First Read PA – Oct. 23, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: sunny, high of 62; Harrisburg: sunny, high of 59; Pittsburgh: patchy frost before 9 a.m., sunny, high of 56.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* It’s not 2024 yet, but candidates running for Congress next year are already busy expanding their war chests ahead of a consequential campaign year. We combed through the campaign finance reports of Pennsylvania’s 2024 congressional candidates to see how they fared in the third quarter of this year.

* The race for Pennsylvania attorney general is ramping up, with more candidacy and endorsement announcements dropping each week. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer has reportedly entered the race, but you can find our full list of candidates running for attorney general – and their endorsements – here.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser over the weekend officially declared himself to be a candidate for Speaker of the House after Republicans dropped efforts to make Jim Jordan the chamber’s next speaker, The Reading Eagle reports.

* After experiencing a paper shortage in 2022, Luzerne County has become a cautionary tale for counties struggling with the departures of election directors and their staff, The Associated Press reports.

* Philadelphia’s 2023 mayoral candidates discussed their stances on the city’s wage tax, the construction of a new Philadelphia 76ers arena and policing during a joint editorial board interview, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office agreed to pay $295,000 in taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment complaint against one of his trusted staffers, and the agreement included a confidentiality clause that barred both sides from discussing the allegations, Spotlight PA reports.

* Local officials and business owners in Pittsburgh are working to address confusion caused by the city’s new plastic bag ban, which took effect earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. 

* Roughly 1 billion paper state records will have a new home with the opening of the four-story, 150,000-square-foot State Archives building at 1681 North Sixth Street in Harrisburg next month, PennLive reports.

* Shortly after state Rep. Patty Kim announced her intent to run for state Senate in 2024, Democrat Tina Nixon said she will seek the Democratic nomination for state representative in the 103rd House District, Politics PA reports.

* Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is encouraging Republicans to work with Democrats to make a deal and end the ongoing fight over the speakership, the Pittsburgh Union Progress reports.

* The Philadelphia region’s Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub is one of seven hubs in the country selected by the Biden administration to begin making hydrogen fuel from renewable sources, the Inquirer reports.

* A month before Danilo Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison, a prison guard warned in an email that the convicted murderer had been plotting an escape, the AP reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Tribune-Review writes that the confidential nature of a $295,000 settlement involving sexual harassment claims against a top Shapiro aide is “wrong for multiple reasons.”

* The Inquirer has an op-ed from former Philadelphia Tribune reporter Larry Miller, who writes that “the next mayor needs to have a steel backbone” on the issues of crime and public safety.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* A total of nine Republicans will seek the speaker’s gavel after the U.S. House of Representatives has gone nearly three weeks without a leader, but it’s unclear if any of the candidates will be able to secure the 217 votes needed, Politico reports.

* Former President Donald Trump reportedly shared sensitive information about Iraq and Ukraine with Mar-a-Lago member Anthony Pratt, an Australian billionaire who is one of 84 witnesses identified in Trump’s classified documents case, Axios reports.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Derek Beyer, content strategist, Bloom Works Public Benefit LLC … and to Ronald L. Hicks Jr., partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough … and to Bill Johnston-Walsh, state director, AARP Pennsylvania … 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:

9:30 a.m. – The Senate Education Committee meets for a public hearing on structured literacy, Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, state Capitol, Harrisburg. Watch here. 

10 a.m. – The Philadelphia City Council Committee on Rules meets, remotely. Watch here. 

12 p.m. – The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee meet for a joint public hearing on crop damage, Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, state Capitol, Harrisburg. Watch here. 

2 p.m. – The House Housing & Community Development Committee meets for an informational meeting on housing development, Lancaster Chamber, 115 E. King St., Lancaster. 

2 p.m. – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency highlight available resources for victims of domestic violence, Main Rotunda, state Capitol, Harrisburg. 

Off The Floor – The Senate Appropriations Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room, state Capitol, Harrisburg.

Off The Floor – The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room, state Capitol, Harrisburg.

Off The Floor – The Senate Rules & Executive Nominations Committee meets, Rules Committee Conference Room, state Capitol, Harrisburg. 

KICKER: 

“Come work with the Democrats. We’ll negotiate some arrangement. That’s the only path out.” – Deluzio on the ongoing impasse to choose the next House speaker, via the Union Progress