McCall says he won’t seek another term

Pennsylvania House Speaker Keith McCall says he will not seek another term.

Pennsylvania House Speaker Keith McCall says he will not seek another term.

Listen:
[audio: 100112sdquit.mp3]

McCall has served in the House since 1982, and was elected speaker last January.

He says he wants to spend more time with his family, but political scientist Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College says he thinks the decision may have more to do with a difficult stretch at the Capitol, which has included indictments and a 101-day budget stalemate.

Madonna says the retirement upends House Democratic leadership, noting it comes weeks after Whip Bill DeWeese stepped down from his post after being charged with theft, conspiracy and other crimes.

Madonna: And then you have the potential situation with Todd Eachus, the Majority Leader. I mean no one knows yet, quite yet, where that will go as a possible – whether he has what we call a “Bonusgate problem” or not remains to be seen.

Eachus has received a so-called “target letter” from a state grand jury, and a recent AP story reported testimony from the panel implicates the majority leader in the public dollars for campaign work scandal.

In a statement, Governor Rendell said McCall will “be sorely missed.”