🎄 Next week. Let’s go shopping
🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. The day Brian Fitzpatrick finally said enough. Examining Democratic victories in Pennsylvania in 2025 and what they mean for the future. Public police figures do not include hundreds of rapes on state college grounds. America’s No. 1 ice skating rink.
🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. Run, run, Rudolph. Chuck Berry
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌥️ Claysville | Rising Clouds, 55
🌤️ Sunbury | Mostly radiant, 44
🌤️ Levittown | Mostly radiant, 49
Sports PA
🏒 Flyers (17-9-6) | Thu in Buffalo
🏒 Penguins (14-9-9) | Thu in Ottawa
🏀 Sixes (14-11) | Friday in New York
🔈 What we hear. Former Mayor of Philadelphia Michael Nutter support Dr. Unfortunately, Stanford this morning for the 3rd Congressional District seat.
📕 PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here. Has this email been sent to you? Subscribe for free.
The most crucial story
1. The day Brian Fitzpatrick finally said enough
“Brian Fitzpatrickthe House GOP’s five-year goal and a long-time Democratic campaign goal, he has long been viewed by GOP leaders as a team player. Until now.
On Wednesday, his 52nd birthday, the affable Pennsylvanian led a Republican Party revolt against announcer Mike Johnson in connection with handling expiring Obamacare subsidies that benefit more than 20 million Americans. Fitzpatrick became the first Republican to support a Democratic-led effort to bypass the speaker and force action on extending tax breaks. Three other moderate GOP representatives quickly followed, cementing the January vote.
This has puzzled many who have watched Fitzpatrick’s maneuvers over the past decade, keeping an eye on the person walking through the aisles while being careful not to impede his leadership prerogatives.’ | POLICY
Elsewhere
Fitzpatrick, Mackenzie, Bresnahan Oppose Speaker Johnson to Force Vote on ACA Grants. “Breaking ranks with GOP leaders, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01), Ryan Mackenzie (R-07), and Rob Bresnahan (R-08) signed a discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Obamacare tax breaks.” | PoliticsPA
The House of Representatives passed the GOP health care bill without extending ObamaCare subsidies. “House Republicans on Wednesday passed a partisan health care policy package designed to provide a conservative alternative to extending expiring ObamaCare subsidies. But the legislation has little chance of passing the Senate and does nothing to address a cost cliff that is expected to affect 22 million Americans.” | Hill
Republicans vow bitter accusations after Johnson outflanks ACA. “Long-simmering internal tensions within the House GOP erupted Wednesday as Speaker Mike Johnson faced the prospect of temporarily losing control of the vote early next year.” | Axles
Focus on the facts: Trump’s glowing account of progress is at odds with his government’s statistics. “In a speech at the White House, President Donald Trump criticized the record of his Democratic predecessor and boasted extensively about his achievements. Not all of these boasts were credible.” | AP
Country
2. Analysis of Democratic victories in Pennsylvania in 2025 and what they mean for the future
“In Pennsylvania, Democrats won this year’s retention contests on the state Supreme Court, which could be interpreted as a victory Governor Josh Shapiro (D) looking ahead to 2026 and possibly beyond.
In swing counties like Erie and Northampton, Democratic leadership candidates outperformed Kamala Harris Shows 2024, including among Latino voters.
Republicans continued to reduce Democrats’ statewide voter registration advantage throughout 2025, although Democrats actually finished the year with a better showing.” | Center for Politics
Elsewhere
Change in leadership of the PSP as Paris takes over role in the FBI; Bivens appointed acting commissioner. “The Commonwealth will soon have a new leader in the Pennsylvania State Police following the departure of Col. Christopher Paris for a new position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” | PoliticsPA
PA House of Representatives Restrictions for 2025 with Passage of Proposed Referendum on Abortion Rights. “In a near party-line vote, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday that would put before voters a referendum on whether to add specific language regarding abortion rights to the state constitution.” | PennLive
The AP House passed a bill aimed at strengthening the powers of pharmacists to administer vaccines. “Acting to counter what Allegheny County Assemblyman Arvind Venkat characterized as a federally-generated threat to Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines, the State House has approved bipartisan legislation to strengthen pharmacists’ authority to administer shots.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Liens for taxpayer-financed property improvements. “Taxpayer-funded home improvements for elected officials should require liens on the properties,” according to a potential bill presented to Senate lawmakers for support. | Central Square
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Public police records have not recorded hundreds of rapes on state college campuses for almost a decade
“Over nearly a decade, the State College Police Department has underreported hundreds of rapes in a central Pennsylvania community, leading to wildly inexact crime statistics reported to the public, Spotlight PA has learned.
Between 2013 and 2021, State College police reported a total of 67 rapes in calls to Pennsylvania State Police, when there were actually 321 rapes — or 254 incidents — according to a 10-month Spotlight PA investigation.
Instead, these missing cases were classified as sex crimes, a category that carries lower penalties and is treated with less urgency by law enforcement.” | PA State College Spotlight
Elsewhere
McClinton is calling for a February 24 special election in HD-22, HD-42. “Following the resignations of Reps. Joshua Siegel (D-Lehigh) and Dan Miller (D-Allegheny), Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton has signed campaign letters calling for special elections in the 22nd and 42nd Legislative Districts on Tuesday, February 24.” | PoliticsPA
PA Data Center Expansion in Response to Growing Concerns. “The tide against data centers is coming, but Pennsylvania is holding it back — for now. Thanks to incentives, investment and an abundance of natural gas, Pennsylvania is accelerating the construction of its data centers as developers rush to meet growing AI energy demands. State leaders like Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick expect AI to fuel economic growth, job creation and the state’s technology ambitions. ” | Axios Pittsburgh
The U.S. Secretary of Energy says the Three Mile Island restart is fulfilling the Trump administration’s promises. “Microsoft and Constellation Energy’s efforts to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to power artificial intelligence is a poster child for the Trump administration’s agenda, U.S. Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright said on Wednesday.” | Penn Capital Star
Senate confirms Isaacman to be NASA administrator. “The Senate, by a 67-30 vote, confirmed Jared Isaacman to head NASA after President Donald Trump nominated and withdrew the nomination earlier this year and then renominated the Pennsylvania billionaire entrepreneur last month. Isaacman will oversee the agency’s efforts to defeat China in returning astronauts to the Moon and coordinating missions to send humans to Mars.” | Roll call
How Mayor Ed Gainey Changed Pittsburgh: From More Housing to Less Police. “The mayor’s term of office, which began with the collapse of the bridge, will end with a budget collapse.” | Public source
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. Pittsburgh’s downtown ice rink ranks first in North America
“According to the hotel chain, the iconic Pittsburgh ice rink is considered the most lovely ice rink in North America, beating out the notable Rockefeller Center ice rink.
The ranking was published by Premier Inn, a British hotel chain, which, based on desk research, compiled a list of 56 ice rinks from around the world. In accordance with the research methodology, a sample of 200 people was shown a series of photos of various ice rinks. | Trib LIVE
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