Austin Davis, speaking at the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday, hinted that a school-funding response will be a major feature of Shapiros budget plan, saying Shapiro will have a lot to say about equitable school funding. Kathy Bozinski, who chairs the Democratic committee in Luzerne County, where Clinton notoriously lost six years ago, said that to this day people will shake their heads and say, Hillary Clinton never came here. 2022 The Associated Press. In the long term plan, the plaintiffs want a system that addresses all the inequities the court recognized, McInerney said. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? And Shapiros campaign, organizers said, really took the every-county approach to heart. Email news@wesa.fm. Youre putting out fires all the time, said Mary Isenhour, who served as both legislative director and chief of staff for Shapiros predecessor, Democratic Gov. After Shapiros 2016 election as Attorney General, Fritz served for three years as a deputy chief of staff and communications director there, leading public-facing efforts around the Catholic Church investigation, UPMC/Highmark dispute, lawsuits against the Trump Administration, and more. One of the reasons why I was so involved in his campaign is because I see [Shapiro] as a Democrat like me: pragmatic, Snyder said. The executive staffers will help the governor strategize, offer policy expertise and serve as his representatives in talks with the legislature, departments and interest groups as he tries to deliver on key campaign promises. Shapiros plan would cut that timeline in half and reduce the CNIT even further. County leaders have been asking for this change since 2020, and Pennsylvanias lack of pre-canvassing is frequently blamed for the commonwealths slow election results. Send Drug and Child Predator Anonymous Tips, Community Drug Abuse Prevention Grant Program, ACRE Agriculture, Communities and Rural Environment, Pennsylvania State Coroners Education Board, Voters Rights in Effect at the Polling Places on Election Days. Over the course of his campaign, Shapiro declined to say whether hell stay in RGGI, and committed only to consulting with experts in the energy and environmental fields to see if the program would raise energy prices, cost jobs, or adequately protect the environment. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. When Pennsylvania Gov. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, was one of the first Pennsylvania politicians, only person not involved in Democratic politics or Shapiros campaign, Katie Meyer and Kate Huangpu, Spotlight PA. This was especially the case in poorer, heavily Black and Hispanic precincts. We need your help to keep Pennsylvania in Democratic hands. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Fritz grew up in Coplay in Lehigh County. These people include campaign operatives, people who worked with Shapiro at the attorney generals office and a onetime Republican lawmaker who supported former President Donald Trump in 2016. The school districts lawyers presented evidence during last years trial that schools are underfunded by $4.6 billion, an estimate they said does not account for gaps in spending on special education, school buildings and other facilities. This allowed Shapiros campaign to run ad after TV ad across the state portraying Mastriano as a dangerous radical and Shapiro as a reasonable consensus-builder. But repeatedly in poor, heavily Black and Latino urban neighborhoods, Fettermans results were much closer to Shapiros i.e., he did comparatively better in those areas. Paddling in the middle of a fast moving stream of news and information. Michelle A. Henry, a life-long public servant and 26-year veteran prosecutor, is Pennsylvanias Acting Attorney General. Pennsylvania Democratic Josh Shapiro on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Oaks, Pa. Other top appointments include the people who will oversee state budgeting, provide legal counsel to the entire administration, and back up the chief of staff. Danas leadership skills, knowledge of the Commonwealth, and sharp instincts are unmatched and I have complete confidence in her ability to lead our Administration and help move Pennsylvania forward.. Fritz was deputy campaign manager and finance director for Shapiros 2016 election to attorney general. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro heads to Pittsburgh Wednesday to formally announce hes seeking the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania governor. Uri Monson, currently the Philadelphia School Districts chief financial officer, will serve as budget secretary. In his new role, Vereb will be Shapiros primary liaison with the legislature. She noted that Republicans no longer have the firm hold on the state House that they did during Wolfs tenure. One of the biggest focusesof Shapiros platformwas a promise to bolster the economy and lower consumer prices for Pennsylvania residents. The Pa. House is getting ready to consider critical chamber rules. SEIU endorsed Josh Shapiros campaign for governor back in 2021. Harrisburg, PA 17120 He repeatedlyarguedthat the choice between the two was a false dichotomy, but has made commitments that could conflict with one another. He will veto any bill that would restrict abortion rights. Who is Joanna McClinton, Pa.s first woman House speaker? In the past, you know, weve taken whatever money thats there in the coffers and divvied it up and now were saying, You need to look at the educational needs of the population youre serving. Unlike department secretaries, the Democrats top staffers wont need to be confirmed by the state Senate. Here! She stayed on as deputy chief of staff and communications director, leading communication about the offices investigations into the Catholic Church and lawsuits against the Trump administration. Dana Fritz will be Shapiros top advisor and staffer. Promise:Shapiro pledgedto have the commonwealth generate 30% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, one of his boldest goals. Josh Shapiro is stocking his executive staff of advisors, mediators, and policy experts with political veterans and loyal allies. California residents do not sell my data request. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke). In the coming months, Spotlight PA will track Shapiros progress on some of the key commitments he made on the campaign trail, highlighting specific promises for the following reasons: Shapiro emphasized them during his run for governor; Passing them would require collaboration with the legislature; Or they could bring different factions of his supporters into conflict. A plan for changing things for people.. Beginning in 1923, the Administrative Code made the Attorney General the administrator for the Pennsylvania Department of Justice. In the moment! Lawmakers have not often approved enough funds to be entirely compliant with a courts ruling, or the cases can return to court time and time again in attempts to push lawmakers to act. Shapiro, a Democrat, has served as Pennsylvanias attorney general since 2017 after his time as a state representative for the 153rd District and on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. 717-787-3391. Basically Shapiro hung onto all the Biden voters and had unusually large numbers of them actually voting in the midterm elections and then additionally, he persuaded some Trump voters, she said. Dana Fritz, who managed Attorney General Josh Shapiros winning gubernatorial campaign, will be his chief of staff in Harrisburg. In his successful bid for Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro received more votes than any other gubernatorial candidate in commonwealth history. it was lower relative to most of the state an issue, Putnam said, that seems to be larger than any one campaign. More at spotlightpa.org. As Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro prepares to take office on Jan. 17, hes assembling a cabinet and senior staff to execute his agenda. The current requirement isbetween 8% to 10%depending on the kind of renewable energy source. I think were all looking forward to hearing what he says in his budget speech, so we have a little bit better sense of what hes been hearing and what it is that hes thinking, said Katrina Robson, a partner at OMelveny & Myers LLP, which helped represent the school districts in the suit. Here are some key policies likely to come up, Abbott Elementary will give Mural Arts Philadelphia a moment in the spotlight, Philadelphia news consumers want to see more crime, infrastructure, and education in local reporting, study finds. 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Promise:Against a backdrop of rising food and gas prices in 2021, Shapiro said he would provide a$250 gas tax refundfor every personal passenger car registered in the state (up to four per household) andeliminate the states 11% salestax on cell phone service. HARRISBURG Newly minted Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiros first big political job came in the late 90s, when he became chief of staff the youngest chief of staff on Capitol Hill to then-U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, a Democrat. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Whats next:Both of these policy proposals would need to come from the legislature, as the governor does not have the ability to introduce legislation. She was an avid figure skater who skated competitively into high school before studying political science at Temple. Lawyers for the school districts argued in court that Pennsylvanias school funding system relies disproportionately on local property taxes, helping to widen the gap between rich and poor districts. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. . To be the Commonwealths chief law enforcement officer charged with the responsibility for the prosecution of organized crime and public corruption. The announcement, released by Shapiros transition team, included statements from chiefs of staff to the last four governors. He has saidhe plans to close a ghost gun loophole that allows sales of gun parts that can be assembled into untraceable firearms, enact universal background checks as a condition of gun purchases, and pass a red flag law that would temporarily withhold guns from people experiencing a mental health crisis. Promise:Shapiro said he wouldinclude a line itemin his first budget that funds legal representation for indigent Pennsylvanians. She was deputy 1981-present: Elected Attorneys General. Shapiro is scheduled to unveil his first budget plan Tuesday when he speaks to a joint session of the Legislature. University of Pittsburgh political analyst Lara Putnam, who already has been combing over available 2022 election data, pointed out a few areas of the state where Shapiros results were especially notable. The new administrations chief of staff, Dana Fritz, has been with Shapiro since his days in Montgomery County government, where she first managed finance and Because we share our stories, he said. Any plan must get through the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and the Republican-controlled Senate. / AP. Whats next:The move would require legislative approval, and many Republicans in the state House have previously opposed increasing the minimum wage. While there have been somesimilar attempts to expunge records, those past efforts lacked the reach of the policy Shapiro has proposed. Wolf administration veteran Sam Robinson, who among other roles worked as the former governors deputy chief of staff focused on environmental policy, will stay in a similar role in the Shapiro administration, serving as deputy chief of staff for consumers and the environment. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. She will serve as Shapiros deputy chief of staff for economic development. She was appointed Bucks County District Attorney with a bipartisan vote in 2008. Lt. Gov. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Youre putting out fires all the time, said Mary Isenhour, who served as both legislative director and chief of staff for Shapiros predecessor, Democratic Gov. One would allow older incarcerated people toapply for geriatric parole. (Hamilton later defended printer John Peter Zenger in a case that became the foundation for the concept of freedom of press.). Josh Shapiros biggest campaign promises, By opting into newsletters you are agreeing to our, perennial topic of conversation when lawmakers negotiated state budgets, Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act to require that companies selling energy to the commonwealths, a significant source of emissions in Pennsylvania, brought the topics up often during his campaign, Court ruling on education funding causes multi-billion-dollar budget challenge, Control up for grabs in Pa. State House; Democrats can claim majority if they win three special elections today, Public calls for change as state House remains deadlocked ahead of special elections, Let there (not?) All Rights Reserved. Under a policy instituted in January, Democratic Gov. Last year, then Gov. The attorney general also won by a margin not often seen in an open race trouncing GOP candidate Doug Mastriano by nearly 15 points, according to unofficial results, and driving down margins in counties some state and national Democrats have written off in recent years. Their strategy included offering job training and connections at the door, noted Rosslyn Wuchinich, who is a president of Unite Here Local 274 and served as campaign director for the effort. That includes earmarking extra aid for the poorest districts and saving the districts money by reducing payments to charter schools. Josh Shapiro said Monday that he doesn't expect Sen. John Fetterman to step down; He told NBC News there is 'no contingency plan' in place if Fetterman were to make that decision Josh Shapiro leaves the Capitol with his wife, Lori, before being sworn in. WHILE YOURE HERE If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. HARRISBURG Newly minted Pennsylvania Gov. The heritage of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is one of the oldest and most divergent offices of public trust in the United States spanning over three centuries of life in the Commonwealth. Currently, he is deputy superintendent for operations at the $4.4 billion Philadelphia school district, the state's largest, after six-plus years as the district's chief financial officer. (Tom Gralish/Philadelphia Inquirer). Selber, 52, is currently Shapiro's executive deputy attorney general in charge of the office's criminal division and has been by Shapiro's side in announcing the office's biggest cases. Josh Shapiro unveils his first budget next week, the poor districts that won a landmark school-funding lawsuit will want to see him propose a significant down payment and a plan to overhaul how the state pays for K-12 education in what could be a term-defining moment for the Democrat. Hell also have to take some firm positions on topics he has previously avoided, like whether hell continue his predecessors commitment to keeping Pennsylvania inan organizationthat would cap carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants. At the primary election of 1978, Pennsylvania voters approved a Constitutional amendment providing for the election of an Attorney General effective with the general election of 1980. Mastriano and his backers argued that grassroots enthusiasm in redder, rural areas would overcome the deficits in more moderate suburbs. This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA. And campaign operative Larry Hailsham Jr., who was political director on Shapiros bid for governor, will be the new executive deputy chief of staff. Governor-elect Josh Shapiro looks onduring his inauguration ceremony, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. Shapiros secretary of policy and planning, Akbar Hossain, likewise comes from a top campaign job in his case, policy director and will continue to serve in a similar role, helping set Shapiros agenda. Similarly, there have been bills introduced to allow for geriatric parole, but they have never gained traction in thestate legislature. Now, he faces t Support local journalism. (David M. Warren/File photograph). That strategy emerged from failure, they noted. Spotlight PA Staff He was elected speaker in a 115-85 vote with the support of all Democratic lawmakers and 16 Republicans, including the partys entire leadership team. 1686-1710: The Era of David Lloyd1717-1776: Proprietary Attorneys General Tim Freeman, a Philly-based hotel worker who serves as a steward and worked as a 2022 organizer, said people he spoke to at the door often didnt know it was an election year, or didnt realize Fetterman and Shapiro were both Democrats. However, the governors office can grant clemency and commute sentences. When Pennsylvania Gov. Philly mayoral candidates are discussing gun violence tonight. After winning the November 2022 election, Josh Shapiro gets to assemble a cabinet. The Constitution further provided the Attorney General shall be the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be imposed by law. To represent the Commonwealth and its citizens in any action brought about for violation of the antitrust laws of the United States. Before that, she was chief of the homicide unit in the district attorney's office in Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-most populous city. in order to determine what adequacy looks like, she said. Isenhour said this duty was a difficult part of her job during the Wolf administration. Shapiro spoke at the Teamsters Local 8 Union office and was joined by Centre County Commissioners Michael Pipe and Mark Higgins. Isenhour said offering recommendations was part of her job, though she added of Wolf, I wasnt giving advice, because hes the one with the Ph.D. She often helped the governor make tough calls, telling Wolf, OK governor, here are our options we can do A, B, or C. Youre the governor, you get to decide.. Youre trying to coordinate between agencies, advocacy groups, the legislature and the legislature was challenging, she said. 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