Josh Shapiro

Joshua David Shapiro is the current governor of Pennsylvania, being elected in the 2022 midterm elections after utterly trouncing dominionist state senator Doug Mastriano. Prior to that, he was the attorney general of Pennsylvania from 2017-2022. He is the state's third Jewish governor, after and Governor Josh Shapiro: Not Your Grandfather’s Jewish Politician, Dan Freedman and Fallon Roth, Moment 16 January 2023 He was strongly considered for the position of Kamala Harris's VP for the 2024 U.S. presidential election ticket, and the choice reportedly came down between him and Minnesota governor Tim Walz, but ultimately he was passed down in favor of the latter.Why Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as her running mate, Joey Garrison and Rebecca Morin, USA Today 6 August 2024
==Attorney generalship==
Perhaps his most famous accomplishment as AG was investigating the Catholic church over its child sexual abuse scandal, ultimately finding over 1,000 people who were abused as children and exposing 301 pedophile priests who operated in the state, which led to investigations in other states.Attorney General Shapiro Details Findings of 2-Year Grand Jury Investigation into Child Sex Abuse by Catholic Priests in Six Pennsylvania Dioceses, Pennsylvania Attorney General 14 August 2018 He strongly opposed Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in the state, and he gets points for roasting Ted Cruz after Trump asked him to help steal the election.Pennsylvania AG calls Ted Cruz a 'sad sack' after Trump asks for his help in Texas lawsuit, Jordan Williams, The Hill 10 December 2020 In 2021, he reached a $26 billion settlement with Johnson & Johnson and three other pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis.Attorney General Shapiro Announces $26 Billion Agreements with Opioid Distributors/Manufacturer, Pennsylvania Attorney General 21 July 2021 That same year, he also settled the largest criminal case of wage theft in U.S. history, awarding $21 million to workers who were underpaid by a construction company.Pa. construction firm to repay nearly $21 million to workers in prevailing wage case, J.D. Prose, Go Erie 3 August 2021
However, his record as AG isn't entirely good. He cast the fewest votes in favor of commutation on the state's Board of Pardons,Fetterman, Shapiro say they both believe in second chances. Pardons board votes tell two different stories by Elizabeth Hardison (24 January 2020) Pennsylvania Capital-Star. something Senator John Fetterman (who, as lieutenant governor, was on the Board of Pardons at the time) would criticize him for.Fetterman has concerns about Shapiro for VP, aides tell Harris’ team, Holly Otterbein, Politico 3 August 2024 He also favored enforcing the state's anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) laws on ice cream manufacturer Ben and Jerry's after they decided to stop selling to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.Garrity, Shapiro Back Anti-BDS Action Against Ben & Jerry’s, Linda Stein, Delaware Valley Journal 21 July 2021
==Governorship==
His governorship got off to a rough start when he appointed (a Republican no less)Michael A. Vereb, Pennsylvania House of Representatives as his Secretary of Legislative Affairs. Already a questionable appointment, this severely backfired on him when Vereb was accused of sexual harassment; the case was settled for $295,000 with a non-disclosure agreement,Pennsylvania governor’s office settles for $295K a former staffer’s claim senior aide harassed her, Brooke Schultz, AP News 20 October 2023 which resulted in him being accused of covering the situation up.The Josh Shapiro sexual harassment cover-up scandal is actually quite bad, Amber Duke, The Spectator 4 August 2024
He supported school vouchers to fund private schools, something that put him at odds with the Democratic-controlled state house.Gov. Josh Shapiro calls for passage of budget bill without agreement on school choice program, Charles Thompson, Penn Live 5 July 2023 After that failed, he did at least support a boost in funding for public schools (this time facing opposition from the Republican-controlled state senate).Gov. Shapiro seeks school-funding boost to help poorer districts, but Republicans remain wary, Marc Levy, Associated Press 8 February 2024
It's not all bad, though. He received national attention for his effective response to the getting the highway reopened less than two weeks after the accident.Heavily traveled I-95 reopens less than 2 weeks after deadly collapse in Philadelphia, Colleen Long, PBS 23 June 2023 He ended state funding of the "Real Alternatives" crisis pregnancy center.Shapiro terminates state funding for Real Alternatives anti-abortion centers in Pa., Cassie Miller, Pennsylvania Capital Star 4 August 2023 He also implemented automatic voter registration in the state.Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 19 September 2023
His being considered for the vice presidency led to increased attention on his views on Palestine. When he was twenty years old, he wrote in an op-ed for his college newspaper, "Palestinians will not coexist peacefully. They do not have the capabilities to establish their own homeland and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States. They are too battle-minded to be able to establish a peaceful homeland of their own." However, he says he no longer stands by these views and supports a two-state solution,Josh Shapiro once wrote that peace ‘will never come’ to the Middle East. He says his views have changed over 30 years., Anna Orso, The Philadelphia Enquirer 2 August 2024 and in January 2024 he called Benjamin Netanyahu "one of the worst leaders of all time".Josh Shapiro Says Netanyahu Is ‘One of the Worst’, Taegan Goddard, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire 13 January 2024 He also volunteered for the Israeli army, though according to him it was just a high school service project in an army base and he was not "engaged in any military activities".US: Josh Shapiro's 'volunteer' work for Israeli army scrutinised as Harris eyes VP nod, Umar A Farooq, Middle East Eye 5 August 2024 He also didn't really endear himself to the pro-Palestine crowd when he compared pro-Palestine student protesters to the KKK.Where Biden’s potential Democratic replacements stand on the Gaza war, Ali Harb, Al Jazeera 4 July 2024
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Jews
Category:Lawyers
Category:Liberals
Category:Living people
Category:United States Governors
Category:United States politicians