The LuLac Edition #4,656, December 29th, 2021

 

TOP TEN PENNSYLVANIA POLITICAL STORIES

 

1. Pennsylvania like other states is shocked by the riot and insurrection on Capitol Hill on January 6^th.  After the attack GOP Congressmen actually voted to decertify their own elections. This was just hours after their Vice President Mike Pence was threatened  with hanging. Fast forward to the end of the year and the Select Committee of the House investigating the Capitol riot has now formally demanded information from Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), an ally in Congress of ex-President Donald Trump who, among other points of concern, was apparently involved with efforts to get then-Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark put in place as acting Attorney General after last year’s presidential election. Unlike the individual serving in the position at the time, Clark was a supporter of Trump’s false claims about the election, and elevating him to a position of greater power could have allowed him to act according to the president’s wishes and use federal powers to advance those claims with fewer constraints.

2. Republican sweep statewide Judicial races. Kevin Brobson defeated  Maria McLaughlin (D) in the general election for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on November 2, 2021. Justice Thomas Saylor (R), who joined the court in 1998, did not run for another term because he turned 75 in 2021. In the lower appellate court races, former public defender and Common Pleas court judge Timika Lane, a Democrat, was defeated by Republican Megan Sullivan in a bid for a single vacancy on the Superior Court.  In the Commonwealth Court, Republican Stacy Marie Wallace, the only candidate in the race not recommended by the Bar Association, was declared the winner. GOP incumbent Drew Crompton seemed poised to best Lori Dumas and David Lee Spurgeon for the other open slot.

3. Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit to block a GOP-backed subpoena as they seek voter records and personal information of every registered voter in the state for a “forensic investigation” of the 2020 presidential election.

4. Philadelphia DA  Larry Krasner cruised to victory for the Democratic Party nomination for Philadelphia District Attorney over challenger Carlos Vega, a former homicide prosecutor. Krasner was the subject of  documentary on PBS earlier in the year.

5. PA Voters Approve Two Amendments To Limit Governor’s Emergency Powers. In a dangerous move, Pa. voters approved a pair of amendments to the state’s constitution that limit the governor’s power during a disaster declaration.  According to returns from the Department of State, 53% voted “yes” to ballot questions 1 and 2 on the primary ballot, while 46% voted “no.”

6. Biden comes to the city of Brotherly Love. President Biden  traveled to Philadelphia as part of the “Getting America Back on Track Tour” to attend an event marking Amtrak’s 50th Anniversary.   Meanwhile President Biden to visited  Scranton later in the year to push his Infrastructure plan. It was the first official visit since his swearing in as Commander In Chief.

7. Levine Confirmed as U.S. Assistant Health Secretary. the United States Senate confirmed the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine, former Pennsylvania Health Secretary, to be the Assistant Secretary for Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  Levine is the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.

8. Blake resigns from State Senate to become the Economic Development Director for Matt Cartwright. In his role, Blake has Blake lead economic development initiatives across the 8th Congressional District and has made various appearances on behalf of the Congressman in the area when he was in Washington.

9. Casey and Toomey Vote Against Dismissing Trump Impeachment Trial. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey voted against the effort to dismiss former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. While all Democrats were united in opposing the effort to dismiss the second impeachment trial, Toomey was one of five Republicans to side against the GOP backed effort to dismiss the trial. In the end, Casey voted for, Toomey voted nay.  

10. Toomey Censure? PAGOP Calls Special Meeting. Just over two weeks since their last virtual gathering, the Pennsylvania Republican Party is set to meet again on Wednesday.  In an email obtained by PoliticsPA, According to the email to state committee members, the meeting will be held virtually via Zoom and “consider the issues arising out of the impeachment and the path for our party going forward.”Toomey became one of many GOP lawmakers who were censured by their party for deviating from the trump loyalty line.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article utilized PA Politics John Cole’s reporting. Here is the link to this useful resource. https://www.politicspa.com.(Ballotpedia, LuLac, bipartisanreport.com)