Even though the 199th General Assembly was sworn in on January 6, the real action starts next week with the inauguration of a new governor and organizational meetings of each of the standing committees. Not much is expected to happen substantively over those few session days (Monday is a state holiday), but they’ll be busy nonetheless.
The Feature: Wolf Inauguration
Tuesday kicks off with the inauguration of Mike Stack, Pennsylvania’s newest lieutenant governor. Stack, most recently a state senator, will now preside over that chamber as its president.
For more information about Stack, see: http://www.stackforpa.com/about/
At noon, Tom Wolf will be sworn in as the 47th Governor of Pennsylvania. The make-up of the administration will go from Republican to Democrat with this changing of the guard, which will make for an interesting session, given that the composition of the General Assembly is more Republican than we’ve seen in some 50 years. Following the ceremony is a day full of events, including an open house at the governor’s residence and a celebration at Hershey Lodge.
For more information on Wolf, see: http://tom.wolfforpa.com/
For a full list of inauguration day events, go to: http://wolfinauguration.com/
Supporting Roles: New Staff and Secretaries
As always, a new governor means a new team in the front office, as well as new cabinet secretaries throughout the commonwealth’s administrative agencies. So far, Wolf has appointed former primary opponents Katie McGinty as Chief of Staff and John Hanger as Policy Secretary. Both McGinty and Hangar served in Governor Rendell’s cabinet as the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (at different times). Long-time Democratic operative Mary Isenhour will take over as Secretary of Legislative Affairs, and the former Deputy of Legislative Affairs for Mayor Nutter Obra S. Kernodle will head up the Office of Public Liaison and serve as a Deputy Chief of Staff. Former ADA and counsel to the Philadelphia Police Department Denise Smyler will lead the Office of General Counsel, and Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee Executive Director Randy Albright will take the helm as Budget Secretary. Rounding out the front office, Wolf has appointed state government veteran Sharon Minnich to serve as the Secretary of Administration and current Secretary of Transportation Barry Schoch to serve as a special adviser on transportation issues.
Additionally, Wolf has put forth his selections for a few members of his cabinet. Pittsburgh’s own Daniel Davin has been nominated to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development, and Eileen McNulty has been nominated as Secretary of the Department of Revenue, a post she once held under Governor Robert P. Casey. Former administrator of the Oregon Insurance Division Teresa Miller has been asked to oversee the commonwealth’s Insurance Department. Finally, former State Treasurer Robin Wiessmann will take over as the Secretary of the Department of Banking and Securities.
Pedro Cortes has been nominated to take back the reins at the Department of State; he held this position under the Rendell Administration. Current head of purchasing for Georgetown University Curt Topper has been asked to serve as Secretary of DGS. Topper served as deputy secretary of procurement under the Rendell administration. And Russell Redding, who was the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture from 2009 through 2011, will resume that post. But it’s not just Rendell alumni in the mix; current Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel has been asked to remain in that post. Wetzel has served under Governor Corbett in this capacity since 2011.
Wolf has also nominated former DCNR Secretary John Quigley to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and conservation expert Cindy Dunn to serve as Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Leslie Richards, who current serves as the vice chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and chair of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, has been selected to head up operations at the Department of Transportation.
Finally, superintendent of Maryland State Police Colonel Marcus Brown has been asked to step in as Commissioner of Pennsylvania State Police. Former deputy director of PEMA Richard Flinn will return to head that agency while another PEMA alum, Major General James Joseph, will serve as the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Tim Solobay, former State Representative turned State Senator from Washington County will join Wolf’s team as State Fire Commissioner.
For more about McGinty, go to: http://wolftransitionpa.com/sections/blog/tom-wolf-names-kathleen-mcginty-incoming-chief-of-staff
For more about Hanger, Isenhour and Kernodle, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2014/2014121075.HTM
For more about Smyler and Cortes, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015010866.HTM
For more about Albright, Redding and Wiessman, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015011367.HTM
For more about Minnich, Quigley and Dunn, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015011469.HTM
For more about Schoch and Richards, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015011458.HTM
For more about Davin and McNulty, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015010538.HTM
For more about Miller, Topper and Wetzel go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015011269.HTM
For more about Brown, Flinn, Joseph and Solobay, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015011570.HTM
On Another Stage: The General Assembly
Though most of the day’s events are governor-centric, the General Assembly will have a busy day of its own. Standing committees in both chambers will hold their first meetings of 2015, primarily to adopt operating rules for the new session. Nothing of substance is expected to be reported from the committees; however, come Wednesday, all bets are off, and we can expect the legislature to be moving full-steam ahead the following week.
For a list of House committee chairs, see: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015010558.HTM
For a list of Senate committee chairs, see: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015010977.PDF
http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015010964.HTM
The next few weeks might just be busy, as committees begin to hold meetings and Governor Wolf continues to assemble his cabinet. The new Guv will also be busy preparing for his first budget address, which will be delivered to the General Assembly on March 3. Stay tuned to this blog or follow us on twitter @BuchananGov for updates.