The Pennsylvania Legislature is not getting much done. Since the start of the session in January, the 253 full-time elected members have gotten just one non-controversial bill passed: a measure requiring insurance companies to provide screenings for breast cancer.
Pennsylvania has a Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, a Republican majority 50-member Senate, and a newly Democrat-led House with 203-members.
House committees had been chaired by Republicans from 2011 but in 2023, Democrats took a thin majority. While in the minority, frustrated Democrats often commented about how difficult it was to get their priorities considered in committee, let alone sent to the full chamber for a floor vote. Now, committees and the House are in the hands of Democratic leadership, which sets the tone for which bills to pursue….