Elections and Civic Engagement
11/19/08 State House Elects
New Leaders; Changes for 2009. On Tuesday November 18
Democrats chose new leadership positions for the new two-year
session to begin in January 2009. The State House of
Representatives chose a new Speaker of the House Rep. Keith
McCall, (D-Carbon). McCall replaces Dennis O'Brien, a Republican
who was chosen by a Democrat controlled House to serve as
Speaker in 2007-2008. For the second slot, Rep. Todd Eachus
(D-Luzerne) was elected to serve as House Majority Leader. To
avoid a leadership battle, Rep. Bill DeWeese (D-Greene) chose to
not seek another term as Democratic Leader, but chose to run for
Majority Whip (third-ranking position) instead.
As of the November 4, 2008 general election, the Pennsylvania
General Assembly remains split. Democrats will control the House
by a 104-99 majority, while Republicans will control the Senate
with a 29-20 majority. House Democrats won 6 Republican seats,
and House Republicans won 4 Democrat seats, for a net gain of
two seats for the Democrats, but lost one member of the House
Democrat leadership (Rep. Dan Surra) in that election.
Rep Sam Smith (R) [incumbent] was elected by the Republican
Caucus to serve as House Republican Leader (minority).
In the Senate, Republicans increased their majority for 2009
to 29 Republican Senators versus 20 Democrats. On November 4,
Senate Democrats lost all of their contested races against
Senate Republicans, including a loss against the recently
deceased Republican Sen. Jim Rhoades. With the passing of Lt.
Governor Catherine Baker Knoll, Senator Joseph Scarnati (R-25)
President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, became Lt. Governor. The
State constitution permits him to hold both the Pro-Tempore
position and the Lt. Governor’s position at the same time.
Also on November 4, Auditor General Jack Wagner received one
of the highest overall vote totals, and winning margins, in PA
history. Attorney General Tom Corbett was reelected, but by
smaller margins, and Democrat Rob McCord was elected State
Treasurer.
In addition, on 11/12/08 it was announced that the State
Revenue Secretary Tom Wolf has resigned, and will be replaced by
former State Representative Steve Stetler (D-York).
January 6, 2009 marks the date of the new 111th Congress. Two
new members of Congress will represent Pennsylvania. Congressman
English (R-Erie) lost his re-election bid on November 4 lost to
relative newcomer Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper. Republican Glenn
Thompson won the 5th District seat that had been vacated by Rep.
John Peterson.
Phil English served on the House Ways & Means Committee,
though in the minority party. Allyson Schwartz is the only other
Pennsylvania member of Congress in the House Ways& Means
Committee. It is unclear whether another member of
Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation will receive English’s
seat in Ways & Means.
Over the coming weeks, charities are being encouraged to get
to know their new legislators.
3/7/08 Presidential
Primary Races to Pennsylvania: Senator Clinton’s victory in
Tuesday’s Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island primary elections ensure
that Pennsylvania’s vote on April 22 will play a crucial role in
the race to the Presidency. For the next 48 days, all eyes will
be on Pennsylvania, as the Clinton and Obama campaigns spend up
to $1 million a week on television ads, and millions more on
mail, radio, and get-out-the vote efforts.
Register to vote: The last day to register to vote, change
your address, or change your party affiliation for
Pennsylvania’s primary is March 24. The last day to apply for an
absentee ballot is April 15. Complete a voter registration form
go to
https://ssl.capwiz.com/pano/e4/nvra/?action=form&state=PA.
For more information go to
www.dos.state.pa.us/bcel.
The Primary Project: The Primary Project is a national effort
to make the needs and impact of the nonprofit sector part of the
national dialogue by educating candidates and the public about
the sector. Spearheaded by the Nonprofit Congress and the New
Hampshire Center for Nonprofits (NHCN), the Primary Project is
educating presidential candidates in New Hampshire. NHCN is
coordinating events and 'bird dogging' (encouraging people to
show up at candidate events and ask questions about the
nonprofit sector) between diverse groups of nonprofit leaders
and the presidential candidates. For the candidate questions go
to http://www.nonprofitcongress.org/files/Candidate%20Questions.pdf.
For more information go tohttp://www.nonprofitcongress.org/?q=primary.
See also http://www.nonprofitcongress.org/files/Primary
Project%Candidates.doc.
The V3 Campaign: The V3 Campaign, launched in January 2008,
aims to make the voice of the nonprofit sector heard, its value
realized, and its votes counted in EVERY election in America by
Inauguration Day, January 20th, 2017. The V3 Campaign asks
candidates in any higher office, to provide details about their
experience with and plans for strengthening the nonprofit sector
if they are elected. V3 then collects the candidate’s answers,
posts the replies and tracks the accomplishments.
For more information visit
http://www.v3campaign.org/
Voice:
http://www.v3campaign.org/voice
Vote:
http://www.v3campaign.org/vote
Value:
http://www.v3campaign.org/value.
1/30/08
Primary Project Founder, Robert Egger, Launches V3 Campaign for
Nonprofit Engagement.
The V3 website will cover all elections for higher office across
America--providing any interested organization, association,
volunteer group or citizen with the tools they need to legally
engage candidates in dialogue about the socioeconomic importance
of the nonprofit sector. Charities are urged to send questions
to Presidential candidates in 2008. Ask them what their personal
and professional experience has been with nonprofits, and how
they would partner with and strengthen nonprofits to achieve
their vision. V3 will make the voice of the nonprofit sector
heard, its value realized, and its votes counted in EVERY
election in America (Mayor, State Legislature, Congress, Senate
and the Presidency).by Inauguration Day, January 20th, 2017.
YOUR work, the issues YOU care about, will only be addressed
when we stand together. For more information visit
http://www.v3campaign.org/. The time is NOW.
8/29/07 Egger-Eisenberg
Square-off in the Great Charity Electioneering Debates.
Somewhere between the Lincoln-Douglas debates and “Celebrity
Deathmatch” is the Egger-Eisenberg Charity Electioneering
Debates. Consequences for the sector are profound. These are not
the same-old tired issues, hashed out in a board meeting, by
risk-averse leaders fueled more by inertia than by innovation.
On the contrary, this may be the most interesting philosophical
debate to face our sector in over a decade.
7/10/07
State House Passes Bill to move
2008 Primary Election Date to February 12. On July
10, the PA House of Representatives took its first step toward
moving-up the date for Pennsylvania’s Presidential Primary
election by passing
HB289 by a vote of 117-85. The Readshaw bill would make the
second Tuesday in February the Primary Election date during
Presidential election years, thus moving the 2008 date from
April 22 to February 12. It is hoped that by moving the Primary
election date, Pennsylvania will become a more important player
in the national electoral process. According the Representative
Readshaw (D-Allegheny) "If the competition for convention
delegates is essentially over by the time Pennsylvania's primary
rolls around, the need of the candidates to come here is greatly
reduced and the impact of the voters of the Commonwealth on the
major parties' choice of presidential nominees will almost
certainly be zero." The bill now moves to the PA Senate, but it
is not expected to be considered until after summer recess.
 |
