Special election would be legal

Ill. GOP special election position backed by AG
By Kari Andren Post-Dispatch Springfield Bureau  02/26/2009
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois Republicans renewed their call for a special election that would replace Sen. Roland Burris Thursday after the state Attorney General released an opinion supporting the proposal.
Democratic Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, daughter of state House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, confirmed [...]

A late night indeed

State budget remains unresolved
By John L. Micek and Kari Andren of the Morning Call
HARRISBURG — As state lawmakers and the Rendell administration worked through the night Sunday on the state budget, one senior negotiator said the two sides hoped to reach a ”handshake agreement” soon.
A top Republican Senate aide said the two sides are working [...]

Saturday’s state of the budget

State’s budget is not about the economy of time
By John L. Micek and Kari Andren
Morning Call– June 29, 2008
For the sixth year in a row, Pennsylvania will not have an on-time state budget.
But Rendell administration negotiators remained cautiously optimistic Saturday that they could still avert unpaid furloughs for tens of thousands of state employees — [...]

Down the Capitol steps…

McCain opens Pennsylvania campaign headquarters
By Kari Andren, Special to the Morning Call
June 21, 2008
John McCain’s campaign opened its Pennsylvania headquarters on Friday just steps from the Capitol.
The Harrisburg headquarters is one of 18 campaign offices the presumed Republican presidential nominee and Arizona senator is opening across the state.
Jon Seaton, McCain’s Pennsylvania campaign director, urged supporters [...]

My first Morning Call story

Monday I began my rotation writing for the prestigious Morning Call of Allentown. Today my first in-print story appears, but also check my boss’ blog, Capitol Ideas, for stuff that doesn’t make it in print!

Ban on lobbyist gifts goes to full Senate – with suggestions
Some on committee see a loophole or prefer disclosure.
By Kari [...]

A study in contrasts

Pa. state policy staffer is board game expert, too.
HARRISBURG – By day, Erik Arneson is a top legislative staffer, mulling over politics and policy.By night, he is an expert gamer for the online information source About.com, battling Imperial stormtroopers. He spends evenings, weekends and even vacations playing games and writing reviews and articles for the [...]

Elected officials getting younger?

An 18-year-old joins GOP State Committee
By Kari Andren
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG – While his friends were studying for exams and gearing up for the prom, Scott Thomas was out on the campaign trail – and it paid off.The 18-year-old Pottsville native defied the odds and beat a party-endorsed candidate to win a place on the Republican [...]