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Wolf Stresses Innovation in Inaugural Speech

Tom Wolf in front of PA capitol.
Mary Wilson
/
witf

Governor Tom Wolf has taken his oath of office, using his inauguration address to call for a statewide transformation.

“As you know, I laid out a plan during the campaign to give Pennsylvania a fresh start, and we will debate those ideas, I know, in the days and months and years to come,” said Wolf, turning to his left, where Republican House and Senate leaders chuckled.

“But I want you to know that for the next four years, my administration will be dedicated to three simple things,” Wolf continued. “First, jobs that pay. Second, schools that teach. And third, a government that works.”

The governor asked for bipartisan cooperation and respect. As he heralded the state’s natural resources, anti-fracking protesters chanted “ban fracking now,” just beyond the inaugural stands.

“To the protesters here today, I say, help me develop these opportunities in a way that is clean, safe, and sustainable,” said Wolf.

After the address, Wolf walked with his family and top aides into the Capitol building to his new office, where he greeted his cabinet as governor for the first time. The event was closed to the press.

Mary Wilson is the state Capitol reporter for Pennsylvania's public radio stations, including witf in Harrisburg, WHYY in Philadelphia and WESA in Pittsburgh. Mary came to witf after a year being a catch-all staffer for a Maryland politician. Partisanship was a drag, but other things stuck: she has great empathy for those who have spent hours folding sample ballots and building campaign signs. Before that, she was a part-time show host and cub reporter at WFUV-FM in New York City. She covered the closing of the old Yankee stadium and narrated the scene of Harlem on the night of the 2008 presidential election. Mary graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx with majors in history and Italian.