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Breaking: Joanna McClinton elected first female speaker of the Pa. House as Mark Rozzi steps down
From Spotlight:
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/02/pa-house-speaker-mark-rozzi-resigns/
HARRISBURG — Democrat Joanna McClinton was elected the first female speaker of the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday after Mark Rozzi stepped down after two tumultuous months presiding over the lower chamber. McClinton was supported by all 102 Democrats in the chamber and no Republicans.
“I’m grateful for all who fought before me … so that this day was possible,” McClinton said after taking the oath of office. “It is only on their shoulders that I stand here today.”
McClinton is the first woman and second Black person to be speaker of the Pennsylvania House, after K. Leroy Irvis. Rozzi announced he was stepping down at the beginning of the state House’s Tuesday session.
His brief time as speaker was defined by partisan fights and gridlock over the rules that govern the lower chamber. Rozzi told Spotlight PA he hopes his legacy will be a rules package that would give rank-and-file lawmakers from both major parties more say in the chamber’s agenda.
“I’m grateful for all who fought before me … so that this day was possible,” McClinton said after taking the oath of office. “It is only on their shoulders that I stand here today.”
McClinton is the first woman and second Black person to be speaker of the Pennsylvania House, after K. Leroy Irvis. Rozzi announced he was stepping down at the beginning of the state House’s Tuesday session.
His brief time as speaker was defined by partisan fights and gridlock over the rules that govern the lower chamber. Rozzi told Spotlight PA he hopes his legacy will be a rules package that would give rank-and-file lawmakers from both major parties more say in the chamber’s agenda.
- more at link -
Well I guess this has been hinted at for the last couple of weeks. Thank you Rep. Mark Rozzi!
Congratulations to our new Speaker Joanna McClinton!
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in the Tribune-Review:
Within a week of Rozzi’s election, his closest Republican ally, state Rep. Jim Gregory, R-Blair County, called for his resignation from the speakership. At the same time, Rozzi regularly met with state House Democratic leaders.
Speaking to Spotlight PA Tuesday morning, Rozzi said he went into the deal aware that Republicans were trying to use him, and he decided that they “were gonna pay for it.”
“There’s a lot of things wrong with Harrisburg. And the way I was elected speaker, that’s a prime description of what is wrong with Harrisburg because the Republicans had a majority at that time,” Rozzi said. “But they tried to manipulate, hoodwink, snooker the members of this General Assembly by electing me, thinking that I would do their bidding for them. That I would turn against my party.”
Speaking to Spotlight PA Tuesday morning, Rozzi said he went into the deal aware that Republicans were trying to use him, and he decided that they “were gonna pay for it.”
“There’s a lot of things wrong with Harrisburg. And the way I was elected speaker, that’s a prime description of what is wrong with Harrisburg because the Republicans had a majority at that time,” Rozzi said. “But they tried to manipulate, hoodwink, snooker the members of this General Assembly by electing me, thinking that I would do their bidding for them. That I would turn against my party.”
Pennsylvania' s sexual predator law has a remarkably short window for bringing charges. In many cases the short statute of limitation has made it impossible for young victims to file charges once they have come of age. Mr. Rozzi was himself a victim of a sexual predator (a Catholic priest) while he was a school-age altar boy.
He is a Democrat himself, but Mr. Rozzi has worked across the aisle whenever possible to get his constitutional amendment approved in Harrisburg and out to the voters. I guess he saw his chance when they came to him and asked him to be the interim Speaker. I believe he did get his bill passed in the House while he was Speaker, and now it's being reviewed in the General Assembly.
Delayed but not denied!!!!
The article also mentioned these stats -
-Both PA legislative chambers are now headed up by African American elected officals (Lt. Gov. Austin Davis as President of the Senate and Joanna McClinton as Speaker of the House).
-PA State Supreme Court is Chief Justice is headed up by Justice Debra Todd (D), first female Chief Justice and joining women as heading both the Legislative (to also include loon Kim Ward (R) as state Senate Pro-Tempore) and Judiciary Branches
Pennsylvania Politics
Inside Joanna McClinton’s quick rise to becoming Pennsylvania’s first female speaker of the House
McClinton grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and has been a state representative since 2015. She's now the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state House.
by Julia Terruso
Updated on Feb 28, 2023, 6:48 p.m. ET
Joanna McClinton became Pennsylvania’s first female speaker of the House on Tuesday, ascending into the leadership role after seven years representing Philadelphia in the state legislature, where she made a name for herself as a relationship-builder and a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform and women’s health issues.
(snip)
McClinton, 40, grew up in Southwest Philadelphia, graduated from LaSalle University and Villanova Law School, and worked as a public defender. Once she entered politics, friends and colleagues say she excelled at networking and navigating Harrisburg. She quickly made a name for herself in Democratic circles by pushing back on Republican policies in passionate, widely viewed floor speeches. Her election makes her the first woman and only the second Black person to be speaker in the state’s history. With Kim Ward serving as president pro tempore of the Republican-controlled Senate and Debra Todd chief justice of the state Supreme Court, it’s also the first time Pennsylvania’s legislative and judicial branches have been led exclusively by women.
Several of McClinton’s colleagues noted her historic election occurred on the last day of Black History Month. “I don’t know that I’ve witnessed anybody moving that quickly in public service to that type of elevated position,” said State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Philadelphia), whose office McClinton worked for as a chief legal counsel. “And that’s partly a blessing, but it also has to do with her instincts, her intellect.”
She’ll now preside over a chamber where her party holds a razor-thin majority and has intraparty ideological disagreements. And she will have to make deals with Republicans in the Senate to pass legislation. While not a single Republican voted for her speakership, she takes the gavel after GOP members grew frustrated with Rozzi, who made a deal with them last month to become speaker.
(snip)
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/joanna-mcclinton-speaker-harrisburg-democrats-pennsylvania-20230228.html
Inside Joanna McClinton’s quick rise to becoming Pennsylvania’s first female speaker of the House
McClinton grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and has been a state representative since 2015. She's now the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state House.
by Julia Terruso
Updated on Feb 28, 2023, 6:48 p.m. ET
Joanna McClinton became Pennsylvania’s first female speaker of the House on Tuesday, ascending into the leadership role after seven years representing Philadelphia in the state legislature, where she made a name for herself as a relationship-builder and a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform and women’s health issues.
(snip)
McClinton, 40, grew up in Southwest Philadelphia, graduated from LaSalle University and Villanova Law School, and worked as a public defender. Once she entered politics, friends and colleagues say she excelled at networking and navigating Harrisburg. She quickly made a name for herself in Democratic circles by pushing back on Republican policies in passionate, widely viewed floor speeches. Her election makes her the first woman and only the second Black person to be speaker in the state’s history. With Kim Ward serving as president pro tempore of the Republican-controlled Senate and Debra Todd chief justice of the state Supreme Court, it’s also the first time Pennsylvania’s legislative and judicial branches have been led exclusively by women.
Several of McClinton’s colleagues noted her historic election occurred on the last day of Black History Month. “I don’t know that I’ve witnessed anybody moving that quickly in public service to that type of elevated position,” said State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Philadelphia), whose office McClinton worked for as a chief legal counsel. “And that’s partly a blessing, but it also has to do with her instincts, her intellect.”
She’ll now preside over a chamber where her party holds a razor-thin majority and has intraparty ideological disagreements. And she will have to make deals with Republicans in the Senate to pass legislation. While not a single Republican voted for her speakership, she takes the gavel after GOP members grew frustrated with Rozzi, who made a deal with them last month to become speaker.
(snip)
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/joanna-mcclinton-speaker-harrisburg-democrats-pennsylvania-20230228.html
Here was her swearing in ceremony yesterday -
And for those reading this thread not familiar with who she is in this context, here she was over the summer (most of the whole speech, not just the 1 minute that went viral) -
So much going on here and I'm hoping we can start breaking the back of the hyper-partisan GOP and start getting back to basics for legislating!!! There are some bipartisan initiatives like pre-canvassing mail ballots and even marijuana legalization (in addition to what Rozzi pushed through the House for the sexual abuse statue of limitations expansion) that should be getting done instead of more voter suppression and interference into a woman's health choices.