First Read – Dec. 15, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: sunny, high of 52; Harrisburg: sunny, high of 53; Pittsburgh: sunny, high of 52.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* Democratic state Rep. John Galloway resigned from the state House yesterday as he prepares to take office as a district judge next year, and House Speaker Joanna McClinton followed by scheduling a special election to fill Galloway’s seat on Feb. 13. 

* City & State spoke with one incoming lawmaker in Philadelphia – Rue Landau – about her campaign, issues plaguing the city and how a new-look council will work alongside a groundbreaking go-getter in the mayor’s office. 

* In this week’s Winners & Losers, Philly’s sports stars outdo Taylor Swift, the fallout at University of Pennsylvania continues and more. 

NEW THIS MORNING:

* More criminal records in Pennsylvania can be sealed from public view and fewer people might be kept on probation or in county jails under legislation signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro yesterday, The Associated Press reports.

* Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shut down the Spring Garden Street Bridge in Philadelphia and blocked the westbound lanes of Interstate 76 below during the afternoon rush hour yesterday, leading police to detain more than 30 at the scene, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 

* The Inquirer also breaks down the last Philadelphia City Council session of this term, which included a flurry of legislation and speeches praising outgoing Council President Darrell L. Clarke.

* The Democratic State Committee is expected to vote on – and likely approve – a resolution “in opposition to private school vouchers” during a party meeting in Harrisburg this weekend, the Inquirer reports. 

* Republican lawmakers defeated legislation to send $33.5 million to the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school over criticism that the school has tolerated antisemitism, the AP reports.

* Even though Liz Magill has resigned as University of Pennsylvania president, the school is still facing a congressional investigation prompted by her testimony before a House committee last week, along with numerous other universities, the Inquirer reports. 

* December is high season for so-called “porch pirates” stealing people’s Christmas gifts before they make it under the tree. But a bill that Shapiro signed yesterday creates a new criminal offense specifically targeted at home delivery package thieves, PennLive reports.

* Allegheny County’s Ethics Commission has recommended that County Councilor Bethany Hallam be “admonished” for violations of the county’s ethics code – violations that it says stem from efforts to give outgoing Treasurer John Weinstein an opportunity to join the board of ALCOSAN, WESA reports.  

* Federal prosecutors said a criminal case against two nursing care facilities and five people who worked there is about lies and greed. But defense attorneys said the prosecution’s witnesses lied in a case that never should have been brought, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. 

* Pennsylvania motorists need to get used to having cameras watching how fast they zip through active roadway work zones, because these automated speed enforcement systems will soon be here to stay, PennLive reports. 

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer writes that dismantling Kensington’s $1 billion illegal drug industry will not be easy. Helping those battling addiction may be even harder. But Philadelphia must stop looking the other way.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* The toppling of the University of Pennsylvania’s president, Elizabeth Magill, was a victory for those who believe that pro-Palestinian protesters have gone too far in their speech. But for many longtime observers of the campus speech wars, this moment is a dire one for freedom of expression, The New York Times reports. 

* Republicans in New York designated Mazi Melesa Pilip, a local legislator in Nassau County, to run to replace expelled representative George Santos in Congress during a special election next year, setting the stage for a high-profile race that could be consequential in helping determine the party balance of the House, The Washington Post reports. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To state Rep. Stephen Kinsey … to former state Rep. William Kortz … and to Hans van Mol, president of the PA Young Democrats  … 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:

11 a.m. – The Center for Rural Pennsylvania meets, Mifflinburg Buggy Museum, 598 Green St., Mifflinburg.

2:30 p.m. – Gov. Josh Shapiro will join Meek Mill, the REFORM Alliance, legislative leaders and reform advocates for a ceremonial bill signing celebrating probation reform and clean slate legislation, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., Philadelphia. Watch here. 

KICKER: 

“Goodbye, tension. Hello, pension. I’m out of here.” – Philadelphia City Councilmember Sharon Vaughn, via the Inquirer