May 21, 2015

Weekly Wrap:

Neither the House nor the Senate was in Harrisburg for session this week, so the focus statewide was on Tuesday’s primary election. In addition to the typical slate of local offices to be filled, the statewide judicial offices were also up for grabs.

Let’s start at the top. For the first time in some 300 years, there are three vacancies on the state Supreme Court, due to the retirement of Chief Justice Ronald Castille and the resignations of Justice Joan Orie Melvin and Justice Seamus McCaffery. On the Democratic side, Superior Court Judges David Wecht and Christine Donohue, as well as Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Kevin Dougherty, each earned a spot on the November ballot. On the Republican side, the nominees will be Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey, Adams County Common Pleas Judge Michael George and Superior Court Judge Judith Olsen. Current sitting Justice Correale Stevens was up for election but did not secure a place on the Republican ticket. Stevens, having been appointed by Gov. Tom Corbett to replace Justice Orie Melvin was facing his first statewide race for the Supreme Court.

Stevens’ appointment to the Supreme Court created a vacancy on the state’s intermediate appellate court, the Superior Court. Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Alice Dubow (D) and Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano (R) will face off for that seat in November.

Finally, due to the retirement of Judge Dan Pellegrini, there is a vacancy on the Commonwealth Court. Two Pittsburgh area lawyers will vie for that seat: Democrat Michael Wojcik and Republican Paul Lalley will face each other to fill that post in November.

In addition to the judicial and municipal primary, there was also a special election in the Fifth Senatorial District on Tuesday to fill the seat vacated by Mike Stack, who is now serving as Lieutenant Governor. Current Democratic seated Representative John Sabatina, Jr. defeated Republican Tim Dailey to serve out the remainder of Stack’s term. The Speaker of the House will now need to call a special election to fill Sabatina’s seat.

For a complete listing of election returns, go to: http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ENR_New/

Elsewhere, the governor announced the nomination of Andrew Place to the Public Utility Commission. Place, who was most recently corporate director for energy and environmental policy at EQT Corporation, will replace Commissioner James Cawley once he is confirmed by the State Senate.

For more about Place, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015051870.HTM

A Look Ahead:

The legislature is not scheduled to be in session next week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House Democratic Policy Committee will be in the southeastern part of the state for hearings on education issues. On Thursday, IRRC will hold its regular meeting.

For a complete list of committee hearings, go to: www.legis.state.pa.us

For the IRRC agenda, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015050479.PDF

In Other News: