Harrisburg Patriot-News
Former Dauphin County Republican Chairman John McNally suffered a tough loss in his race to succeed Jeff Piccola in the state Senate last fall. But he has picked up a challenging, and even more lucrative, consolation prize.
McNally, a 50-year-old Harrisburg attorney, will be sworn in today as the House Republican caucus designee on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
His appointment by House Speaker Sam Smith was announced today, after McNally had cleared all relevant background checks required for membership on the board that regulates the state’s casino gaming industry.
Smith’s spokesman, Steve Miskin, said that Smith chose McNally as a person that he and his caucus “trust, and who will put the time into the necessary oversight of this industry.”
Smith had come to know McNally over the last several years through their joint work on a committee that raised private funds to cover costs of the swearing-in ceremonies in the House of Representatives, Miskin said.
McNally, a Lower Paxton Township resident who was defeated by Democrat Rob Teplitz in November in the Senate race, said today he is eager to join the board and looks forward to the challenge of balancing hoped-for growth in the industry with appropriate protections for Pennsylvanians.
He becomes the newest member of a seven-member board that consists of three gubernatorial appointees and one member designate by each of the four state legislative caucuses.
Though service on the board pays $145,000, McNally said he plans to continue in his law practice as he can. Current state law, however, caps all board members’ annual income from second jobs at 15 percent of their state salary, or $21,750.
McNally’s practice with the Harrisburg firm Thomas, Thomas and Hafer centers on civil defense work for small businesses and families.
Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/02/harrisburg_attorney_john_mcnal.html