The Senate and House convene the new legislative session on January 3.  New members will be sworn in and other organizational tasks will be completed.

The fireworks are likely to be in the House where both Democrats and Republicans think they are in charge. 

To see who wins the wrestling match for the Speaker’s gavel, tune in!

The Senate may begin to name Committee Chairs, but we’ll see if that happens.

The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- January 3 - Senate, House Begin 2023-24 Legislative Session

-- January 17 - Gov.-elect Shapiro, Lt. Gov-elect Davis Inauguration

-- Governor’s Transition

-- Inquirer: Shapiro Is Aiming For A Reset With PA Republican Legislators As He Prepares To Become Governor

-- PennLive - John Baer: What Does 2023 Hold For Ex-President, Josh Shapiro, PA’s Legislature?

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro’s Top Aides Have Close Ties To Governor-Elect

-- Spotlight PA: Who Is On PA Gov.-Elect Josh Shapiro’s Transition Team? - Full List

-- Gov. Wolf Reflections

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Wolf Reflects On 8 Years Of Successes, Stumbles And Standoffs

-- TribLive Editorial: Did Tom Wolf Understand Politics?

-- PA Senate/House Transition

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA Lawmakers’ Swearing-In Day Shaping Up To Be Historic, And Possibly Circus-Like

-- PA Capital-Star: Education, Lobbying Reform, Abortion Among Issues On Lawmakers’ Agendas In New Session

-- Politico: Pennsylvania Politics Are Heated, It Soon Could Be Utter Chaos 

-- PennLive - John Baer: What Does 2023 Hold For Ex-President, Josh Shapiro, PA’s Legislature?

Environment/Energy Issues

-- 3,190 New Stories In 2022 - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts [PaEN]

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’  [PaEN]

-- UnionProgress.com - Laura Legere: ‘Rule Rather Than The Exception’: DEP Rips Conventional Oil & Gas Industry For Noncompliance 

-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County  [PaEN]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Acid Mine Drainage Funding Bill Headed To Biden’s Desk

Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week--

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

Bill Calendars

Senate (January 3): <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (January 3): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

House

January 3

Senate

January 3, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31

February 1, 27, 28

March 1, 6, 7, 8

Budget hearings: March 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 and April 11, 12, 13

April 24, 25, 26

May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10

June 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

[Posted: January 1, 2023]

1/2/2023