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

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

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

Governor’s Transition

-- Post-Gazette: Josh Shapiro Is About To Become PA Governor, This Could Be His First Big Test

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro To Nominate Rich Negrin For DEP, Retain Cindy Dunn At DCNR and Russell Redding At Agriculture [PaEN]

-- Al Dia: Shapiro Taps Rich Negrin As First Latino To Helm Top Environmental Office In PA

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Green Day: Shapiro Announces Picks To Head PA’s Top Environmental, Conservation, Farm Agencies

-- AP: Shapiro Names Picks For Ag, Parks And Environmental Agencies

-- Inquirer: Fmr Top Philly Official Rich Negrin Is Shapiro’s Pick To Lead The PA Dept. Of Environmental Protection 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro Nominates Former Philadelphia Official As DEP Secretary

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro, Redding Discuss Future Of PA Agriculture; Groups Weigh In On New Governor’s Cabinet Picks

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Fmr DEP Secretary McDonnell Said DEP’s Underfunding Will Test Its New Leader

-- Bay Journal: New Leadership In Chesapeake Bay States Raises Hopes For Action In 2023

-- Guest Essay: Sustained Funding For Clean Water, More Trees, Fewer Cows In Streams On Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Wish List For PA In 2023 - By Harry Campbell,  Science Policy & Advocacy Director  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: A New Year, A New Governor, A New Chance To Clean Up The Chesapeake Bay - By Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro Continues To Fill Out Cabinet With 5 More Nominees - Health, Human Services, Drug & Alcohol, Aging, Insurance

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro To Nominate Dr. Debra Bogen, Allegheny County Health Dept., As Next Secretary Of Health

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Health Director Dr. Bogen Nominated For PA Health Secretary

-- AP: Shapiro Names Heads Of Corrections, State Police, Retain PEMA, National Guard Officials

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro Names 3 More Nominees To Cabinet Positions - Education, Labor & Industry, Administration

-- AP: Shapiro Taps Ex-Lawmakers, University Officials For Positions At Revenue, PennDOT, DCED, Banking & Securities

-- Better Path Coalition Outlines Needed Environmental, Climate Policy Changes For Incoming Shapiro Administration  [PaEN]

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro’s Announced Appointments As Of Jan. 13

Senate/House Transition

-- The Center Square: PA Lawmakers Hopeful In Wake Of Gov. Wolf’s Complex Legacy

-- AP: Republican House Member Who Nominated Rozzi For Speaker Calls For His Resignation

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Republican House Member Asks New House Speaker Rozzi To Resign

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA House Speaker May Not Go Independent; Asked To ‘Immediately Resign’

-- PA Capital-Star: After A Shot Of Normal, It’s Back To Chaos As Usual In PA House

-- WPost: PA House Members Cut A Bipartisan Deal Built On Friendship, Will The Bond Survive?

-- AP: New House Speaker Wants ‘Work Group’ On Child Sexual Abuse Constitutional Amendment

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Group Will Try To End PA House Logjam As Quest To Help Child Sex Abuse Survivors Continues

-- Spotlight PA: House At Standstill As Deadline Nears To Get Relief For Child Sex Abuse Survivors On May Ballot

-- Inquirer: Lawmakers Elected A New House Speaker, But There Are Still Questions About How Things Will Work

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: An Independent PA House Speaker? Now Let Independents Vote In Primaries - By David Thornburgh

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Shame On PA Senate For Using Child Sex Abuse Victims As Pawns For Political Gain

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Don’t Let Bipartisan Experiment In PA House Unravel

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Good Start For PA House, Will It Work?

-- TribLive Editorial: Should House Speaker Rozzi Register As An Independent?

-- PA Capital-Star Editorial Cartoon: Is There A Statute Of Limitations On Bad Ideas?

-- TribLive Editorial: A Legislature That Does Nothing Can Do Damage

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Senate Republicans Pass Proposed Constitutional Amendment Giving General Assembly Unilateral Power To Veto Regulations, With No Oversight  [PaEN]

-- AP: Senate Passes Proposed Constitutional Amendments; Poses Test To New PA Governor

-- PA Capital-Star: Relief For Child Sex Abuse Survivors Passes Senate As Part Of Constitutional Amendment Package

-- The Center Square: PA’s ‘Divisive’ Proposed Constitutional Amendments Inch Closer To Ballot Box

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Cynicism Dominates PA Senate Republican Agenda

-- PA Capital-Star Editorial Cartoon: Is There A Statute Of Limitations On Bad Ideas?

-- TribLive Letter: DEP Oil & Gas Program Needs More Boots On The Ground - Rep. Vitali (D-Delaware)

-- Bay Journal: New Leadership In Chesapeake Bay States Raises Hopes For Action In 2023

-- American Petroleum Institute Unveils Plan To Prioritize U.S. Natural Gas And Oil; Target Northeast U.S. For Pipeline Development  [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: DEP Issues Scathing Report On Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Environmental Compliance

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 7 to 13  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Letter: DEP Oil & Gas Program Needs More Boots On The Ground - Rep. Vitali (D-Delaware)

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - Jan. 14  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund Blog: With Strong Climate Policies, Gov. Shapiro Can Help Pennsylvania Win The Future

-- York Dispatch Guest Essay: Clean Energy Permitting Reform Needed For PA To Boost Economy, Protect Climate And Burn Less Coal - By  Citizens Climate Lobby 

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]

Senate, House Bills Moving Last Week

The following environmental and energy bills saw movement last week--

Senate

Unilateral Power Grab: Senate Bill 1 (Laughlin-R-Erie) that proposes to amend the state constitution to give the General Assembly unilateral power to veto any state regulation by simply passing a resolution, without any oversight, and bypassing the Governor entirely was passed by the Senate on a largely party-line vote-- Republicans supporting-- and now goes to the House for action.     Read more here.

Bill Calendars

Senate (January 17): <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

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

Committee Meetings 

House   

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

January 20-- Senate Republican Policy Committee hearing on energy access and affordability.  Boilermakers Local 154 Building, 121 Banksville.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

 <>  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

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Senate -  Canceled Days

January 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 15, 2023]

1/16/2023