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Scranton’s Kathleen Kane went from breath of fresh air as the state’s first female elected attorney general to a derailed bullet train smashing the office to smithereens. There is no reason to detail her (self) destructive tenure as the Keystone State’s top cop (Kop?). Suffice it to say she clung on too long, breaking trust like ribbon candy in a toddler’s hyperactive hands.

Enter Josh Shapiro, duly-elected Democrat from Montgomery County who, in six months, has demonstrated little of the self-promotion Kane seemed to revel in. And while it’s too early to judge his tenure, it feels safe enough to say he’s off to a good start.

Shapiro, of his own initiative, chatted with the Times Leader Editorial Board this week, and frankly, left a good impression.

For starters, he put no time limits on his availability, and no restrictions on topics raised. He accepted any questions, even those related only indirectly to his work, including one about President Donald Trump’s Mexico wall (Shapiro stressed support for boarder security but called the wall idea “bad policy”).

As noted in an article the following day, Shapiro confessed a love of data, both to inform decisions by his office and determine success (or failure) of those decisions.

“It’s one thing for me to tell you we’re making progress,” Shapiro said, “we also have to demonstrate that we are.”

He cited successes, from winning $50 million for Pennsylvania in a multi-state suit against Volkswagen to a case against a small Pennsylvania T-shirt manufacturer who “charged $35 for a shirt that folks never got.”

Shapiro praised the commitment and professionalism of the staff he inherited, despite the problems Kane inflicted before stepping down.

Perhaps most importantly, Shapiro repeatedly showed an appreciation for the complexity of many of his tasks and the need for collaboration with other agencies at all levels

Topping the list is the opioid abuse epidemic. Yes, he said, he has increased arrests, claiming three dealers a day since he took office. But he repeated his past contention that “we cannot arrest our way out of this,” and insisted a multi-discipline approach that includes prevention education and treatment.

In fact, he was in the area pushing his drug disposal bag program, which is providing 300,000 such bags to be distributed for free at the same time a person is prescribed a “schedule II narcotic,” the type known to be highly prone to addiction. Data on abuse rates, he said, determined which counties would get the bags.

He also insisted a multi-state investigation into big pharma is making substantial progress, though he declined to give any details, much less comment on any likelihood of a lawsuit.

Again, it’s early in his term. Shapiro could still make major missteps or otherwise expose personal or professional shortcomings. And Kane’s failings meant any predecessor merely prove competent and non-controversial. But so far, Shapiro appears to be making all the right moves, quickly restoring trust and effectiveness to a vital state department.

– Times Leader