HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) — Six months in the past, the Pennsylvania State Home elected its first girl speaker as Democrats took management of the Home in Harrisburg.
Joanna McClinton has had a meteoric rise in politics. First elected in 2015, the previous Philadelphia public defender shortly turned her get together’s caucus chief, then minority chief of the state Home and now the primary girl speaker.
“The most important factor it means for me is that it’ll imply many ladies — though it took nearly 250 years for a lady to have this chance — it implies that there will likely be many ladies to succeed me,” she stated.
Whereas Home Speaker Joanna McClinton appreciates the importance of getting a lady speaker, when she met with KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano, she was extra targeted on touting the accomplishments of her Democratic-controlled Home.
“We had been in a position to change the construction for property tax rebates. We had seniors proper right here even in Allegheny County that in the event that they acquired just a little bit extra of their Social Safety or their pension, they had been now not in a position to get their rebate,” she stated.
McClinton says 43,000 extra seniors on this area will now get tax rebates, and she or he’s pleased with their training funding.
“Our college funding that we did on this finances just some months in the past, it is the biggest funding that we have seen in public training, together with free breakfast, which in fact, is so essential to so many no matter their revenue standing, so I am pleased with that,” she stated.
However with a Democratic-controlled Home and a Republican-controlled Senate, there may be nice potential for gridlock. McClinton says she and Senate President Kim Ward have labored collectively even after they disagree.
Delano: “Do you’re feeling you’ve a great working relationship with Republicans?”
McClinton: “Completely. We now have despatched over 150 payments. These payments are on enhancing the lives of Pennsylvanians, and we acknowledge that in brief order, a Senate committee has to take its time reviewing these payments, seeing in the event that they need to make modifications and ship them again over to us.”
McClinton predicts, for instance, motion on elevating the minimal wage this fall.
“It’s far overdue, and, fairly frankly, it is embarrassing,” she stated. “So whereas our invoice will get to $15 an hour over 4 years, we’re able to compromise. We look ahead to the Senate sending that invoice again with the quantity that they’ve consensus on of their caucus.”
Speaker McClinton says there’s loads of time for the Senate and Home to compromise on this and plenty of different points. Whether or not her get together and she or he preserve management of the Home relies on a particular state Home election subsequent Tuesday in Shaler, Etna, Millvale, Reserve and components of Pittsburgh.
