Pennsylvania lawmakers hopeful in the wake of Gov. Tom Wolf’s complex legacy

(The Center Square) – As the sun sets on Gov. Tom Wolf’s eight-year run, a reconstituted General Assembly says it welcomes the future that lies ahead, with some taking comfort in a familiar promise of bipartisanship that often precedes a new administration.

And so far, legislative sources say, there’s hope this goodwill from Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro could endure.

Mike Straub, spokesman for House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler, R-Quarryville, pointed to issues Shapiro campaigned upon that align with the caucus’s legislative priorities – including support for school choice proposals and a fast deceleration of the state’s corporate net income tax rate.

But he admits there’s still a chasm between the two factions – one that won’t narrow after Shapiro’s inauguration.

“As with Wolf, we know there are areas of policy where we will find very strong disagreements, but we will focus on where there is room to compromise and continue to move our commonwealth forward,” he said.

Wolf’s working relationship with the Republican-controlled Legislature underwent immense pressure during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when lawmakers felt shut out of the administration’s plans to mitigate the virus.

The unprecedented situation revealed flaws in the state’s emergency protocols, forcing a reckoning in the General Assembly over how to best rein in gubernatorial authority during a disaster declaration. The debate spawned a constitutional amendment to limit declarations to 21 days, effectively neutering the administration’s power to enact statewide travel and economic restrictions as it did during the pandemic’s onset.

Despite the tension, Straub said the two branches of government forged a path ahead – a trend he believes will continue under Shapiro.

“One thing Leader Cutler has said in multiple interviews is he appreciated the governor’s approach to negotiating,” Straub said. “He did not hide or obstruct his position, he let Cutler know exactly where he stood and it allowed both parties to advance in an efficient and achievable manner.”

Those positions rarely wavered, either, said Nicole Reigelman, spokeswoman for House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia.

“During his tenure, Governor Wolf took on tough issues, and was unrelenting in his advocacy for the measures most important to him, like public education, but also knew when to compromise,” she said.

From securing annual spending increases for schools to legalizing medical marijuana to modernizing the state-run liquor system and brokering deals on business tax cuts, Republican leaders and Wolf met in the middle on some of voters’ biggest issues.

“For a governor who at times was described as ‘the most liberal governor in America,’ we still found ways to advance policies across his desk that helped move our commonwealth forward,” Straub said.

Compromise will certainly look different this time around, however. Wolf spent his entire two terms negotiating with strong Republican majorities in both chambers. For the first time in more than a decade, Democrats are poised to regain control – albeit narrow – in the House, and the ability to advance the legislative priorities that Republicans have long ignored.

Shapiro, himself, was a Democrat in the lower chamber the last time the party held a majority in 2006. Reigelman said this experience, and his “proven” leadership, will serve him well when it’s time to navigate the competing interests.

“We’re looking forward to his term as governor and excited for … his vision for Pennsylvania’s future,” she said. “We’re excited to work alongside him to advance and protect our shared values.”

Senate Democrats share in Reigelman’s optimism and hope to continue the investments in education, infrastructure, health care and the environment that the Wolf administration long championed.

“We are grateful for his leadership and wish him the best in his next chapters,” said Savannah Thorpe, spokeswoman for Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, D-Pittsburgh. “As we look forward to the Shapiro administration, we are excited to work in a bipartisan fashion to keep up the great work.”

In a statement issued Friday, Wolf reflected upon his time in office with appreciation.

“We argue, we debate; but at the end of the day, most folks in this building are all working to do what’s right for the people of Pennsylvania,” he said. “It’s been an honor do this work on behalf of the nearly 13 million Pennsylvanians who call this beautiful state home.”

Shapiro will assume office during an inauguration ceremony scheduled for Tuesday in Harrisburg.