County leaders have been asking for this change since 2020, and Pennsylvanias lack of pre-canvassing is frequently blamed for the commonwealths slow election results. Governor-elect Josh Shapiro looks on during his inauguration ceremony, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. You have to be tough, fair, flexible, and most of all, credible there can be no space between you and the Governor, or people will smell it and take advantage of it.. Shapiro told The Inquirer that he hasnt spoken with Fetterman since he entered Walter Reed, but that hes exchanged texts with the senators wife, Gisele. Balancing state budgets, cracking down on illegal guns, and raising the minimum wage are some of his key pledges. (Tom Gralish/Philadelphia Inquirer). program, but 90% of parents are opposed, Fishing license could get more expensive in Pennsylvania. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Topper did not specify what policies he hoped to pursue. And campaign operative Larry Hailsham Jr., who was political director on Shapiros bid for governor, will be the new executive deputy chief of staff. Spotlight PA Staff He was elected speaker in a 115-85 vote with the support of all Democratic lawmakers and 16 Republicans, including the partys entire leadership team. While the work does not end in one budget cycle, changing that course begins now, and lawyers for the school districts told The Associated Press at least $2 billion in additional funding for education would be a good start toward the billions more they say the poorest school districts need. But one of the main strategies he used didnt have much to do with the candidates at all it had to do with him, the messenger. Josh Shapiro unveils his first budget next week, the poor districts that won a landmark school-funding lawsuit will want to see him propose a significant down payment and a plan to overhaul how the state pays for K-12 education in what could be a term-defining moment for the Democrat. Lawyers for the school districts argued in court that Pennsylvanias school funding system relies disproportionately on local property taxes, helping to widen the gap between rich and poor districts. And he didnt just get a lot of votes. Michelle was raised in Westmoreland County, graduated from Greensburg-Salem public schools and remains a proud Golden Lion. 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Her district, like much of that region, has gotten increasingly Republican during her tenure a process she says accelerated rapidly with Donald Trumps 2016 election. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. WHILE YOURE HERE If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. The heritage of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is one of the oldest and most divergent offices of public trust in the United States spanning over three centuries of life in the Commonwealth. Josh Shapiro fills executive staff, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Route 33 closed after major crash involving multiple vehicles, Pa. Gov. Former labor union political director Tori Shriver will work on labor issues for Shapiro as deputy chief of staff for education and workforce development. Attorneys General This law enforcement effort includes a criminal investigation unit and a drug law enforcement program as well as direction of statewide and multi-county investigating grand juries and a Medicaid Fraud Control Section, To collect, by suit or otherwise, all debts, taxes and accounts due the Commonwealth which shall be referred to and placed with the Attorney General, To represent the Commonwealth and all Commonwealth agencies and upon request the Auditor General, State Treasurer and Public Utility Commission in any action brought by or against the Commonwealth or its Agencies, To administer the provision relating to consumer protection laws. After Shapiros 2016 election as Attorney General, Fritz served for three years as a deputy chief of staff and communications director there, leading public-facing efforts around the Catholic Church investigation, UPMC/Highmark dispute, lawsuits against the Trump Administration, and more. HARRISBURG Newly minted Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. Mastriano did nothing to counter any of the charges against him, Browning told Spotlight PA. I did not see anything in the way of mail. Pennsylvanias legal representation will be overseen by Jennifer Selber, who already worked closely with Shapiro as executive deputy attorney general in charge of the offices criminal division. Vereb also chaired the Montgomery County GOP committee from 2013 to 2015, years when Shapiro was a county commissioner. All of them have extensive experience in state politics. Meanwhile, House and Senate Republicans who opposed the school districts lawsuit have not said whether they will appeal the judges ruling. Michelle was admired as an excellent attorney who also pushed major initiatives she was instrumental in helping start the countys childrens advocacy center and took a leading role in educating junior prosecutors from across the Commonwealth. This does not mean cities had terrible turnout. They blame a lack of a clear message and little institutional guidance from the state Republican Party for their generally disastrous results, which include losing the state House for the first time since 2010. Isenhour said this duty was a difficult part of her job during the Wolf administration. Shapiro has been leaning into that image in the early stages of his campaign, saying that he has a unique ability to work across the aisle to get things done. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. The position of Attorney General was created in 1643, before the arrival of English Common Law, as an office within government of the area known as New Sweden. I cover politics and our divided electorate. So he benefited from both swinging the votes of some number of independents, and he benefited from maintaining strong turnout among sometimes-voters, most strongly in upscale suburbs and exurbs.. Shapiro, who is finishing his sixth year as state attorney general, will be sworn in Jan. 17. Wolf administration veteran Sam Robinson, who among other roles worked as the former governors deputy chief of staff focused on environmental policy, will stay in a similar role in the Shapiro administration, serving as deputy chief of staff for consumers and the environment. Tom Wolfs signature energy policies. The last significant change to the commonwealths firearm regulationscame in 2018, when the General Assembly passed a bill that made it easier for law enforcement to take away weapons from people convicted of domestic abuse. Promise:Shapiro pledgedto have the commonwealth generate 30% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, one of his boldest goals. In 2005, Shapiro was elected to the state legislature, becoming the first Democrat to hold the seat since 1985, when Hoeffel himself had left it. Chief among those honors was Henrys admittance to the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America; and the receipt of Widener University Commonwealth Law Schools 2017 Excellence in Public Service Alumni Award for her extraordinary contributions to public service. The act was previously amended in 2020 under Wolf. She started her political career working for Sen. Bob Caseys 2012 reelection campaign. Biden increased in-person stops during his 2020 bid for the presidency. Tracking Pennsylvania Gov. Fritz, a Lehigh Valley native, was deputy campaign manager in Shapiros 2016 bid for attorney general and stayed with him after he took office, working over several years in communications and as deputy chief of staff. There have been too many losses, too many narrow wins.. Josh Shapiro unveils his first budget next week, the poor districts that won a landmark school-funding lawsuit will want to see him propose a significant down payment and a plan to overhaul how the state pays for K-12 education in what could be a term-defining moment for the Democrat. A former police officer who also worked in corporate security, Vereb is a Republican who held a Montgomery County state House seat from 2006 to 2016. But there were a couple strategies he found effective. An initiative to provide nonpartisan, independent elections journalism for southwestern Pennsylvania. However, the governors office can grant clemency and commute sentences. HARRISBURG Gov. WebThen, as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners in Montgomery County, Pennsylvanias third-largest, Josh led a fiscal and ethical turnaround. 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Isenhour said this duty was a difficult part of her job during the Wolf administration. Before working with Shapiros 2022 campaign, Hossain was a government investigations attorney at major Philadelphia-based law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and clerked for a U.S. district judge. Lt. Gov. Lawmakers have not often approved enough funds to be entirely compliant with a courts ruling, or the cases can return to court time and time again in attempts to push lawmakers to act. In the coming months, Spotlight PA will track Shapiros progress on some of the key commitments he made on the campaign trail, highlighting specific promises for the following reasons: Shapiro emphasized them during his run for governor; Passing them would require collaboration with the legislature; Or they could bring different factions of his supporters into conflict. However, the new Democratic majority in the state House gives Shapiro an edge in the legislature. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. The Constitution further provided the Attorney General shall be the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be imposed by law. None prompted much controversy. The Human Rights Campaign, an activist group known for its strong support of the medical transition of children, has endorsed Josh Shapiro for governor of Pennsylvania, just months after it awarded the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia an award for excellence in LGBTQ+ healthcare. You want to do your job without the obstructionists getting in the way.. Error! Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Promise:Shapiro said he wouldinclude a line itemin his first budget that funds legal representation for indigent Pennsylvanians. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? The school districts lawyers presented evidence during last years trial that schools are underfunded by $4.6 billion, an estimate they said does not account for gaps in spending on special education, school buildings and other facilities. It was a very frank and honest conversation, and there were certain moments where there was outright disagreement, Joyal said. Senate Republicans' campaign operation is taking steps to avoid a repeat of their party's disastrous showing in last year's midterms. (Cory Sharber/WHYY) WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor Related Content Politics & Policy Fetterman grateful as he returns to Pa. 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