News & Brews July 17, 2024
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Will Vance VP pick impact Pa.?
The Delaware Valley Journal considers how former President Trump’s selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential nominee might impact Pennsylvania politics. “In a sign of Vance’s importance … to the GOP’s ‘Blue Wall’ strategy,” the story reports, “Trump told ABC News, ‘I’m going to leave him in Pennsylvania.’” The “Blue Wall” refers to “the Great Lakes states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which helped put Democrats Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden in the White House.” (That said, some think Vance doesn’t help much in Pa.)
Dave McCormick addresses RNC
Just days after witnessing up close the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, GOP U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick addressed the Republican National Convention yesterday. He said the election this year is a choice between America’s “greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline.”
Two Dem state reps resign
In moves that were not a surprise, Democrat state Reps. Donna Bullock and Stephen Kinsey, both of Philly, resigned their House seats this week. The Inquirer reports, “Bullock hinted last month that she would leave the House after the state budget was complete, because she was named CEO of the nationally renowned anti-homelessness nonprofit Project HOME. Kinsey also previously announced he would not seek reelection, in hopes of working in Philly and spending more time with his family.” The story continues, “Although the vacancies eliminate Democrats’ one-seat majority in the House and leave Republicans with a slight majority … the timing of the resignations was strategic for Democrats, because lawmakers began summer recess after approving a state budget last week. Neither the state House nor Senate is scheduled to return to Harrisburg until mid-September.” Special elections are scheduled for September 17.
Shapiro joins lawsuit for taxpayer-funded abortion
This is totally unsurprising given Gov. Shapiro’s enthusiastic support for abortion, but yesterday, he announced his administration is siding with plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s prohibition against taxpayer-funded abortions. In other words, as PennLive explains, he is “vowing not to defend state law banning Medicaid coverage for abortion services.” Democrat nominee for state attorney general Eugene DePasquale echoed this sentiment, posting that if he’s elected as the state’s highest law enforcement officer, he’ll also refuse to enforce this law that he doesn’t like.
Court rules union workers must return to office
Buried in the news of the last several days was this: On Friday, a Philly judge denied AFSCME 47’s attempt to block Mayor Cherelle Parker’s order that city workers return to the office five days per week. The judge said the union was unable to prove reputable harm. For its part, AFSCME has said the “fight is not over.”