First Read – Dec. 13, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: sunny, high of 44; Harrisburg: sunny, high of 42; Pittsburgh: sunny, high of 41.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* Next year, in addition to a bevy of high-profile races at the federal level, Pennsylvania voters will have the opportunity – and responsibility – of picking the state’s next auditor general. City & State has put together an early list of all the candidates running for auditor general in 2024 – and their endorsements.

* ICYMI: In our latest Special Report, City & State looks at the changing of the guard in Philadelphia: Just weeks before historic changes sweep through the ranks of Philadelphia City Hall, top priorities are becoming clearer.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* If any single politician’s voice led to the University of Pennsylvania president’s resignation Saturday, it was Gov. Josh Shapiro’s, from the moment he sharply condemned president Liz Magill’s congressional testimony, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* Voters in south-central Pennsylvania began getting calls over the weekend from a completely artificial person campaigning on behalf of a Democratic congressional candidate – in what its creators believe is the first interactive AI-powered political phone campaign, Politico reports.  

* Spotlight PA looks at Shapiro’s first year as governor: The Democrat, a former state lawmaker who touts himself as a dealmaker, has nonetheless struggled at times to advance priorities through Harrisburg’s ideologically divided legislature. His record will depend on how well he can find middle ground.

* The University of Pennsylvania has named an interim president after the resignation of Liz Magill. Dr. J. Larry Jameson, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, will hold the position until a permanent president is named, WHYY reports. 

* During a discussion about budget amendments yesterday, Pittsburgh City Council discussed a proposal for a roughly 7% salary increase next year – much larger than the hike that was previously on the table, WESA reports. 

* Struggles in Westmoreland County put a spotlight on what officials said is an ongoing need to find available options for juveniles charged with crimes and who need to be detained in secured locations, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

* A bill that will allow more of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana growers and processors to also act as retailers – and vice-versa – fully cleared the legislature yesterday and will head to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk, PennLive reports.

* With little time to spare, the Pennsylvania legislature has passed an extension of the state’s soon-to-expire wiretap act that includes an expansion of its carve-out for body cameras but not some of the legal safeguards that legislators had negotiated earlier this year, PennLive reports.  

* Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Pitt’s Institute of Politics yesterday released a new study on racial disparities in the county’s criminal justice system that found that the problem had actually grown worse during the past several years, WESA reports. 

* SEPTA’s police union is threatening to strike today if a contract is not reached with the transit authority. FOTP Lodge #109, representing SEPTA’s 178 patrol officers, has been working without a contract since March, with the main issue reportedly being pay, WHYY reports. 

* Washington County Controller April Sloane faces felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals after police said she starved her dog to death, the Tribune-Review reports. 

* Allentown City Council yesterday adopted a 2024 budget that included no new taxes – the second time it's done so in the past six weeks – approving a budget that will take about $762,000 from the city's general fund to cover expenses, LehighValleyNews reports. 

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer has an op-ed from Scott Bok, the former chair of Penn's board of trustees who resigned Saturday along with president Liz Magill, who cautions that universities need to be very careful of the influence of money.

* The Tribune-Review writes that an unsecured shelter meant for adolescents with nowhere to turn, staffed by people who aren’t permitted to stop or detain them, is not a substitute for locked doors and firm supervision when that is what is necessary.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* The House is on track to approve a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden today, pushing forward with a yearlong GOP investigation that has failed to produce evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors, The New York Times reports. 

* A bipartisan group of senators and House members today will debut a rare joint effort to advance paid leave legislation, The Washington Post reports. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To state Reps. Jessica Benham and Maureen Madden … Want to wish someone a happy birthday in our newsletter? Email their name, job title and upcoming birthday to editor@cityandstatepa.com.

TODAY’S SKED:

9 a.m. – The Local Government Commission meets, Room 515, Irvis Office Building, Harrisburg. Watch here. 

9 a.m. – The House Health Subcommittee on Health Care holds an informational meeting on North American cannabis regulatory landscape, Room G50, Irvis Office. Watch here. 

9:30 a.m. – The House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee meets, Room 205, Ryan Office. Watch here.

9:30 a.m. – The House Finance Committee meets, Room B31, Main Capitol. Watch here.

9:30 a.m. – The House Judiciary Committee meets for a public hearing on HB 1888, Room 140, Main Capitol. Watch here.

9:30 a.m. – Pittsburgh City Council meets, Council Chambers. 

10 a.m. – The House Local Government Committee meets, Room 60, East Wing. Watch here.

10:30 a.m. – The House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee meets, Room 515, Irvis Office. Watch here.

1:30 p.m. – The Pittsburgh City Council Committee on Hearings and Policy meets, Council Chambers. 

Off the Floor – The Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room. 

Off the Floor – The Senate Appropriations Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room. 

Off the Floor – The Senate Finance Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room. 

Off the Floor – The Senate Rules & Executive Nominations Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room. 

Call of Chair – The House Appropriations Committee meets, Room 140, Main Capitol. Watch here.

KICKER: 

“Josh (Shapiro)’s faith has always been central to his identity, and he obviously feels strongly about speaking up at this moment of heightened anxiety in the Jewish community.” – Democratic political strategist J.J. Balaban, via the Inquirer