Pennsylvania Perspective for Monday, December 12, 2022

Pennsylvania

Michelle Henry Tapped to Serve as Attorney General

Michelle Henry — an accomplished attorney who once helped prosecute a Pennsylvania attorney general for misuse of office — is now poised to become acting attorney general once Josh Shapiro is sworn in as governor in January. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more.

State House Republicans Sue to Prevent Special Elections

In response to last week’s contentious swearing in of state Representative Joanna McClinton — a controversial move that fellow Democrats claim make her the current chamber leader — and her subsequent scheduling of special elections to fill three vacancies, her Republican counterpart Representative Bryan Cutler is requesting that the Commonwealth Court issue an injunction to prevent these elections from moving forward. The Associated Press has more.

Republicans Likely to Continue Supporting Controversial Agenda Items Despite Midterms Performance

Despite poor performance during the recent midterm elections, the Republican party is unlikely to make significant changes to its platform anytime soon, according to insiders. While many Republicans will continue to embrace controversial issues such as restrictive abortion policies, many others worry that this a losing strategy. PennLive has more.

The Philadelphia Inquirer Interviews State Senator Kim Ward

Last month, state Senator Kim Ward became the first female senate majority leader in Pennsylvania history, a temporary role which she is expected to continue when the new session begins in January. Senator Ward sat down with The Philadelphia Inquirer to discuss her historic position, the current political climate in Harrisburg, and how her experience as a woman in government has shaped her leadership style and priorities.

PLCB Bans Employees, Their Families From Participating In Limited-Release Lotteries

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has banned its employees and their families from participating in lotteries for limited-release, highly sought-after bottles of liquor. The intended goal is to restore the public’s confidence in the legitimacy of its limited-release lotteries after a board member and top agency executives awarded themselves with leftover bottles from 2019 and 2020 drawings. PennLive has more.

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Race Sets Spending Record

The high-profile Pennsylvania gubernatorial race in November was one of the nation’s most expensive, setting a new spending record for the state. The race is estimated to have cost more than $100 million, with Governor-elect Josh Shapiro spending more than half of the total. Spotlight PA has more.

Opinion: Retired State Trooper Advocates SAFE Banking for Cannabis Industry

Across the country, the cannabis industry has flourished, its growth attributable in large part to medicinal and recreational marijuana legalization. However, cannabis business owners and workers are constantly at risk of becoming the victims of crime because of the archaic financial and banking limitations that still currently exist, according to former state trooper Dennis J. Hallion. Enter the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would provide protections for banks and financial institutions that choose to do business with the cannabis industry. PennLive has more.

Schlegel-Culver Chosen as Republican Nominee for State Senate District 108

State Representative Lynda Schlegel-Culver became the Republican nominee for former state Senator John Gordner’s senate seat by a 80-7 vote of conferees on Sunday. She will be running against a yet-to-be-named Democratic candidate for the 108th District seat during a special election scheduled for January 31. The Daily Item has more.

Senator-Elect Fetterman to Make Acting Debut

After making a national name for himself during his historic — and, more importantly, successful — run for U.S. Senate, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman will be making his acting debut alongside his wife, Second Lady of Pennsylvania Gisele Fetterman, in The Pale Blue Eye, a Netflix period crime drama starring Christian Bale. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia-Area Health Systems Struggling Financially

Health systems throughout the Philadelphia region experienced significant financial losses throughout the summer, a sign of a struggling industry. These losses are due to a confluence of issues, including shifts in the labor market in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased drug and supply costs, and insurance payments that haven’t kept pace with historic inflation rates. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.

Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Democratic Committee Chooses McAndrew as Candidate for State House District 32

On Sunday, the Allegheny County Democratic Committee decided on Joe McAndrew to become the party’s nominee for House District 32 in a ranked-choice vote. Representative Tony DeLuca had served the 32nd District for decades until his death of cancer approximately one month before last month’s midterm elections. WESA has more.

CPRB Indicates Complaints Against Pittsburgh Police May Be at Lowest Point Ever

The Citizens Police Review Board (CPRB), an independent body that reviews the performance of the city’s police, has indicated that complaints against Pittsburgh police could reach an all-time low this year. The 220 complaints thus far not only put the department on track for the lowest number of complaints since the founding of the board, but it also represents another year of gradual decline over time. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more.

Gas Continues to Leak From Cambria County Gas Storage Site

Several wells at a Cambria County natural gas storage site are continuing to leak after  a larger, two-week-long continuous leak was reported last month, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Equitrans, the company that runs the site, has been ordered to submit a gas withdrawal plan and get a third-party audit of the site. StateImpact Pennsylvania has more.

Federal

Beltway Briefing: State Perspectives on Midterm Elections

Public Strategies’ Jim Davis, Katie Schwab, Matt Glavin, John Reich, and Julia Hammond provide a state-by-state breakdown of the results of the midterm races in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia. They also offer an overview of the nationwide midterm election results and their impact from the perspective of their respective state politics. Listen to the latest episode here.

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