The special election date is set for the 12th House District, while Lt. Gov Fetterman lays out his recreational marijuana listening tour. Here is the Playbook.

PA12: Special Election To Replace Marino Set For May 21: The special election for the GOP friendly district will coincide with the Pennsylvania primary election date.

Report: Ellis Under Investigation for Alleged Assault: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the alleged assault occurred in late October 2015. State Rep. Ellis has not returned calls from the reporters who broke the story.

Lt. Gov. Fetterman To Lead Statewide Recreational Marijuana Legalization Listening Tour: Fetterman will hold sessions in each county to gauge Pennsylvanians interest in recreational legalization of marijuana.

Harrisburg & DC
Inquirer: State representative from Western Pa. under investigation for alleged assault
Inquirer: Pa. Senate Democrats reviewing complaint about State Sen. Daylin Leach
Inquirer: How the U.S. government shutdown is delaying SBA loans to firms like Rosati’s, putting small business growth ‘on ice’
AP: Special election set for May to replace Marino in US House
AP: Wolf takes new step on marijuana with town hall sessions
AP: Casey, Toomey split in votes on bills to end shutdown
WHYY Newsworks: Food stamp crisis looming in Pa. because of government shutdown
PLSReporter: Wolf and Fetterman to launch listening tour for opinions on legalizing marijuana   
PLSReporter: Optimism for boosting career technical education, as report calls for more state support
PLSReporter: The Keystone Scholars Program hopes to “set every child in Pennsylvania up for success”
City Paper: State Rep. Sara Innamorato wants every eligible Pennsylvania voter automatically registered
StateImpactPA: Impact fee collected from gas drillers expected to reach new record  
KYW Newsradio: Abraham slams Krasner for dusting off unenforced gun law  
Philly Voice: State Rep. wants Pennsylvania to embrace automatic voter registration
WESA: New Chancellor Says PASSHE Isn’t Closing Financially Struggling Universities, For Now
Harrisburg Patriot News: Senate Democrats launch investigation of 1991 sexual misconduct claim against Sen. Daylin Leach
Harrisburg Patriot News: Call it the mid-term flu: Pa. sees a surge in special elections
Harrisburg Patriot News: Doing your taxes? Here’s how your IRS return, and maybe your refund, will be different this year

Philadelphia
Philly Clout: Early jousting on polling in Philadelphia’s Democratic primary for mayor
Philadelphia Magazine: Why Is It So Damn Hard for Philly to Bring Back Citywide Street Sweeping?
Philadelphia Magazine: Scenes From the Campaign Trail: That Time Jewell Williams Held a Ladies Night
Philadelphia Magazine: Union for News and Ad Staff at PMN Alleges Company Stiffed Members on Pensions
Inquirer: Controversial fire damper bill passes near-unanimously in Council
Inquirer: Philly property owners won’t have to pay increased taxes while they appeal 2019 assessments
Inquirer: Work begins on bringing down Amtrak’s iconic flipboard
PLSReporter: School funding scrutinized at Policy Committee hearing in Philadelphia
WHYY Newsworks: Councilwoman offers strategies to phase out tax abatement on Philly development
KYW Newsradio: City Council returns to deliberate on neighborhood development, pot  
KYW Newsradio: Abraham slams Krasner for dusting off unenforced gun law  
KYW Newsradio: City Council bills call for reform of 10-year tax abatement
KYW Newsradio: Philly to bring Welcome America to neighborhoods with week of free events

SEPA
Inquirer: Pa. Senate Democrats reviewing complaint about State Sen. Daylin Leach
Daily Local News: Schroder: New court rule may reignite lawsuit venue shopping
Delco Daily Times: Killion, Comitta to co-host Q&A on Mariner East safety concern  
Delco Daily Times: Chester Water Authority Board OKs 10 percent rate hike

Pittsburgh
KDKA: Hundreds Pack City-County Building To Air Thoughts On Gun Legislation
City Paper: State Rep. Sara Innamorato wants every eligible Pennsylvania voter automatically registered
StateImpactPA: Residents, environmental groups call for Clairton plant to go on ‘hot idle’
The Incline: A closer look at the legal arguments for and against Pittsburgh’s gun control proposals
The Incline: What a Dauphin County jury means for the trial in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II
The Incline: Supporters, opponents pack City Hall to sound off on Pittsburgh’s proposed gun control legislation
Pittsburgh Business Times: Lamb appointed to Congressional Steel Caucus
Post-Gazette: City council hearing echoed with Tree of Life sorrows, gun rights vows  
Post-Gazette: What did Antwon Rose II have on his hands, in his pocket, under his seat? DA doesn’t want jurors to know  
Tribune Review: Residents argue for and against Pittsburgh gun ban during public hearing
SWPA
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Congressmen receive committee assignments
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Judges dismiss Johnstown council members’ audit action
Observer-Reporter: DeThomas running for seat on Washington council
Observer-Reporter: Irey Vaughan seeks seventh term as Washington County Commissioner
Observer-Reporter: Cook appointed to four House committees
Observer-Reporter: Republican eyes register of wills office
Observer-Reporter: Democratic committee to meet
Beaver County Times: Aliquippa native seeking state Senate seat
Beaver County Times: Hopewell real estate veteran seeks nomination for recorder of deeds  

NEPA
The Times Leader: AG DePasquale calls recent Israel trip a ‘life-changing experience’
The Times Leader: WB General nurses, hospital agree to continue negotiations with strike date looming
The Times Leader: Wilkes-Barre’s longtime attorney is leaving
Times-Tribune: List grows for those seeking Marino seat  
Times-Tribune: Air traffic controllers at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport plead for shutdown end  
Times-Tribune: Medical marijuana seminar set for early February  
Times-Tribune: Settlement in sight on lawsuit challenging Scranton’s rental registration rules  
Times-Tribune: For town hall attendees, ‘frustration, sadness and fear’

South Central   
York Dispatch: Perry votes against bill preventing Trump from leaving NATO
York Dispatch: York County community leader Bryan Tate running for Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court
Carlisle Sentinel: County housing authority fears impact of extended shutdown as Senate votes fail
LNP | LancasterOnline: DA distributes emergency response kits to Lancaster County school resource officers

Lehigh Valley  
Morning Call: Pennsylvania’s senators divide on shutdown bills, and Susan Wild says reopen government, then hold wall vote
Morning Call: Tom Ridge, other ex-Homeland Security chiefs call for restoring agency funding
Morning Call: Q&A: Is it legal to force federal employees to work without pay?
Morning Call: Allentown Controller Jeff Glazier will seek re-election
Morning Call: Joshua Siegel announces bid for Allentown City Council
Morning Call: Easton City Council reconsiders discount parking rate for government employees
Reading Eagle: Berks County controller seeking fifth term  
Reading Eagle: Berks Housing Authority reappoints top 2 officials
Reading Eagle: Berks County commissioners allocate $1 million for farmland preservation

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Jersey Shore outdoorsman seeks commissioner seat
Erie Times-News: Hundreds seek few seats on city of Erie’s authorities
Erie Times-News: Erie Sports Commission establishes facility matching funds program  

Opinion
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Breaking bread: Free lunch is a good way to begin compromise
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Let them be heard: Officials should come up with legal gun control
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Snubbing Mister Rogers?: Acclaimed ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ passed on by Oscars
Inquirer Editorial Board: Philadelphia: clean up public land disposition mess
Brian O’Neill: The new Christmas tree recycling program is paying dividends
Matthew Meyer: Trump should spend $5 billion on the opioid epidemic, not the border wall
Maria Panaritis: Depending on where you live, you may have to fight for your child’s afterschool care
Dom Giordano: Getting caught in Howard Stern’s snare in dispute over a border wall
Stephanie M. Fosbenner: A doctor who works with migrants on why we should build bridges, not a wall
Christopher Norris: Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement needs a makeover
Jerry Jordan: Philadelphia’s deteriorating school building conditions are a human rights issue
Will Bunch: Why the fate of this tiny Louisiana island is the world’s most important news story of 2019
John L. Micek: Pa. Dems look for repeat of ‘Conor Lamb Effect’ in looming special elections| Thursday Morning Coffee