HARRISBURG Gov. Tom Wolf hit the ground running.

In his first month in office, he's taken far-reaching executive actions, held informal sessions with lawmakers at the governor's residence and dropped by their offices.In office since only Jan. 20, Wolf has charted a different direction for the state on natural gas drilling, health care coverage and the death penalty.This outreach by a Democratic governor is seen by some as necessary for dealing with Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. It comes amid endless speculation over whether a grand deal can be reached to enact a state severance tax on natural gas production, which the governor wants, along with privatizing liquor stores, which House GOP leaders want, and cutting public pension costs, which Senate GOP leaders want."I think he's (Wolf) primarily building personal relationships because (former Gov. Tom Corbett) didn't have any," said Terry Madonna, Ph.D., pollster at Franklin and Marshall College. "It's not going to change what the GOP wants. If he's not going to give something on pensions and liquor, he's in trouble."Those hurdles from his governing partners have not slowed him down yet.He reinstated a moratorium on leasing new land in state forests and state parks for natural gas drilling, sought federal approval for a full-scale expansion of Medicaid health care coverage for the uninsured and placed a moratorium on using the death penalty until a legislative review is finished.The first two actions reverse policies of Corbett who lifted a drilling moratorium set by former Gov. Ed Rendell and pursued an alternative to Medicaid involving a role for private health insurers.Wolf's made roughly 50 unannounced drop-in visits to lawmakers' offices in the Capitol, often in the early evening hours after the day's business.Wolf stopped by two weeks ago to say hello to Rep. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, and some colleagues. Flynn said they had a casual conversation.Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Easton, heard a knock on his office door, looked up and saw the governor standing there.Wolf is holding listening sessions at the governor's residence with 20 to 30 lawmakers at a sitting. He plans to invite all lawmakers to attend a session where they can discuss issues and priorities in their districts by month's end."We've had to add more sessions for people so we can get everyone in," said Wolf spokesman Jeff Sheridan.Wolf has also discussed Scranton's fiscal troubles with Mayor Bill Courtright and Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and visited public schools in Wilkes-Barre and Pottsville to push his proposal for a 5 percent state severance tax on natural gas production to generate revenue for state education aid.At one of last Thursday's residence sessions, Rep. Frank Farina, D-Jessup, raised concerns regarding the proposed expansion of the Keystone Sanitary Landfill in Dunmore and a planned gas-fired plant in Jessup.Farina said he stressed how important it is that his constituents can have faith in the state Department of Environmental Protection's decision-making process.Wolf also met with state Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre; Mike Carroll, D-Avoca; Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake; Jerry Knowles, R-Tamaqua; and Sen. Mario Scavello, R-Mount Pocono. State Sens. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, and John Blake, D-Archbald, have not met with Wolf. However, Blake said he is conversing with Wolf's chief of staff Katie McGinty about policy issues ahead of the governor's March 3 state budget address.Carroll urged the governor at a session to provide more money for public education and oversight to Act 89 transportation projects. Boback also stressed to the governor the importance of education funding, as well as the need to eliminate property taxes, cut public pension costs and revive state support for the tourism industry."I applaud the governor for reaching out to all of us," she said.Knowles discussed the need for incentives to help local volunteer fire companies recruit and keep volunteers. If the volunteer companies go under, then local property taxes will increase to pay for fire protection, he said.Scavello said the group sessions at the residence are fine but he wants a one-on-one meeting with the governor to discuss state aid for Pocono schools.Scavello expressed his strong opposition to Wolf's imposing a moratorium on the death penalty. He said the decision is controversial in northeastern Pennsylvania with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for Eric Matthew Frein. Frein, 31, of 308 Seneca Lane, Canadensis, is charged with first-degree murder in the Sept. 12 sniper attack outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks that killed Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II of Dunmore and wounded trooper Alex T. Douglass of Olyphant.The moratorium on death row executions does not prevent prosecutors from seeking the death penalty for Frein, said Sheridan. The governor has only contempt for Frein, he said."He committed a heinous crime," Sheridan said. "The district attorneys are free to seek the penalty that fits the crime."Knowles said he is waiting to see how Wolf governs despite the overtures."If we are going to get Tom Wolf the small businessman, I think we will be fine," he added. "If we get Tom Wolf the union backer, then we better watch out for our wallets."