Good Thursday Morning

🗞️  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

PA Weather
❄️ Erie | Heavy Snow, 26
☀️ Biglerville | Sunny, 34
🌤️ Throop | Mostly Sunny, 30

PA Sports
🏀 Sixers (7-15) | Fri vs. Indiana
🏒 Flyers (13-12-4) | Thu vs. Detroit
🏒 Penguins (12-14-4) | Thu vs. Montreal

🔊  What We’re Hearing. “I am a fanatic when it comes to sports, and you cannot bull**** your way through sports. You have to be loyal to the teams you like, and frankly, Yinzers may not be happy with me on Sunday, but I think they respect the fact that you stay true to yourself and honest about your allegiances.” – Gov. Josh Shapiro

📱  Social Media. PoliticsPA has a number of social media outlets for you to get the latest political news from around the Commonwealth: Twitter | Bluesky | Facebook | LinkedIn

Top Story

1. Biden Commutes Nearly 1,500 Sentences and Pardons 39 in Biggest Single-Day Act of Clemency

“President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It’s the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.

The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released.” (AP)

Elsewhere

Bob Casey Recaps Close Senate Race Loss to Dave McCormick. ““It was a combination of circumstances,” Casey said. “Number one is when you’re outspent, as we were by these big Super-PACs, we’ve got three to contend with. Plus, the enormity and the strength of the Trump wave, I think, made it difficult to win.”” (abc27)

John Fetterman Joins Truth Social and Says a Pardon Is ‘Appropriate’ For Trump’s Manhattan Hush-Money Case. “The senator also railed against social media platforms Wednesday, particularly in relation to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the subsequent arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing Could Return to New York on a Governor’s Warrant. “It’s a warrant signed by the governor of a state where a fugitive flees after a crime. The governor in that state acts upon an official request from the governor of the state where the crime occurred. In this case, Hochul is expected to seek a governor’s warrant from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.” (AP)

• Inside SCI-Huntingdon, The Prison Where Luigi Mangione Is Being Held. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

State

2. PA Lawmakers Unleash Torrent of Ideas For New Laws

“The biannual blizzard of ideas for new state laws that materializes early in each two-year legislative session struck the Capitol last week in the form of hundreds of co-sponsorship memos written by state lawmakers.

The memos seek attention and support from colleagues for concepts for new laws in the session that technically began Dec. 1. The first days of the session traditionally generate a surge of memos. Among the bunches that appeared last week were concepts that were new and others that were repeat appearances of ideas from past sessions.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Lawmaker Proposes Part-Time State Legislature. “Legislation to make Pennsylvania’s legislature part-time have gone nowhere in the past few years, so Rep. Perry Stambaugh is taking a new approach to the issue.” (Warren Times Observer)

IFO: Pennsylvania Budget Surplus Disappears Next Year. “The Pennsylvania government was issued another dire warning about its finances last month from the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO).” (DV Journal)

Pennsylvanians on Pennie Will See Rise in Health Insurance Premiums if Federal Subsidies Expire. “Replacing the federal aid would cost the state about $500 million per year, one official said.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Around The Commonwealth

3. City Council, 76ers Continue To Spar Over Community Benefits Funding as Arena Talks Come Down to the Wire

“The fate of the 76ers’ Center City arena plan may come down to a game of legislative chicken.

Councilmember Mark Squilla on Thursday morning plans to propose an amendment to the legislation authorizing the $1.3 billion project that would require the 76ers to pay $75.8 million for the project’s community benefits agreement” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Delaware County Council Approves ‘Long Time Coming’ 23% Property Tax Hike. “Delaware County Council voted 4 to 1 on Wednesday night to increase proposed taxes 23% for 2025 after listening to a room packed with people nearly to a person opposed to the hike.” (Delco Times)

Zappala Sues Over Troubled Allegheny County Pension Fund. “Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. is suing the county pension board and has asked a judge to force county officials to adequately fund a retirement system slated to run out of money in 15 years.” (Greensburg Tribune-Review)

Dauphin County Consultant Got Nearly $200K In Grant Money From Program He Oversees. “Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas on Wednesday accused a well-connected political consultant of double-dipping in county funds by receiving grant money from a program he oversees.” (PennLive)

Sunday Hunting Proposals Split Lancaster County Lawmakers. “Lancaster County legislators are divided over efforts in the General Assembly to lift Pennsylvania’s near-total ban on Sunday hunting of deer, turkey, bears and other game.” (LNP | Lancaster Online)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• John Fetterman and Dave McCormick Should Have a ‘New-Politics’ Bromance. (John Baer)
• City Council Must Stand Up to Gainey, Bring Budget Back to Reality. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• I’m a County Elections Director. The State Supreme Court Is Making My Job Harder. (Thad Hall)
• Questioning Downtown Pittsburgh’s Redevelopment Plan. (Colin McNickle)
• U.S. House Report Vindicates Parents Who Fought to Keep Schools Open. (Beth Ann Rosica)
• Pennsylvania Needs a New Education System For a New Economy. (Sen. Ryan Aument)

1 Water Thing

5. River of the Year

The public is invited to help choose Pennsylvania’s 2025 River of the Year! Voting is open online now through January 24, 2025. The three nominees are:

• Delaware River: The longest undammed river in the Eastern U.S., it forms part of Pennsylvania’s border with New York and New Jersey.
• Youghiogheny River: Known for its outstanding water recreation, this river flows from the Laurel Highlands into West Virginia.
• Perkiomen Creek: This 37.7-mile tributary of the Schuylkill River winds through Berks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties.

Thank you for starting your morning with us.
And reading the PoliticsPA Playbook