Mark Rozzi: Who is the new Pennsylvania House speaker?
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- For a month, Democrats and Republicans couldn't agree on which party held the majority in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives: Democrats, because voters in 102 districts chose Democrats, compared to 101 for Republicans? Or Republicans, because 101 Republican representatives were actually in office entering January, compared to 99 Democrats, after one Democrat died and two others resigned?
On Tuesday, some Republicans joined all Democrats in electing a new speaker of the House: Mark Rozzi (D-Berks County). Or is that "I-Berks County" -- "I" for "Independent?"
Democratic news releases following Rozzi used the former; Republican releases, the latter.
Everyone acknowledges an agreement that Rozzi won't "caucus," as the practice is known, with either party for matters related to House strategy.
So is the question just a distinction without a difference?
No, said Christopher Nicholas, a veteran Republican strategist.
"That has actual repercussions in our election system," Nicholas said, adding it wasn't clear to him whether Rozzi is or isn't changing his official party registration from Democrat to Independent.
A spokesperson for Democratic leaders said Wednesday they have not been advised that Rozzi is anything other than a Democrat.
"The speakership is a nonpartisan -- and I will repeat that, nonpartisan -- officer of the House, entrusted with maintaining the integrity of the House," Rozzi said Tuesday night.
Until Tuesday, Democrats had said their only choice for speaker was Joanna McClinton (D-West Philadelphia), who would have been the first woman -- and thus also the first Black woman – to serve in the role. So why a White male with a less liberal reputation? Because with the chamber nearly tied -- give or take a seat or two, depending on one's perspective -- both sides had to compromise.
Why did some Republicans decide they could live with Rozzi, formerly a rank-and-file member who indicated Tuesday night he was as surprised as anyone else by his selection?
Nicholas remembers meeting Rozzi before he first won office in 2012.
"It's a district that you really couldn't elect a Republican in," Nicholas said. "But we came away impressed with him when we interviewed him -- the business group I was working for -- because, unlike a lot of Democrats, he was a business owner" who might empathize with some Republican concerns about issues like taxes and regulations.
Another key issue that helped bridge the partisan divide: Rozzi is an outspoken victim of alleged sexual abuse in a Berks County parochial school. He was a chief advocate of legislation by Rep. Jim Gregory (R-Blair County) to enable victims to sue their alleged abusers beyond the original statute of limitations.
Gregory, in turn, was also a child victim of sexual abuse, in his case allegedly by older teenagers.
Gregory nominated Rozzi for the speaker role.
"So they obviously formed a bond over that terrible shared history," said Nicholas, who predicted the selection of Rozzi greatly increases the likelihood that a long-delayed ballot question to help abuse victims will be on ballots this May.
