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Shapiro's bipartisanship talk welcome in fight-weary Capitol

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Timber Rattler:
https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2022-12-15/shapiros-bipartisanship-talk-welcome-in-fight-weary-capitol

Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro will take office next month talking about how voters across the political spectrum in Pennsylvania gave him a mandate, a message he will carry into a state Capitol riven by partisanship and, recently, a breakdown in lawmaking.

Shapiro, the state's two-term attorney general and a former state lawmaker and county commissioner, has possibly a better understanding than any recent predecessor about what it takes to get legislation through the nation's largest full-time Legislature.

To a significant extent, Shapiro starts off in strong position: his fellow Democrats won the House, state coffers are flush with cash and his Republican opponent was weak, peddling far-right views that repelled donors and moderate voters.

Still, the state Senate remains firmly in Republican control, meaning that every new law must have a GOP stamp of approval. Now, five weeks into his transition, Shapiro is stressing bipartisanship, seeding his transition team with Republicans and avoiding radioactive political issues.

(snip)

In remarks at a state Republican Party luncheon earlier this month in New York, the Senate's top Republican, Kim Ward of Westmoreland County, said she was optimistic about what could be accomplished. Shapiro, she told the crowd, has a number of priorities that appeal to Republicans.

The House’s top Republican, Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County, said there is a lot of consistency between the things Shapiro has talked about and what House Republicans have made their priorities.

“All those are priorities that we are absolutely willing to work on,” Cutler said in an interview.

In turn, Shapiro likely will ask Republicans to bend on what he wants.

EXCERPT

Timber Rattler:
Keeping in mind that Associated Press reporter Marc Levy is an unabashed Democrat based in Harrisburg who typically trashes Republicans in his stories, I think this piece reveals more about the corruption within the State GOP leadership, which thinks that it can go along to get along better with Shapiro than with Mastriano, who they refused to support.  Kim Ward, for instance, stabbed Mastriano in the back in August 2021 when Jake "the Snake" Corman stopped the audit, removed Mastriano from the investigation, and fired his staff.  She went right along with Snake until Mastriano won the primary, and suddenly she wanted to be friends again.

Gag.

jmyrlefuller:
Glad to see a PA board.

I live in rural NY, right across from the PA line, and am in that state quite frequently.

I think @mountaineer has mentioned that she is in a similar situation on the other end of the state, living in WV and crossing into PA often.

mountaineer:
That's  right - I'm a Pittsburgh native living just across  the state line in WV. I try to keep up on PA politics and also am glad to see a board devoted to it.

mountaineer:
I tend to agree with you, Rattler, about the Pa. GOP. They have been less than effective in recent years.

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