Is this good or bad for gun owners in PA---Senate leadership change?

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi is coup target; fellow leaders seek to replace him with Sen. Jake Corman

Gov. Tom Corbett may not be the only high-ranking Republican in state government official to lose a re-election bid this month.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County, is now seen at high risk of being pushed out of his top legislative leadership job when Senate Republicans convene Wednesday to elect caucus leaders for the 2015-16 session.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, released a letter to his colleagues Thursday endorsing Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre County, for the majority leader's post.

If successful, Senate historians say, this effort would mark the first time since 1976 that Senate Republicans have pushed aside an incumbent floor leader who had hoped to stay in office.

The leadership election is also of immense importance to Gov.-elect Tom Wolf, because it will establish the Senate leaders Wolf and his staff must deal with to achieve legislative and budget priorities.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...r_dominic.html

tell me about Corman Please.

He was endorsed by Firearm Owners Against Crime & has an A+ rating from the NRA. Given his district, I suspect the only thing that could get him thrown out off office faster than stone walling firearms legislation would be coming out as a Michigan or Ohio State Fan

Senator Corman has sponsored Pro-Firearms legislation Such has the expanded "Youth Hunting" allowing hunters to take unlicensed adult hunters afield.

He voted for HB 80 to ensure Commonwealth preemption laws are enforced.

He voted to bar Department of Environmental Protection from setting Carbon limits without legislative approval.

He was rated a amazing 0% by the murders of babies (planned Parenthood)

He voted on SB 37-12
Vote to pass a bill that establishes penalties for minors involved in sexual misconduct via electronic communication, which Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors (because really, should you be a felon if you send a picture of yourself? )




All in all, I would say he is our man through & through. He is popular in our region. Although I can not comment knowledgeably (hopefully Kim Stolfer or one of the amazing FOAC or other CGOPA folks can chime in), but I am under the impression that a huge hurdle to pro-firearms, pro-constitutional rights legislation inside our Commonwealth is in fact the "republican leadership".


EDIT: The following quote is from a post from later in the thread:

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Originally Posted by LBaker

The general consensus it that Corman will be the new leader which is a good thing. Scarnati coming out in favor of Corman all but put a fork in Pileggi. It ain't over till it's over though. If only we could get Greenleaf off judiciary as chair...

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I believe this provides us with the knowledgeable opinion I had hoped for.
Obviously, it would be redundant to write him and ask him to support himself, but if you're not in his district, I'd say you should write your senator and ask them to support him.



From the Wiki:
Religion: United Methodism

Jacob Doyle "Jake" Corman III is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 34th Senatorial District since 1999. The district includes portions of Centre, Mifflin and Union Counties and all of Juniata and Perry Counties. I is centered on State College, home of Penn State. He currently serves as Majority Appropriations Chairman.

Corman is a graduate of Bellefonte Area High School, the Pennsylvania College of Technology where he earned an associates degree in Communications and The Pennsylvania State University where he received a BA degree in Journalism.

I n a 2002 PoliticsPA Feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Best Dressed," to which he responded ""This never could have happened if I hadn't met my wife two years ago. She threw all my clothes in the dumpster, took me shopping and dressed me properly. Thank you for recognizing Kelli's hard work.


He was State Director for Central Pennsylvania for United States Senator Rick Santorum from 1994 through 1998. He was Field Service Director for the Pennsylvania Builders Association from 1993 through 1994.



After the leadership shakeup following the 2006 elections, Corman bid for the position of Senate Majority Leader, but was edged out by Dominic Pileggi and was ultimately elected as the Majority Policy Chairman, succeeding Joe Scarnat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Corman

My gut says it's an improvement. Pragmatically it might not matter if intra-caucus warfare and asshattery at the committee chair level are not brought into check.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi is facing a challenge to his leadership for the first time in eight years — a move that signals growing conservative influence in the powerful Republican caucus just as Democratic Gov.-elect Tom Wolf prepares to take office.

The Associated Press on Thursday obtained a letter signed by Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman of Centre County announcing his candidacy for majority leader.

The caucus is scheduled to hold leadership votes Wednesday, and a loss by Pileggi, of Delaware County, would shift influence at the top of caucus leadership away from Philadelphia's politically moderate suburbs and to the more conservative central Pennsylvania.

Corman did not respond to requests for comment. But the letter presents Corman on a slate of candidates with other Senate GOP leadership holdovers, including President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County. Lehigh County Sen. Patrick Browne, the whip, would take Corman's place as Appropriations Committee chairman.

"Now, as we prepare to face Governor-elect Tom Wolf's promise to move the state away from fiscal responsibility, away from focus on the taxpayer, and away from smaller government, we as a caucus must return to the goals set in late 2006," the letter signed by Scarnati, Corman and Browne said.

Leadership votes are taken by secret ballot, but Pileggi told AP on Thursday he believes he has the support to win.

"If I did not think I would have 16 votes, I would not have circulated a letter asking for support for my re-election," Pileggi said.

Corman and Pileggi ran for the open post of majority leader in 2006 and Pileggi won by several votes. Corman ran on a ticket with Scarnati, who was elected president pro tempore. But a number of Pileggi's supporters then have left the Senate in the last eight years and there are many new Republican faces, particularly now that the GOP expanded its majority in the 50-seat chamber to 30 in Tuesday's election.

The Senate largely has been under Republican control for the last 34 years. It long has been viewed as a moderate body, but that may be changing.

The move by Corman follows caucus contention over its failure to pass major legislation overhauling public pension benefits and privatizing the sale of liquor and wine, Sens. Don White of Indiana County and John Eichelberger of Blair County said.

Conservatives also were unhappy over resistance by southeastern Pennsylvania Republican senators to holding floor votes on legislation they favored. That included bills to curtail the ability of public-sector labor unions to collect dues or political action committee contributions and to allow the National Rifle Association to sue municipalities over firearm control ordinances that are tougher than state law, White and Eichelberger said.

"I think we've had some issues in our caucus the last year or so, not being able to push things across the finish line, and it got frustrating for some of us," White said.

In a May profile story on Pileggi, Philadelphia Magazine called the 56-year-old former Chester mayor "the straight man of Pennsylvania politics" and it quoted former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, calling Pileggi "the most powerful person in Harrisburg."

Lancaster County Sen. Lloyd Smucker sent a letter last week to fellow Republican senators defending Pileggi's leadership. In it, he said Republican senators have allowed "outside groups and commentators" to drive caucus decisions and warned against letting disagreement over a select set of issues imperil Republican leadership.

"A successful challenge (to Pileggi) will certainly cut a deep rift in the caucus," Smucker wrote. "The outcome conceivably could involve gaining nominal control and losing operational control. Hard to see how that qualifies for a victory for anyone, including the outside groups agitating for upheaval, though they tend to count wins and losses differently than we do."

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/ne...ht-5875345.php

Two words ; dump Pileggi. Elections matter and conservatives won the day in Senate and House races. Pileggi is a rino of the worst sort. Now we must run a campaign of degrading and belittling Wolf at every step as was done to Corbett.

The general consensus it that Corman will be the new leader which is a good thing. Scarnati coming out in favor of Corman all but put a fork in Pileggi. It ain't over till it's over though. If only we could get Greenleaf off judiciary as chair...

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Originally Posted by LBaker

If only we could get Greenleaf off judiciary as chair...

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This. 10 times (and chars) this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JenniferG

Two words ; dump Pileggi.

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Pileggi has been a large part of our problem getting legislation through a majority Assembly. Definitely a RINO. He needs to go.

The only thing concerning me about this move is that it's Scarnati who's suggesting it. He's another party leader IMHO whose been more a hindrance than a help. Seems like a self-preservation move to me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LBaker

If only we could get Greenleaf off judiciary as chair...

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Amen to that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JenniferG

Two words ; dump Pileggi. Elections matter and conservatives won the day in Senate and House races. Pileggi is a rino of the worst sort . . .

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What Jenn said. Pileggi is a RINO.

Noah