News & Brews January 27, 2023
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Lawmakers appeal Krasner impeachment case to state Supreme Court
Yesterday, House impeachment managers Rep. Tim Bonner (Mercer and Butler counties) and Rep. Craig Williams (Delaware and Chester counties) announced they are appealing the Commonwealth Court’s ruling regarding the impeachment of Philadelphia D.A. Larry Krasner to the state Supreme Court. On Dec. 30, the Commonwealth Court said that none of the articles of impeachment filed against Krasner met the criteria of “misbehavior in office.” Bonner and Williams contend that the state House and Senate “have the sole authority according to the Constitution to determine what constitutes misbehavior in office.” They further hold that the court did not address “specific instances of misuse of power which constitutes misbehavior in office.”
No one questions Shapiro’s national ambitions
POLITICO looks at Gov. Josh Shapiro, alongside new MD Gov. Wes Moore, with an eye on how they’ve become the new “bench” for the Democrat Party. In both cases, political onlookers are already looking toward the national stage (and for Shapiro, his ambitions have been widely known for years and years).
Sen. Scott Martin: Best results come through cooperation
Sen. Scott Martin (Lancaster and Berks counties) writes in Broad + Liberty of the environmental protection measures that were supported by both Republicans and Democrats. He notes, “we achieve our best results when all parties set aside partisanship and work together for the good of the people we represent.” Turning attention to Gov. Wolf’s unilateral attempts to force Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Martin writes, “Thankfully, we are no longer shackled to the mistakes of the outgoing governor. Newly minted Governor Josh Shapiro has expressed his own reservations about RGGI and pledged to take a fresh look at more viable alternatives. This already represents a step forward from where we were.”
Pa. House Republicans name committee leaders
Saying they “refuse to sit idly by on taxpayer time,” House Republicans yesterday named their committee chairs for this legislative session. Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (Lancaster County) said, “This process should have been completed on day one; however, Speaker Rozzi and his Democrat enablers refuse to complete even the most basic tasks expected of us by the taxpayers who elected us.”According to the press release announcing the chairs, “Standing committees for this session must be finalized within the House operating rules; however, by announcing preliminary chairs now, the Republican Caucus can work proactively on issues, preparing legislation and organizing committee responsibilities.”