Unexpected Pennsylvania House speaker (Mark Rozzi) hopes to retain job
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/01/31/mark-rozzi-pa-house-speaker-ap-interview-democrats-republicans-mcclinton/stories/202301310111
In a lengthy interview late Monday in his state Capitol suite, Speaker Mark Rozzi said he won't necessarily step aside and support the Democratic floor leader, Rep. Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, as speaker.
“I know how to count votes, first of all,” said Mr. Rozzi, who represents a mostly suburban area around Reading. “So, you know, at the end of the day she still has to get the votes to become speaker of the House.”
Democrats won 102 seats in November to Republicans' 101, which was enough for a bare Democratic majority after 12 years under Republican control, but one reelected Democrat died in October and two others resigned in December because they also won higher offices. Elections are next Tuesday to fill those three vacancies, all in the Pittsburgh area.
Republicans were not able to muster enough votes to elect their own speaker when the new session began Jan. 3, leading to Mr. Rozzi's emergence as an alternative. Ms. McClinton and all Democrats voted for him, along with all seven members of House GOP leadership and nine other Republicans.
- more at link -
Well this is news to most of us. I thought Mark Rozzi already had the gavel for the next 2 years. He agreed to "not caucus" with either party and essentially remain independent for as long as he retains the title of Speaker. If Mr. Rozzi should step aside in favor of Joanna McClinton as the next Speaker, well, she has made no such promise.
= new reply since forum marked as read
There's not much of a realistic chance of any of those seats to flip.
What Mark Rozzi is talking about is something different. The House majority will remain Democratic but some people think there's a possibility that he would relinquish the Speaker's gavel. Apparently some Democrats are expecting that he will, but he's saying he doesn't necessarily want to.
Joanna McClinton, the Dem floor leader, tried to run for Speaker early in January but couldn't get enough Dem votes. Bryan Cutler is the Repuke floor leader and he couldn't secure enough votes to win either, so it was a stand-off. Mr. Cutler's solution was for Mr. Rozzi to run as an independent, if he promised not to caucus with either party while he held the Speakership. By agreeing to that, Mr. Rozzi was able to win enough Repuke votes along with all of the current Dem votes. That's how it happened.
I did too.
There was an article earlier in January in the Inquirer with the below -
by Layla A. Jones, Andrew Seidman, and Anna Orso
Updated Jan 6, 2023
(snip)
Allies praise McClinton’s leadership
Most House members are staying tight-lipped about the still-unusual House speaker election. But State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) said in an interview that Rozzi was “the least worst option,” saying the party avoided a GOP speaker. Kenyatta hopes McClinton will become speaker, and said her support for Rozzi was politically savvy. “I believe when we have full complement, Joanna will become speaker,” he said.
State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, a close McClinton ally, described her support of Rozzi as nimble, astute politicking. He said by backing Rozzi, she effectively called Republicans’ bluff. “Again, a very smart leader, [McClinton] understood the wisdom of the moment, along with her colleagues,” he said. Asked how McClinton is handling the disappointment of not being named speaker, Williams said: “She’s strong. ... She’s a smart person. She knew the hand she was being dealt, and she delivered on the hand.”
McClinton spoke briefly with reporters immediately after Tuesday’s vote. “I’m excited today that we were able to elect a Democrat from amongst our ranks to the speakership here in the House of Representatives for the first time in more than 10 years,” she said. Asked whether she was committed to a full two-year session of Rozzi’s speakership, McClinton kept silent.
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/joanna-mcclinton-pennsylvania-house-speaker-election-20230106.html
The article headline is a bit click-baity and is attempting to stoke innuendos regarding strategies.
Aside from that, I am thinking there are a couple possibilities - one where once they have all their reps elected and in place, that Rozzi would "choose to" resign the seat and they hold a new election. He doesn't seem intent on want to really switch out of the Democratic party from what has been hinted.
Alternately, since they don't have Rules in place yet, once they have all of their members in and as long as they stay in lock-step, they could enact something that might involve a power share or temp term limit for the role or perhaps "rotating" - but Democrats only. I don't know how much the state Constitution might be involved in defining how a Speaker is chosen and their role, let alone the inner workings of the state Assembly, but I expect like the federal one, they leave it up to each chamber to "decide their own Rules".
Just brainstorming...
I don't know, it's a complete guess on my part.
Mr. Rozzi has his own reasons for sticking this out. He's wants to make sure the child endangerment (pedophile) laws get the statute of limitations extended because it's pitifully short now. (I think the charges must be filed within 3 years of the occurrence, and it's way too short.) That's been his goal all along, and for some reason the strategy is to get a constitutional amendment passed. Wouldn't an Executive Order by the Governor have been an easier way to do this? So he still doesn't have his amendment bill passed, and it's going to miss the deadline for getting it in for the May primary.
If Mr. Rozzi gives up the gavel in favor of Joanna McClinton, he'd better have an ironclad guarantee from her that the amendment gets her first priority. Otherwise, why would he step down? I'm just spitballin' here because I don't have any insider knowledge.
