O'Brien Wants to Remian in Control of House

State House Speaker Denny O’Brien says he wants to remain in that role in the next legislative session but that may not be easy. He was put in the post after the Democratic majority was unable to come to a consensus on which member of that party should run the lower chamber so Republican O’Brien was elected as a compromise. Currently Democrats hold a one-seat majority in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives and it is unclear what changes the new year could bring. Speaker Denny O'Brien says the House has an opportunity to continue what he sees as a successful experiment. He says, "I am ready, willing and able and clearly interested in serving as the speaker for the next session. Not as an end in itself, but to continue what we've started - to expand new paradigms promoting creative solutions to promoting differential learning in our children and young adults, health care and the state budget." O'Brien admits - if either party wins a wide majority in the November election, an independent speaker might not be so attractive to a caucus looking to solidify control of the chamber.