Defeats leave power vacuum in Pa. Senate GOP leadership

AP story on the upcoming leadership changes in the Senate. Sen. Jake Corman apparently got part of the message:

“Clearly the election was a mandate for government reform,” Corman said. “If we want to stay in the majority, no matter who we put forward they’ve got to be about doing business differently than we have in the past.”

The other message that was sent on Tuesday is “Republicans will have to select leaders who appeal to the party’s more conservative voters in Pennsylvania’s central and western counties, where a backlash against last year’s pay raise has erupted.”

It should be an interesting first caucus when members return in a few weeks to pass next year’s $50 Billion+ spending plan for the Commonwealth.

One indicator of whether or not the message was heard in the House is the passage of the Spending Limits bills, HB 2082 and SB 884–both of which have passed the Senate and sit in committees.

Both Brightbill and Jubelirer supported spending limits. How that will impact their roles in the upcoming budget debate remains to be seen. Was their touting of spending limits just campaign rhetoric or honest policy positions?

June should be an interesting month, to say the least!