EDITOR’S NOTE

JENNY DEHUFF

Editor-in-chief

EDITOR’S NOTE

I’VE BEEN EXCITED FOR the Philly Power 100 for a long time. At least since I’ve been a part of this operation at City & State. While I’m still familiarizing myself with the rest of the political landscape in Pennsylvania, I feel like I know Philly relatively well.

I remember when I came on the scene in 2005 and started covering city government, I thought it was pretty cool we had a female City Council president and a female district attorney. Our mayor, at the time, was under investigation by the FBI. That same year, TIME magazine named him one of the three “worst big-city mayors in the U.S.” I understood it all too well after watching Tigre Hill’s documentary, “The Shame of a City,” and became even more fascinated with Philadelphia politics.

The city’s laws can come across confusing, convoluted, or even corrupt, such as some of the statutes found in the city’s Home Rule Charter. Many of you reading this probably know that for the longest time, Philadelphia didn’t control its own school district, and that through something called the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), some types of city employees can retire for one day, immediately begin collecting their pensions and return to work the following day. Highly controversial.

And did you know that it was once illegal to put pretzels in bags in Philadelphia? Weirdest thing.

But despite the complexities that go on inside City Hall, the people all around it are hopeful, reminiscent and gritty (yes, pun intended).

In this issue, we feature DA Larry Krasner – a man who has a great deal of power. What he chooses to do with that power, though, is a matter of great debate. As DA, Krasner decides who gets charged with crimes and what those charges should be. He has spoken a lot about prevention as a method to curb gun violence, but when he gives a person who just possessed a gun illegally the door to freedom the fourth or fifth time, is it any surprise homicides are at an all-time high?

This list isn’t perfect, but we think it best represents the people in Philadelphia right now who are moving the chess pieces and making power moves in politics, business, academia, labor, public safety, health care, government relations, media and the nonprofit sector. Next month, we’ll be looking at influential political consultants all across the state.

SUBSCRIBE TO

From Philly to Erie, local politics coverage that goes the distance

First Read provides Pennsylvania’s lawmakers, power leaders, and influencers with the most relevant and impactful news at the start of each weekday.

Get all the news that matters most to PA politics and policy straight to your inbox!

Scan to subscribe for free

Compiled by CITY & STATE Compiled by CITY & STATE TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021

WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, high of 79; Harrisburg: mostly cloudy, high of 78; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, high of 76.WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, high of 79; Harrisburg: mostly cloudy, high of 78; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, high of 76.

FROM CITY & STATE

* Republican state Rep. Jim Cox has introduced legislation that would FROM CITY & STATE the unemployment programs provided by the CARES Act while aiming to motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by offering them a c bonus for finding work. * Republican state Rep. Jim Cox has introduced legislation that would the unemployment programs provided by the CARES Act NEW THIS MORNING: motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by offering them a c * Republican leaders of the state House of Representatives threatened last bonus for finding work. Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if they count ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports

NEW THIS MORNING:

* With the state’s wide-open races for governor and U.S. Senate taking shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Donald Trump are running and considered strong contenders for the party’s nominations, * Republican leaders of the state House of Representatives threatened last ated Press reports. Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if they count * Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown is crafting legislation to permanently ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports get rid of a $5 copay state prison inmates are required to pay for medi cal care after prison officials said inmates had avoided COVID-19 tests because of the fee, NBC Philadelphia reports. * With the state’s wide-open races for governor and U.S. Senate taking shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Donald Trump are running * People receiving unemployment are concerned about the state’s planned and considered strong contenders for the party’s nominations, weeklong shutdown of the online unemployment claims system for overhaul, Spotlight PA reports. ated Press reports.