Shapiro talks about tackling issues important to Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Gov. Josh Shapiro made his first post-inauguration trip on Friday, and it was to Pittsburgh.
He sat down with KDKA political editor Jon Delano for a one-on-one interview.
In the wake of another killing in downtown Pittsburgh and multiple shootings in the region, often by teens, Delano asked Shapiro what can be done.
"Well, first and foremost, we need to state clearly: this level of violence is unacceptable. I do not accept this as normal, and I do not believe this has to be our new reality," he said.
Shapiro says his first budget delivered in March will boost funding to hire more police.
"As governor, I want to make sure we dedicate more resources so local municipal governments can hire more police. We need more police in our communities. We need more investments in our church programs, our community organizations, our civic groups that are dealing with violence," he said.
Shapiro says he supports statewide laws for universal background checks, red flag laws and no ghost gun loopholes and no weapons of war.
"I will be working with the legislature to try to find some common ground, some bipartisan consensus. If you are a law-abiding gun owner, you've got nothing to worry about with me, but you should be part of this coalition to keep guns out of the hands of criminals," he said.
On another issue important to Pittsburgh -- natural gas and energy -- Shapiro seems poised to walk back former Gov. Wolf's commitment to the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or REGGI.
"I, too, have concerns about REGGI. I am concerned about anything that is going to raise consumer prices. I am concerned about anything that is going to drive jobs out of this region, particularly boilermaker jobs," he said.
Shapiro says he will put together a panel of experts, including lawmakers, to find solutions to climate change that won't raise prices or cost jobs.
As for whether he will favor his hometown of Philadelphia over Pittsburgh?
"I've always had western Pennsylvania on my mind and in my heart. I was proud to receive a record number of votes in this region in the governor's race, and I intend to be here as I was as AG on a very regular basis."
If that's the case, you can count on seeing Shapiro in the Pittsburgh area a lot more in the months ahead. He has another excuse to be here: his daughter attends Pitt.