????  Happy New Year. Actually, I think this is officially the last day you can say that. 

????  In Today’s PoliticsPA Playbook. Shapiro Grapples With Divided Government Ahead Of A Possible 2028 Bid. Analysis Says Harrisburg Is Among The Least Effective Legislatures.  O’Connor To Focus On Growth And Families. Teddy Bear Toss Nets 82K Stuffed Animals.

????  Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Abracadabra. Lady Gaga

PA Weather
????️  Pittsburgh | Partly Sunny, 43
☁️  Williamsport | Mostly Cloudy, 35
☁️  Scranton | Mostly Cloudy, 33

PA Sports
????  Eagles (11-6) | Washington 17-24 | Sun vs. San Francisco
????  Steelers (10-7) | Baltimore 26-24 | Mon vs. Houston 
????  Sixers (19-14) | New York 130-119 | Mon vs. Denver
????  Flyers (21-12-7) | Edmonton 5-2 | Tue vs. Anaheim
????  Penguins (20-12-9) | Detroit 4-1 | Columbus 5-4 (OT) | Thu vs. New Jersey

????  What We’re Hearing. “Everyone ought to be cognizant of the job we have, the role and responsibility we have,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick told reporters in December. “You got to represent your districts. You got to defend and protect the institution and Article I. We have a role to play in this government. It’s an important one.”

????  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1.   Shapiro Grapples With Pennsylvania’s Divided Government Ahead Of A Possible 2028 Bid

“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been dealing with one big thing that sets him apart from other potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates: a divided state Legislature and all the tricky political compromises that come with it.

Shapiro frequently talks up his handling of this split, particularly in recent weeks after navigating a budget impasse that lasted more than four months.

That’s the Pennsylvania way. In Pennsylvania, to get stuff done, we work together. And even in this era of extraordinary political polarization, we are showing that we can do just that.”” | NBC News

Elsewhere

Garrity’s Campaign Will Put Gov. Josh Shapiro’s First Three Years Under A Microscope. “Voters next year will judge Shapiro on his record of running the commonwealth. While Republicans say there’s plenty to criticize, such as three late budgets and lingering questions about a sexual harassment scandal involving a top aide, Democratic and Republican political experts say his appeal to a broad swath of voters is undeniable.” | Penn Capital-Star

‘Intense Energy’ Around PA Governor’s Race and 35 Others Across U.S. In 2026. “Pennsylvania in 2026 is home to one of 36 governor’s races that will help shape state leadership, elections and policy across the country in the years to come.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania Elected Officials React To Capture of Venezuela’s Maduro. “Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face a raft of charges in the United States following President Donald Trump’s announcement early Saturday that the U.S. attacked Caracas and took them into custody. How did Pennsylvania’s elected leaders to Congress react to the news?” | PoliticsPA

Will Congress Stand Up for Itself This Year? Some Republicans Hope So. “As Republican lawmakers look ahead to the next year of the Trump administration, some have started to appear more comfortable criticizing the president’s most controversial policies, including his administration’s military escalation in Venezuela. “The only country that the United States of America should be ‘running’ is the United States of America,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said in a statement” | NOTUS

State

2.   New Analysis Says Harrisburg Is Among Least Effective Legislatures. Some Say Reform Is Needed

“A nationwide analysis of state legislatures found that Pennsylvania had one of the least efficient state legislatures in the country last year. And while some lawmakers think that imposing term limits or shrinking the legislature might improve its performance, others say it’s just harder to advance legislation when political parties split control of the House and Senate.

Pennsylvania state lawmakers only passed about 4% of the bills they introduced, putting the state among the least productive legislatures in the country, according to a data and policy roundup from FiscalNote. That’s despite — or maybe because of — the fact that with 203 House members and 50 Senators, Pennsylvania also has the nation’s largest full-time state legislature.” | WESA

Elsewhere

High-Stakes 2026 Elections Will Determine Control Of PA Legislature, Which Party Sets Policy. “Democrats and Republicans will each vie to maintain control of one legislative chamber while attempting to flip the other. Battleground districts range from south-central Pennsylvania farm country to western rust belt towns to burgeoning suburbs outside major cities.” | Spotlight PA

How PA’s Attorney General and His NJ Counterpart Forged An Unlikely Bond Across The Aisle. “Right after Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday was sworn into office in January, he received a lunch invitation from across the Delaware River. It didn’t matter that they came from different political parties, said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, a Democrat appointed to his post by outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Around The Commonwealth

3.   O’Connor Will Begin His Term As Mayor With A Focus On Growth And Families

“As Corey O’Connor prepares to be sworn in Monday as Pittsburgh’s next mayor, he’s looking to change how government approaches longstanding problems in an effort to reshape the city into a hub for businesses and families. 

Mr. O’Connor’s inauguration will take place Monday afternoon at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland — almost 20 years to the date that his father, Bob O’Connor, became mayor.

Taking office as the 62nd mayor of Pennsylvania’s second largest city will come with immediate challenges.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elsewhere

Guridy and Smith Selected For 22nd State House District Special Election. “Democrat Julian Guridy will face Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. in the Feb. 24 special election to fill a vacancy in the 22nd state House District seat.” | Armchair Lehigh Valley

Democrat Mazzocco To Face GOP’s Leckenby In State House Race To Replace Dan Miller. “Local Democrats and Republicans have chosen their nominees to replace state Rep. Dan Miller in a special election next month, with Democrats selecting a Dormont borough councilor and the GOP rallying behind a recent law-school graduate who sought the South Hills seat in 2024.” | WESA

COVID, Protests, Home Rule: Lancaster Mayor Ready To Say Goodbye After 8 Years In Office. “Five months into the job, Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace was starting to have regrets. Now she’s counting down the hours until she passes the baton to Jaime Arroyo, who will be sworn in as the city’s 44th mayor on Monday. During his campaign, Arroyo had the backing of Sorace, a key supporter in his race to become Lancaster’s first Latino mayor.” | LNP

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Three Data Points To Judge Corey O’Connor’s Mayoralty | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• How Will Ed Gainey Be Remembered? | Adriana E. Ramírez
• Shapiro’s Gas-Lightning Plan: Dimming Pennsylvania’s Energy Future | Stacy Garrity
• America Launches Its 250th Birthday Year By Becoming A Rogue State | Will Bunch 
• Democrats Won 90% Of Key Races In 2025, And Republicans Are Jumping Ship | Mark S. Singel
• Penn State Trustees Still Aren’t Talking Enough In Public | TribLIVE

1 Thing

5.   Hershey Bears’ 2026 Teddy Bear Toss Collects Nearly 82K Stuffed Animals

“The Hershey Bears held the annual Giant Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday as the Rockford IceHogs, from Rockford, Illinois, came to town.

A Bears fixture since 2001, the toss of teddy bears and other stuffed animals takes place after the Bears score their first goal.

The Bears collected 81,796 teddy bears and stuffed animals during Sunday’s Giant Teddy Bear Toss, increasing the total number of teddy bears and stuffed animals collected to 648,246 since Hershey hosted its first Teddy Bear Toss event in 2001.” | PennLive

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