News & Brews December 6, 2024
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It’s Pa. Society weekend
This weekend, Pennsylvania’s political elite (and non-elite) will make their 126th trek to New York City for the annual Pennsylvania Society dinner and events. The Inquirer describes the weekend as “the annual getaway to New York City for Pennsylvania politicians and policymakers from both parties to spend time outside the politically divided state, where no one has home-field advantage.” Further, “The charity dinner benefitting scholarships for public high school students is preceded by more than a dozen events around Midtown Manhattan hosted by law firms, interest groups, and consultants.” Security at the dinner—which was already high—has taken on an increased focus, as the weekend’s main event will be held at the same hotel which witnessed the tragic murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this week.
Philly lawsuits allege political backlash
When you think of political patronage, the register of wills office might not be the first to come to mind. But in Philly, that office is embroiled in a mess of lawsuits from former employees alleging that the current register of wills fired them for not supporting his election campaign. But wait, there are ALSO lawsuits from other former employees alleging that the former register of wills fired them for not supporting her re-election campaign. So far, settlements in some of these lawsuits have cost city taxpayers $400,000.
Lawmakers to re-introduce bill to protect women’s sports
Republican state Senators Judy Ward (Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, & Mifflin counties) and Kristin Phillips-Hill (York County)—joined by multiple additional senators—plan to re-introduce the Save Women’s Sports Act to “ensure that female students compete in high school and college sports on a level playing field.” The bill would ensure that biological females competing in these sports designated for women would not be forced to compete against biological males. In their co-sponsorship memo, the senators note, “This legislation has strong bipartisan support.”
Fetterman: Trump deserves a pardon, too
Appearing yesterday on The View, Democrat U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said the case against Hunter Biden was politically motivated, so a pardon was warranted. But so, he said, was the New York case against Donald Trump. As such, Fetterman said a pardon there is also warranted. The Tribune-Review further explains, “President Biden cannot issue a pardon in Trump’s hush money case since it was prosecuted in New York state courts. New York’s governor would have to issue the pardon.”
If you love the PLCB …
I realize just about no one loves the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board—our archaic, state-run liquor system. But wait! Two Democrat lawmakers apparently think it’s so grand that they want to pattern marijuana sales after it. The progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “State Reps. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) and Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) are rolling out a substantial new recreational cannabis legalization bill. According to Frankel, it outlines a model that would see cannabis sold in state-owned stores like liquor….” What’s more, “the bill would expand the Liquor Control Board into the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board” (!!!!). There are many causes for caution around the legalization of recreational marijuana (including its impact on labor laws), but if nothing else, the prospect of an expanded PLCB might be enough to scare anyone away.