January 15, I Have A Dream

It’s MLK Day. “The time is always right to do the right thing.”

PA Weather


Erie | Mostly Cloudy, 17


Tower City | Partly Sunny, 26


Elkins Park | Cloudy, 30

PA Sports


Steelers (NFL Playoffs) | Mon vs. Buffalo


Eagles (NFL Playoffs) | Mon vs. Tampa Bay


Sixers (24-13) | Sacramento 112-93 | Mon vs. Houston


Flyers (23-14-6) | Winnipeg 2-0 | Mon vs. St. Louis


Penguins (20-15-6) | Carolina 2-3 (OT) | Mon vs. Seattle

What’s Happening Today
President Joe Biden will visit Philadelphia this morning to volunteer at hunger relief organization Philabundance in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service.

What We’re Hearing
“This continues a long and disturbing trend of counties and specifically county property taxpayers having to pick up the slack from the state not funding essential services that affect the entire commonwealth.” – Blair County Commissioner Laura Burke

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Sen. Jimmy Dillon.

Start Your Day Smarter
The PoliticsPA Playbook gives you all today’s PA political headlines in an easy-to-read format. All by 8 AM. And it’s free. Subscribe now.

Top Story

1. Biden Stops By Allentown Stores To Talk Up His Record On Small Business Creation.

“President Joe Biden on Friday tried his hand at retail politics — stopping in a trio of Pennsylvania stores to stress the value of small businesses and talk up his economic record.

It was a distinct change from the set speeches that the Democratic president usually gives to highlight his policies about an economy with strong employment but levels of inflation that worry voters. Biden gladhanded and joshed at a running shoe store, bicycle shop and coffee house in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

“My name is Joe Biden and I work for the governor and the senator,” the president said as he stepped into the Nowhere Coffee Co. along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey.” (AP)

Related

The Smoothie Stop-By: When a President Tries To Be a Regular Joe. “Retail campaigning is not easy when you’re the commander in chief. The counterassault team does not really lend an air of authentic spontaneity to the whole venture.” (NY Times)

• President Biden Visits Small Businesses in Brief Stop in Lehigh Valley.  (PoliticsPA)
• President Joe Biden Visits Allentown Area To Tout ‘Bidenomics’ Agenda Ahead Of 2024 Election. (Allentown Morning Call)
• ‘An Act of Hope’: Biden Says Thriving Lehigh Valley Businesses Validate Economic Reforms. (LehighValleyNews.com)

President Joe Biden Will Visit Philabundance on Monday For MLK Day. “It will be his third visit to Pennsylvania over the course of less than two weeks and his third visit to Philabundance on MLK Day, a national day of service.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Oath Project Emphasizes Loyalty To Constitution At U.S. Military Academies. “The emphasis for the next generation of military officers that their loyalty must be focused on the nation’s democratic underpinnings rather than on any individual is a reflection of how the armed forces are being forced to deal with America’s deep political polarization at a time when trust in traditional institutions is eroding.” (PennLive)

State

2. Democrats Kick Off PA-10 Primary Chase With Lively Forum

“The Democratic Party’s race to unseat U.S. Rep. Scott Perry opened in earnest Saturday with a lively getting-to-know-you forum at Widener University School Law featuring all eight announced candidates for the April primary.

As it happens, getting to know you happens to be one of the early differentiators in the field, as several candidates touted their ties to the 10th Congressional District, by implicitly – or sometimes explicitly – attacking the three hopefuls seen with vulnerabilities in that area.” (PennLive)

Related

Eight Democrats Looking To Unseat Perry Meet In First Candidates’ Forum. “The candidates mostly agreed on voting, abortion rights, and healthcare. ” (Penn Capital-Star)

Former Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar Discusses Election Security, Resignation. “Kathy Boockvar may be the most controversial secretary of the Commonwealth in history. She resigned in 2021 when her department botched a constitutional amendment that would’ve helped sex abuse survivors and she oversaw the turbulent 2020 election.” (ABC27)

Navy Veteran Adds Her Name To The List Of Democrats Seeking Open House Seat. “Laura Harding, a 45-year-old Camp Hill native who resides in Harrisburg, announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the 103rd state House District seat that is being vacated by Democratic Rep. Patty Kim, who is running the Senate seat.” (PennLive)

HD-92: Davis Announces Bid For Keefer’s House Seat. “Fresh off the heels of Rep. Dawn Keefer’s announcement that she will vacate her State House seat in her quest to join the State Senate, a youthful voice has stepped up to try and replace her in Harrisburg.” (PoliticsPA)

Dillsburg Business Owner Announces Candidacy For Open House Seat. “Holly Kelley, 57, said she decided to run for the Republican nomination for the 92nd House District seat after four-term incumbent Rep. Dawn Keefer announced this week she will be vacating it at the end of this year.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Trump Now Has Majority Congressional GOP Support

“Former President Donald Trump won his 135th congressional Republican endorsement on Sunday — giving him a majority of congressional GOP support just one day before the Iowa caucuses.”

Pennsylvanians that have endorsed Trump include Reps. Dan Meuser, Scott Perry, Lloyd Smucker, John Joyce, Guy Reschenthaler and Mike Kelly, as well as State Treasurer Stacy Garrity. State House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler has endorsed Nikki Haley. (POLITICO)

Related

Pittsburgh’s Tax On Visiting Pro Athletes Is Unconstitutional, Commonwealth Court Finds. “In a 6-1 decision, an en banc Commonwealth Court panel upheld an Allegheny County judge’s finding that the 3% facilities tax impermissibly treats those who live outside Pittsburgh differently than city residents. ” (Penn Capital-Star)

PA County Officials Say Lawmakers’ Increase To The 911 Phone Fee Isn’t Enough To Alleviate Taxpayer Burden. “An increase to the monthly phone fee users pay to support emergency services will help fill staff vacancies and upgrade infrastructure, but county officials say the 30-cent raise isn’t enough to prevent local tax increases to sustain the 911 system’s long-term needs.” (Spotlight PA)

What Modern Day Protesters Can Learn From King’s Non-Violence Movement. “In the landscape of modern protests, non-violence has played a pivotal role for decades in the U.S. in shaping the effectiveness and outcomes of social movements.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Want to Quote MLK? Then Capture The Authentic King, Not The Whitewashed Version. (Rann Miller)
• What Is Your Dream? (Tribune-Review)
• The Most Important Thing About Martin Luther King, Jr. (Ryan Hrobak)
• Donald Trump Is A Clear and Present Danger. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Will We Only Have Ourselves To Blame If Fascism Takes Hold? (Maria D. Mitchell)
• Downtown Property Assessment Declines Are A Doomsday Scenario For City, Schools. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Pennsylvania Will Flood With Campaign Cash In 2024. (Tribune-Review)
• Some Governors Are Putting Politics Above Hungry Children, But Not In Pennsylvania. (PennLive)
• What’s Missing From The Final Report On Basic Education Funding In Pennsylvania? (Stephen Bloom)
• Why is Fulton County Spreading Madness About The 2020 Election? Lawsuit Raises Alarms. (Bill Gindlesperger)
• Hate Groups, Grifters, And Politics. (Bob Derr)

1 King Thing

5. Martin Luther King Jr. Was Once Considered ‘Radical.’ Here’s How He Came To Be Lauded

“As the United States commemorates the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, here are a few things to know about the holiday honoring the slain activist and his fight against inequality and racial injustice.

Today, King is widely lauded as a hero who led a nonviolent crusade against racist segregation policies and horrendous brutality against Black people. But at the time, his views were considered quite radical by much of white America, including the government.” (NPR)

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