Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday chastised Republican legislators for not yet taking steps to dole out $145 million in aid to struggling restaurants and other small businesses waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic and government-mandated shutdowns.
Republicans in Pennsylvania's state Senate asked congressional Republican leaders on Tuesday night to delay certification of the state's electoral votes for President-elect Joseph R. Biden, citing "questionable activities" in the election.
Officials shouted and spoke over each other, at one point trying to conduct dueling sessions in a stark showcase of this year’s party divides over normally routine functions of democracy.
Pennsylvania Furnace
One thing that most of us can probably agree on is that our national politics are way out of whack. A government that used to be the envy of much of the world has become a laughingstock. So if it’s true that “all politics are local,” is it possible that the lack of professionalism in Washington is a reflection of local politics gone wrong?
Consider this: In Pennsylvania state politics, whichever party is in power writes rules that give their leaders complete control over the legislative process. Because they are in the majority they are able to force these rules through before doing anything else. The rules (1) give the House Speaker and majority leaders absolute authority over everything, including committee chairs and (2) give committee chairs absolute authority over the handling of all bills in their committee. This means that party leaders alone control the fate of every bill, no matter the issue and regardless of what voters think or even how much b
Pa lawmakers, officials send good wishes to Gov Wolf following COVID-19 diagnosis pennlive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pennlive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.