Committee of Seventy

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January 21, 2023

A New day in Harrisburg

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s inaugural address focused on what Spotlight PA termed “a rebuke of extremism and an embrace of bipartisanship,” a proposition that Seventy supports but is already being tested with a breakdown of regular business in the Legislature. Shapiro has garnered praise for his political acumen and declared intention to problem solve by finding common ground, but his transition has also been subject to scrutiny for its opacity and inclusion of wealthy donors from the campaign. That had better not be a sign of things to come.

Davis makes history: Former state representative Austin Davis became the highest-ranking Black official in the state’s history when he was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor. During his speech, Davis pointed to the numerous Black leaders and activists going back generations who “paved the way for this moment…a symbol of our progress.”

Legislature at a halt:The House is still recessed indefinitely, and the six-member bipartisan committee Speaker Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) tasked with devising new legislative rules has yet to announce any progress. Meanwhile, the Senate canceled its session days until Feb. 27.

Philly municipal races cranking up

While the crowded mayoral field has so far drawn the most media attention, all 17 City Council seats will also be on the May 16 primary ballot, as well as the three City Commissioner slots, the Register of Wills, Sheriff, and seats on the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court. Statewide, there will be primary races for Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth Court. (See our 2020-30 Elections Schedule to keep track.) Expect more coverage of these various races as nomination petitions are filed in early March to get on the ballot, but in the meantime, Philadelphia 3.0 has an early rundown on the 10 district council races and emerging at-large field.

Special election for Controller: City voters will elect a Controller to replace Rebecca Rhynhart, who resigned to run for mayor, in a special election until the end of Rhynhart’s term in 2025. It’s not yet certain who will be declaring their candidacy, though Acting City Controller Christy Brady, who was appointed by Mayor Kenney after Rhynhart’s resignation, sued the city over its ‘resign to run’ rule.

A Transition at Seventy

Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Lauren Cristella has been named Interim President & Chief Operating Officer at Seventy while a Transition Committee evaluates options of recommendations to make to the full board. Cristella steps in for outgoing President and CEO Al Schmidt, who was tapped by Gov. Shapiro to serve as Secretary of the Commonwealth. “I’ve been privileged to work closely with Lauren for years, so I know the importance of having her steady hand guiding the organization,” said board chair Eric Kraeutler. Read the full release.

Eye on City Hall

Caught Our Eye

No shortage of candidates, just voters: In the last two races for open mayoral seats in Philadelphia, winners Mike Nutter and Jim Kenney easily overcame their primary opponents (four for Nutter; five for Kenney) but with a very small share of the city's overall electorate.

On Our Radar

Women in Harrisburg: The percentage of women in the PA Legislature has risen noticeably, according to statistics cited by The Inquirer. It’s up to 31 percent, twice what it was in 2010, but still well short of parity.

Rethink recounts: Election officials and experts tell Votebeat that the 1927 provision allowing precinct-level recounts needs an update. No evidence of fraud or irregularity is required to petition for such a recount, and the fee is only $50. Roughly 150 were filed after the midterms, delaying election certification.

Follow NJ’s lead on media literacy: An Inquirer editorial urges PA to mandate media-literacy education in K-12 schools as NJ just did: “It's essential for schools to teach students how to discern fact from fiction.”

Vote-by-mail truce? Politico reports that PA GOP officials may reverse course on their opposition to mail-in voting after considering the disadvantages to utilizing only Election Day to get Republican ballots cast.

Clear as mud: The dueling Commonwealth Court opinions on the legality of Philly DA Larry Krasner’s impeachment raised more questions than they answered, the Penn Capital-Star reports.

Events

Ready to Run, Philadelphia

Sun., Feb. 4, 8 am-5 pm

Thomas Jefferson University, East Falls Campus

Ready to Run Pennsylvania provides nonpartisan training to encourage women to run for government leadership positions. This day-long program is for women considering or recently deciding to run for political office, providing training and mentoring by campaign professionals, political experts and officeholders. Ready to Run is part of the National Training Network of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Register.

Get Involved

Urge your representative to reform the rules

With Speaker Mark Rozzi still seeking a bipartisan path forward for the Pennsylvania House, now is the most promising opportunity in years to address the legislative dysfunction created by rules that have previously concentrated power in a handful of leaders in the majority party. Fix Harrisburg is calling on residents to contact their representatives and House leadership to urge them to support fair rules. Take Action.

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