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What We’re Hearing
“It is exhausting to be politically important.” – Tribune-Review

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Top Story

1. Philly Voter Turnout Increased, But Dropped In Many Black And Hispanic Precincts — And That Could Be A Problem For Democrats In 2024

“To Philly Democratic leaders, Tuesday night’s general election was a triumph.

It marked their best performance in an off-year general election in about 20 years and reversed a pattern of declining turnout in the party’s largest repository of registered voters.

But while turnout increased in Philadelphia this year — rising 10 percentage points from 2021, and 2 percentage points from 2019 — it didn’t grow as much as it did elsewhere in the state. And in Philadelphia the bounce back in turnout was largely concentrated in wealthier, predominantly white wards, according to an Inquirer analysis of unofficial results.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

CeaseFirePA, Democrat Lawmakers Call For Gun Safety Legislation. “A new mother, Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-Montgomery, tearfully recalled a letter written by a high schooler detailing the trauma that active shooter drills and concerns about gun violence have on children.” (WITF)

Bill in PA House Would Block Pursuit Of Violators Of Out-Of-State Anti-Abortion Laws. “A bill that would prohibit courts across the commonwealth from cooperating with other states seeking to enforce their anti-abortion laws advanced out of a Pennsylvania House committee on Monday.” (CNHI News)

Senator John Fetterman Is a Progressive Icon, a Republican Hate Figure—and a Pro-Israel Pinup. “The Pennsylvania Democrat has long bucked convention on everything from legalizing marijuana to the Senate dress code. But his views on Israel/Palestine risk alienating his base.” (The Nation)

CPAC Board Member Gerow Wrote Brutal Letter Trashing Matt Schlapp. “When a board member at the conservative group resigned in August, he wrote a blistering letter laying out a number of problems at the CPAC Foundation.” (Daily Beast)

State

2. Sunday Endorsed By Republican Attorneys General Association

“York County District Attorney Dave Sunday announced Monday that his campaign for Pennsylvania Attorney General has received the endorsement of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA).

“Pennsylvania provides Republicans with an excellent opportunity to flip the Office of the Attorney General from Democrat control in 2024,” said RAGA Executive Director Peter Bisbee.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

Republican AG Group Backs York DA Sunday After Spat With Williams. “A national Republican organization on Monday backed York County District Attorney Dave Sunday for state attorney general after a nasty fight recently with a would-be contender, State Sen. Craig Williams.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

HD-14: Rep. Marshall Will Not Seek Reelection. “Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver) announced that he will not seek re-election for a ninth term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.” (PoliticsPA)

HD-103: Monoski Declares For Capital-Region Seat. “Lemoyne Borough Councilman Jesse Monoski declared his candidacy for the open seat in the 103rd Legislative District seat.” (PoliticsPA)

SD-29: Wenrich To Challenge Argall. “Eddie Wenrich says enough is enough and it’s time for a change in the Commonwealth’s 29th senatorial district.” (PoliticsPA)

PIAA Executive Director Urges Passage Of ‘Respect The Whistle Act’ To Protect Officials. “‘We hope the House will pass this legislation to assist our registered sports officials in their protection from unruly fans,’ PIAA executive director Robert Lombardi said.’” (Penn Capital-Star)

PA Senate Committee Axes Increase To 911 Phone Fee Set To Expire In January. “Political agreement on renewing and possibly increasing funding for Pennsylvania’s 911 centers appears to still be uncertain, with relatively few legislative session days left for lawmakers to hash out their differences.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Gainey’s Budget Shows Lean Years Ahead, With Cuts To Paving And Shrinking Reserves

“Mayor Ed Gainey presented his 2024 budget proposals to City Council Monday morning, and despite an optimistic speech before a packed council chamber, some on Grant Street worry that the city could be heading for financial hardship in the years ahead.

But looming union contract negotiations and the end of federal pandemic relief money have some city officials worried that Pittsburgh could face a budget deficit — possibly as soon as 2025 — and they are urging the mayor to take a more cautious approach to budgeting.” (Public Source)

Related

Democrats Win Control Of Dauphin County Commissioners Board For First Time In 100 Years. “The Democrats have done it.” (PennLive)

Before Democrats Take Over, Central Bucks Plans To Vote On $700,000 Separation Agreement For Superintendent. “Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh has been seen as an ally of the board’s Republican majority, which awarded him a 40% salary increase this summer.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Democrats Maintained Control Of Delco. Now They Need To Appoint A Republican To Help Them Run The 2024 Election. “Republicans are mad that Democrats changed the nomination process for Delaware County election officials. Democrats say they want to keep election deniers off the board ahead of 2024.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Chester’s Incoming Mayor Sees Receiver As A Partner, Not An Opponent. “Chester’s new mayor wants a better relationship with the Pennsylvania government-appointed receiver overseeing the city’s finances.” (Broad + Liberty)

Lackawanna County Judicial Appointment Up In The Air. “Replacing Lackawanna County Judge Julia Munley probably won’t happen until at least the first quarter of next year, officials said.” (Scranton Times-Tribune)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• Joe Manchin’s Decision Could Mean More Political Ads In Pennsylvania. (Tribune-Review)
• Election Results Better Protect PA Democracy. (York Dispatch)
• Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto Is Nixing Community Relations In Favor Of Throwback Policing. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Things Are Better For The Democrats Than They Look. (David Brooks)
• Abortion Was A Winning Issue For Democrats, But Will It Be In ’24? (Salena Zito)
• Nationally Democrats Are in Disarray. (Jerry Shenk)
• School Board Races — The Other Casualty Of Abortion. (Beth Ann Rosica)
• Central Bucks School Board Election a Setback for Parents’ Rights. (Dom Giordano)
• RGGI Decision And Executive Overreach. (Rep. Bryan Cutler)

1 Thing

5. The Power of Telecommuting

Three and a half years after many companies sent their workers home due to COVID, telecommuting has demonstrated its staying power:

Some 70% of people who can do their jobs remotely still choose to do so some or all days of the week, The New York Times reports.

Zoom in: Some studies and surveys have shown that remote work is chipping away at company culture and employee engagement.

But job satisfaction among Americans is the highest it has been since the Conference Board began tracking 36 years ago — and it’s especially high among teleworkers, The Times notes.

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