News & Brews July 23, 2024
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Harris requests VP vetting info from Shapiro
The Wall Street Journal reports that Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign “has requested vetting materials, including financial records and family histories, from several potential running mates.” Among them are NC Gov. Roy Cooper, AZ Sen. Mark Kelly, MN Gov. Tim Walz, IL Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro. Meanwhile, PennLive looks at the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ for Dems when considering Shapiro as a possible vice-presidential pick. Among the cons, his campaign for governor was not against a strong candidate. “Shapiro, for all of his political success to date, feels to some a bit like that college football team that stands undefeated at mid-season after a schedule filled with bottom-dwellers and never-weres.” There’s also the fact that he kept a known sexual harasser in a top cabinet position for months. Among the ‘pros’ for Dems, he spent pretty much his entire career as attorney general going after President Trump.
Pa. delegates fall in line behind Harris
In a private Zoom call yesterday, Pennsylvania’s Democratic National Convention delegates pledged to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president. This quells thoughts of any of the state’s delegates casting their support behind an alternative Democrat candidate. Nationwide, Harris has gained the backing of a majority of delegates. PennLive reports that Harris also “drew unanimous support from the county party chairs during a separate phone call on Monday prior to the delegates’ meeting.”
Perry, Lee join grilling of Secret Service director
As members of the U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Democrat Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12) and Republican Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10) joined the bipartisan questioning yesterday of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. In a rarity, committee members on both sides of the aisle united in outrage as Cheatle’s refused to answer key questions on the agency’s failures surrounding the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Multiple lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including the committee chairs, are calling for Cheatle’s resignation.
IFO: Pa.’s General Fund surplus is on its way out
Surprising no one who can do math, the state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) is projecting that Pennsylvania’s $6.6 billion General Fund surplus “will likely be depleted before the end of the next fiscal year,” per a story from the Pennsylvania Business Report. “The IFO … projected General Fund operating deficits of -$624 million for fiscal year 2023-2024, -$2.0 billion (FY 2024-2025), and -$3.0 billion (FY 2025-2026) for November 2023.” But given “the FY 24-25 enacted budget, recent tax law changes, and the latest revenue estimates … the updated deficits are -$892 million (FY 2023-24), -$3.3 billion (FY 2024-25) and -$4.5 billion (FY 2025-26).”
Pa. Supreme Court says pro-RGGI groups can intervene in lawsuit
The Pa. Supreme Court will allow the left-wing groups PennFuture, Clean Air Council, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense Fund to intervene in the ongoing lawsuit over Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The groups are in favor of Pa. joining the cap-and-tax scheme that threatens to kill thousands of jobs and raise electricity prices. The Commonwealth Court struck down former Gov. Wolf’s effort unilaterally to force Pa. into RGGI, but Gov. Shapiro appealed the ruling.