Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies (CPS), the government and public affairs affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced Tamara Hinton has signed on to lead its fast-growing strategic communications practice.
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies is proud to welcome the Honorable Rodney Davis, formerly a five-term congressman representing Illinois’ 13th District, to the firm as a Managing Director. In this role, Davis will leverage his substantial experience in public affairs to provide strategic counsel to the firm’s government relations clients. See more at Politico and our website.
State Representatives Malcolm Kenyatta and Jessica Benham — both of whom are out members of the LGBTQ community — are the new co-chairs of the state Legislature’s LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. The Pennsylvania Capital-Star has more.
The scheduling of Pittsburgh-area special elections to fill the vacant seats left by Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor-elect Austin Davis and U.S. Representative Summer Lee has been contentious, as these elections are likely to determine control of the currently near evenly divided House. Currently, a three-judge Commonwealth Court panel is considering House Republican leader Representative Bryan Cutler’s proposal to invalidate two writs scheduling the special elections for early February that had been issued by Democratic leader Representative Joanna McClinton. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has more.
On Wednesday, the state Senate voted 29-19 to pass a bill to undo an automatic gas tax increase this year. While the tax only applies to wholesale purchases, it is likely that the increase may trickle down to consumers at the pump if the bill is not passed before the increase goes into effect.
Senators also voted 28-20 to pass an omnibus package of constitutional amendments that included a voter ID measure, a measure giving power to legislators to block state regulations — potentially hampering Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro’s ability to craft effective statewide policy — and a statute of limitations amendment for victims of childhood sexual abuse. Democrats argued that the statute of limitations amendment should not have been lumped in with the other two. Because many of these amendments were already approved by both chambers during the last session, if approved once more by both chambers during this session, the amendments will be put to Pennsylvania voters on the next possible ballot — making these amendments a high priority for Republicans.
These pieces of legislation are now headed to the House, where a partisan power struggle has brought the chamber to a complete standstill, making the future of both uncertain.
Earlier today, Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro announced four more cabinet picks to serve in his administration, barring confirmation by the state Senate.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a comprehensive list of all Shapiro administration appointments so far.
The impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, which was set to begin January 18, has been postponed indefinitely by the state Senate. Though the state House had approved several articles of impeachment against DA Krasner, the Commonwealth Court deemed the articles legally insufficient in December. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.
Councilmember David Oh, one of only two Republicans currently serving on City Council, is expected to resign his at-large seat soon in order to launch his mayoral campaign, likely in early February. He would be the first Republican to enter the race. Billy Penn has more.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is making progress on its multimillion dollar project to restore the iconic green route 15 trolleys that provide service from Fishtown and Port Richmond to West Philadelphia — some of which date back to the 1940s. SEPTA hopes to return about a dozen of the restored trolleys to service on Girard Avenue by September. CBS Philadelphia has more.
As the deadline for challenges to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) address maps for improving broadband availability rapidly approaches, local governments in the Pittsburgh area are diligently working to ensure that they receive their fair share of the $42.45 billion in available funding. An estimated 36,000 homes and 15,000 businesses in the region are not connected at all, with even more operating with subpar internet download speeds. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more
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Legislative Analyst
Executive Vice President
Principal
Managing Director
Principal
Government Relations Associate
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
April 19, 2024
April 19, 2024
April 18, 2024
