It’s Tuesday and the First Business Day of the New Year. Welcome back to the General Assembly which convenes at noon. And congratulations to new members and their families.

PA Weather
Erie | Rain, Patchy Fog, 47
Harrisburg | Showers, 59
Scranton | Rain, Patchy Fog, 56

PA Sports
Penn State (11-2) | Utah, W 35-21
Penguins (19-12-6) | Boston, L 2-1
Flyers (14-17-7) | Anaheim, W 4-1
76ers (22-14) | New Orleans, W 120-111

What We’re Hearing
“If they think this is going to be a game of chicken, to see who’s going to blink first, they’re going to be sadly surprised. We’ll be here until the Fourth of July voting for (Kevin) McCarthy.” – Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, the incoming chief deputy whip

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Tim Briggs. Know of someone with an upcoming birthday that deserves a shoutout? Let us know.

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Top Story

1. Who Will Lead The PA House?

“Lawmakers in Pennsylvania’s state House are scheduled to elect a new speaker Tuesday. But unlike in most legislative sessions, it’s not clear who it will be, what party they’ll be from, or even how long they’ll serve.

Also up in the air is whether a normally ceremonial day of swearings-in and celebrations will be overshadowed by political maneuvering as Democrats and Republicans vie for control in the closely divided chamber.” (Spotlight PA)

Related

GOP Warns Members Against Accepting Deals From Dems Ahead Of House Speaker Vote. “With just an unpredictable swearing-in ceremony in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives set for Tuesday, an ongoing dispute over control of the chamber has GOP leaders warning their own members against negotiating with Democrats to elect the next House speaker.” (City & State)

PA Lawmakers Are Set To Elect A New House Speaker Today. It Could Get Messy. “It means that a normally unremarkable proceeding to elect the speaker of the House on Tuesday is likely to feature high drama. The leadership vote might even be delayed. Leaders of each party have already accused one another of voter disenfranchisement and a “paperwork insurrection.”” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Meet The 2023-24 PA General Assembly: Diversity, Historic Firsts And A Doc In The House. “The official start of Pennsylvania’s 2023-24 legislative session gets underway Tuesday with the most diverse complement of members ever and marking several historic firsts.” (PennLive)

Harrisburg

2. How Josh Shapiro Rode His Record As PA Attorney General To The Governor’s Mansion

“Josh Shapiro had a massive spending advantage and a weak Republican opponent, but the incoming Pennsylvania governor thinks Democrats should still take note of how he made voters see his fight-for-the-little-guy speeches as more than just talk – and racked up the party’s biggest margin in any swing-state race of 2022.” (CNN)

Related

How The New Governor’s Choices Will Impact PA In 2023. “When the inaugural extravaganza ends Jan. 17 at Lancaster County’s Rock Lititz, Josh Shapiro will be rolling into a Capitol rife with potential roadblocks.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Shapiro Appoints Deputy Chiefs Of Staff. “On Friday, Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro announced the appointments of six Deputy Chiefs of Staff to the new Administration.” (PoliticsPA)

PA Enacted 166 New Laws In 2022, The Most In Six Years. Here Are The Highlights. “The 166 laws enacted in Pennsylvania in 2022 honed in on a staggering variety of problems — among them fentanyl, deteriorating homes, victims’ rights and tax rates — and each took its own path through Harrisburg’s lawmaking machine.” (Morning Call)

Metcalfe Waves Goodbye To 24-Year Political Career. “State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe’s official last day in office was Monday, Jan. 2, as newcomer Stephenie Scialabba is slated to take over representing the state House’s 12th District.” (Butler Eagle)

‘Greatest Joy Of The Job’: Stephens Reflects On Helping Community, Constituents In 151st House District. ““What can I do to feel like I’m helping people, and making a difference for folks, particularly in our community? And I haven’t answered that question yet,” Stephens said in an interview with MediaNews Group.” (Lansdale Reporter)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Fetterman, Wild To Take Oath Of Office In New 118th Congress

“Rep. Susan Wild will begin her third complete term in the House, while John Fetterman will become Pennsylvania’s junior U.S. senator. As Fetterman joins the Senate alongside Sen. Bob Casey, it will mark the first time two Democrats have represented the Keystone State in the Senate at the same time since 2010 when Sen. Casey served with the late Sen. Arlen Specter.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Related

With Fetterman’s Win Behind Him, Dem Consultant McPhillips Is Sticking With PA For 2023. “Can Brendan McPhillips bring his winning ways to Helen Gym’s Philly mayoral campaign? He thinks so” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Commonwealth Court Sides With Krasner. “A state Commonwealth court judge said that the seven articles of impeachment against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner did not meet the requirement for removing him for office.” (PoliticsPA)

How Doug Mastriano And Scott Perry Were Central To The Jan. 6 Committee’s Investigation. “The committee said midstate congressman Scott Perry and State Sen. Doug Mastriano – who would later win the Republican nomination for governor – worked to keep Trump in power after his loss to Joe Biden.” (WITF)

We Asked The Philly Mayoral Candidates About Their New Year’s Resolutions. “They say more than half of all New Year’s resolutions fail, and those odds get way worse when you’re one of the nine people whose goal this year is to be elected the next mayor of Philadelphia.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

State College School Board President Appointed Centre County Commissioner. “Current State College Area School Board President Amber Concepcion has been selected to replace Michael Pipe as Centre County commissioner as Pipe prepares to leave for a job in Governor-elect Josh Shapiro’s administration.” (StateCollege.com)

2023 Rings In 275th Anniversary of Reading, PA. “The City of Reading will celebrate its official ‘bicenterquasquigenary’ – or 275th anniversary – on March 16, 2023. Festivities kick off in March with events planned throughout the week and continuing over the course of the year.” (BCTV)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• What A Marine Turned CPA Learned As A Watchdog Of PA’s And PSERS’s Billions. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. And A Promise From Us To Do Better In 2023. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• The Rise Of The Left Was The Real Political Story Of 2022. (Pankaj Mishra, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• A Call To Speak Out For Freedom On Jan. 6. (Jill Sunday Bartoli, PennLive)
• Stay Tuned For An Improved Allentown In 2023. (Matt Tuerk, Morning Call)
• Jan. 6 Infamy Will Stick To Local Officials. (York Dispatch)
• Philadelphia Democrats Have A Big Problem. (Laura Boyce, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• It’s 2050 In Singapore. (Shanin Specter)

1 Thing

5. NFL Nightmare

Buffalo Bills’ defensive back Damar Hamlin, a native of McKees Rocks and a graduate of Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Pitt, is in critical condition this morning after suffering cardiac arrest on the field in Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the aftermath, fans from across the country are donating to Hamlin’s “The Chasing M’s Foundation” that he created in 2020 to raise funds toward the purchase of toys for children in need.

His goal – $2,500. As of this morning, the total has reached $3.24 million.

You can help too.

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