News & Brews July 18, 2023
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Interview with Supreme Court Candidate Judge Carolyn Carluccio
The race for an open seat on the Pa. Supreme Court seems quiet thus far, but it promises to heat up as the November election draws near. The Williamsport Sun-Gazette caught up with Republican nominee Judge Carolyn Carluccio to talk about her vision, political philosophy, reason for running, and more. (Commonwealth Partners has endorsed Judge Carluccio in this race.)
With budget incomplete, Shapiro touts his I-95 win
The fast repair of I-95 was awesome. That’s a fact, and we celebrated it. Now, Gov. Josh Shapiro wants everyone across the country to know it, too. He penned an op-ed in the Washington Post on how the quick repair offers “lessons for U.S. infrastructure.” The op-ed comes as the Pa. budget impasse has turned from days to weeks after Shapiro reneged on his promise to support Lifeline Scholarships.
Op-Ed: School choice ‘was a lifesaver’ for me
Pennsylvania native R. Myles Slade-Bowers—a 2022 graduate of Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg—explains how school choice changed his life by providing him an education that met his unique needs. He writes that he was “deeply disappointed” by Gov. Shapiro’s vow to veto school choice but notes that “Shapiro still has the opportunity to keep his promises and put students first.”
Biden will be back in Philly this week
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Philadelphia on Thursday. This will mark the 6th time he’s been in Philly this year, the Inquirer notes. And since taking office, he’s come at least a dozen times. The story adds, “The White House hasn’t released details about the event except that Biden will talk about ‘Bidenomics’….”
Lawmakers sound off on Shapiro’s broken promise
There was no shortage of reactions among lawmakers to Gov. Shapiro’s vow to line-item veto a new school choice program in the state budget. Here’s a sampling:
- State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (Berks and MontCo) urged Shapiro to “change course.”
- Rep Josh Kail (Beaver and Washington counties) wrote that Shapiro showed “he will abandon his convictions and break his promises.”
- And seven Lancaster County House Members wrote that “Shapiro’s about-face may have obliterated much of the trust that’s necessary to bridge political divides and govern.”
Severance tax idea rears its head (again)
Former Gov. Wolf spent eight years unsuccessfully pushing for an additional tax on Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry. Now, Pa. House Democrats are taking up the mantle. Democrats recently passed a resolution that would order “a study to compare impact fees and severance taxes in the largest natural gas producing states.” Pa. already levies a tax—called an “impact fee”—on natural gas. Not surprisingly, the office of Gov. Shapiro—who often likes to play both sides of issues (i.e., RGGI, school choice), “did not respond when asked if he would support a severance tax.”