Where do things stand with the Pa. House? | Five for the Weekend

Happy weekend, all.

Members of the House will return to Harrisburg next Tuesday after a rough start to 2023 that included a stalled special session, an ongoing struggle to agree on rules, and a special election.

Here are a few stories from our team that elaborate on the current House dynamics and what to expect when the House reconvenes.

• Looking to solve a Harrisburg problem, Pa. House Speaker Rozzi turns to Pittsburgh for advice
• Rozzi names panel to break impasse over vote on sexual abuse survivors amendment
• Abuse survivors’ amendment author urges House GOP to advance the measure as a standalone bill
• Rozzi vows to halt all other legislation until General Assembly passes abuse survivors’ amendment
• Pa. Legislature welcomes new members, House elects Rozzi as speaker
• Pa. House Democrat’s flip to end leadership limbo stemmed from a GOP leader’s quip

As always, the top five stories from this week are below.

1. Shapiro says Norfolk Southern’s response to East Palestine derailment and fire put first responders and residents at ‘significant risk’

Gov. Josh Shapiro released a strongly worded letter to the president of Norfolk Southern on Tuesday, criticizing the railroad’s unilateral decision-making in the aftermath of the Feb. 3 derailment of a train loaded with hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio.

Shapiro’s letter to Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw followed a meeting with elected officials and emergency management officials in Beaver County. The derailment happened a quarter-mile from Pennsylvania’s border with Ohio.

2. Former Md. GOP gubernatorial candidate to serve as Mastriano’s chief of staff

A former Maryland lawmaker has joined the staff of Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano.

Dan Cox, a former Maryland delegate and failed Republican candidate for governor, will serve as chief of staff for the Franklin County lawmaker.

Mastriano and Cox sought the governorship of their respective states and campaigned together in the lead-up to the 2022 general election.

3. Biden meets with governors, urges them to implement laws allocating billions to states

Governors from throughout the country met with President Joe Biden at the White House to hash out the best way to implement the billions of federal dollars flowing to their states from both bipartisan and Democratic legislation.

Biden, who typically meets with the governors when they’re in Washington, D.C., for their annual winter meeting, urged the governors to work with his administration to implement several bills enacted during the last Congress and to dispel the narrative that the two political parties never work together.

4. Pa. bills would boost benefits for retired teachers, state employees | Thursday Morning Coffee

Democrats in the state House and Senate are trying anew to deliver a cost-of-living adjustment to Pennsylvania’s retired teachers and state employees, who have not seen an increase in more than 20 years.

On Wednesday, Rep. Steven R. Malagari, D-Montgomery, began seeking co-sponsors for a proposal that would boost pension benefits for teachers and state employees alike during the fiscal year that ends June 30, and tie future hikes to inflationary increases.

It’s the House companion to a similar effort, introduced late last year, by Sens. John Kane, D-Chester, and Katie Muth, D-Montgomery, who also are looking for backers for bills that boost retirement benefits for public school employees and state employees.

5. Bill to end medical co-pays for incarcerated Pennsylvanians to be reintroduced

A Democratic state lawmaker from Philadelphia says he plans to reintroduce legislation to end $5 medical co-pays for incarcerated Pennsylvanians.

“No one should be forced to decide if they should spend $5 on a co-pay to receive basic health care services or on other necessities, such as food, phone/email costs, or undergarments,” Rep. Amen Brown wrote in a co-sponsorship memo last week.

Brown sponsored the same bill in the 2021-22 legislative session. It died in the House Judiciary Committee without coming to a vote.

And that’s the week. We’ll see you back here next week.