He knows how to bring folks together and get things done. Shell serve on the transitions education and workforce committee, with a focus on higher education. Pennsylvania Gov. As a member of the Republican Party, he can count himself the political heir His office declined to comment on Shapiros gubernatorial bid. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro heads to Pittsburgh Wednesday to formally announce hes seeking the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania governor. He has deep connections to Shapiro, having known the incoming governor since Shapiro was a child, when Groen and Shapiros father attended the same synagogue. He also insisted that there is no contingency plan to replace the Near-daily press releases announced the latest people named to cabinet and executive positions in the administration. Hes also been endorsed by a Ensuring that affordability is not a barrier, Keye said, is a crucial part of her day job and her role on the transition committee. hopefuls flock to Palm Beach for Club for Growth retreat, Eyes on 2024: A page from DeSantis book, California poll: Homelessness is most urgent issue in the state. WebJosh Shapiro's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test) Office: Elected to Governor (PA), Democratic Attorney General (PA), Democratic Track This Politician Key Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test. With questions swirling about Senator John Fettermans political future after the newly elected lawmaker was hospitalized for depression last month, Pennsylvanias Democrat governor said that there are no plans to replace him despite ongoing concerns over his fitness for the stressful position that he now holds. Incoming Gov. 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. Shapiro raises the question. Its a reaction to difficulties in attracting workers in a tight labor market, the high cost of college, and Republican distrust of the ideological effects of college education. Some former Republican officials in the state openly rejected Mastriano and endorsed Shapiro. Greenberg, who made billions in his trading career, retired from Susquehanna in 2016, but before that, he was involved in Yasss political giving along with their third co-founder, Arthur Dantchik. John Fetterman, a sitting United States Senator has not been seen or heard from in nearly two weeks but the trash corporate media refuses to ask one question. But an inconsistent judicial standard and comfortable employer routines ought not oblige Americans to buy a very expensive piece of paper. When asked If there is a contingency plan in place in case Fetterman decides to step down, Shapiro said, There is no contingency plan and it is 100% Senator Fettermans decision as to what he will do in the future.. If you think the Democrat party cares about anything other than personal power look at what they did to John Fetterman. Those themes resonate with voters no matter where they live, Eggleston said. In 2016, with then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane under indictment and the office in disarray, Shapiro won that statewide position on a promise to restore order. In the last truly open gubernatorial election, the 2010 Democratic field had four major primary candidates. Doug Mastriano spent 30 years in the U.S. Army serving his country in Iraq and Afghanistan. The order directs Alaskas Department of Administration to review state job descriptions and determine where practical experience could be used in lieu of the four-year college degree requirement typically asked of applicants. Additionally, only 31% of those Democrats and 17% of other voters also voted by mail compared to just about 8% of Republicans who voted in 2022. Shapiro, who built a broad coalition in the election to beat Republican challenger Doug Mastriano by a sizable margin, will have to walk a fine line. He did it again and again until he had shaken every hand in the room. Later in the afternoon on his first full day as governor, Shapiro visited the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Truth has never been more critical! His first executive The bill calls for the state Department of Administrative Services to try to reduce training, experience and educational requirements for jobs and reduce jobs that require a four-year college degree. Especially for those populations that have historically been neglected and havent been able to access many of these programs and policies.. Progressive Philly District Attorney Larry Krasner is another on-again-off-again opponent. What youll see from more liberal parts of the Democratic Party is a frustration that more of their people' are not being chosen for these top-level positions, said Christopher Nicholas, a veteran Republican political consultant. This giving has made Yass and Susquehanna and by extension, Greenberg extremely well-known in Pennsylvania politics. He had been courted by national Democrats over the years to run for the House or Senate, but he declined every time, choosing instead to chart a path that led him to the governorship and will, his supporters say, position him to run for president one day. While trading donations for positions may be a form of political favors, donating to a political campaign doesnt necessarily disqualify someone from being an effective member of the transition team. Perhaps the most significant action of his career came in 2018, during his time as attorney general, when he presided over the release of a landmark grand jury report on decades of sexual abuse of children in Catholic dioceses across Pennsylvania. He is the executive director at the Abolitionist Law Center and will work on the transitions public safety committee with a focus on community safety. Tom Wolf beat out three other high-profile contenders for the Democratic nod. Even far-right conservative Republicans such as state Rep. Paul Schemel, who was among 26 legislators on a resolution to decertify Joe Bidens 2020 win in the state, said he is cautiously optimistic about Shapiros rhetoric and actions, though he also views them as politically opportunistic. Its very common for people who win executive officesmayor, governor, presidentto put a lot of their donors on the transition team, Nicholas said. Josh Shapiro supporters at his election night victory party on Nov. 8 in Montgomery County (Photo by Jarrad Saffren) Two years ago, Shapiro, in his role as attorney general, defended Pennsylvanias election process from Trumps lawsuits that attempted to overturn President Joe Bidens victory in the state. Notably not present was State Rep. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams), the Republican gubernatorial candidate who lost by nearly 15 percentage points in the November election. But that wasnt the case, he said. In the ongoing conversation about how criminal justice should be handled in Pennsylvania, McNesby and the FOP have come to exemplify opposition to measures that, according to their supporters, would increase police accountability. But Groen said he really got to know Shapiro once he got into politics. BizPac Review is under attack by progressive Silicon Valley zealots. On a more fundamental level, it eliminates a basic unfairness that has led to a two-tiered class system. His election as Montgomery County Commissioner delivered control of the longtime GOP stronghold for the first time in history, and his reputation as a moderate dealmaker won him friends on both sides of the aisle. He is also its third Jewish governor and the first governor since 1966 to belong to the same political party as his predecessor. Josh Shapiro, a religious Jew who uses his faith as part of his political identity, is rejecting that principle. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the icon below and to the right of that comment. On his first full day in office, Gov. John Cardillo (@johncardillo) February 27, 2023. After DiGiorgios resignation, a woman who had chaired an Allegheny County young Republicans group also accused him of unwanted, wildly inappropriate sexual advances, and said other GOP officials didnt help her deal with the situation. Before being named to the committee, Blume previously told Spotlight PA she had concerns about some of the folks on the list of people advising Shapiro on energy policy. This article and all of our journalism are available to you at no cost thanks to our supporters. Many of Pennsylvanias most prominent political figures were in attendance, including both U.S. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies. 01:40 PM, Feb 28, 2023. One of those people is Holbrook. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. These early overtures by the 49-year-old governor signal an unusual posture he is staking out as he takes the helm of a state roiled in recent years by baseless election conspiracy theories and sharp partisan fighting. Unlike the crowded 2022 field for U.S. Senate and for the Republican nomination for governor Shapiro is in a lane by himself. Blume will work alongside fellow environmentalists and representatives from and lobbyists for Pennsylvanias powerful fossil fuel industries. Now join thousands of your friends and neighbors in supporting it. Cook Political Report, which is tracking gubernatorial races around the country, has the race rated as one of the countrys few true toss-ups. For years, he operated in the same Montgomery County political circles as Shapiro and has said he considers the governor-elect a friend. Example video title will go here for this video. On his first full day in office, Gov. His chief of staff and a medical doctor should appear to discuss his condition. Well, employers increasingly require that applicants for good jobs possess a degree, even when the degrees arent relevant to the job, and employers say theyre skeptical that college grads are even prepared for work. Pennsylvania Gov. Groen declined to elaborate on his transition work, noting that its still early in the process, but said hes happy to be helping. You inherited the work of those who came before you, you served with honor, and you are leaving us in a better place than when you started. In Lancaster County, a conservative stronghold that Trump won by nearly 16 percentage points, Shapiro lost by less than two. Shapiro became the 48th governor of Pennsylvania. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Keystone State. Utah and Maryland made similar changes to their employment practices last year. He worked closely with the younger Shapiro as the Democrat rose through the political ranks, from Montgomery County state representative, to county commissioner, to attorney general. And it also enables us to share that work with more than 90 newsroom partners in your community and communities across the state at no charge. But his bid remains unusual. Hes kind of getting a free ride, Republican political consultant Christopher Nicholas said of the Democratic race. Shapiro will need GOP buy-in to implement his policy agenda. Governor Josh Shapiros heartening move means that 65,000 state jobs no longer require a college degree, but that candidates will be free to compete for these positions based on skills, relevant experience, and merit. Already, Shapiro has faced criticism for including representatives from both parties who have either been accused of sexual harassment or accused of not doing enough to stop it. His action rightly recognized that such a degree is no guarantee of competence, no exclusive proof of intelligence and often less relevant than work and life experiences that have nothing to do with lecture halls. HARRISBURG, PA Governor Josh Shapiro is leading the way on opening the doors of opportunity to more people and expanding our workforce. Hes the consensus without even having to have a conversation, said Marcel Groen, former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and a longtime fixture in the Democratic politics of Montgomery County, where Shapiro grew up. Josh Shapiros desk during his first month in office. The people of Pennsylvania deserve a press conference from the office of John Fetterman. Alejandro A. Alvarez / Philadelphia Inquirer, Abolitionist Law Center Executive Director Robert Saleem Holbrook, Cheyney University Chief Diversity Officer Pamela Keye, Susquehanna International Co-Founder Joel Greenberg, Johns Hopkins Medicine professor Ravi Gupta, Former Pa. Republican Party head Val DiGiorgio, Conservation Voters of Pa. political director Katie Blume, Former Pa. Democratic Party head Marcel Groen, protested Shapiros appearance at a conference, pay unusually low federal income tax rates, has said he considers the governor-elect a friend, Unequal election policies disenfranchised Pennsylvania voters in 2022, by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Carter Walker of Votebeat, How anxiety came to dominate the big business of medical marijuana cards in Pennsylvania, Thousands of Pa. homeowners feel stuck in a high-stakes game of telephone with their homes, vital utilities on the line, What the public can and cant know about Four Diamonds, beneficiary of Penn State THONs fundraising, Grudges, tribalism, and infighting rife in Pennsylvania borough that hired the cop who killed Tamir Rice, by Min Xian of Spotlight PA State College, A complete guide and amendment tracker for proposed changes to Pennsylvanias Constitution, Who is on Pa. Gov.-elect Josh Shapiros transition team? He talked about his time as Pennsylvanias attorney general a seat he won in 2016 by three percentage points even as Trump narrowly edged out Hillary Clinton in the state and how he went after pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid epidemic and the Catholic Church for covering up child sexual abuse. Groen, a retired attorney, is serving on the transition teams economic development advisory committee and will focus on business policy. Krasner has a more aggressively anti-mass-incarceration approach to criminal justice than Shapiro, and the two tangled publicly over a bill that gave Shapiro more control over prosecuting Philly gun crimes. He sued over Trumps family border separation policy, the administrations policies on contraception, and the election-time changes to post office operations. In short, its going to be hard to please everyone. Since his election, he has been assembling the team of people who will be part of his administration. But that tenure was abruptly cut short after allegations of harassment, effectively ending DiGiorgios formal role in politics. Pa. election 2022: Where governor candidates Mastriano, Shapiro stand on the opioid epidemic, medical marijuana, and other health issues. Alaskans will no longer need a four-year college degree to apply for some state jobs under a new order issued by Gov. Here are some of the laws being proposed in Harrisburg this session, Meal Madness Tournament coming to Cumberland County for second year in a row. When asked about his White House aspirations, Shapiro said he was flattered but not interested. Hell work alongside a number of other law enforcement officers, though others on Shapiros public safety advisory committee have extremely different philosophies when it comes to criminal justice. HARRISBURG For nearly two months, a team of advisors has been working to ensure Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro has a smooth transition from attorney general to head of the nations fifth-most populous state. An FOP endorsement was once a political necessity for Philly politicians, as well as candidates running statewide. Copyright 2023. Guptas research primarily focuses on access and affordability, he said. Hes viewed as someone driven less by ideology than by a desire for unanimity. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, signed his first executive order, removing a four-year degree requirement for tens of thousands of state government jobs. Joy. We love hearing from our readers and invite you to join us for feedback and great conversation. State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, a Republican from a district north of Pittsburgh, sent the governor a text message congratulating him on a good first week in office that put Pennsylvanians first on issues that people from all political sides agree with.. Josh Shapiro unveils his first budget next week, poor districts that won a landmark school-funding lawsuit want him to propose a Josh Shapiro is stocking his executive staff of advisors, mediators and policy experts with political veterans and loyal allies. According to Shapiro, he expects Fetterman to return and that he will serve for a good long while.. Governor Shapiro was one of the first governors to take action to remove degree requirements, joining the governors of Maryland, Colorado, and Utah, who have implemented similar policies. Election administration is especially important in the 2022 race for Pennsylvania governor. Hoeffel later told The Philadelphia Inquirer that you dont want to turn your back on [Shapiro], because loyalty is not his strong suit. Reached for comment about the impending formal start to Shapiros gubernatorial campaign, the former U.S. rep had little to add. 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