Steady As Hospitalizations Rise; Lehigh Valley Rates Jump 66% In 30 Days

-- TribLive: Health Providers Advise Caution Around Illness As Holidays Approach

-- Warren Times Editorial: Illness Surrounds Us At Holidays - COVID, Flu, RSV-- Wearing Masks In Public Protects You, Loved Ones

-- Spotlight PA: Gov. Wolf On COVID Policies: ‘I’m Going To Be Second-Guessing Myself Until The Day I Die’

-- AG Shapiro: Announces $38 Million Settlement With JUUL For Targeting PA Youth, Deceiving Consumers About E-Cig Safety

-- COVID - Schools

-- WHYY: Philly Schools Will Require Masking For 2 Weeks Following Winter Break

-- TribLive: Respiratory Virus Surge Impacting Western PA Schools

-- Opioid Deaths

-- AG Shapiro: Additional Opioid-Related Drug Settlements Bring PA More Than $450 Million Over Next 10 Years

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: State, School Employee Pension Costs Decrease Next Year For First Time In A Decade

-- PA Economy

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry: PA November Unemployment Rate Remained At 4%

[Posted: December 18, 2022]