Some states give bipartisanship a try. It’s been a rough start.
As state Rep. Jim Gregory walks into the Pennsylvania Capitol’s cafeteria, a table of Democrats all stops talking and turns their heads. One stands up to give him a pat on the back as he passes by.
Mr. Gregory, a Republican, ruefully remarks that this reception was likely warmer than what he’d be getting from Republicans in his home district. He’s not wrong.
A few weeks ago, Mr. Gregory did something that made him unpopular with members of his own party: He nominated a Democrat to be speaker of the Pennsylvania House.
As Mr. Gregory saw it, his action was a reasonable response to a unique and difficult set of circumstances. In November, Democrats won a majority in the Pennsylvania House for the first time in more than a decade, by a single seat. But three Democratic-held seats then immediately became vacant (one candidate
