Black Student League, Penn Dems host first woman Pennsylvania House Speaker at on-campus event

The Black Scholar League and Penn Democrats hosted Consultant Joanna McClinton, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Home of Representatives, at Irvine Auditorium on April 4.

Round 25 college students gathered to debate points with Speaker McClinton, who represents a part of Philadelphia. McClinton — the primary feminine speaker — spoke with college students on matters starting from prison justice reform to the training system.

When requested about rehabilitation and post-incarceration efforts throughout the Pennsylvania Home, McClinton mentioned that the Home is dedicated to easing the transition out of the jail system. During the last two years, McClinton mentioned that the administration has labored with the Pennsylvania Division of Corrections to make sure that people, notably girls, have been registered for medical insurance post-sentence. 

Speaker McClinton, a Democrat, additionally mentioned going through Republican gridlock when attempting to advance payments by the state legislature to the desk of Governor Josh Shapiro, who received his election within the November 2022 midterms. She additionally spoke about a number of payments which have been tabled from dialogue.

“We’re [not] simply going to be sending [their] payments to Governor Shapiro’s workplace, [we’re] going to should work collectively,” McClinton mentioned. 

Even within the wake of a current faculty capturing in Nashville, Speaker McClinton mentioned that the Home would possibly nonetheless face difficulties reaching a 102-vote majority to maneuver ahead on gun management coverage, citing a small variety of Democrats in remoted Republican districts who will possible not assist such laws. 

Pivoting to training, Speaker McClinton mentioned she has an inner deadline of June 30 for the Home to current payments on the subject, including that by this date, she is hopeful that the Home can have a concrete path in direction of stronger funding in direction of the varsity system. 

Speaker McClinton mentioned that the transition from a Republican-controlled Home to a Democratic one has been fascinating. A particular election on Feb. 7 led to a one-seat Democratic majority within the Pennsylvania Home for the primary time in 12 years. 

“When it was a Republican-controlled Home, it confronted loads of gridlock with payments that have been despatched over, simply bottled up, and by no means got here out, so we’re going to should work on that,” McClinton mentioned. “It ought to be fascinating to see which payments will see the daylight and get to the governor’s desk. It will likely be rallying and organizing in regards to the priorities that we now have to date.

Speaker McClinton mentioned that since she assumed public workplace in 2015, she believes that the bipartisan camaraderie has pale, though the Democratic “takeover” of the Home has introduced “optimism and pleasure” to the occasion. She mentioned that she seems to be ahead to presiding over debate and prioritizing that the 2 events preserve decency and mutual respect regardless of a fading of “bipartisan friendships, relationships, and respect.”