Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam will step down from her position at the end of the year, while state Sen. Jake Corman announced that he won’t seek reelection in the state Senate and will instead focus on his campaign for Governor. Here is the Playbook. 

News

‘Sen. Jake Corman will not seek reelection to PA Senate, will focus on governor campaign’: The Centre Daily Times reports that “state Senator Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection to the seat he’s held in the Pennsylvania Senate for more than 20 years and will instead focus on his campaign for governor.”

‘Pa. acting Health Secretary Alison Beam to step down at end of the year’: PennLive reports that “Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday that the Pa. Department of Health’s acting secretary is leaving the administration. Keara Klinepeter, executive deputy secretary with the department, will step into the acting health secretary role when Alison Beam resigns at the end of the year.”

‘Leaders face vote on redrawn Pennsylvania Assembly districts’: The Associated Press reports that “the commission tasked with redrawing Pennsylvania’s Senate and House districts will meet Thursday to vote on preliminary maps, lawmakers said.”

‘Lawmakers advance plan to boost broadband internet expansion’: The Associated Press reports that “the state House voted unanimously Wednesday to set up a governmental body to develop a statewide plan for broadband internet funding and expansion into unserved and underserved areas of Pennsylvania.”

‘Pennsylvania Senate aims to bar school COVID-19 vaccine rule’: The Associated Press reports that “the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation Monday to prevent school children from being required to get a COVID-19 vaccination to attend school, although it likely faces a veto by Gov. Tom Wolf.”

‘Governor’s carbon-pricing plan encounters new legal hurdle’: The Associated Press reports that “Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration wants the centerpiece of the Democrat’s plan to fight climate change to take effect immediately, but it is being held up in a growing legal dispute by an agency that answers to the Republican-controlled Legislature.”

‘‘Dr. Oz’ show ending next month, as star runs for Senate’: The Associated Press reports that “U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz will end his “Dr. Oz” syndicated talk show next month, and producers will replace it with a cooking show featuring his daughter. The heart surgeon and talk show host is running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania.”

‘Should Pa.’s appellate court judges be term-limited? A House panel thinks so’: PennLive reports that “a movement is afoot in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to change the state constitution to impose limits on how long elected members of the judiciary can serve and change the process on how they are re-elected. The House Judiciary Committee on Monday approved two proposed constitutional amendments positioning them for consideration by the full House of Representatives.”

‘Bill requiring public schools to post course information online wins Senate approval but it lacks Gov. Tom Wolf’s support’: PennLive reports that “the state Senate put its stamp of approval on a bill that would require all public schools to post online information about the educational materials they use in classrooms.”

‘Advocates fear Pa. ‘lagging the field’ after GOP committee fails to adopt redistricting map’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “hours after Republicans in Harrisburg made it clear on Monday that they haven’t officially adopted a proposed congressional district map, a leading advocate for fair redistricting said it’s becoming “increasingly difficult” to support the process GOP officials are undertaking.”

‘Should Pennsylvania get into the 401(k) business for certain private sector workers? Some think it could help bolster retirement security’: PennLive reports that “Treasurer Stacy Garrity calls for passage of Keystone Saves, a proposed retirement savings program for Pennsylvanians who do not have access to retirement savings through their employer.”

‘DA Larry Krasner, AG Josh Shapiro squared off in court hearing over a proposed $1 billion opioid settlement’: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “a Pennsylvania court heard oral arguments Monday in a case that pits Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner against state Attorney General Josh Shapiro over Shapiro’s proposed $1 billion opioid settlement with four companies.”

‘Woman Looks At Moving Into First Congressional District Race’: Levittown Now reports that “a Delaware County woman is looking at moving to Bucks County and running for Congress. Dasha Pruett, who previously ran as a Republican and lost to Democratic Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon last year in the Fifth Congressional District, confirmed to LevittownNow.com that she is exploring a run to primary incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. She currently has an exploratory committee for the seat.”

‘U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican, seeking a seventh term in Congress’: The Erie Times-News reports that “U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th Dist., has made it official: He’s seeking a seventh term in Congress.”

‘Krasner apologizes for comments on Philly’s violence crisis’: WHYY reports that “Philadelphia’s District Attorney apologized on Monday for comments he made last week that the city does not have a violence crisis, surrounded by community supporters who accepted his admission of wrongdoing.”

‘State Rep. Joe Hohenstein and staffer test positive for COVID-19’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “state Rep. Joe Hohenstein, D-Philadelphia, and a member of his staff have tested positive for COVID-19, House Democrats said in a statement on Monday.”

‘Pennsylvania pension fund for state workers follows PSERS and revises staff travel rules’: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “the pension fund for Pennsylvania state workers has overhauled its staff travel rules and will no longer permit hedge funds and other outside firms to book flights and hotels for the fund’s investment experts.”

‘Luzerne County GOP endorses Barletta for governor’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that “​​the Luzerne County Republican Committee has endorsed former Hazleton mayor and Congressman Lou Barletta for governor of Pennsylvania. With that endorsement, Luzerne County becomes the first county party committee in Pennsylvania to endorse a candidate in the Republican primary.”

‘Kenyatta: I’d Vote for Build Back Better, And I’d Do It Right Now!’: State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia), who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate, talked with the Delaware Valley Journal podcast on their latest episode. 

‘Coleman Enters Lt. Gov Race With Political Experience, Positive Message’: The Delaware Valley Journal reports that Jeff Coleman, “the 46-year-old founder of Churchill Strategies and a former Republican member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is fashioning himself as a Mr. Rogers of Republicans in his bid for lieutenant governor, which he announced last month on Facebook.”

‘The 2021 Philly Power 100’: City & State PA reports that “this list of 100 Philadelphians showcases what power looks like in the City of Brotherly Love.”

‘Keller to votes: Vaccine mandate goes too far’: The Williamsport Sun-Gazette reports that “in a recent open forum session, Congressman Fred Keller, R-12, said there were acts sought to overturn executive branch vaccination mandates and discussed reviews for mandates that will require healthcare workers and federal contractors to get vaccinated or be terminated from their jobs.”

‘Citizen commission hands down seven ideas to change Pennsylvania state police practices’: WESA reports that “a citizen-led commission created last year to improve state-level law enforcement practices now has a few ideas to share.”

‘Physicians tell Pa. lawmakers effective COVID-19 treatments are being suppressed in favor of profits; one calls system ‘corrupt to the core’’: The Allentown Morning Call reports that “testimony by three physicians to a Republican-led legislative committee Monday painted a picture of government-corporate domination over doctors in choosing COVID-19 treatments, but the committee’s top Democrat called the discussion a distraction from a needed focus on vaccines.”

‘Crawford County substance abuse roundtable highlights pandemic treatment challenges’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) continued its statewide listening tour in Crawford County on Monday, holding a roundtable with more than a dozen stakeholders to tackle the increase in overdose deaths in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

‘Senate candidate Oz in Pittsburgh says he likes “beer and sandwiches”’: Pittsburgh City Paper reports that “on Dec. 13, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Mehmet Oz shared a video on social media announcing he was visiting Pittsburgh as part of his campaign, noting that the Steel City has “beer and sandwiches.””

‘Philadelphia Mayor Kenney meets with local mayors in Wilkes-Barre’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that “the group of local mayors that’s been meeting off and on for the past two years made room at the table Monday for their counterpart from The City of Brotherly Love. At the group’s invitation, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney traveled northeast to Wilkes-Barre for the informal get together at City Hall.”

‘P.J. Pribula named chair of Luzerne County GOP; Behrens resigns’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that “P.J. Pribula has been named the incoming chair of the Luzerne County Republican Committee. Justin Behrens, who held the position since 2017, resigned effective Dec. 3.”  

‘Pittsburgh residents express concerns, give input on 2022 city budget’: WESA reports that “dozens of Pittsburgh residents called in to address the city’s 2022 spending plan during a City Council budget hearing on Monday morning.”

‘How gun violence hot spots in Philadelphia have shifted over the past half-decade’: Billy Penn reports that “Philadelphia is experiencing its deadliest year on record, with most deaths attributed to gun violence. Though shootings occur across the city, they aren’t evenly distributed, and the hot spots change from year to year, a new Billy Penn analysis shows.”

‘Report: Black people are 3 times more likely to be rejected for a mortgage in Philadelphia’: WHYY reports that “Black mortgage applicants in Philadelphia were nearly three times more likely to be denied by lenders than white applicants in 2020, according to a new analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.”

‘City council releases final amendments to proposed Scranton budget’: The Scranton Times-Tribune reports that “City council released a final list of amendments to Scranton’s 2022 budget that eliminate several proposed positions, scale back nonunion raises and shrink the spending plan to $116.04 million, among other changes.” 

‘After 11 years, Erie County’s public defender to leave post; Successor to be named this week’: The Erie Times-News reports that “Erie County Public Defender Pat Kennedy says she’s been told that she will not be returning to the post when the administration of Erie County Executive-elect Brenton Davis takes office early next year.”

‘Chester County Republicans donate toys to grandchildren of hospitalized veterans’: The Daily Local News reports that “members of the Republican Committee of Chester County met with representatives of the Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center recently and presented donations of about 100 new toys, books, and arts and crafts items for the children and grandchildren of the hospitalized veterans.”

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