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

-- Spotlight PA: What Shapiro’s Transition Team Says About How He’ll Govern, And What Some Picks Are Raising Eyebrows

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: The Best And Worst Of Times - A Tale Of Two PA Transitions-- Governor, State House

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Shapiro’s Transition Team Sends A Bad Message To Women

-- AP: Shapiro’s Big Win For PA Governor Is A High Note Amid Antisemitism Surge

-- PA Senate/House Transition

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: House Democrats, Republicans Agree On One Of Three Special Election Dates To Fill Vacancies

-- AP: Closed-Door Talks Fail To Settle PA State House Control Fight

-- WESA: Commonwealth Court Hears Legal Challenges On Special Election Dates As Democrats, Republicans Pick Candidates

-- Post-Gazette/Capitolwire.com: How A State Senate Race Could Throw The House Into More Chaos

-- MCall Guest Essay: PA House Republicans Ignore The Will Of The Voters With Power Grab - ACLU Of PA

-- MCall Guest Essay: When It Comes To The PA House Majority, Democrats Have A Math, Legal Problem - Republican House Leader Bryan Cutler

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: The Best And Worst Of Times - A Tale Of Two PA Transitions-- Governor, State House

-- Inquirer Column: Democratic State Rep. McClinton Can No More Declare Herself Speaker Than The Ex-President Can Declare Himself President

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: PA House Republican Power-Grab On Special Elections Disenfranchises Western PA Voters, Here’s Why

-- Warren Times Editorial: May Is Far Too Late To Hold House Special Elections

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Keep State House Special Elections In February To Ensure Communities Have Representation And To Resolve Ongoing Power Struggle

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: The Power Struggle In PA House Is Unseemly

-- Scranton Times Editorial: PA Capitol Chaos Calls For Special Reform

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- Inquirer: How PA’s John Fetterman Will Fit In The U.S. Senate

-- November 2022 Election

-- Inquirer: Most Detailed Maps Available Of PA’s 2022 Election Results

-- AP: Bucks County Vote Moves PA Closer To Certifying Nov. Election Results

-- LancasterOnline: Voters Over 65 Took Brunt Of Mail-In Ballot Rejections In Nov. Election In Lancaster County

-- May 2023 Elections

-- Politics PA: Who Is Running For Office In 2023?

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- LancasterOnline/Spotlight PA: State Voting Laws Are On Legislative Agenda, But Neither Party Will Get Their Full Wish List

-- Erie Times: Sen. Laughlin’s Voter ID Constitutional Amendment Could Be Decided By House Power Struggle

-- York Dispatch Editorial: New PA House Freedom Caucus Raises Plenty Of Questions

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Lycoming County’s 2020 Vote Recount Cost Matters, And It’s Irresponsible To Pretend Otherwise

-- MCall Guest Essay: Extremists Were Defeated In PA, But Don’t Count Them Out - Anti-Defamation League

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

-- York Dispatch: Republicans - State Sen. Doug Mastriano, Rep. Seth Grove, Cong. Scott Perry All Highlighted In U.S. House Investigation Report On Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: U.S. House Committee Investigating Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol Asks For Ethics Action Against PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Man Who Participated In Assault On U.S. Capitol Gets 2 Months Behind Bars

-- Pittsburgh Union Progress: Allegheny County Man Who Sported QAnon Patch During Assulat on U.S. Capitol Gets 2 Months In Jail

-- Meadville Tribune: U.S. Attorney: ‘Significant New Development’ In Case Of Crawford County Man’s Criminal Case Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Pittsburgh Union Progress: McKean County Man Who Threatened To Hang Speaker Pelosi During Assault On U.S. Capitol Set For Trial In January

-- TribLive: Cong. Conor Lamb Reflects On Assault On U.S. Capitol As He Departs Office

-- MCall Guest Essay: Extremists Were Defeated In PA, But Don’t Count Them Out - Anti-Defamation League

-- York Dispatch Editorial: New PA House Freedom Caucus Raises Plenty Of Questions

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Post-Gazette/CapitolWire.com: Very Narrow Window Exists For Republicans To Move State Constitutional Amendments

-- Erie Times: Sen. Laughlin’s Voter ID Constitutional Amendment Could Be Decided By House Power Struggle

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Republicans Have No Mandate For State Constitutional Amendments, Reform Process

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Pennsylvania Gasoline Price Average: $3.60; National Average: $3.09

-- MCall: Gasoline Prices Continue To Nosedive In Lehigh Valley

-- PennLive: Blame Increase In PA Gasoline Tax For Likely Increase At Pump In January

-- UGI Asks Natural Gas Customers To Conserve Energy Use Due To Regional Natural Gas Supply Constraints  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection ‘Possibility Of Rotating Customer Outages Is Real’ -  A Mix Of Power Plants In The System Are ‘Not Performing’ - Filing DOE Emergency Power Request  [PaEN] 

-- Moneygeek.com: Pennsylvania #28 On List Of States With Most Expensive Natural Gas Heating Bills

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Natural Gas Prices Rise [94.7%] As Production Falls, Report Says

-- WHYY: Delmarva Power Has Seen 60% Increase In Natural Gas Rates In Past 2 Years

-- League Of Women Voters, Partners Host Jan. 12 Webinar On LNG Natural Gas Export Terminal Safety  [PaEN]

-- Reuters: Column: U.S. LNG Natural Gas Exports Both A Lifeline And A Drain For Europe; Surging Cost Of LNG To Come Under Scrutiny In 2023

-- Reuters: Winter Storm Cuts U.S. Oil, Natural Gas, Power Output, Sending Prices Higher

-- Bloomberg: U.S. Natural Gas Output Drops As Winter Storms Disrupts Production, Shuts Wells

-- Bloomberg: U.S. Winter Storm Shows Europe’s Risk By Threatening LNG Natural Gas Supply 

-- Bloomberg: Texas Freeport LNG Natural Gas Terminal Postpones Restart, Again

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- WESA: PA Politics In 2022: Rise Of The Youth, Courts Are A Force, Election Nonsense

-- MCall Guest Essay: Extremists Were Defeated In PA, But Don’t Count Them Out - Anti-Defamation League

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Take Steps To Reign In Perpetual Political Campaigning

-- York Dispatch Editorial: New PA House Freedom Caucus Raises Plenty Of Questions

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: There’s Plenty Of 7.8% Raises Going Around In PA State Government Come Jan. 1

-- TribLive Editorial: Automatic Lawmakers, State Govt. Pay Raises Unfair To Taxpayers

-- MCall: Outgoing State Senator Pat Brown On His 28 Years Of Lawmaking: ‘Hopefully, I Made A Difference’

-- Budget 2023

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Report: PA Tax Credit Programs’ Annual Growth Is $200 Million

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports November Revenue Up 4.59% Over Last Year

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- Centre Daily Times: PA Reports 13,500 COVID Cases, Counties With High Community Spread Falls To 1 - Mercer County

-- Post-Gazette: Western PA Health Systems Weathering COVID, Flu, RSV Virus Surge Are Not Overwhelmed - Yet

-- Post-Gazette: COVID Cases Increase In Allegheny County

-- PA Economy

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA’s Labor Force Participation Continues To Fall

-- USA Today: Minimum Wage Is Going Up In 23 States As $15/Hour Gains Steam, Is Your State One Of Them?  [Spoiler - PA Is Not]

-- Republicans Herald: Hershey’s Hazleton Plant Is Company’s First To Go Bilingual

-- Other

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Steelers Great Franco Harris Dies At Age 72, Just Days Before The 50th Anniversary Of The ‘Immaculate Reception’

[Posted: December 25, 2022]