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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Pennsylvania Society Weekend Stages A Comeback In NYC

-- Inquirer: At Pennsylvania Society, Jockeying For 2024 Race For State Attorney General

-- Governor’s Transition

-- City & State PA: Shapiro To Be Sworn In As Next Governor Jan. 17

-- Shapiro-Davis Names Members To 7 Transition Advisory Committees

-- City & State PA: Everyone Gov.-Elect Shapiro Has Named To His New Team So Far

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Names Long-Time Assistant Dana Fritz Chief Of Staff

-- PA Capital-Star: Rendell Fundraiser, Casey Campaign Manager Among Leaders Of Shapiro’s Inaugural Committee

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Josh Shapiro Ran Like A Moderate, He Should Govern Like One Too

-- PA Capital-Star: Advocates: Shapiro Must Fix PA’s ‘Broken’ Unemployment System

-- Politics PA: Fetterman, Shapiro Arrest Democratic Decline In Blue-Collar Southwest PA

-- Bucks County Beacon Guest Essay: Environmental Issues Helped Power Democrats To Victory This Election -  Conservation Voters Of PA

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- TribLive/AP: PA Campaign Wild Card Fetterman Turns To Governing

-- Inquirer: Fetterman Names Philly Organizer Joe Pierce State Director For U.S. Senate Office

-- New Legislative Voting Districts

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: How Changing Circumstances, Timeless Values Shaped PA’s New Legislative Voting Districts - Mark Nordenberg, Fmr Chair Of Legislative Reapportionment Commission

-- November Election

-- Politics PA: Fetterman, Shapiro Arrest Democratic Decline In Blue-Collar Southwest PA

-- PennLive: PA Republicans Look Inward After Voters Quashed The Expected ‘Red Wave’

-- Warren Times Editorial: Republicans Need Engaged Candidates

-- Inquirer: Florida Governor Leads Ex-President In Early Poll Of PA Republican Voters

-- AP: Non-Religious Voters Wield Clout, Tilt Heavily Democratic

-- PA Capital-Star: Inside the Post-Election Review Designed To Give PA Voters More Confidence In The Results

-- The Center Square: As PA Certifies, Audits Election, Lawsuits And A Deadlock May Slow It Down

-- Spotlight PA: Unprecedented Number Of Recount Requests Delay Election Certification

-- Citizens Voice: Luzerne County Election Board Certifies Nov. 8 Results

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Election Board Certifies 2022 Results; Deputies Called After Crowd Gets Raucous

-- Altoona Mirror: Blair County Voters Ask Judge To Order Recount With No Evidence Of Errors

-- TribLive: Judge Orders Machine Recounts In 4 Westmoreland Voting Precincts; Rejects Hand Review Of Each Ballot With No Evidence Of Fraud Or Errors

-- Reading Eagle: Berks County Cannot Certify Election Results Due To Pending Recount Petitions

-- Erie Times: Nearly 500 Votes Were Discovered To Be Uncounted From November General Election In Erie

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Republican Candidate For Governor Has Conceded, Why Hasn’t He Called On His Supporters To Drop Their Challenges?

-- TribLive Editorial: Challenges And Certification Part Of Election Process

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- Erie Times: Why PA Activists See Capitol Reform Opportunities In 2023: ‘We’re Going After The System’

-- York Dispatch: What Can We Expect From PA’s New House Freedom Caucus; Chair Of New Group Didn’t Respond To Requests For Comment, Nor Did Other Members

-- AP: Election Certification Delays Few, But A ‘Test Run’ For 2024

-- TribLive/PennLive: New Freedom Caucus Brings Its National Brand Of Conservatism To PA House

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: PA Republicans Won’t Change - Lebanon Valley College Professor

-- Inquirer: Florida Governor Leads Ex-President In Early Poll Of PA Republican Voters

-- Spotlight PA: Rejecting Undated Mail Ballots Disproportionately Impacts Communities Of Color In PA, Data Shows

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

-- WPSU: Penn State May Create Visitors Code Of Conduct In Wake Of Canceled Proud Boys Founder’s Appearance

-- State Constitutional Amendments

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: Winter Energy Bills Are Going Up, No Matter How You Heat Your Home [But Some Energy Prices May Be Peaking]

-- PUC Alerts Consumers Utility Natural Gas Costs Will Be Going Up By As Much As 128%, Electric Costs Will Be Going Up By As Much As 34%; Both Driven By Cost Of Natural Gas On World Markets  [PaEN]

-- WPSU: Heating Prices Could Bring Sticker Shock This Winter; Columbia Gas Price Takes Especially Dramatic Jump - 128%

-- WESA: Duquesne Light Customers To See Some Electric Rates Increase By 20% This Winter [Due To Cost Of Natural Gas-Fired Generation] 

-- WNEP: Another Rate Increase For UGI Natural Gas Customers

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: UGI To Pass On Higher Natural Gas Cost To Customers

-- DEP Blog: Winterize Your Home To Save On Utility Bills

-- TribLive: State Gasoline Tax Keeps PA Prices High Despite Nationwide Downward Trend, Analyst Says

-- WPost: U.S. Gasoline Prices Plunge Toward $3 A Gallon As Demand For Oil Drops Worldwide  [AAA National Average: $3.47; PA Average: $3.93] 

-- WSJ: Gasoline Prices Are Dropping: Here’s How Much Lower They Might Go; Regional Differences Will Continue

-- AP: Russia Rejects $60 A Barrel Cap On Its Oil, Warns Of Cutoffs

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

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT’s Toby Rice Calls For ‘Unleashing LNG’ Natural Gas To Solve Climate Problem, End Poverty Other Societal Ills

-- Bloomberg: EQT Gets Antitrust Request Over $5.2 Billion Appalachia Natural Gas Deal

-- Reuters: Texas Freeport LNG Natural Gas Plant Delays Restart After Explosion To Year’s End

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- PA Capital-Star: With No Majority, PA House Democrats, Republicans Fighting Over Who Calls The Shots

-- Spotlight PA: In Tussle Over Which Party Controls State House, Parties Clash Over Math, Precedent

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House Republican Leader Accuses Democrats Of ‘Paperwork Insurrection’

-- AP: Republican House Speaker Sets Feb. 7 Special Election For The Late Rep. DeLuca’s Seat

-- Post-Gazette: PA House Republicans, Democrats End Legislative Session With Spat Over Special Election For DeLuca’s Seat

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Setting Special Election Touches Off Power Struggle In PA House

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Power Struggle For Control Of PA House Complicates Route To Passing Legislation

-- York Dispatch: What Can We Expect From PA’s New House Freedom Caucus; Chair Of New Group Didn’t Respond To Requests For Comment, Nor Did Other Members

-- PennLive - John Baer: Think PA Politics Settles Down After Relatively Calm Midterm Elections? Ha!

-- TribLive/PennLive: Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia) Resigns To Take New Position As Counsel To President Pro Tempore Kim Ward

-- PA Capital-Star: Special Election To Fill Sen. Gordner’s Seat Set For Jan. 31

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver Announces Run For Gordner Senate Seat

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: $7,400 Raises For PA Lawmakers?  The System Is Broken When Politicians Profit From Inflation

-- PA Capital-Star: Reformers Summit Seeks Solutions To State Government's Woes

-- WHYY: Fmr State Senator Milton Street Dies At 83

-- Post-Gazette: More Candidates Announce Runs For PA Supreme, Appellate Courts

-- Impeachment Of Philly DA

-- PA Capital-Star: House Presents Philly DA Impeachment Articles To Senate, Trial To Begin In January

-- PA Capital-Star: State Senate Approves Impeachment Trial Rules For Philly DA 

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Senate Set To Begin Constitutional Role In Philly DA Impeachment

-- Post-Gazette: Is Possible Impeachment Of Philly DA A Political Power Grab Or A Lawful Check On Policies?

-- AP: Philly DA Sues To Stop Republican State Lawmakers From Removing Him

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Reserve Impeachment For Misconduct, Not Political Stunts

-- Budget 2023

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports November State Tax Collections 6.8% $201.9 Million Below Estimates; Still $183.2 Million Above Estimates For Fiscal Year

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports November State Revenue Was 4.5% $129 Million Below Its Estimates; Still $731.8 Million Above Estimates For Fiscal Year 

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- Centre Daily Times: PA Had 116 COVID Deaths, 1,269 Hospitalizations, 10,730 New Cases Last Week; Mercer County Remains At High Rate Of Communication For COVID

-- Erie Times: Erie County Sees Surge In COVID Deaths, Drop In Cases

-- PennLive: PA Registers Highest Flu Count In Years, With Surge Weeks Early

-- Inquirer Editorial: Fighting The Spread Of Viruses And Lies

-- WHYY: Commonwealth Court Dismisses Anti-Mask Mandate Lawsuits Against School Districts

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- Inquirer: New PA Standardized Test Scores Show Students Haven’t Rebounded Since Pandemic

-- Erie Times: Banned Books: School Libraries Are Another Battleground In Culture Wars In PA, Nationwide

-- WITF: Ephrata Public Library Zeroed Out In Akron Borough’s Budget, Gets Public Support At Council Meeting

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- TribLive Editorial: More Work Needed On Mental Health Capacity To Stand Trial

-- PA Economy

-- PA Capital-Star: Advocates: Shapiro Must Fix PA’s ‘Broken’ Unemployment System

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Unemployment Falls To 20-Year Low

[Posted: December 4, 2022]