The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference is gathering for the first time since Republicans won the state for President.  Conservatives are riding high from the wins of President Trump and Senator Pat Toomey in 2016, but tensions are growing between Trump’s populist movement and conservatives.  

Look no further than the event’s keynote speaker: Ben Shapiro.  The former Breitbart editor is a leading conservative critic of Trump. He was invited to keynote the conference before the election. His commentary since November has highlighted the tension between Trump loyalists and many conservatives.

The event comes just two weeks after the failure of the American Health Care Act. Since then the relationship between Trump and members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have increasingly hostile.  

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/847435163143454723

PLC will feature workshops presented by conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity, the Constitutional Organization of Liberty, and the Pennsylvania Family Institute.  Throughout the weekend, the conference will hear speeches from Senator Pat Toomey, Congressmen Scott Perry (R-York), Keith Rothfus (R-Allegheny), and Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne).  Gubernatorial Candidate Scott Wagner (R-York) will speak at the luncheon on Saturday.  Friday night’s dinner will be headlined by Shapiro, now a columnist and social media commentator, with remarks by Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny).

Note: Turzai announced he his opening the door to a run for governor in 2018.

The full agenda for the weekend is listed below:

Friday, March 31, 2017

09:00-12:00 Workshop A: Talking to your Legislator

Presented by Americans for Prosperity

Presenters:

Beth Anne Mumdord (AFP-PA)

Anna McCauslin (AFP-PA)

Workshop B: The Constitution: Questions and Curiosities

Presented by:

Constitutional Organization of Liberty

Presenters:

Hon. Mike Folmer (State Senator)

Jeff Griffith (COOL)

Louis Petolicchio (COOL)

Workshop C: Protecting Student Privacy in our Schools

Presented by

Pennsylvania Family Institute

Presenters:

Carla D’Addesi(Defend My Privacy Coalition)

Jeremy Samek (Independence Law Center)

Randall Wenger (Independence Law Center)

11:00 A.M. Break

Explore the Vendor Hall

12:00 P.M. Welcoming Remarks

Frederick W. Anton, III

Chairman PA Leadership Council

12:15 P.M. Speaker: U.S. Senator Pat Toomey

Intro: John Kennedy (Scott Wagner for Governor)

12:45 P.M. Speaker: Hon. Scott Perry (U.S. Representative)

Intro: Gary Sutton (WSBA Radio)

1:05 P.M. Speaker: Hon. Keith Rothfus (U.S. Representative)

Intro: Gary Sutton (WSBA Radio)

1:25 P.M. Speaker Peter Schweizer (Gov’t Accountability Institute)

Intro: Elliott Fox (Charles Koch Institute)

1:50 P.M. Panel: Draining the Susquehanna Swamp

Moderator:

Brittney Parker (State Policy Network)

Panelists:

Matthew Brouillette (Commonwealth Partners)

Leo Knepper (Citizens Alliance of PA)

Beth Anne Mumford (Americans for Propserity)

2:50 P.M. Speaker Jenny Beth Martin (Tea Party Patriots)

Intro: TBA

3:10 P.M. Panel: Policies That Work

Moderator:

Charles Mitchell (Commonwealth Foundation)

Panelists:

Otto Banks (REACH Alliance)

Hon. Stephen Bloom (State Represenative)

David McCorkle (PA Food Merchants Association)

Hon. Kathy Rapp (State Representative)

4:30 P.M. Pre-Dinner Reception with Ben Shapiro

* Ticketed Separately

BREAK

Explore the Vendor Hall

6:00 P.M. Liberty Dinner with Ben Shapiro

M.C.: R.J. Harris (WHP Radio)

Special Guest:

Hon. Mike Turzai (Speaker of the PA House)

National Anthem:

Carol Sexton

Post Dinner

Young American Mixer

Saturday, April 1, 2017

7:00 A.M. Freedom Breakfast

M.C.: Colin Hanna (Let Freedom Ring USA)

Speakers:

John Gizzi (Newsmax)

Randal Wenger (PA Family Institute

8:00 A.M. Panel: And Justice For All

Moderator:

Kevin Shivers (PA NFIB)

Panelists:

Curt Schroder (Coalition for Civil Justice Reform)

Carl Marrara (PA Manufacurers Association)

Jordan Richardson (Charles Koch Institute)

John Wetzel (Pa. Secretary of Corrections)

9:00 A.M. Speaker: Hon. Lou Barletta (U.S. Representative

Intro: Tom Russell (CBS 21)

9:20 A.M.  Speaker Jeffrey Lord (CNN)

Intro: Tom Russell (CBS 21)

9:40 A.M. Panel: Communication the Conservative Message

Moderator:

Lenny McAllister (Political Commentator)

Panelists:

Kelsey Harkness (Daily Signal)

Ken Matthews (WHP Talk Radio)

Colin McNickle (Allegheny Institute)

Rose Tennent (Nationally Syndicated Radio Host)

10:40 A.M. Speaker: ANy Schlafly (Phyllis Schafly Eagles)

Intro: Ned Pfeiffer (Eagle Forum-PA)

11:00 A.M. BREAK

Explore the Vendor Hall

12:00 P.M. Leadership Luncheon

M.C.: David Taylor (PMA)

Speaker:

Scott Wagner

Straw Poll Results: Scott R. Davis

1:30 P.M. Workshop: Win Big League: How to Win Your Campaign

Presented by: The Leadership Institute

Presenter:

Bill Faulk (Leadership Institute)

3:30 P.M. Conference Concludes