Spending bill becomes Dems’ primary weapon
The fight over federal infrastructure spending has made its way to Pennsylvania鈥檚 Senate race, where support for the $1 trillion bill has become a cudgel in the Democratic primary.
Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th District 鈥� who represents a politically divided region outside Pittsburgh 鈥� is using his support for the infrastructure bill to strike out at 2022 primary opponents.
鈥淯nlike anyone else in this race, I鈥檝e been vetted and tested, and you know what you get with me,鈥� Lamb tweeted this week. 鈥淯nlike anyone else in this race, I actually voted for the infrastructure bill.鈥�
Several political figures have jumped into the Democratic race to replace outgoing Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. Aside from Lamb, none are in Congress 鈥� so none are in a position to vote for or against the infrastructure package.
Lamb鈥檚 statement instead appears to be an implicit attack on opponents branded as progressives, like Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia. With no fellow members of Congress to explicitly run against, Lamb鈥檚 comments have implicitly positioned him against the so-called 鈥淪quad鈥� 鈥� the small group of left-wing House representatives who rankle centrist Democrats and Republicans.
But where does the infrastructure bill fit in?
President Joe Biden called for Congress to pass two bills, one to rebuild roads and transit systems and another to beef up social policies, including paid parental leave, universal preschool and funds for greener infrastructure.
The larger social bill, called the Build Back Better plan, was slashed amid negotiations with centrist Democrats, despite protest from progressives. The progressives insisted that both bills must pass simultaneously to ensure their support.
But last week, enough House Democrats and Republicans united to pass only the smaller infrastructure bill, against opposition from Squad members. Pennsylvania鈥檚 delegation voted mostly along party lines, although Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, crossed the aisle to vote for the bill.
Despite promises that the larger social spending bill is still on its way, new delays have made the timing uncertain. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who voted against the lone bill, said 鈥渆veryone should have seen that coming鈥� when the two bills were decoupled.
With only the smaller bill in place and the larger bill鈥檚 future unknown, Lamb has staked his 2022 position against those who would ask for more.
鈥淚f you want a senator who runs as a socialist, feeds the GOP attack ads, and didn鈥檛 help with infrastructure, I鈥橫 NOT YOUR GUY,鈥� he tweeted last week, calling himself a 鈥渘ormal Democrat.鈥�
Bills would change school elections
With a season of hard-fought school board elections now over, some state lawmakers are moving to change the way board members are elected and held accountable.
In a memo to colleagues this week, Rep. Marci Mustello, R-Butler, said she would propose a law that would ban board candidates from cross-filing under both major parties鈥� ballot lines. Mustello鈥檚 proposal would end the relatively common practice, instead requiring candidates to file under only one party.
鈥淥ften, voters are confused when a school board candidate is nominated for more than one party on the ballot and eliminating their ability to cross-file will provide clarity to voters who use party registration as a voting cue,鈥� she said.
A similar bill passed the House in 2018 but never reached a Senate vote.
This week, Mustello also proposed ramping up the number of signatures needed to secure a school board ballot position. To run for the office, a candidate needs only 10 voters鈥� signatures; under the proposal, the quota would increase to 100.
Mustello isn鈥檛 the only GOP lawmaker discussing new school board rules. Rep. John Lawrence, R-Chester, is seeking support for a bill that would shield school board members from personal liability over their decisions.
Lawrence cited a September letter, in which state Secretary of Education Noe Ortega told members of an eastern Pennsylvania board that they could face civil liability for negligence if they ignore a state mask mandate.
鈥淚ndividuals can and do file suit against government officials, in their official capacity, all the time,鈥� Lawrence said. 鈥淐rossing the line to file suits against elected officials in their personal capacity is a precedent that could lead to a host of unanticipated consequences.鈥�
Gun carry bill nears passage
GOP senators from central and western Pennsylvania uniformly backed a bill this week to allow permit-free concealed carry of firearms.
The bill by Sen. Cris Dush, R-Cameron, would eliminate the need for a permit to carry a concealed gun in the state. Gun owners could still get a permit if they want to carry a concealed gun in the dozens of states that keep so-called reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania.
鈥淔irearms ownership is a constitutional right that should not be subject to infringement or questioning,鈥� Dush said.
The bill passed Tuesday in a 29-21 Senate vote. Senate Republicans backed the bill 鈥� among them Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, and Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Cambria.
The bill easily cleared a House committee on Wednesday and awaits a vote by the chamber.
Gov. Tom Wolf has already vowed to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
鈥淭his is a move to lower the bar for unvetted, permitless people to carry hidden weapons while they walk our streets and mingle in our communities and to dismantle the commonwealth鈥檚 system for responsible gun ownership,鈥� he said.
Ryan Brown covers statewide politics for Ogden Newspapers. He can be reached at rbrown@altoonamirror.com.