Pennsylvania in Focus: Recent Episodes
Pennsylvania in Focus
A weekly feature of the top TheCenterSquare.com stories of the week, commentary from Pennsylvania. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pennsylvania-in-focus/support
(The Center Square) – The commonwealth’s divided government means “getting stuff done,” as Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro likes to say, doesn’t come easily. If it did, according to Republicans in the state, the commonwealth might become the “California of the East.” “If we weren’t here, knowing that he wants to be the Democratic nominee for president, just imagine the progressive policies he’d support,” said Kim Ward, the highest-ranking Republican in the state Senate, during an interview with The Center Square. “We are the stopgap.”
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(The Center Square) – There was a lot of talk at the state Capitol on Wednesday about a frustrating milestone: 100 days without a spending plan and no deal in sight. Instead, the Democrat majority House of Representatives marked up the Republican majority Senate’s stopgap budget, passed in its chamber two months ago, by $2.7 billion. Leaders say it’s the least that can be done after the Senate sent them a “copy and paste” plan of last year’s budget that would not cover the natural rise in annual program costs, such as those seen with Medicaid.
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(The Center Square) – Domestic shale production in the Appalachian Basin may offer the easiest path toward protecting the nation’s energy supply and resisting reliance on geopolitical foes, says U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The Trump administration official was recently in Pennsylvania to deliver a keynote address emphasizing the critical role the domestic shale industry plays, both nationally and around the world. Speaking before energy executives and stakeholders, Burgum made the case that America’s energy policy is vital not only to the country’s prosperity but also to national security and global peace.
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(The Center Square) - After a heated floor debate, the final bill in a series of proposed gun control measures failed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday. The legislation would have served to ban “machine gun conversion devices” also known as “switches” or “glock switches,” which allow standard pistols to fire over a thousand rounds per minute. Debate on the topic brought a wide variety of viewpoints from both sides of the House, some measured and some emotional.
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(The Center Square) - Advocates taking aim at the wide array of “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, found in common personal care and household products spoke before the House Consumer Protection, Utilities and Technology committee Tuesday. Experts testified about the dangers to human health and child development posed by products from makeup to baby clothes that contain the chemicals. Experts noted that the risks are especially great for young children whose bodies are still developing.
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(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Lightning Plan promises to combine his commitment to win investments in the artificial intelligence sector with a focus on improving permitting processes that has been successful in many wings of the state bureaucracy. House legislators have turned that vision into a bill that promises to develop a central authority for large projects called the Reliable Energy Siting and Electric Transition, or RESET, Board. One group of doctors wrote an open letter to the governor opposing the bill.
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(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s emergency savings account, contrary to its colloquial name of “Rainy Day Fund,” is for anything but. Instead, state law reserves the $7 billion pot for economic downturns or unexpected revenue shortfalls, and can’t be tapped without a two-thirds vote from the legislature. Neither condition appears to have been met for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed $51.5 billion spending plan, according to the Commonwealth Foundation. In a letter to Treasurer Stacy Garrity and leaders of the House and Senate, the fiscally conservative nonprofit argued that “the commonwealth’s economic environment has been well known and understood for months.”
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(The Center Square) - A nationwide increase in political violence almost certainly isn’t what Josh Shapiro hoped would set the tone during his first term in office as Pennsylvania’s governor. Yet, as he’s navigated through an attempted presidential assassination, a manhunt for Luigi Mangione that gripped the country, and the firebombing of his own residence in Harrisburg, he’s become a national spokesperson for civility. Invited to speak at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Shapiro called once more for leaders to act and speak with “moral clarity.”
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(The Center Square) – America’s colleges are not faring well when it comes to their handling of free speech issues on campus – in fact, most deserve a grade of “F,” according to a newly released report. The results of a student survey at 257 schools nationwide reveal a poor free speech climate, less tolerance for controversial speakers, and more acceptance of aggressive tactics to silence campus free speech. The sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings, released on Tuesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, also shows a continued decline in support for free speech among all students.
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(The Center Square) - With no budget and no viable long-term transit solutions in sight, the Senate recessed till Oct. 20 on Wednesday. Majority Leader Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, issued a statement, however, saying that the Philadelphia mass transit band-aid approved by PennDOT might allow for movement in the coming days. Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed his budget to the legislature in early February of this year. The fiscal year for that budget began in July. Over two months past its deadline, some public institutions are beginning to falter.
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(The Center Square) – With a bit of a limp, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta made his way up the Capitol steps to cheers and applause. The Philadelphia Democrat had just completed a 105-mile walk to demand funding for mass transit. The journey from Philadelphia to Harrisburg took place over four days, spanning the Democratic National Committee Vice Chair’s entire Labor Day weekend and taking him through urban, suburban, and rural communities in southeastern and central Pennsylvania.
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(The Center Square) - U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick continue to build upon their reputation of bipartisan congeniality, particularly expressed in shared views about the state of antisemitism in the United States. The pair sent letters to the presidents of five of the commonwealth’s most prestigious universities “expressing concern about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses.” The schools - Penn State, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University - were notable to the senators for having the highest populations of Jewish students in the state.
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(The Center Square) – Ballots returned to county election offices with incorrect or missing dates still count as valid, according to a federal opinion issued Tuesday. A three-panel judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit said Pennsylvania’s mandate that mail-in votes with dating errors must be set aside violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The unanimous decision found that leaning on dates to “back stop” failures with the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, “betrays a misunderstanding of Pennsylvania’s election laws.”
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(The Center Square) - For Philadelphia leaders, security concerns are top of mind as the city approaches a banner year of sports and cultural events. But even as the world bets big on the city’s ability to host major events like America250 and FIFA World Cup games, frustrated Philadelphians are struggling with the state’s funding choices. The committee heard testimony just days before SEPTA’s major service cuts went into effect, and transit was highlighted as one of the biggest security concerns for planners. As the reality of SEPTA cuts sink in, officials are bracing themselves for what they say will be an even further diminished system by next summer.
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(The Center Square) – She earned the most votes of any statewide Republican candidate in the 2024 election, besting Gov. Josh Shapiro’s record set two years prior. Now, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity hopes that massive popularity will outshine him again in 2026. “And I’m giving you and your family my solemn oath that I will work hard every day to fix the problems that Josh Shapiro has created,” she said in a campaign announcement posted to social media Monday. The decorated military veteran, who served three tours in Iraq and rose to the rank of colonel, pointed to her commitment as a servicemember and the accountability reforms she’s made since taking over as treasurer in 2021 as proof of her devotion to protecting taxpayers.
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(The Center Square) – Reinstating work requirements for some welfare recipients found support across the aisle on Wednesday. It’s a notable change after the partisan nature of the debate in recent years: Republicans have long wanted waivers from the mandate, which have been used on and off for the last 20 years, to expire amid fears about prolonged government dependency and fraud. Democrats see the option as economically justified absent a stronger safety net.
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(The Center Square) – There’s no shortage of frustration when it comes to stalled negotiations over funding for public transit in Pennsylvania. Of the plans proffered – using sales taxes versus dipping into the transit trust fund – neither has bipartisan support. There’s a road not yet taken, however. In the days before both chambers convened to approve their respective solutions, Republican Sen. Gene Yaw, of Williamsport, and Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams, of Philadelphia, suggested solving two problems at once: collect a $500 monthly fee from unregulated skill game terminals and use it to pay for increased public transit support.
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(The Center Square) - Officials have urged the press and community not to speculate about the cause of a deadly explosion at a U.S. Steel plant in Clairton, near Pittsburgh, on Monday. Gov. Josh Shapiro joined county officials, union representatives, and U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt to discuss the incident in Allegheny County Tuesday. County Executive Sara Innamorato expressed gratitude to the dozens of local agencies who responded to the incident.
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(The Center Square) - Pennsylvania is stuck in what seems to be an ever-deepening mental health care crisis, exacerbated by staffing shortages across the industry. To address it, two senators held a meeting of the chamber's Majority Policy Committee in Danville on Tuesday, inviting more than a dozen experts to participate in a roundtable on the subject. Sens. Dave Argall, R-Mahanoy City, and Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-Shamokin Dam, heard testimony from mental health care providers, prison wardens, and even a state Supreme Court Justice advocating for legislative action to support families living with mental illness.
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(The Center Square) - House Democrats met in front of Abraham Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia to urge Senate Republicans to return to Harrisburg to pass funding for the state’s mass transit systems, a sticking point in the state's budget negotiations. Without dedicated funding, SEPTA is poised to cut services on the Aug. 24, an act that will impact more than 10,000 students who rely on transit to get to and from school every day, which begins the following day. Senate Republicans have argued that the system needs to bear more accountability for its financial shortcomings. Though public transit is used in all 67 counties across the state, its funding has become the backdrop for a perceived opposition between rural roads and bridges and urban commutes, and, more broadly, between red and blue swaths of the state.
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(The Center Square) – Pittsburgh’s “AI Strike Force” is aiming high to define and become a global leader in physical AI, the space in which artificial intelligence meets material goods in the form of robotics, defense systems, transportation, and more. In Harrisburg on Monday, the Strike Force's executive director Joanna Doven spoke to the urgency of the moment, echoing state leaders including Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Dave McCormick’s aspirations to make Pennsylvania a leader in a new era of technology. For its part, Pittsburgh has made a strong start of it, not just pivoting its industrial reputation but capitalizing on the manufacturing demands of new technologies to maintain the relevance of its foundation in steel.
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(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency announced upgrades to its flood warning and observation system on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Integrated Flood Warning and Observation System is known as IFLOWS 2.0 and will include the installation of 30 new weather stations across the state. Most of these will be placed on school properties where K-12 students will incorporate the data into their weather curricula.
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(The Center Square) - The congressional budget resolution passed early this month struck a blow, many say, to the renewable energy industry by phasing out tax credits for wind and solar energy. Clean energy advocates, however, say that even in the face of energy costs projected to rise as much as 74% over the next 10 years, that there’s reason to be optimistic. While Harry Godfrey of Advanced Energy United admitted that the rollbacks will cost jobs in manufacturing and on specific energy projects, he noted there are still opportunities for renewable energy to get off the ground. Specifically, planned wind and solar projects that have begun construction within a year of the act’s passage are still eligible for credit.
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(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s full-time legislature wastes taxpayer money and diminishes public participation, according to a new proposal from state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz. Pennsylvania’s 253 elected officials – 203 in the House and 50 in the Senate – make over $106,000 annually, second only to New York and California. It’s also just one of 10 states that maintain a full-time legislature. Before 1968, the commonwealth was part-time.
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(The Center Square) - As the state still struggles to find agreement with its own budget, some legislators are urging action to protect residents of the commonwealth from the expected fallout of the Congressional budget resolution bill that passed earlier this month. One such measure is a bipartisan bill establishing requirements for hospital financial assistance which passed the House in May. It currently awaits consideration in the Senate. The bill would ensure patients have a better understanding of their financial situation and options when engaging with the healthcare system by requiring hospitals to provide standardized financial aid information.
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(The Center Square) - Two weeks late, the Pennsylvania House has taken a major step forward in passing a new state budget. House Bill 1330 passed the House with a vote of 105-97, with three Republicans voting alongside Democrats and one member on leave. Republican Appropriations chair Jim Struzzi of Indiana called the bill a necessary step forward given the delays in the legislature, but he urged his caucus to vote against the bill.
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(The Center Square) – Artificial intelligence infrastructure coming to Pennsylvania includes $90 billion from tech giants, energy companies and investment firms betting on the state’s rich power supply. And it’s got the seal of approval from top federal officials, including U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and President Donald Trump. In recent years, Pennsylvania’s reputation as an energy exporter and its easy access to power plants have risen its profile within investment circles hoping to capitalize on the “AI revolution.”
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(The Center Square) - Responding to concerns that President Donald Trump could use the Insurrection Act to deploy troops domestically, Congressman Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., introduced a bill to limit presidential power on Tuesday. The bill entitled the Insurrection Act of 2025 would update the original 1807 legislation to clarify and narrow the circumstances in which it could be used. Updates would state explicitly that it’s a measure of last resort. Invoking the act would require prior consultation with Congress and limit its use to a seven-day period.
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(The Center Square) - On Monday, the House passed a resolution designating September as International Underground Railroad Month. It received near-unanimous support from the chamber, 199-4. The no votes stood out. The Underground Railroad is an integral part of U.S. history, particularly important to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which served as an abolitionist state and is home to more than 60 sites on the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom list. Passing the resolution would seem noncontroversial, aligning each representative with the resolve and demonstration of character of those who resisted the enslavement of Africans in the Americas through the Underground Railroad.
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(The Center Square) – A Coca-Cola driver in Houston, Pa., says leaders of his local Teamsters union threatened to fire him if he didn’t join the organization and pay dues. And now, he’s taking them to federal court. Hammaker says Teamsters Local 585 violated his constitutional right to opt out of membership and avoid paying dues that can support political activities. However, the union contract stipulated that joining was mandatory.
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(The Center Square) - At long last, it looks like Pennsylvania’s prohibition of Sunday hunting will end. The passage of House Bill 1431 in concurrence with the Senate signals a new era of game in the commonwealth. Proponents of the prohibition maintain that a traditional day off should still be observed, while opponents maintain that the majority of hunters work throughout the week, limiting their opportunities to engage with the sport.
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(The Center Square) – It’s three strikes for the divided Pennsylvania legislature and its leader, Gov. Josh Shapiro. Monday came and went without a budget deal hammered out. The new fiscal year begins Tuesday. And it’s the third time in as many years that it's been late with no clear end in sight. For now, the missed deadline doesn’t mean much. Most services and offices will function throughout the summer, though tardiness is becoming a pattern. In 2023, Shapiro’s first year in office, parts of the budget weren’t finished until December. The following year, the governor signed off on July 12.
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(The Center Square) - In a victory for President Donald Trump, the University of Pennsylvania agreed Tuesday to resolve what the Department of Education deemed to be a violation of Title IX by allowing a transgender woman to participate in women’s swimming. The violation occurred prior to Trump’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” issued in February of this year, with swimmer Lia Thomas winning the 2022 NCAA Division I Championship for the 500-yard freestyle. Thomas was in compliance with NCAA rules at the time. To resolve the issue, Penn has agreed to apologize to the female swimmers who competed alongside Thomas and restore any titles, awards, or records impacted by her wins.
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(The Center Square) - The “bioindustrial revolution” is coming. Pennsylvania lawmakers want the commonwealth to be at its forefront. Gov. Josh Shapiro has made the biotech industry a core focus of his work in the governor’s office. Other lawmakers in the state are now doubling down on that commitment. Last week, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-West Chester, joined the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology on its Pennsylvania stop for the Biotech Across America Tour.
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(The Center Square) - It’s a big achievement–Pennsylvania won out over other states for the largest capital investment in its history, $20 billion from Amazon for data centers and technology infrastructure. Though the project promises to create over 1,200 jobs, at least initially, not everyone is happy about where things are going. At the June press conference when Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the historic influx of capital, there was a protest nearby. One reporter asked Gov. Josh Shapiro for his message to the people who oppose the erection of data centers in their communities.
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(The Center Square) - It’s budget season, and Pennsylvania legislators are feeling the squeeze of potential cuts from the federal government. So are the state’s leading universities. Yet, as the system that has made the commonwealth a destination of choice for medical and academic research is transforming, lawmakers maintain a split focus on the state’s higher education. On one hand, the state is responsible for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, or PASSHE, a network of 14 universities that provide college degrees in every region of the state at the same rate of tuition, which is currently frozen at $7,716 for in-state students. Then, there are the state-related universities. The four schools include Penn State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University. These institutions receive funding directly from the state and offer reduced tuition for in-state students, but they operate independently and have the endowments to prove it.
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When it comes to higher education, taxpayers, legislators and educators on both sides of the aisle seem to agree that something is broken and the cost is too high. That’s about where the agreement ends.
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(The Center Square) - It was an unusual day in the Pennsylvania House, but that didn’t stop leadership from shepherding a mass transit bill forward to the Senate. Neither the electronic system used to tabulate legislators’ votes nor member laptops were working, causing House Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, to act according to a precedent established in 1975, in which opponents of the bill stood and were counted. The bill, proposed by Transportation chair Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, would enact Gov. Josh Shapiro’s plan to support mass transit in all 67 counties by increasing the percentage of sales tax revenue allocated to the Public Transportation Trust Fund from 4.4% to 6.15%. This would result in an increase of $292.5 million in funding next year and $1.5 billion over the next five years.
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(The Center Square) – As the ink dries on the U.S. Steel merger with Japanese competitor Nippon, one state lawmaker breathes a deep sigh of relief on behalf of thousands of workers, most of whom she’s never met. Sen. Kim Ward, the fifth-term legislator from Greensburg and the highest-ranking Republican in the upper chamber, recently told The Center Square the long fight to the finish line was a personal mission to protect the commonwealth’s legacy. As part of the merger, Nippon will invest $2.2 billion dollars into steel mills in southwestern Pennsylvania in what’s considered the most significant investment in the industry to date.
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(The Center Square) – Home care workers said Tuesday that a $21 million proposal to increase wages and benefits isn’t just a good idea, it’s the bare minimum to keep the industry float. Most in the state earn between $13 and $14 per hour due to the Medicaid reimbursement rate. The proposal would increase salaries for participant-directed care workers who are not employed through an agency.
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(The Center Square) - The week begins with a historic first, the largest capital investment in Pennsylvania history. Amazon’s commitment of $20 billion for data centers promises to change the state’s landscape for years to come. The first of the two centers will be built in Luzerne County and Bucks County where the projects promised to deliver at least 1,250 jobs. Speaking from the Jackson Mansion in Berwick on Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro said the deal comes after 20 months of negotiations between Amazon, the state, and local leaders.
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(The Center Square) – Gov. Josh Shapiro is in a unique position regarding the deployment of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He can consent to doing so, as he has for several federal requests since taking office two years ago, or he can decline, as he has also done during those same two years. “As part of their responsibilities, the PANG has state and federal missions and remains constantly prepared to respond to both,” said Angela Watson, communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Securing the border is a federal responsibility – and in the time Governor Shapiro has been in office, PANG has conducted several mobilizations to provide support for that mission. On multiple occasions in 2023, 2024, and 2025, over 100 PANG soldiers have been mobilized to the border.”
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(The Center Square) – Pennsylvanians with intellectual and developmental disabilities gathered with advocates in the Capitol on Monday to urge lawmakers to preserve Medicaid from proposed spending cuts at the federal level. In particular, the group spoke out about the importance of home and community-based supports that allow many disabled people to remain independent rather than receiving care in an institutional setting. “Without strong funding commitments, people with disabilities and the caregivers, providers, and communities that support them stand to lose the most,” said Francine Hogan, director of the nonprofit Vision for Equality.
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(The Center Square) – In what was billed as a “Senate showdown,” Fox News hosted a congenial discussion between U.S. senators from Pennsylvania and self-described friends Dave McCormick and John Fetterman. The two men discussed points of agreement, like confronting Iran and Iranian-backed militant groups. They also discussed points of divergence like the cuts to Medicaid proposed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as the resolution is known. Fetterman, a first-term Democrat, said he’d be voting against the bill, citing concerns for Medicaid and SNAP, though he emphasized that neither his “no” vote nor his colleague’s “yes” vote made them bad people.
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(The Center Square) – What’s next for U.S. Steel after its $14 billion merger? It’s either the golden age or a clever mirage, depending on who gets asked. That’s because the final details, while still scant, don’t satisfy critics about the iconic Pittsburgh company’s new partnership with Japanese-owned Nippon Steel. What is known is that on Friday, President Donald Trump took a victory lap in West Mifflin to celebrate the agreement, surrounded by mill workers, labor unions and state and congressional lawmakers. Calling it the most significant investment in the history of the American steel industry, the president said it will ensure “the best and strongest steel in America will forever be made in America and made in Pennsylvania.”
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(The Center Square) – Whether it’s gas or “green,” most Pennsylvanians just want affordable electricity. This according to a new statewide poll from Public Opinion Strategies released Thursday, which found that three-quarters of respondents worry about access to affordable electricity in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Another 78% said their household energy bills have risen over the last two years as part of an inflationary trend that some attribute to uncertain state and federal government regulations.
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(The Center Square) - As the federal government weighs cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Pennsylvania House is set to vote on a bill that would charge non-profit organizations with overseeing incentives to SNAP recipients for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. The Food Bucks bill, which received bipartisan support in committee, would provide SNAP users with 40 cents in additional benefits for every dollar spent on approved items. It mirrors programs currently offered in some counties across the state, including Allegheny.
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(The Center Square) – Money spent addressing opioid use disorder last year accounts for 5% of Pennsylvania’s GDP, according to a report from Avalere Health. The study used state and national data to analyze costs across federal, state, and local governments, businesses, households, society, and individuals and found that the crisis has cost more than $3.9 trillion nationally. Pennsylvania alone accounted for over $232 billion of that total.
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(The Center Square) - Tuesday’s Democratic primaries proved to be a referendum on Ed Gainey’s leadership in his first term as mayor of Pittsburgh. The incumbent failed to convince voters that more time would help him usher a vision of a revitalized Pittsburgh into reality, and he was unseated by Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor. The victory means O’Connor is on track to win the general election, with Democrats holding the position for most of the last century. Tony Moreno, a former police detective, took the Republican nomination.
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(The Center Square) – Lawmakers made another attempt to reform elections in Pennsylvania, though it’s unclear how much appetite exists to deliver the plan to the governor’s desk. In many ways, it’s familiar. Like House Democratic-backed proposals that came before it, the bill establishes early in-person voting, ballot boxes and faster voter registration timelines. House Speaker Joanna McClinton, of Philadelphia, again sponsored it. And again, it passed along party lines – 102-101 in favor, to be exact. This time, however, there’s a historic difference: a bill to enact voter identification, historically a non-starter for the Democratic party, is only one step behind.
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(The Center Square) - Central to the debate around bailouts for the Philadelphia area’s mass transit system, SEPTA, has been the long-term sustainability of the agency’s finances. It’s currently set to face a $213 million deficit in July. Republicans in the legislature have resisted bailouts and solutions that would allocate more state dollars toward mass transit, favoring funding road and bridge construction throughout the state and demanding belt-tightening measures. Today, SEPTA announced that it has identified $91.4 million in accruing annual recurring revenue and savings through its Efficiency and Accountability, or E&A, program.
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(The Center Square) – A skeptical high court grilled state officials this week about whether the money it wants to collect from a regional anti-pollution pact constitutes a fee or a tax. Only the latter needs legislative approval, which will not happen with a split General Assembly, where the risk of rising utility bills 30% during economic uncertainty weighs heavily. That means it’s up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to decide if the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s effort to limit harmful emissions from power plants across the mid-Atlantic rises above the financial impact residents may feel.
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(The Center Square) - When used judiciously, some Democrats speculate that tariffs can be a good thing. In Pennsylvania, where steel has been a central component of the state’s economy, they’re arguing for different tactics. “I think it should be easy for us to criticize Donald Trump's tariffs and his trade approach right now, which is hurting a lot of people. A lot of businesses and workers in Pennsylvania,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio, who represents the 17th district northwest of Pittsburgh. He spoke at the Harrisburg stop of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s Fighting Oligarchy tour just hours after Cleveland Cliffs announced it would be at least temporarily closing a plant in neighboring Steelton. The move will impact 500 workers. The company will also be idling a Conshohocken plant, costing 115 jobs.
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(The Center Square) – Students across 18 public schools in Pennsylvania failed proficiency tests for math and reading. That is, not even 1% of children hit the benchmark. This reality is widening support for school choices beyond assigned districts, as has happened in some form across 34 states. Sen. Judy Ward, R-Hollidaysburg, and Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, say the commonwealth’s resistance must end. It’s a rare bipartisan alliance, though for Williams, it's deeply personal: the shocking statistics come from his district, which stretches north from the airport to the city's west side.
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(The Center Square) – A 173-page bill that regulates adult-use cannabis in the commonwealth went from introduction to committee approval in less than 24 hours. While Democrats laud the proposal as long overdue and the best amalgamation of many state models, Republicans argue the process was fast-tracked, secretive and potentially dangerous. Critics argued that’s not true. Without comment from law enforcement advocacy groups or those representing children’s health and well-being, they worry the bill will only cause harm.
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(The Center Square) - Recruitment and retention were primary challenges for Berkeley Hills Fire Company in Allegheny County. It’s one of the thousands of volunteer fire departments that make up the majority of the state’s network of first responders. It’s not an easy job, and finding those with the time, flexibility, and interest to do it has become increasingly difficult. Some say it’s a shift in values, while others point to the financial strain and life stressors faced by men and women in the potential recruitment pool. The company’s website advertises professional training and certification, gear and uniforms to fight fires, scholarships to learn more about fighting fires, health and wellness perks to keep recruits fit for fighting fires, life insurance and discounts on property tax, and even modest stipends. The company’s live-in program offers extensive training and experience in exchange for 40-hours of shifts per week. That is to say, volunteering is a full-time job.
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(The Center Square) – A recent poll suggests that support for school choice doesn’t hinge on any political affiliation, age, ethnicity, region or 2024 presidential vote. Rather, across all demographics, as many as two-thirds of respondents support the concept of educational scholarships that offer state funding directly to families to fund private school tuition. Support for the policy reached as high as 56% among Democrats and Kamala Harris voters – a significant figure given the party’s historical opposition to it.
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(The Center Square) - Dozens of organizations across Pennsylvania have taken advantage of tax credits and rebates provided by the federal infrastructure bill to fund projects that support renewable energy and climate resiliency. PennEnvironment and Evergreen Collaborative, both environmental organizations who operate in the commonwealth, have created an interactive map to see which companies have benefited from the tax dollars and the fiscal and environmental impact they’re expected to make. The map illustrates a range of projects in every region of the state, including rural areas whose representatives are known for backing the coal industry and eschewing climate concerns. They include various types of clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, environmental cleanup, and tree planting efforts. Solar projects appear most prominently.
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(The Center Square) – Expanded tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for 24.3 million Americans face expiration at the end of 2025, leaving many in the field fearful about the future of medicine for the working class. In Pennsylvania, that means premiums for 500,000 residents enrolled through Pennie — the state’s health insurance marketplace — could nearly double. As enrollment drops, prices will rise even higher to fill the gap. “We’re very concerned about what we have headed down the pike,” said Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley during a roundtable discussion on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
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(The Center Square) – As the number of independent voters grows, there is broad bipartisan support among Pennsylvania voters for allowing the state’s 1.4 million independents to participate in primary elections, says a new poll. Pennsylvania is one of only 14 states with closed party primaries. Implementing open or semi-open primaries would require changes to state election law, an issue currently being considered by lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly.
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(The Center Square) – Government unions leverage payroll deductions to funnel money to almost exclusively Democratic candidates, according to a new report in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative policy group based in Harrisburg, said government unions spent $33 million in 2023 and 2024 supporting political action committees and other causes, of which just 5.2% backed candidates from other parties. Although many membership organizations spend money on political campaigns, critics like the foundation say unions have an unethical advantage by collecting membership dues via payroll deduction.
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(The Center Square) - Policymakers spoke in no uncertain terms at a hearing in Pittsburgh on Tuesday: both rural and urban regions will suffer if the legislature doesn’t come up with funding solutions for mass transit. The last long-term dedicated funding measure, Act 89, was passed in 2013 and has since expired. Since then, the governor and legislature have battled over short-term solutions for the struggling SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit, or PRT, systems. Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed allocating 1.75% of the state sales tax to transit, a $292 million increase that would represent the first of its kind in over a decade.
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(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro provided an update on investigations into the arson that occurred at his Harrisburg residence over the weekend. His update comes after details about the case, and with them about the alleged attacker Cody Balmer, have come to light - including that he was struggling with acute mental illness. A potential motive for the crime was mentioned in a search warrant obtained by PennLive. It stated that in a 911 call following the attack, Balmer said that he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.” Shapiro has distanced himself from controversial writing on the topic of Palestine during his college career, however he has indicated support for Israel’s prosecution of the war and advocates for a two-state solution.
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(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania politics cast a stunning juxtaposition this weekend. On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, a conservative political celebration for state Republicans, began its three-day run while stocks plummeted following the president’s announcement of new tariffs. Meanwhile, Democratic senators Vincent Hughes and Art Haywood of Philadelphia marked 57 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., on Friday. They and others used the opportunity to “sound the alarm” on federal threats to education and equity.
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(The Center Square) – The debate over whether children should undergo gender transition treatments has grown in fervor since Election Day, though a pending bill to ban the procedures in Pennsylvania has not. The Senate Majority Policy Committee, filled entirely with Republicans from the upper chamber, will center the issue at a hearing in Altoona next week. Parents, medical professionals, and detransitioned patients will share their perspectives on why the pending legislation, called the Do No Harm Act, should become law.
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(The Center Square) - The Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association joined legislators at the capitol to speak out against the proposed closures of State Correctional Institute Rockview in Centre County and nearby Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County. Their stated concerns are many. The two facilities are major employers in the rural central area of the state, and residents are worried about the economic impact of losing them. Corrections officers are torn with the prospect of either taking on new roles at distant facilities or leaving their current careers.
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(The Center Square) - Invoking the state and national history of immigration, beginning with the welcome offered by William Penn, some Pennsylvania elected officials want to pass new laws that counter the federal government’s recent deportation efforts. The PA Welcoming Caucus held a press conference skewering the Trump administration’s immigration policies, of which Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, said are intended to “erect a chilling order of terror and inquisition” across the United States.
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(The Center Square) – Democrats in Pennsylvania flipped a reliably red seat in the state Senate on Tuesday by less than 500 votes. East Petersburg Mayor James Malone’s victory over Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons surprised all. In November, President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick won the region by wide margins. Malone will replace former Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lititz, who resigned earlier this year to serve as McCormick’s state director in Pennsylvania. Aument had been representing the district since 2016, and though its borders had changed slightly throughout the decades due to reapportionment, Republicans have held the seat since the 1970s.
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(The Center Square) - The facts and figures around rural healthcare in Pennsylvania are grave. That’s why it was unsurprising to hear Gov. Josh Shapiro say in a press conference on rural healthcare that Sullivan County, home to just under 6,000 people and falling, did not have a single physician. Dr. Sam Schrack operates the Laporte Health Center where he’s been for three years. “I’ll be in office tomorrow as usual,” he wrote in an email to The Center Square. “If you really want to find out what the issues are with rural health, come up sometime and visit.” So, this reporter did just that.
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(The Center Square) - House Democrats are once again making the attempt to turn 2021 recommendations from the bipartisan, bicameral Juvenile Justice Task Force into legislative action. Last year, they were successful in passing laws derived from just two of the task force’s 35 recommendations. According to Rep. Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, when broken down into action items the recommendations are more than double that. This year, they’re proposing 10 bills to begin to close the gap in what has been dubbed the CARE package.
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(The Center Square) - As Pennsylvania grapples with ways to better care for and rehabilitate the tens of thousands of people held in its prison system, a sweeping report shows the nation at a crossroads and taxpayers holding a $182 billion price tag for incarceration. The Prison Policy Initiative, or PPI, is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for criminal justice reform. In its recent view of the ‘Whole Pie’ of mass incarceration, the PPI pulled together data from the thousands of disparate local, state, and federal agencies responsible for the incarcerated in America.
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(The Center Square) – The Trump administration froze $175 million in federal funds to the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, citing its promised crackdown on institutions that support athlete policies permitting men in women's sports. The president’s rapid response team confirmed the move on X, saying “promises made, promises kept” – an oft-repeated refrain meant to connect the administration’s latest policy moves with campaign-era rhetoric. The Ivy League college was thrust into the forefront of the debate in 2022 after it allowed Lia Thomas, competitor on the men's team for three years before switching to the women's team, to compete in the women’s NCAA swimming championships.
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(The Center Square) - Chester-Crozer Hospital is the nearest emergency department for thousands of residents, many of whom do not have private transportation. When news broke that it may soon be closing, it shed light on the role of private equity in Pennsylvania’s health care system. For now, doors are staying open thanks to funding from the Foundation for Delaware County, but a new buyer must be found soon. The Senate Democratic Policy Committee met this week to talk about the impact of hospital closures like this and what can be done to prevent them. Medical professionals and policy experts testified about the damage done to hospitals run with the goal of maximizing profit for equity firms like the now bankrupt Prospect Medical Holdings.
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(The Center Square) - Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, signaled an appetite for additional cyber charter reforms this week. At least so it appears, according to an op-ed the No. 2-ranking Republican wrote detailing progress that’s been made and work still to be done. It's also significant given long-standing disagreements on how tuition for cyber charter schools should be calculated.
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(The Center Square) – The Shapiro administration’s handling of a sexual misconduct complaint against a cabinet member, and one reporter’s request to know more about the investigation behind it, may cost taxpayers a lot of money. In a court transcript obtained by The Center Square, an attorney representing the Office of the Governor says the state deleted internal emails sent and received over an eight-day period by a deputy aide in its Legislative Affairs Office who reported the inappropriate behavior.
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(The Center Square) - Over 2 million Pennsylvanians receive funds from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Monthly, this brings about 367 million in federal dollars to the state. In budget hearings before the House Appropriations Committee, legislators sought to better understand who that money benefits, how it’s being used, and how it can be abused. According to Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, the program largely benefits children in low-income families and the elderly, while creating downstream impacts on the local economy, including the state’s farmers. The state has about 10,000 grocers who participate in the SNAP program.
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(The Center Square) - The quality of life afforded the state’s prisoners is a perennial concern for families, human rights advocates and workers within the judicial system, including the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections itself. For the nearly 40,000 incarcerated Pennsylvanians, new approaches to corrections could make a big difference in their experience. For some, they already are. A program at SCI Chester called Little Scandinavia adopts principles from the prison model used in Sweden and Norway to lessen the disparity between life in prison and life in the real world. Residents of this unit, which can house up to 64 men, live in single cells where they have desks and even refrigerators.
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(The Center Square) — Pennsylvania will need to spend $2 billion over the next five years to cover its expanded Medicaid program. And while lawmakers are worried about finding the money to foot the bill, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services insists that doing so will lower costs in the long run. Senate Republicans are not yet convinced and hope the new Trump administration will agree to reevaluate the state’s waiver, approved just weeks before President Joe Biden stepped aside, amid the governor’s request for a $1.9 billion single-year increase in the Department of Human Services budget.
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(The Center Square) – Education is the second largest spending area in the state’s budget after human services. For legislators on both sides of the aisle, the question that loomed the largest seemed to be, “Are we getting what we pay for?” It was a question that Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe and other officials who sat before the House Appropriations Committee for an all-day discussion on Monday heard again and again.
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(The Center Square) – A new report found that despite record-high demand, Pennsylvania turned away nearly half of students applying for educational grants in 2023. That’s because red tape means not every dollar of the $600 million budgeted for the programs can be spent until a business or individual donor contributes in-kind, leaving at least $75 million on the table in December. It’s also more evidence why, the Commonwealth Foundation says, the state must do more to expand school choice options, such as creating scholarships that don’t rely on funding from donors in exchange for tax credits.
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(The Center Square) - There are 32 states, red and blue, who offer some version of an Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Pennsylvania isn’t one of them. The House Finance committee met with experts for an informational hearing on why that should change. The hearing largely centered around what are known as ALICE families and individuals, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These families live above the poverty line and often earn too much to receive assistance yet financial stability and everyday necessities remain out of reach.
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(The Center Square) – "We all just need a little break. It’s been a tough hearing,” said Deptartment of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen toward the end of her testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Legislators grappled with tough issues - and each other - as they pushed for clarity on the proposed 9.7% budget increase for the state’s primary health agency. There were differences of opinion on the most important objectives in a field with need in every direction, frequently leading back to the perceived competition between rural and urban regions for state resources.
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(The Center Square) - Appropriations hearings began with Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency taking the spotlight. The committee is undertaking consideration of a 6.5% requested increase in funding for the upcoming budget, a figure they say would enable them to keep student costs down. Tuition has been frozen at its current rate since 2018. PASSHE Chancellor Dr. Chris Fiorentino says that the current tuition represents an actual reduction in cost due to the 28% inflation of the Consumer Price Index over the same period. He noted that the stable tuition has helped students be better able to plan their finances, yet enrollment numbers continue to drop.
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(The Center Square) – Ongoing political tension means law enforcement agencies across the nation still face hiring challenges. During their budget hearings in the General Assembly on Wednesday, representatives of the Pennsylvania State Police said they are having the same recruitment problems. “It’s speculation on my part, but my best guess is [law enforcement] it’s just not a sought after or valued profession,” said State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris when answering a question about why recruiting is so difficult. Paris suggested there may be some “generational differences,” in that younger people may not see themselves in one job for their entire career.
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(The Center Square) – In Pennsylvania, it’s possible to be convicted of murder and receive a life sentence without parole without ever having harmed another person. This is how the state’s felony murder charge, also known as murder two or second-degree murder, works. And some lawmakers think it should change. House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Tim Briggs, D-King of Prussia, is re-introducing a bill that would allowing the possibility for parole after 25 years of the sentence has been served.
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(The Center Square) - Western Pennsylvanians are celebrating Wednesday after the release of American history teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian labor camp in exchange for an unnamed Russian citizen. Fogel has been the focus of years of effort petitioning the U.S. government to push for his release. Legislators and family members were frustrated to see his name omitted from high-profile prisoner exchanges in 2022 and 2024. He was arrested by Russian authorities after about a half ounce of medical marijuana prescribed in the U.S. was found in his luggage in 2021. In 2024, he was deemed “wrongfully detained” by state officials.
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(The Center Square) – Health care workers willing to work in Pennsylvania’s underserved rural regions could get some help repaying student loans. This after the House Healthcare Committee renewed its drive to incentivize medical workers to live and work in rural areas of the state through student debt repayment. The committee voted unanimously to pass House Bill 157 last week to the chamber floor. The legislation would allow medical facilities to apply for grants to pass on to employees willing to take on a position far from urban centers.
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(The Center Square) – Few legislators want to see games of skill regulated and taxed more than Pennsylvania Sen. Gene Yaw. Yaw, a Republican from Lycoming County, says doing so benefits the small businesses, like veterans clubs and volunteer fire organizations, that supplement their income with the machines. The county is also home to Pennsylvania Skill and Pace-o-Matic, the premier manufacturer of skill games in the state. Advocates have long asked for regulatory legitimacy that recognizes their court-backed distinction within the gaming industry – not a slot machine or a table game or a video gaming terminal or a lottery ticket or an online betting company, but a gambling style in which winning depends not upon chance, but a player’s skill.
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(The Center Square) – It's a new year, and with it comes a time-honored tradition in Pennsylvania: the unveiling of the governor's spending proposal. On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro proffered the biggest one yet: $51.4 billion that critics say spends $3 billion more than what the state can afford. For the administration and its allies, however, it's a mere down payment on the state's education adequacy gap, its crumbling mass transit system and ballooning health care needs for a growing senior population.
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(The Center Square) – Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal aims to build on the inertia begun with last year’s investment in the state’s education system to the tune of $525 million, a figure Republican legislators say is unsustainable. The state's schools are facing a $4.5 billion adequacy gap. The commonwealth’s new adequacy formula determines which schools are behind and by how much, but it does not address where the money comes from. Still, the increase has been touted as the biggest bipartisan achievement of the divided state government.
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(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania house members say that aging in place is a major priority for them as the state’s elderly population continues to grow. Homecare services, deemed unskilled, to support daily activities like bathing, dressing, and cooking are essential to creating that possibility for them. Yet providers across the state are struggling to hire enough staff to cover the needs of the state’s 300,000 homecare recipients. Unable to offer comparable hourly wages, the industry is losing its potential recruiting pool to gig work and jobs in the service industry.
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(The Center Square) - Some Pennsylvania programs providing support to the state’s homeless population are shocked after receiving word that their services fall under the president’s “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” executive order. The order claims that the Biden administration “forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs” into all levels of government and orders the termination of “all discriminatory programs.” Many housing programs in the state receive Special Notice of Funding Opportunity awards to provide continuum of care for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and for those experiencing homelessness in rural communities. The funding comes from a $486 million federal pool administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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(The Center Square) – A new deal could dampen the shock of anticipated price spikes from rising energy costs. On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said PJM will support a new price cap meant to lower the cost of the power grid in the coming year after a recent auction forecasted an 800% increase. That spike would have translated to a 30% rise in utility bills. The price cap must receive official approval from the transmission, generation and distribution companies that supply the grid, as well as the O.K. from federal regulators.
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(The Center Square) – It was a full day of celebration in Harrisburg honoring the inaugurations of Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Timothy DeFoor, and Attorney General David Sunday. This marks the first time all three row officer positions have been held by Republicans. Garrity and DeFoor both pledged to build from the momentum they’d gained during their first terms in their respective roles, while Sunday outlined his vision for the state's highest law enforcement office. Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke at each of the three ceremonies, which were otherwise filled with speakers and performers who showed the unique thumbprint of each official.
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(The Center Square) – With flags at the capitol flying at half-staff, Pennsylvania legislators began to move forward to fill the vacancy left by House Rep. Matt Gergely, D-McKeesport, who died this weekend at 45. Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia signed a writ of election scheduling a special election to determine his replacement March 25th. Until then, the House will remain evenly split with 101 representatives on each side of the aisle.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro says he’s ready to work with President Donald Trump. The Democratic leader of Pennsylvania, where support for domestic energy production and a populist enthusiasm for the commander-in-chief resonates loudly, issued a statement Monday congratulating the new administration and pledging a cordial partnership, albeit conditionally. “As governor, I have a responsibility to serve the people of Pennsylvania – and I go to work every single day focused on making life better and delivering results for them,” he said. “Over the last two years, I’ve worked across the aisle – bringing Democrats and Republicans together – to solve problems, cut taxes and reduce costs, create real opportunity in our classrooms, invest in public safety, create jobs, and grow our economy.
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(The Center Square) – Recruiting new police officers and supporting those already on the job in Pennsylvania remains a constant struggle. That’s why the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency backs local agencies as a way to boost hiring and retention. The latest recipient, Lock Haven City, accepted $14,000 in assistance from the commission in a news conference hosted Gov. Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris to promote the administration’s law enforcement efforts. The sum awarded to Lock Haven will go toward hiring two new officers. It’s a portion of $3 million in grants awarded by the commission that went toward recruiting and training for 692 municipal law enforcement positions.
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(The Center Square) – Doors have opened on Connections Emergency Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-in Center, a project with an investment of millions from the state in three central Pennsylvania counties. The center is the result of a joint effort between Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties leveraging funds from the state’s opioid settlement trust, a pool of more than $200 million paid largely by the “Big Four” pharmaceutical companies found responsible for contributing to Pennsylvania’s devastating drug crisis. The facility specializes in stabilizing people ages 14 and up who are experiencing mental health and substance abuse emergencies. Its staff provides an opportunity for people to receive help without calling 911.
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(The Center Square) – A joint bid for U.S. Steel from two domestic rivals has the potential support of Gov. Josh Shapiro. In a statement to The Center Square on Monday, the governor’s office said Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves has made “meaningful commitments to Pennsylvania” in conversations about a formal offer the Ohio-based company plans to make with Nocur, a steel manufacturer headquartered in North Carolina. “Before the governor would even consider endorsing any potential deal, Cleveland-Cliffs needs to make a formal bid to buy U.S. Steel and present specific details on what it will do to protect Pennsylvania jobs for the long term,” said Manuel Bonder, Shapiro’s spokesman.
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(The Center Square) — A new report published by ConsumerAffairs ranks Pennsylvania as the third best state for raising a family. The report ranked each state in affordability, safety, education, pediatric health care and quality of life. The combined metrics were used to determine the states' overall rankings. The score puts Pennsylvania in rarified air, behind only Maine and Vermont, while southwestern states California, Texas and New Mexico bottom out the list. Notably, Pennsylvania is the only state for which the report calls out political leadership or specific legislation, citing last year’s $1.11 billion increase to the state’s education budget.
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(The Center Square) – Gov. Josh Shapiro faces a new challenge after the White House blocked U.S. Steel’s overseas acquisition. Join the lawsuit the company filed alongside its would-be Japanese-owned buyer, Nippon Steel, and make sure Pennsylvania doesn’t lose more jobs to “friggin’ Ohio.” Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward threw down the gauntlet Monday during the Marty Griffin show on KDKA radio, referencing the governor’s infamous quote during his budget address in February 2024: build an economy that puts the Buckeye State’s to shame. According to Ward, this could happen because the collapse of the deal on Friday leaves the backdoor open for domestic buyers – namely Ohio-based Cleveland-Cliffs, which offered to acquire U.S. Steel in July 2023 for less than half of the $14.9 billion Nippon bid.
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(The Center Square) – One member down, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives struck an, at times, somber yet congenial bipartisan tone as they opened the 209th legislative session. Rep. Matt Gergley, D-McKeesport, remains hospitalized in Allegheny County following a medical emergency he suffered over the holiday, leaving the chamber evenly split with 101 members on each side of the aisle. Nevertheless, the election and appointments of leadership roles went off without a hitch. After a tied first round of voting for Speaker of the House, Minority Leader Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, removed his name from the running, clearing the way for Democrats to re-elect Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, the first woman to have served in the role.
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(The Center Square) – Twenty-one states across the US are raising the minimum wage in 2025. Pennsylvania Democrats would like to see the commonwealth soon join their ranks. Sen. Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, joined legislators and representatives from the business community in Lancaster to draw attention to the state’s flagging $7.25 minimum. “We are here on New Year’s Eve for a reason,” said Sen.-Elect Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, citing the increases that will take effect tomorrow in other states. “Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has not made the list” Kim was among leaders who saw a bill raising the wage through the House last year. The effort ended when it reached the Republican-controlled Senate.
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(The Center Square) – Sixty-five million people turn the lights on every day thanks in large part to the oversight of the nation’s largest power grid operator, PJM. Thirteen states, including Pennsylvania, plus Washington D.C., rely on the century-old organization to manage the flow of power across the system minute-by-minute, as well as plan for future electricity needs — like more power to supply data centers, electric vehicle charging stations, and energy storage for solar and wind farms. PJM, however, can only plan within the parameters set by state and federal governments.
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The Center Square's Pennsylvania 2024 Year in Review including the election, big legislative accomplishments, & the potential buyout of U.S. Steel.
Keep up with all of the national news in 2025 at The Center Square: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/
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(The Center Square) – Maternal health care, obesity, dental care, and substance use disorders are just a handful of crises facing health care providers in rural parts of the state. “Rural health care in Pennsylvania faces some very unique challenges specific to its population and location,” Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, in a policy meeting earlier this year. Rural communities have faced increasing isolation as local health care providers shutter their doors and costly travel to regional medical centers deters many from seeking routine screenings and recommended follow-up care. Meanwhile, many face limited access to the basics required for good preventative care, like nutritious food and health education.
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(The Center Square) – The teacher shortage in Pennsylvania has reached a critical point. While a large cohort of educators heads toward retirement, the state has been struggling to attract new talent into the field, resulting in an a deficit of over 4,400 teachers in the 2022-2023 school year alone. That's why the public Insight PA Cyber Charter School is answering the call to use their Career and Technical Education, or CTE, programming to guide interested students toward teaching careers and to address the 70% decline in new certifications over the past decade.
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(The Center Square) - By commuting the sentences of 1,500 people who were released to home confinement during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden drew the ire of many Pennsylvanians who were affected by what became known as the “kids for cash” scandal in Luzerne County. “It is truly disheartening to see a national leader on criminal justice issues for decades so wantonly undermine the rule of equal justice in his waning days,” said Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Dallas. Michael Conahan was one of two judges accused of receiving kickbacks in exchange for sending juvenile offenders to two private prisons. He received a prison sentence of 17.5 years in 2011, which has now ended over two years early in the largest single-day act of clemency issued by a president.
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(The Center Square) – The American Tort Reform Foundation has labeled Pennsylvania as the nation’s worst “Judicial Hellhole” in a new report. “Lawsuit abuse in the City of Brotherly Love has reached a fever pitch with nuclear verdicts,” claims the foundation, suggesting that “eye-popping nine-figure damage awards were issued without hardly a thought.” In making its case against the commonwealth, the group highlights huge sums awarded in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and recent decisions by the state’s Supreme Court which open the door both for increased litigation and higher claims for damages.
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(The Center Square) – The manhunt for the person who gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk five days ago ended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa. Described as a “vigilante” jaded by the commercial health insurance industry, Gov. Josh Shapiro said online support for the accused, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, leaves him sickened. “I have no tolerance nor should anyone for one man using an illegal ghost gun to murder someone because he thinks his opinion matters most,” he said during a Monday evening news conference in Hollidaysburg. “This killer is not a hero. He should not be hailed.”
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(The Center Square) – Local officials caught defying Pennsylvania election law may find themselves without a job. Rep. Joe D’Orsie, R-York, is drafting legislation that would give the state House the power to remove county and municipal officials from office. It’s similar to the impeachment process and would ultimately require voter approval. D’Orsie and other members of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus back the bill after Bucks County Commissioners voted to count roughly 400 ballots with dating errors amid a razor-thin race between incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and his Republican challenger Dave McCormick.
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(The Center Square) – In a report issued by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, disparities in domestic violence reporting between rural and urban communities reveal stark differences in the experiences of survivors. The study, conducted by Dr. Emily Strohacker at Penn State Harrisburg, surveyed and interviewed survivors across the commonwealth, primarily identified through victim service organizations. "Victims of domestic violence in rural areas face barriers to getting help that are unique,” said Susan Higginbotham, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Feelings of fear, embarrassment, and shame are common, and many rural cases are not reported because victims worry that other people in their small communities will learn about their abuse.”
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(The Center Square) – Some Pittsburgh residents may feel déjà vu as the city’s public school system considers yet another plan to close buildings and redistribute many of its 20,000 students. Though many see the district as overspending and underperforming, the strategy of reconfiguring schools also raises questions among parents who say similar attempts over the last 20 years didn’t pan out. Faced with declining enrollment and expensive facility upkeep, the district contracted Educational Resource Strategies, a non-profit organization, to reimagine the district’s operations. In the current model, the district’s 60 buildings have a 53% utilization rate.
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A controversial $14.9 billion overseas buyout of the iconic U.S. Steel company based in Pittsburgh still doesn’t have Donald Trump’s support. On Tuesday, the president-elect reaffirmed his vow to block the deal with Japanese-based Nippon Steel, upholding the same promise given by the Biden administration earlier this year. Instead, Trump says, stronger tariffs will save the company from shuttering its headquarters in the eponymous Steel City and moving further south.
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State government covers more than half of operational costs for mass transit systems in Pennsylvania’s largest cities. Notably, it’s not rider fares or contributions from local taxing authorities. In 2022, the latter represented just 7.5% of funding for both SEPTA in the Philadelphia region and the Pittsburgh Transit Authority, which operates 300 miles to the west in Allegheny County. This stands in stark contrast to systems in Boston, Chicago and New York City, where state governments pay between 9% and 30%. The data, compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Harrisburg, raises questions about the amount Pennsylvania spends to prop up its own mass transit systems.
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Pennsylvania's state Supreme Court told counties on Monday that ballots with dating errors cannot be counted as valid. The emergency order comes after elected officials in Bucks, Centre, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties overlooked the deficiencies, in violation of a previous high court ruling that said doing so was against state election law. The 4-3 order comes four days after the state and national Republican Party filed for extraordinary relief over the counting of undated and misdated ballots as election workers begin a recount in the U.S. Senate race.
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Last week, SEPTA announced a major fare increase after the state’s legislative session ended without approving additional funding for the flagging system. With each side of the state’s divided government blaming the other, SEPTA and its riders are left to make up the deficit. Legislators in Harrisburg have debated the issue several times over. Passage has been tied to skills game reform and infrastructure spending for roads and bridges, but it has never made it to the governor’s desk.
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Pennsylvania Democrats will return to the state House in January with a one-seat majority intact. This, after incumbent Rep. Frank Burns staved off Republican challenger Amy Bradley in the state’s 72nd district, nestled in deep red Cambria County. It’s the very same county that extended voting hours Tuesday after a ballot printing issue derailed counting. The mishap delayed results for many of the state’s closer races, including Dave McCormick’s defeat of Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. – a result the latter says is premature.
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With all eyes on Pennsylvania, officials across the commonwealth oversaw a relatively smooth Election Day. And despite occasional local issues ranging from bomb threats to power outages, the state largely averted many of the concerns that lingered from previous elections. Of particular note was the speed with which votes were returned this election allowing officials to call the state, and the presidential race, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
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Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race is heading toward a recount. Democrat Bob Casey Jr. has not yet conceded to Republican challenger Dave McCormick, despite national media agreement that the two-term senator cannot close the 29,000-vote gap that remains. State law triggers a recount when the winner’s margin is less than 0.5 percentage points unless the loser waives the action. Casey trails by just 0.46 points and did not exercise that right. The automatic recount must be completed before Nov. 27 at noon.
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The media and consulting firm linked to fraudulent voter registration forms in Pennsylvania earlier this week has gone dark as of Saturday. Field and Media Corps – the website and social media accounts of which are now defunct – is an Arizona-based company that contracts with Everybody Votes to run a canvassing operation in Pennsylvania and other states that target low-income minority residents unregistered to vote. The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Wednesday that 30 registration forms contained fraudulent information, including an application submitted on behalf of a dead resident.
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Donald Trump took back Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral college votes early Wednesday after an intense campaigning schedule centered on the commonwealth. Multiple media outlets called the race for the former president with just over 95% of the ballots counted. At time of publication, he led Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 193,000 votes. Or, as Trump said himself during a rally in Reading on Monday, “If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole ball of wax.” Trump clinched the 270 needed to win early Wednesday morning. The Associated Press made its call at 5:34 a.m. Eastern on the strength of winning battleground Wisconsin.
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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_45bba3ba-9c09-11ef-991b-375c8f7fff20.html
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Nearly 24 hours after polls closed across Pennsylvania, voters still don’t know who their next U.S. senator will be. As of 4 p.m., Republican Dave McCormick clings to a 31,000-vote lead, with 98% of ballots counted, according to The Associated Press. State returns show just under 6.8 million voters cast a ballot in the race out of 9 million registered. McCormick’s performance is an outlier result given the strong performance of other Republican candidates for statewide office, all led by President-elect Donald Trump’s three-point upset.
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Every four years, Americans make a choice between the two candidates they most trust to lead the nation. On the surface, it’s Republican or Democrat. In decades past, it’s been budget hawk or big spender. In centuries past, it’s been isolationist or globalist. But in 2024, it’s fascism or communism. At least, that’s the messaging neither candidate strayed far from during highly anticipated speeches on Tuesday.
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Pennsylvania election workers flagged 2,500 voter registrations dropped off Monday in Lancaster County for suspected fraud. In a press conference Friday, elected officials and investigators with the attorney general's office said 60% of the applications reviewed so far have been deemed illegitimate. The registrations in question were delivered in two batches. Ray D’Agostino, vice chairman of the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, said workers noticed similar handwriting and signatures on stacks of applications. Law enforcement stepped in soon after.
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With only two weeks left until the presidential election, Amish communities are experiencing déjà vu. That is because efforts are higher than ever to encourage voting among a population that’s traditionally refrained from doing so. Historically, the Amish are family-centric, with religious and cultural traditions that shape their political views. Their faith-based convictions regarding violence, power and political engagement often keep them away from the polls.
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A Philadelphia- area McDonald's onboarded a new worker last Sunday: former President Donald Trump. The Republican nominee's campaign shared footage of an employee at the Feasterville location in Bucks County training Trump, a black and yellow apron shielding his trademark red tie, how to cook the restaurant's iconic French fries. In separate clips, Trump serves customers waiting at the drive-thru window and pays their bills out of his own pocket.
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Full story: Trump works the fryer at Pennsylvania McDonald's
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One day after voter registration closed in Pennsylvania, more than 1 million ballots had already been cast. Residents have returned 1,051,655 mail-in votes as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State, representing more than half of the 1.8 million requested ahead of the Oct. 29 deadline. More than 9 million in Pennsylvania are registered to vote.
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Full story: Over 1M ballots already cast in Pennsylvania
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Border security and immigration reform aren't far from the minds of voters in Pennsylvania and across the country. It’s important to incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., and the Republican candidate challenging him, Dave McCormick, too. So much so that both men spent a quarter of their final debate attacking each other’s solutions to the problem.
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Full story: Casey, McCormick challenge border security policies
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Longtime homeowners in all but two of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties face the same problem: property tax bills that rise every year, often beyond what they can afford. State-level elected officials say they will fix it, perennially. And for the counties that comprise Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, they actually have, through the Longtime Owner-Occupant Program.
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Full story: All about the Oct. 7 property tax relief vote
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Turning down inflationary pressure remains front of mind for voters in Pennsylvania. The two U.S. Senate candidates vying to represent them for the next six years both want to fix it, but don’t even agree on why it exists.
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Full story: Casey, McCormick debate price gouging in final duel
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Leading polling averages for the top two national races in Pennsylvania are split between Republican and Democrat. Former President Donald Trump and incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., top the RealClear poling averages at 0.3 percentage points and 3.9 percentage points, respectively. Trump's razor-thin margin comes after winning seven of the last 20 polls conducted since Sept. 11, the day after his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Of note, Harris' lead has been as high as 5 percentage points in seven polls, including two in the aftermath of the ABC matchup in Philadelphia.
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First responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder moved one step closer to qualifying for workers compensation in Pennsylvania. The state Senate approved a proposal on Wednesday to expand the program to cover those living with the condition. Twenty-five other states have already done so, according to Rep. Jenn O'Mara, D-Springfield, who sponsored similar legislation in the House.
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A package of bills that enshrine federal insurance mandates into Pennsylvania law passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Supporters say doing so guarantees the coverage expectations residents have grown accustomed to since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010 will exist, even if Congress or the Supreme Court make changes. Two bills ban annual and lifetime limits and preexisting condition exclusion policies. The third stipulates that dependents can keep parental health insurance coverage through age 26.
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In the contentious race for Pennsylvania treasurer, candidates campaign against each other’s money management, or lack thereof. It’s not an unsurprising strategy given the office’s primary role as keeper of the state’s multi-billion dollar taxpayer-funded bank accounts. The vitriolic messaging, however, stands apart from other statewide office campaigns.
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The growth of data centers has been good news for nuclear power in Pennsylvania. But meeting growing demand in the future could be a struggle for the electric grid. Local political support stood behind reviving Three Mile Island in the commonwealth and Constellation Energy announced a deal in late September to bring it out of retirement and supply power for a Microsoft data center, keeping the plant running through 2054.
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Another poll shows that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck in Pennsylvania. This one, from Emerson College Polling and Real Clear Pennsylvania, found a 48-48 tie between the two candidates, while half of voters expect Harris to prevail and 49% expect Trump to pull it off. Conducted in late September, the poll asked 1,000 likely voters in the commonwealth and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
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In the battleground of Bucks County on Wednesday, Republican Senate Candidate Dave McCormick focused on the rising cost of living. “Families and businesses are hurting,” McCormick told a few dozen supporters crammed into the Bensalem Farmers Market and Deli. “It’s been devastating, the last three and a half years, for Pennsylvania.” He repeated his criticism of incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey as an out-of-touch liberal who would leave Pennsylvania worse off if he wins a fourth term.
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County boards of elections across Pennsylvania are preparing for November, but warn that more support would help them get the job done quicker — while state laws hamstring their effort. “We should have one uniform way of handling elections that takes out all the ambiguity,” Jeff Reber, a Union County Commissioner and election reform committee chair of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said. “Honestly, everybody I’ve talked to from the election administration side would be thrilled if that were the case.” Speaking during a Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on mail-in and absentee ballot access, Reber and others noted how election day in Pennsylvania is an event done in 67 ways. Counties, not the state, set their policies around things like ballot drop boxes and whether to notify mail-in voters of errors made on their ballot.
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A new plan formalized Sunday means Pennsylvania will support economic recovery efforts in southeastern Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the war-torn country’s president, watched as an official from the Zaporizhzhia Regional State (Military) Administration signed the agreement at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant on Sunday. The Lackawanna County facility manufactures the 155-millimeter howitzer rounds considered “vital” for Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
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New presidential polls are dropping, but they don’t bring much clarity for battleground Pennsylvania. The race is tight and within the margin of error – and one poll has a tie between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. A Marist Poll found little space between the two.
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Pennsylvania relies on nuclear power more than any other state except Illinois — and there’s talk of growth. One way would be to revive Three Mile Island, and it has some political support as electricity demand keeps building. Pennsylvania is one of 13 states and Washington, D.C. that’s part of the PJM grid, which supplies power for 65 million people. Pennsylvania is a major exporter of electricity to other states, but as power demands are set to grow significantly in the near future, there’s no clear plan for how to produce that power.
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Private school students who pay tuition using taxpayer-funded scholarships achieve higher academic proficiencies than their public school counterparts, according to a recent report. The analysis, compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation, a policy group that focuses on fiscal conservancy, looked at the demographics of nearly 78,000 students who received financial aid through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit or the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs in the 2021-22 school year. Rachel Langan, senior education policy analyst, said the results found an inverse relationship between students living in low-achieving schools and the number of scholarships awarded, suggesting that the program is helping families in neighborhoods with the greatest need.
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The presidential debate Tuesday night in Philadelphia focused on immigration, abortion, and crowd sizes at campaign rallies. What went under-discussed, however, was one close to the heart of Pennsylvania’s economy: energy. The attention it did receive centered on fracking, and Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country. Vice President Kamala Harris clarified that she no longer supported banning fracking after saying in 2019 there was “no question I would ban fracking .”. By 2020, she had disavowed that stance as Joe Biden’s running mate.
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As the Pennsylvania treasurer’s election approaches in November, incumbent Stacy Garrity touts her accomplishments and stewardship of Pennsylvania’s tax dollars. However, her Democratic challenger, Erin McClelland, argues that the office needs a shakeup in the name of transparency and less-politicized investments. Garrity first won election in 2020 while McClelland defeated Rep. Ryan Bizarro, D-Erie, in this year's Democratic primary, by eight points.
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Unions see a clear path through the legislature to boost membership after several legal challenges saw workers leave in droves. This, according to a new report released Wednesday that grades public sector labor laws across the nation. The data was compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation, a policy group that focuses on fiscal conservancy. David Osborne, senior fellow for labor policy at the foundation, said during a media briefing that government privatization, changing demographics and a 2018 Supreme Court decision, Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, have caused membership rates across the nation’s four largest public sector unions to fall more than 320,000 over the last five years.
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The company behind the eponymous "Steel City" may be a Pittsburgh icon no more. U.S. Steel, founded in the city more than 120 years ago, said Wednesday that without Japanese-owned Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion acquisition, it would relocate out of Pittsburgh – dealing an economic and symbolic blow to Pennsylvania. The comment comes as multiple media reports suggest the Biden administration will soon collect on a promise to block the deal, a union-backed bipartisan move aimed at keeping the famed company American-owned.
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A new law designed to boost high-value manufacturing through engineering firms and universities took center stage on Tuesday. Now, it just needs state funding. Act 24, passed in June, created the Max Manufacturing Initiative to build public-private partnerships through a grant and loan program, shared research facilities and new equipment and incentives. Officials see it as a game changer for advanced manufacturing if it gets some tax money, which they hope will come in next year’s budget.
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Pennsylvania sits at the heart of the 13-state electric grid called PJM. That means the state’s role in generating power to keep the lights on in neighboring states is crucial. But a report warns that recent government policy choices have weakened the grid, making it more vulnerable to disruptions. A potential power shortage could hit by 2030 if more problems mount.
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A proposal for election transparency has one state legislator going against the Department of State. At the center of the split: changes made to Pennsylvania’s elections stemming from the passage of Act 77 of 2019. Rep. Brad Roae, R-Meadville, introduced House Bill 2542 to require the Department to again update precinct counts online, allowing voters to see how the count is progressing.
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A bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump requested a trove of documents and interviews on Wednesday. Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, who chairs the panel, and Colorado Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Crow, who serves as ranking member, sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service asking for interviews, communications and existing protocols that factored into the July 13 campaign rally shooting in Butler, Pa.
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In May, Gov. Josh Shapiro embarked on a weeklong family RV trip to promote the state’s new tourism brand, “Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway.” Speaking at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders baseball stadium, the governor wanted to show off “the opportunity we have when it comes to tourism and when it comes to economic development.” With stops in Philadelphia to promote urban tourism and lake visits to boost outdoor recreation, Shapiro emphasized tourism as a central part of his administration’s economic development strategy. As emails from the governor’s office obtained in a public records request show, though, there was one appearance the governor didn’t make, but did consider: on camera with retired Philadelphia Eagles Center Jason Kelce.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that Democrats support the “kind of freedom” that starts in the classroom. Specifically, the public school classroom. “You know what Democrats? We are the party of real freedom,” Shapiro said from the Democratic National Convention stage in Chicago. “The kind of real freedom that comes when that child attends a great public school with an awesome teacher because we believe in her future.” The first-term governor went on to describe the other “real freedoms” found in the party platform, from organized labor to reproductive rights to marriage equality.
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Less burdensome regulation has led to economic growth in some states, but Pennsylvania trails far behind. As the commonwealth slips in population and job growth, one report argues that its red-tape-laden system will create more problems in the future. Nationally, Pennsylvania is the 14th-most regulated state, according to an analysis by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University.
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A federal report warns that SEPTA’s contract with a state-owned Chinese company lacked proper oversight and may not have met federal guidelines for Buy America requirements. However, much of the problem came from vague guidance from the federal government itself. The contract, a $138-million deal with the China Railway Rolling Stock MA Corporation, or CRRC, would have delivered 45 passenger railcars to the Philadelphia region’s transit agency by 2025.
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A new report from the Pennsylvania State Police found no statistically significant racial or ethnic disparities during traffic stops in 2023. The data, analyzed by researchers from the University of Cincinnati, shows troopers pulled over white, Black and Hispanic drivers at the same rate. The odds of receiving a warning or citation or being arrested were “statistically insignificant,” said Dr. Robin Engel, professor of criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati.
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Sufficient aid, including health care funding, to Pennsylvanians is being asked of Norfolk Southern in a settlement request of the U.S. Department of Justice, says state Attorney General Michelle Henry. Along with Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Justice Department was given the response when it requested input on a proposed settlement with the train company related to the February 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. In a release, Henry said, "This catastrophic crash had wide-ranging impacts on many Pennsylvania residents and workers, and Norfolk Southern must remedy these impacts. As a result of this incident, many Pennsylvanians are in financial hardship and were physically harmed — the full extent of those negative health impacts still to be seen — and they deserve to be made whole, now and in the future."
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Twelve casinos filed a lawsuit last week demanding that unregulated skill game operators pay the same 54% tax rate applied to slot machines. While the industry claims this would make the levy constitutionally fair, critics argue it's another tactic meant to squash their competition. The turf war between Pennsylvania’s 17 casinos and roughly 67,000 unregulated skill game terminals in social clubs, convenience stores, gas stations, and bars has grown more heated in recent years as one of the latter’s major manufacturers – Pace O’ Matic – seeks legal distinction from “games of chance.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris held a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night in her first official appearance with her new running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Harris said that she has found in Walz a “fighter” and a “patriot.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was also considered for the role, but that didn’t stop him from making an appearance on stage to stump for Harris and Walz. Shapiro denounced former President Donald Trump and his campaign as the crowd of thousands chanted, “we’re not going back.”
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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_98db26dc-5443-11ef-93fb-479e565c4dd3.html
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared in Pennsylvania for the first time since an attempted assassination in Butler on July 13. He took the stage in a packed auditorium in Harrisburg, where he chided Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, for shifting her public image and relying on celebrities to draw crowds to her rallies. Trump’s comments come 10 days after Harris ascended to the top of the ticket vacated by President Joe Biden via a statement shared on social media.
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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_0eb719f0-4f95-11ef-936d-f364aa485cb9.html
Another year, another budget plan adopted in Pennsylvania. Despite a $3 billion increase in spending – including record investment in struggling school districts – some parents say they’re disappointed that "lifeline scholarships" were overlooked, again.
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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_b1976cb6-4f49-11ef-8208-aff03afb6ddf.html
The tax increase on cell phones to support Pennsylvania’s 911 system is on track to hit its expected revenues. The tax, passed in 2023 to raise the monthly surcharge from $1.65 to $1.95, brought in more than $97 million in the second quarter of 2024, a $5 million haul above initial estimates. The money supports 61 911 call centers across the commonwealth.
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Pennsylvania has a mine pollution problem. America has a critical mineral shortage. And both problems may get solved as researchers find these critical and strategic elements in the polluted waters that come from acid mine drainage. If all goes well, Pennsylvania could become a leader in boosting national security — while potentially creating billions of dollars in value from environmental hazards.
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Two of Pennsylvania’s congressional lawmakers probed U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle on Monday about the agency’s communications minutes before a gunman opened fire at a July 13 campaign rally, nearly killing former president Donald Trump. Like most members of the House Oversight Committee, however, they were left with more questions than answers. Such as why the agents assigned to protect the former president that day were far shorter than his 6-foot-3-inch frame, at what point suspicious individuals become threats and under which conditions are events postponed or cancelled.
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Rumors swirled Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris may select Pennsylvania’s governor as her running mate. The news comes as Gov. Josh Shapiro himself encouraged Pennsylvania Democrats to unite behind her, just hours after President Joe Biden stepped down from his campaign. "I’ve known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades – we’ve both been prosecutors, we’ve both stood up for the rule of law, we’ve both fought for the people and delivered results,” he said. “Kamala Harris is a patriot worthy of our support and she will continue the work of generations of Americans who came before us to perfect our union, protect our democracy, and advance real freedom.”
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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_06df5b74-482f-11ef-9c99-1babecb0026b.html
State agencies own vast amounts of rural lands, which limits the tax base for small communities and townships. With the new state budget, those local governments will see more payments to balance out fiscal limitations. The extra funding, a $1.80 increase, comes from slot machine revenues, and state agencies will pay $9 per acre for their land to municipal and county governments, and school districts (split evenly). The payments in lieu of taxes affect the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission, and the Fish and Boat Commission, and fill in what would otherwise be assessed as property taxes.
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A veteran delegate from Pennsylvania believes former President Donald Trump could win the state again come November – bigly. “I have believed even before the debate debacle, even before the shooting, Trump would probably win Pennsylvania and would win it handily,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican strategist, during an interview with The Center Square from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday. “Potentially, it’s a landslide in Pennsylvania. He’s going to do very, very well.”
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A bloody former President Donald Trump shook his fist into the air to show his supporters he was only wounded in an attempted assassination targeting him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service, but authorities provided only limited details late Saturday night. The Republican candidate for president this November was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., when video of the event showed multiple loud shots and Trump grabbing at his right ear, followed by obvious blood around the ear. Campaign security quickly surrounded Trump and lowered him to the podium floor.
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As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, American democracy suffers from a lack of trust and imagination. So declared NPR CEO and president Katherine Maher during a TED event on the future of modern American democracy at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on Tuesday. The event is the first in a series of “fireside chats” announced in May by Visit Philly and TED to, as Gov. Josh Shapiro said, “celebrate Philadelphia and to celebrate the inclusive society we have strived to build.”
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A fight between Chester County and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources over a state park continued Tuesday — with state legislators forming a firing line. At issue is the future of Big Elk Creek State Park, a years-long controversy where DCNR created the park in 2022 for “low-impact recreation” but later announced plans to build campsites and RV facilities. After a public outcry, DCNR officials backed away from development plans, but local residents remain wary of the state’s future plans. The 1,800-acre state park serves as a wildlife corridor and abuts the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in Maryland.
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Legislation that partly dismantles "squatters rights" in Pennsylvania will head to the governor’s desk after a brief stumbling block. Under the soon-to-be law, squatters could face a defiant trespass charge if they don’t vacate a property after being told to do so by the owner. Doing so safeguards homes and investments quickly and effectively without wading through needless red tape, said prime sponsor Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie.
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As Pennsylvania starts another fiscal year with a late budget, the public wants more decisive leadership from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Almost three-quarters of registered Pennsylvanian voters want Shapiro to “play a more active role in brokering a bipartisan deal to keep the state budget on track,” according to a new poll from the Commonwealth Foundation. Democratic voters wanted more action from Shapiro (79%) than Republicans or independents (both 71%).
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A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition. The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
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Three days ahead of schedule, Pennsylvania Senate leadership confirmed the state’s annual spending plan will be turned in late. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Thursday before adjourning session that the upper chamber would not return to Harrisburg until Monday – one day after the budget is due on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. He struck an optimistic tone that negotiations had come far enough to suggest a deal would come together soon – just not before Sunday.
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Insurance coverage for telemedicine will soon be the rule, not the exception, in Pennsylvania. A bill headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk requires insurers, both public and private, to cover services rendered virtually. Doing so, supporters say, means more people can access healthcare – even if they live hours from the nearest hospital, can’t drive to a doctor’s office or find child care. Senate Bill 739 makes good on a longtime commitment from state lawmakers to modernize telemedicine access after the pandemic made it a routine form of care.
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Regulatory framework for a carbon capture and storage network in Pennsylvania slid through a House committee on Tuesday without discussion or objection. The Senate-authored legislation would also act as a guidepost for two hydrogen hubs under development within the state in the coming decade as part of the Biden administration’s broader energy transition plan. The idea is to store future emissions to prevent their release into the atmosphere. However, the economic potential of doing so isn’t clearly understood yet.
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Pennsylvania legislators pushing a bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana warn that, without action, neighboring states will supply the drug — and carry away the tax revenue. Reps. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, and Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, will soon introduce their legalization bill, written to closely overlap with a Senate proposal. They want to move fast.
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Getting away from fossil fuels due to concerns about climate change has been a rallying cry for creating hydrogen hubs in Pennsylvania. But how to do it — and whether it’s possible — are open questions. “The concern with hydrogen production is it can be done the wrong way, which could serve to perpetuate fossil fuel use,” said Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Havertown, during a House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on Monday. “Or, happily, it could be done the right way, which will make it a legitimate tool to attack climate change.”
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Announcing a manufacturing expansion in Beaver County, Gov. Josh Shapiro argued for his model of economic growth and made a call for compromise to pass the state budget. The governor came to Aliquippa to celebrate a $40 million investment by Versatex, a building materials supplier, to build a 97,000-square-foot facility — doubling its manufacturing capacity and creating 80 new jobs. On top of the $40 million, Versatex will receive about $3.3 million in state loans and grants. The governor has argued for investing in a handful of key economic sectors to grow the commonwealth and getting more sites prepared for major investments.
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Both legislative chambers left town this week after advancing sweeping educational reforms likely to wind up – in some form – woven into the state budget due June 30. While the plans don’t necessarily clash, Senate and House leaders do. The ideological strife will boil down to the estimated return on investment.
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A bill altering the state’s public school funding formula passed the lower chamber Monday, spawning both fanfare and consternation among lawmakers. While supporters call the plan a victory for students held back by economic disparities, critics point out that 64 of the bill’s 87 pages focus on cutting financial support and tightening regulations for charter schools to save money. Dr. Anne Clark, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools, scoffed at a provision that caps tuition paid by districts to $8,000 per student and stringent regulations that she deems misleading and unnecessary.
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More than 50 religious leaders sent an open letter on Tuesday to Gov. Josh Shapiro asking him to support school choice and educational freedom. Black Pastors United for Education, the nonprofit group, urged Shapiro to “make education a non-partisan issue, boldly dismiss the politics that prevent progress, and comprehensively fund and secure educational freedom and opportunity.” The open letter comes as Jay-Z announced his support for school vouchers in Pennsylvania and House Democrats passed a bill to rework the student funding formula that would hit charter schools hard.
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When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness. So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, proposed the removal of zoning restrictions and Republican Reps. Jack Rader, R-Effort, and R. Lee James, R-Seneca, defended the power of zoning officials.
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After months of criticism, House legislators grilled leaders of the Pennsylvania Game Commission over the independent agency’s internal processes, stewardship of its assets, and whether improvement has been made since an audit revealed a litany of issues in 2019. The Game Commission has faced weeks of criticism since former Executive Director Bryan Burhans resigned after his business relationships with several Game Commission employees came to light. Steve Smith, Game Commission executive director since May, said better communication was his top priority.
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The number of Pennsylvanians receiving food stamps and Medicaid has ballooned compared to a generation ago. Some experts warn the result is a welfare system vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse — some of it “by design.” The responsibility has grown over time. In 2000, Pennsylvania had 760,000 residents getting food stamps. Now, almost 2 million receive them. Growth in Medicaid has been similar: The state spend $10.7 billion on 1.3 million residents in 2000, but now, the state spends almost $47 billion to provide Medicaid benefits to 3.3 million residents.
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Artificially generated impersonations of political candidates may soon violate state law. Bills pending in both chambers of the Legislature would leave campaigns liable in civil court for unauthorized media content that negatively influences an election. Creators that disseminate deep fakes within 90 days of an election could be fined as much as $250,000 if caught impersonating presidential or congressional candidates. The penalties drop to $50,000 and $15,000 for state and local candidates, respectively.
Though some politicians treat recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania as an inevitability, others remain skeptical. They warn that the social costs of drug use don’t disappear – and a legalized industry brings problems of its own. Still, elected officials consider reforms even if they oppose legalization. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Waynesboro, has been an opponent of recreational use, but has proposed a bill to change marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to a summary offense. The idea is aligning law with reality: many district attorneys across Pennsylvania rarely prosecute possession charges unless someone is caught with significant amounts.
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https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_73f74370-1878-11ef-af01-67884be21177.html
Pushing a dramatic funding expansion, Gov. Josh Shapiro embarked on a family RV trip on Monday to promote Pennsylvania’s new tourism brand. Speaking at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders baseball stadium in Moosic, the governor argued his $18 million proposed budget increase for tourism would help sell Pennsylvania as “The Great American Getaway.” The tourism push features a new video that highlights places across the commonwealth (with a voiceover from Pennsylvania native Abbi Jacobson, star of the New York-focused sitcom Broad City), with the branding running across Pennsylvania and New York throughout the summer.
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Health care deserts are growing larger in Pennsylvania. The problems can range from workforce shortages, consolidations and higher costs for urban and rural Pennsylvania alike. Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, argued that a lack of health care centers means that residents face higher hospitalization rates that were otherwise preventable. Pennsylvania also struggles to provide comprehensive maternal care statewide, argued Tammy Torres, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton.
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Pennsylvania may ban non-compete agreements for health care workers, ridding the commonwealth of most restrictions on where doctors and nurses can work. The legislation passed the House in May and awaits action in the Senate. House Bill 1633, sponsored by Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, would make non-competes void and unenforceable for anyone authorized to practice in health care.
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https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_ac72e274-1236-11ef-8933-2753c1fc86f3.html
A plan that cuts taxes in Pennsylvania by $13 billion over the next five years cleared the state Senate on Tuesday. The proposal repeals a 2004 personal income tax raise and eliminates the gross receipts tax charge on electricity bills. It also makes a $6 million annual recurring transfer to the Alternative Fuels Incentive Fund and creates a $500 tax credit for volunteer paramedics. Republican leaders say the proposal eases inflationary pressure for wage earners, business owners and “anyone who pays an electricity bill,” while simultaneously reversing the downward economic spiral stemming from population loss.
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https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_57aacf0c-0cc0-11ef-a13c-efdb73961de9.html
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As Philadelphia and Pittsburgh see a drop in murders, public safety and crime remain high priorities across the state. To make communities safer, legislators want to figure out best practices for punishing crime and deploying policing. The House Judiciary Committee met on Wednesday and heard from testifiers that deterring crime comes down to the certainty of punishment, not the severity.
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https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_b725af50-0d57-11ef-a3a7-0b8cad5c81c4.html
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A plan for school vouchers in Pennsylvania emerged from hibernation on Tuesday. The legislation remains a top priority among Republican leaders in the Senate and a thorn in the side of Democratic leaders in the House. Between them, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro keeps one foot in each camp – billing himself as a supporter of school vouchers, and of the Senate’s plan, but not the ultimate closer on a legislative deal between the two chambers.
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https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_d8e879b0-0cc6-11ef-adba-37618deee7c0.html
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Pennsylvania's declining working age population foreshadows trouble ahead. Legislative Republicans, however, say they've developed a package of education bills to keep the state’s youth within its borders and boost the economy. The program, called GrowPA,was announced earlier this month as a way to deal with workforce shortages, high college costs and the struggle of lagging behind other states.
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The Pennsylvania Game Commission has a new leader after its top official resigned due to moonlighting as a wellness coach — and engaging in a “business relationship” with several commission workers. Bryan Burhans, PGC executive director, stepped down on Monday after the Board of Game Commissioners raised concerns unrelated to his leadership capabilities.Foradora, who is also the board president, noted that they did not accuse Burhans of any ethical violations, but only questioned the “appropriateness of those business relationships.” Replacing Burhans is Pennsylvania native Stephen Smith, the commission’s deputy executive director since February.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_af8d9fd8-076b-11ef-bf15-237ee6e435a0.html
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Legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania has held legislative attention in recent years, but some problems still pester users in the medical marijuana program. Some clarity may soon come for the legal tensions between Second Amendment rights and state-approved marijuana use. Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, is proposing Senate Bill 1146 to clarify that Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearm Act does not consider a medical marijuana cardholder as an unlawful user. Current law does not exempt medical users, which puts them in potential legal jeopardy.
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https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_633d188c-01aa-11ef-a6f8-1f00ece6c487.html
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Pennsylvania’s primary night lacked surprises as the presidential nominees were already locked in and few problems cropped up at the polls. Democrats cast their ballot for Joe Biden with 93% support and Republicans followed Donald Trump with 83% support according to early results. As the commonwealth prepares for a U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican nominee Dave McCormick prepare for the general election after running unopposed in their primaries.
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Philadelphia Democratic state Rep. Kevin Boyle remains unaccounted for on Wednesday, according to a statement from his family circulating on social media. Boyle’s brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle – who represents Pennsylvania’s second congressional district – said in a statement shared by multiple media outlets on X that Kevin lives with “a serious mental health condition” that became symptomatic several months ago after two years of recovery. Police issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Kevin Boyle after he allegedly violated a protection from abuse order against his wife. It was first issued in 2021 after Kevin experienced a psychotic episode.
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On the heels of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s green energy proposals for a state cap and trade program, House Democrats offered a dozen bills that couple economic growth with environmental protection. The legislative agenda includes 11 proposals focused on energy production, conservation, consumer energy costs, public transit funding, and efficiency standards for appliances, among other topics. Legislators of the 55-member Blue-Green Caucus argued the bills they’re introducing show that strong environmental policies can complement labor priorities.
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Norfolk Southern reached a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed after a toxic train derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The deal, announced Tuesday, resolves all claims within a 20-mile radius of the accident in East Palestine, Ohio, that unfolded in February 2023. It is pending federal court approval. The Center Square reached out to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office for comment but did not receive a response before this publication. Both the governor’s administration and President Joe Biden have been openly critical, however, of Norfolk Southern’s response to the derailment and accused the railroad of prioritizing profits over safety.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/ohio/article_58677b82-f674-11ee-852d-4f6493fcd463.html
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A proposed $100 million settlement in the Northern Tier to offer service upgrades and consumer refunds for low-quality phone and internet service may soon move forward. A panel of administrative judges recommended that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission accept the settlement, avoiding litigation and compelling Frontier to invest in its rural infrastructure. The $100 million settlement should be accepted by the PUC “in its entirety and without modification,” Administrative Law Judges Steven Haas and John Coogan wrote in their initial decision. Longstanding customer complaints prompted an investigation in January 2023 after state legislations received hundreds of complaints and tired of serving as an unofficial customer service office.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_4d415f5a-f752-11ee-a728-5b2b7159ac56.html
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As the public awaits more details of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s higher education reform plans, Republican legislators offer some ideas of their own. During a Wednesday press conference, a gaggle of House and Senate leaders pushed for the creation of a grant program that offers scholarships to students who commit to stay in Pennsylvania. They also want to launch a similar deal for out-of-state students to get in-state tuition if they put down roots in the commonwealth.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_98da322e-f785-11ee-b76c-8b42348a3761.html
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Japanese-owned Nippon Steel says that the company’s longtime presence in the United States makes it an ideal partner to help grow the industry domestically. The comment comes after the White House and former President Donald Trump criticized the company’s $14.9 billion plan to acquire U.S. Steel, headquartered in Pittsburgh. President Joe Biden, although opposed, has made no promises to block the potential deal. Trump said he’d do so if elected in November.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_c5a07e0c-f128-11ee-a49e-ef811cbcbf90.html
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Hundreds of inmates die in Pennsylvania’s state prisons and county jails, but oversight is superficial at best. Deaths in custody rose from 171 in 2019 to 239 in 2020 in state prisons, and 56 prisoners died in county jails in 2020, a two-decade high in Pennsylvania. And numbers could be higher — reporting requirements for both institutions are weak.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_3e3931b8-f112-11ee-b2ea-bf5f94e186c2.html
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On a cold, windy, wet Wednesday in South Philadelphia, Dave McCormick stopped at Geno’s to grab four “wiz wit” cheesesteaks. The Republican nominee for U.S. Senate met a few dozen supporters and campaign staffers at the well-known cheesesteak spot – walking the last block after his tour bus ran into trouble on 10th Street, the narrow lane and cramped parking making a wide turn tricky. “It was awesome, I ate everything,” McCormick said of the cheesesteak.
Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_e3749edc-f208-11ee-8016-1f3a13194738.html
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A new plan set in motion on Monday could shake loose a constitutional amendment to enact universal photograph identification to vote. House Republican leadership said letting the bill languish in committee ignores the popularity of the policy among voters, especially those anxious about election security. “There are stronger rules in place for signing out a Curious George book for kids than there is for voting,” said Rep. Brad Roae, R-Meadville. “That seems really backwards." That’s why Roae and other leaders are drafting a discharge resolution this week to force the bill out of the State Government Committee and onto the House floor for consideration.
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More than a year beyond the Norfolk Southern train derailment and chemical burn that brought national attention to East Palestine, residents on the Ohio and Pennsylvania sides of the border feel abandoned, forgotten and discarded by legislators. “Our Pennsylvania constitutional rights were violated and continue to be violated,” said Sheila Stiegler, an organic farmer in Lawrence County near East Palestine. "We are here with our expectations for our rights to be restored and upheld." Stiegler and other nearby residents testified during a Senate committee hearing on the aftereffects of the derailment and burn-off of vinyl chloride, which she called “the Ohio Chernobyl.”
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For the fourth year in a row, legislators think Pennsylvania’s election law needs more updates. And for the fourth year in a row, there’s little consensus about what those reforms should look like. It’s typically a question of convenience versus security, though both camps would argue it’s not that simple.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro won’t send the Pennsylvania National Guard to the Mexican border. In response to legislation approved in the state Senate on Tuesday, the administration told The Center Square that congressional immigration reform is the solution to border security concerns. “Governor Shapiro has been clear that our country needs a secure border and Congress needs to pass comprehensive reform to fix our broken immigration system,” said Manuel Bonder, the governor’s spokesman. “This issue requires leaders in both parties to step up and deliver real, comprehensive solutions — not more of the failed talking points and political grandstanding that have brought us decades without immigration reform.”
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Pennsylvanians worry about pollution and other harms to nature — but their primary concern is keeping energy bills low and ensuring reliable power. And, to deal with climate change, almost 8 in 10 Pennsylvanians aren’t willing to spend $100 or more every year out of pocket. A new survey on Pennsylvanians’ energy thoughts, released by the Commonwealth Foundation on Thursday, shows strong support for maintaining energy independence, but also highlights contradictory thinking on energy policy.
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Pittsburgh’s recent decision to reroute early morning emergency calls comes one year after the mayor planned to triple police presence downtown. The policy change, announced Feb. 22, means calls received between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. for crimes not in progress – including theft, harassment and criminal mischief – will reroute to the Telephone Reporting Unit. The unit is staffed from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. the following day, so incidents occurring in the four-hour window will be collected for an officer to follow up with during the morning shift.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro introduced a new plan to limit carbon emissions from power plants on Wednesday that echoes the program legislative Republicans abhor so much they sued the administration to thwart it. This time, however, instead of supporting a multi-state auction like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, Shapiro wants to keep the revenue collected from a state-imposed emissions cap and trade program within Pennsylvania itself. And, he added, if lawmakers get behind it, he will back away from RGGI and the appeal he filed to overturn a Commonwealth Court ruling that put Pennsylvania’s participation in it on hold.
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The cost of Pennsylvania’s extensive Medicaid waiver pending before the federal government leaves some lawmakers wary as budget talks stretch into their second week. Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that it wants more funding to expand eligibility for safety net programs for five years, as well as bolster the services they already provide. But it’s unclear what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will approve or how much it will cost.
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The Shapiro administration said Monday it supports giving non-citizens driver’s licenses, following a trend across the Mid-Atlantic that posits the policy change as a safety measure. “There are reports of over a dozen states that already allow non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, to obtain driver’s licenses,” Rep. Mike Cabell, R-Dallas, said. “Meanwhile, federal DHS policy stipulates that states could offer those with TPS (Temporary Protected Status) a Real ID.” Eighteen states, including Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New Jersey already do so. A similar effort, House Bill 769, has been proposed and sits in the Transportation Committee, but the effort has the support of the executive.
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Pennsylvania lawmakers rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday to erase outstanding medical debts for thousands of residents. House Bill 78 would create a new program in the Department of Health that would discharge debt for residents living at-or-below 400% of the federal poverty level – or up to $60,240 for a single person and $124,800 for a family of four. Obligations totaling 5% or more of a person's income would also qualify under the program.
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House Republicans support Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's rhetoric to reform the commonwealth’s permitting process, but they’re not satisfied with the pace of his push. “We have a governor that ran on permitting reform,” Rep. Josh Kail, R-Beaver, said. “Unfortunately, there hasn't been progress made the way there should have been in the first year of his administration.” The House GOP Policy Committee met Wednesday in Tamaqua to discuss how to remove obstacles to opportunity, and much of the hearing centered on housing issues.
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As fentanyl-connected overdoses kill thousands of Pennsylvanians every year, the opioid shows up in traffic-crash data, too. A study from Jerry, a car insurance app, found that 6% of Philadelphia’s fatal crashes involved drugs from 2018-2021. The data, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, showed that 2% of all traffic fatalities in the city were connected to fentanyl. That’s the highest rate of all cities in the commonwealth; 32% of all drug-related traffic fatalities were connected to fentanyl.
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As Pennsylvania lawmakers kick off annual budget hearings on Tuesday, the Independent Fiscal Office fielded questions about revenue projections, the minimum wage and what could cause problems for the general fund. In his budget presentation to the Senate Appropriations Committee, IFO Director Matthew Knittel noted that his office was less rosy that the governor's administration on the state’s tax-and-spending balance. IFO projections expect a $4.2 billion budget deficit in 2024-25 with current policy, rising to a $6.7 billion deficit in 2028-29. The gap between IFO projections and Gov. Josh Shapiro’s estimate is about $1 billion in the current fiscal year, but $4.5 billion by 2028-29.
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A sense of frustration spread through the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday as legislators struggled to get the specifics of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s higher education reform plan. Chancellor Dan Greenstein, head of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, wasn’t privy to the details either, but reiterated his appeal for more funding to deliver another tuition freeze for PASSHE students. The system wants a $38 million, 6.5% increase to its appropriation, which would total $624 million.
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After legalizing fentanyl test strips last session, the Pennsylvania House wants to expand its harm reduction approach by allowing syringe services. Though it has some bipartisan support, many House Republicans caution against such a move, concerned about safety in already-suffering neighborhoods. A House Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday voted 15-10 to advance a bill that would allow syringe services programs statewide.
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Amid debate over legalizing adult-use marijuana, lawmakers say Pennsylvania’s medical program needs some improvements – and call on the governor to lead the way. The medical program grinds against federal law: every cardholder faces the loss of their Second Amendment rights. That tradeoff was made clear in January when Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene announced that he obtained a medical marijuana card — and the law required the county sheriff to confiscate his license to carry a firearm.
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A Microsoft policy executive said to Pennsylvania lawmakers this week he’s "unaware" of the possibility that generative artificial intelligence could develop sentiency and become exploitive – even dangerous. “This is not new to Microsoft,” said Tyler Clark, Microsoft’s director of state and local government affairs. “Humans need to guide this technology and that’s what we are committed to doing safely and responsibly.” Clark’s response comes after lawmakers on the House Majority Policy Committee pressed him on the theory of technological singularity – which posits that artificial intelligence will outsmart human regulations and leave society at its whims.
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Pennsylvania’s energy future isn’t only a question of renewables versus fossil fuels — it’s a question of whether the state can reliably provide enough energy to meet growing demand. One problem is that power plants retiring is happening quicker than new, cleaner ones get built. The shuttering has been driven by state and federal rules to mitigate pollution, but getting projects approved and built takes years and years. Meanwhile, the demand for electricity is growing every year.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s second budget address again touted major spending for education, a statewide economic investment plan and significant funding for public transit. All of this, he argued, could be done with a balanced budget and no new taxes, along with a minimum wage increase, a new gun violence office and the legalization of recreational marijuana. And, perhaps most importantly, could undermine Ohio’s economic prowess just a little bit.
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A recent state Supreme Court ruling side-stepped the question of constitutional abortion access in Pennsylvania, reviving discussion over a would-be ballot referendum mired in legislative gridlock. Five justices said Monday the Commonwealth Court erred when it dismissed a 2019 case brought by seven abortion providers challenging Medicaid coverage restrictions first established in 1982 and upheld in 1985. The 1982 law said abortions sought for reasons other than rape, incest, and life-threatening complications did not qualify for reimbursement.
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As the one-year anniversary approaches of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, President Joe Biden says he will soon visit the area to meet with locals and assess the recovery efforts. The White House has not confirmed when, but said that a trip to the site near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border would be made in February. The derailment of the Norfolk Southern train, just east of the town center, led to a conflagration when officials decided to burn off vinyl chloride, exposing residents and nature to chemical smoke and fumes.
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The growing trend of large corporations imposing exorbitant rent increases after acquiring manufactured home communities limits affordable housing options and threatens the financial security of those on fixed incomes – especially seniors. That’s why a coalition of communities in Pennsylvania is advocating for legislation that would protect residents from this practice. Manufactured homes are built in factories and assembled on-site. They are unique in that residents own the home, but not the land they occupy.
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Nearly 4,500 dealerships representing all major auto manufacturing brands from every state recently signed a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to “tap the brakes” on his proposed electric vehicle mandate based on a lack of consumer demand. Since the letter was sent in November 2023, dealerships continue to add their names to the list – including 85 from Pennsylvania. The Biden administration set a target for battery electric vehicles, also known as BEVs or EVs, to account for half of all new vehicle sales by 2030 – some states have taken steps to ban internal combustion engine vehicles altogether by 2035.
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Environmental remediation got a boost this week as Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a $101 million funding effort to restore abandoned mine lands at 16 sites across the commonwealth. The projects will target acid mine drainage, which can damage nature and streams in the area, as well as threaten human health. The projects are bankrolled by the federal government through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and cover projects in a dozen counties.
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Pennsylvania's recreational marijuana prohibition recently inspired one county election official to not seek re-election. During an interview with The Center Square, Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene said prosecuting violations of the ban weren't worth the office's time. Public safety isn’t threatened by legalization, he argued. Instead, law enforcement should focus on bigger threats.
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Pennsylvania is looking at $1.6 billion to expand broadband to rural and overlooked parts of the state, but experts are warning that the process puts the government in the way of success. Pennsylvania, too, may face hurdles that other states simply don’t. “One thing keeps getting in the way, and it’s called government,” Huntingdon County Commissioner Jeff Thomas told lawmakers during a House GOP Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday. Local, state and federal governments, he said, undermined each other and put a stop to getting more towers up and fiber-optic cables in the ground.
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Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry saw a dip in state subsidies for 2023 — but only a minor one. It still remains one of the largest taxpayer-supported equine programs in America. Subsidies for horse-racing has a long tradition in the commonwealth: Since 2004, more than $3.5 billion in taxpayer money has flown toward the equine sport, as The Center Square previously reported.
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The annual Pennsylvania Farm Show brings a circular focus to agriculture in Harrisburg and officials call attention to issues that get overlooked. During a joint House and Senate committee hearing, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding warned that a housing shortage affects farmers, too. “One issue of particular interest right now is farmworker housing,” Redding said. “I think it’s an issue for the state of America.”
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Philadelphia’s new mayor, Cherelle Parker, knows the city needs more affordable housing and says fixing the problem is one of her top priorities. As part of her 100-day action plan announced Tuesday, the mayor pledged to enable more housing to get built and ordered a plan for “affordable luxury” for low- and middle-income families. The problem is a serious one for the city and Pennsylvania broadly. Experts argue that the state has a shortage of almost 100,000 housingunits.
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Pennsylvania’s largest water company could save millions annually with improved monitoring and material management, according to a recent analysis. The state Public Utility Commission’s audit of the Pennsylvania-American Water Company, which serves about 2.4 million people across 37 counties, gave more than 30 recommendations for operations, monitoring and management of the company. If the changes are made, the commission argued more than $3 million could be saved annually, in addition to a one-time $4 million cost reduction.
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Though Pennsylvania officials have not fixed the EMS system across the state, some progress has been made in 2023. Staffing shortages, low pay, and legal hurdles remain, but the year brought more focus from local and state officials on the emergency safety net.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro still has a good favorability rating, but the public has started to give him less leeway, according to a new poll. A more negative view of the economy could be catching up to him. The Commonwealth Foundation released its latest quarterly survey on politics and economics as seen by Pennsylvanians, with more people less sure about Shapiro.
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A deluge of work that packed dozens of bills in the Pennsylvania General Assembly into a few days meant that legislators voted based on limited information. The result, some of them said, is that bad bills are now the law of the land. One example is Senate Bill 863 — Act 43 of 2023 — that gained.
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Pennsylvania’s phone surcharge for 911 services will soon increase, bringing in an estimated $60 million more for the state’s emergency safety net. Worked into Act 34 and passed Wednesday night, the current $1.65 surcharge was set to expire in January. Under the new law, that surcharge will extend until February 29, 2024 until increasing to $1.95 until it expires January 31, 2026.
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Although a bill that creates an electric vehicle fee in Pennsylvania cleared a House committee on Monday, it’s unlikely to pass in its current form. Senate Bill 656, sponsored by Sen. Greg Rothman, R-New Bloomfield, would replace the alternative fuel tax with a $290 EV fee paid at the time of vehicle registration. Owners would also have the option of enrolling in a monthly payment plan.
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A leaky roof at the Pennsylvania Capitol building means House lawmakers won’t cast their first votes of 2024 until March 18. According to an internal memo circulated to legislators and shared with The Center Square, a severe water leak on the top floor of the building damaged areas just above the House chamber. Workers need to erect scaffolding to assess the damage and make any necessary repairs.
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The Pennsylvania opioid trust recently chose an accounting firm to steward the money dedicated to assuaging the impact of drugs and addiction in the commonwealth. Some of the trust’s board members, though, voiced concern over how the firm, Pennsylvania-based Maher Duessel, got chosen.
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New research suggests reading and math test scores still lag prepandemic levels as schools grapple with ongoing learning loss, an unconstitutional funding model and growing discontent among families. The data, published by the Commonwealth Foundation on Tuesday, shows marginal improvement in math proficiency between 2022 and 2023, though more than half of fourth graders and nearly three-quarters of eighth graders still score below grade level.
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Last year, Pennsylvania divested its government holdings of certain firms in Russia and Belarus, as well as the two countries’ governments. This year, some legislators want to follow a similar divestment path for China. Though no draft language is yet available, Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Chambersburg, has circulated a legislative memo to divest the state of its connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
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The Shapiro administration will appeal a Pennsylvania court’s decision to strike down a proposed carbon "tax" as unconstitutional in a bid to “protect” the authority of future governors. The news comes just one day after Gov. Josh Shapiro teased the appeal during a press club luncheon in Harrisburg. He said it was important to “listen” to all sides involved, most of whom agree that “cap and trade” is a good idea to reduce harmful emissions.
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House lawmakers in Pennsylvania voted Wednesday to extend jobless benefits to workers on strike. House Bill 1481, which passed the lower chamber 106-97, would make workers unemployed due to a labor dispute eligible for compensation, alongside others who haven’t voluntarily quit their jobs. “Making the decision to strike is not easy by any means,” said Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Philadelphia. “It’s a decision that often results in loss of pay, which is money our workers need to provide food and housing for their families.”
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After months of delay, state-related universities will get the funding they expect, but with a catch: more financial transparency. The state-relateds — Penn State University, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Lincoln University — will receive $603.5 million. Though Gov. Josh Shapiro had proposed $640 million for the schools – a 7% increase from last year – in the end, the only increase legislators authorized were $3.2 million each to the Pennsylvania College of Technology (part of Penn State) and Lincoln University.
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Ohio voters embraced recreational marijuana on Tuesday, putting pressure on Pennsylvania as another neighbor legalizes adult use. As The Center Square reported, marijuana will be legal for adults 21 years and older. Plants can also be grown at home starting in December. Advocates argued the change will bring in $200 million annually in tax revenue and be “a significant investment in economic development for some communities.”
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Convictions for driving past school bus stop arms in Pennsylvania increased 47% in 2022, according to state data. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton said that 511 residents faced penalties for violating the law, up from 348 in 2021. During the agency’s Oct. 18 event to raise awareness for school transportation safety, she said law enforcement and bus drivers witnessed 164 incidents in just one day.
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Commonwealth Court struck down Pennsylvania’s entry into an emissions regulatory program Wednesday, agreeing with critics that it's an unconstitutional tax. The decision delivers a blow to supporters of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – a multi-state program that charges power generators for the pollution they produce – who had hoped Pennsylvania might join the rest of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast in the agreement.
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Pennsylvania ranks among the worst in the nation when it comes to spending on veterans’ services, according to a recent analysis. The commonwealth fared 42 out of 50, according to data compiled from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Government's National Library of Medicine. Metrics measured were total state expenditure on veterans’ medical care, disability compensation, nursing home availability, employment rates, vocational and rehabilitation training programs, and veteran population density.
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Republican lawmakers welcome the state’s future hydrogen hubs as the next step in energy production that balances environmental conservation with economic growth. But not everyone believes in the promise of hydrogen, and instead worry that the government will waste billions on questionable technology.
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Pennsylvania’s regulatory state is causing headaches, from long wait times to approve major projects to driving up costs that undermine the goals of federal programs. “We aim to strike a balance between the need for safeguards to protect the public and the imperative to create a business-friendly environment that fosters entrepreneurship, job creation, and prosperity,” Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, said during a Senate Republican Policy Committee hearing on red tape in the commonwealth.
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A slight operating change for crematories across Pennsylvania could impact costs and air quality in a big way. That’s why the Senate Environmental and Resources Committee enjoyed a bit of levity on Tuesday before approving House Bill 1246, a proposed amendment to the state’s code for crematories. A memo from the bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Steven Malagari, D-Lansdale, calls on legislators to “Cool the ℉s Down.”
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Sexually explicit books in school libraries make many parents uncomfortable, but some educators say policies that limit access for students are ineffective, at best. Still, local officials want guidance from the state about how to allay concerns over books available to children, some as young as sixth grade, that depict or describe graphic sexual acts, incest and pedophilia. “What I have found is that if we had a starting point to work from … I couldn’t even tell you how many hours as a board trying to figure out how to move forward,” said Emily Zimmerman, a parent and board member in Warwick School District in Lancaster County.
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The primary election will happen April 23, despite several legislative attempts to move up the date and capitalize on Pennsylvania’s swing state status. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said the upper chamber would not consider an amended bill that would reschedule the election for April 16 – even though it included property tax reform the chamber supported.
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Though state and federal governments have poured vast amounts of money into programs under the banner of environmental justice, Pennsylvanians who want to watch meetings of their own EJ Advisory Board are out of luck compared to other states. The board meets every quarter and invites public participation, but — unlike several other states — does not publish video recordings. The Tuesday meetings, which can run six hours long, can be difficult to watch live because they happen during the workday.
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New enrollment at Pennsylvania’s state-run college system increased again this fall, pointing to stabilization after years of worrying decline, officials said. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education announced Monday that first-time student enrollment jumped 3.4% for fall 2023, and is up 10% since 2021. Chancellor Dan Greenstein credited the fifth year of tuition freezes and a focus on programs that lead to sought-after jobs as an enrollment driver.
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The state House has overwhelmingly rejected a joint proposal to move the primary election date and implement sweeping voting changes that frustrated lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The chamber struck down Senate Bill 224 by a vote of 177-26. In total, all 101 Republicans and 76 Democrats, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, disapproved.
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Pennsylvania will have a new specialty license plate celebrating the state amphibian — the eastern hellbender, America’s largest salamander. Though most Pennsylvanians won’t encounter the reclusive and skittish creature in the wild, the hellbender became a state symbol in 2019. It can grow up to two feet and lives under rocks and boulders in clean, clear waters.
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Pennsylvania may soon criminalize possession of xylazine – except for veterinary uses – amid an influx of the animal tranquilizer into the illicit drug supply across the country. State Rep. Carl Metzgar, R-Somerset, said he introduced a proposal to give law enforcement another tool to get people into treatment and protect the agricultural supply chain. The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee voted 8-6 Wednesday to send the bill to the chamber floor for consideration.
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Successful recovery from drug addiction goes beyond overdose reversal drugs and rehab, advocates say, amid a statewide push to prioritize social and community support for former users. “People that use substances aren’t bad people and I think the realization is setting in that (addiction) can happen to anybody,” Breanne Pugh, a project coordinator with the Washington County Drug and Alcohol Commission, said.
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Many voters in Pennsylvania approve of Gov. Josh Shapiro, even if they don't know exactly why. The Commonwealth Foundation’s quarterly Common Ground in the Commonwealth poll saw the governor earn a 61% favorable rating compared to last season, but his disapproval rating rose in tandem by 5 points to 29%. Shapiro, data showed, had the only approval rating over 50% of any statewide official. Most respondents couldn’t name any of Shapiro’s major accomplishments, according to the poll, but still expect him to fix the budget impasse, now heading into month four. Earlier this summer, the governor placed the blame squarely on lawmakers in the House and Senate for “talking past each other” on school vouchers after he reneged on a deal with Republican leaders to fund the $100 million program.
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Residents receiving or renewing drivers licenses and state ID cards will be automatically registered to vote. Gov. Josh Shapiro made the announcement early Tuesday, joining Pennsylvania to a list of 23 other states — including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia — that automatically walk applicants through the process, unless they opt out.
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State lawmakers must act soon before a trio of authorizations expire for traffic cameras that capture drivers violating traffic laws. Provisions will soon kick in that would put an end to speed cameras in active work zones; camera-equipped school buses that ticket drivers who fail to yield to a stop sign; and speed cameras along Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Boulevard — one of the commonwealth’s most dangerous roads.
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The online shopping industry, and the multi-billion dollar logistics and distribution network at its core, depend on Pennsylvania’s roads, land and workers for its warehouses. And yet, environmental groups say that zoning ordinances for these facilities fall short, leaving the state’s land, air and water vulnerable to destruction.
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Though some have concerns, health care experts want to see the Drug Enforcement Administration preserve the pandemic-era expansion of telemedicine to address the opioid crisis. The Drug Enforcement Administration this week held a listening session for its telemedicine rules, and one Pennsylvania addiction treatment provider encouraged the federal agency to make its temporary rules permanent.
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As Pennsylvania’s divide over education funding continues, House Republicans once again championed their plan to give scholarships to students in low-performing schools to enroll elsewhere. The House Republican Policy Committee met Tuesday in Philadelphia to hear testimony from education professionals, private school students, and parents on how families would benefit from Lifeline Scholarships, which has been controversial with Democrats who worry about diverting funding from public schools.
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As the state's prolonged game of chicken enters its third month, all eyes turn toward the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. That’s because two key pieces of legislation needed to enact the $45.5 billion budget sit unfinished on the chamber’s desk, though neither meets the demands of the Democrats in charge. As such, leadership dismisses the bills as nothing more than the Senate’s revenge for a school voucher program Gov. Josh Shapiro cut from the budget to appease his legislative allies.
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Officials tasked with monitoring the state's medical marijuana program said this week edibles don't belong in Pennsylvania's marketplace. Concerns about safety, efficacy and legal enforcement gave members of the Medical Marijuana Advisory Program pause. Six abstained from voting on the recommendation at all during its Wednesday meeting. Only two members supported the proposal, while two more rejected it.
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The state’s piecemeal budget negotiations fractured again this week after lawmakers split a key measure in half. When the Senate gaveled out of a rare one-day voting session Wednesday, the chamber left behind two fiscal codes for the House to sort out – an unorthodox strategy that’s brought the process no closer to conclusion, legislative sources say.
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A new report argues that Appalachian natural gas recently entered a production plateau and economic growth in the area now depends on other industries. “As measured by jobs, population, and income, Appalachia’s principal shale gas producing counties have done worse economically than the region and the nation since the dawn of the Appalachian boom,” the report from the Ohio River Valley Institute stated.
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The state Senate will return to Harrisburg later this month to finalize crucial pieces of the budget, according to Republican leadership. Senate President Kim Ward, R-Greensburg, called session for Aug. 30 – two months past the start of the new fiscal year – to finalize code bills, which serve as the blueprint for how to spend money earmarked in the $45.5 billion budget itself.
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A proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Chester leaves some residents anxious about further environmental degradation, while advocates make promises of economic growth. The Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force met in Chester on Tuesday, with jobs and tax revenue at the front of the mind for both members and testifiers.
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A state constitutional amendment in the early stages of development suggests curbing the authority of unconfirmed cabinet officials. Republican Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Judy Ward recently began circulating a co-sponsorship memo for the proposal that says gubernatorial appointees unconfirmed by the Senate should exercise limited authority.
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Homelessness has declined nationally over the last decade, but the number of those who have been unhoused for long periods of time has crept upward. At the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit, government officials and experts discussed expanding the housing supply and the need for leaders to change their approach when something isn’t working.
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A federal broadband expansion program triggers similar complaints across the country: red tape and labor shortages make the process daunting, even by bureaucratic standards, and many worry about the logistics of such a massive undertaking. At a summit hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures on Monday, officials emphasized the artificial barriers set up by the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, or BEAD, which provides $42.5 billion in federal cash to states.
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Though thousands of Pennsylvanians die from a drug overdose every year, using medication as treatment to wean them off an addiction is rarely used. That approach reflects a national trend. A new report funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 22% of Americans with an opioid use disorder received any medication to treat it.
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Rural America has 20% of the country’s population and 46% of the nation’s car crashes. A lack of resources, both in cash and workers, poses a challenge to avoiding wrecks and deaths. Though rural traffic studies have been of questionable quality, a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association suggests broader cooperation to pool local resources, more public outreach, and better road design to curb collisions.
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A circle of farmers in Pennsylvania have embraced hemp as state and federal money encourages growth of the industry. With government support, farmers troubleshoot how hemp plays a role in the production of textiles, paper, automotive bio-composites, and construction projects. The need, advocates argue, lies in more research funding and building new markets in the commonwealth to support the crop.
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Pennsylvania’s public higher education system received bipartisan praise when it didn’t raise tuition for a fifth year. The General Assembly’s relationship with the commonwealth’s state-related universities, however, has been rockier as political disagreements and rising costs have made legislative Republicans more skeptical of the status quo.
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The Senate’s top-ranking Republican called lawmakers back to Harrisburg to face the $45.5 billion spending plan sitting on the chamber’s desk for the last four weeks. It's the same budget they all voted for on June 30, before the House did the same five days later. All the Senate had left to do was sign it – per parliamentary procedure – and wait for the blessing of Gov. Josh Shapiro's pen.
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An urban search and rescue team could come to western Pennsylvania at the behest of a bipartisan group of state lawmakers — but not with the endorsement of the state’s emergency response director. Philadelphia hosts a federally funded PA Task Force 1, one of 28 federal urban search & rescue teams, while the rest of the commonwealth relies on smaller teams. Two bills, House Bill 843 and Senate Bill 792, would establish a similar task force based in Pittsburgh to respond to emergencies.
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Pennsylvania hospitals may soon test urine samples for fentanyl and xylazine, two of the most common additives found in heroin. The state government legalized fentanyl test strips for personal use last year, following a number of other states responding to more overdose deaths in the last decade. More than 5,200 Pennsylvanians have died from an overdose death in the last year, according to CDC data.
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While the Pennsylvania budget stalemate remains, senators argued over the importance of school choice and increasing public school funding at a committee hearing in Reading. The Senate Education Committee met Tuesday to discuss “student opportunities for success,” hearing from parents of children in public and private schools in Reading, as well as public school leaders of Reading School District.
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In the fight against blight, neglectful property owners may soon feel more pressure to clean up their act – or else lose control to a land bank. House Bill 1163, now awaiting action in the Senate, would let municipalities take a “use it or lose it” approach to blight. Once a locality declares a property blighted or abandoned, it could then be deemed liable to be acquired by a land bank.
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As natural gas production expands in other states, Pennsylvania’s has flatlined and seen productivity declines. Industry leaders blame permitting issues and other roadblocks, while environmentalists say the economic outlook for gas has weakened and nature benefits.
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A redundant permitting process, delays, and problems with getting plugged into the grid means headaches are routine for new power projects. For one renewable hydroelectric plant, the process has driven up the cost of the project by 30% — if not more. A plan to build seven turbine-generators at the Braddock Locks and Dam outside Pittsburgh to produce 5.25 megawatts of electricity, as The Center Square previously reported, has had years of delays. State officials have noted that the delays have run up the cost of the project “substantially.”
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Both chambers of the General Assembly officially left Harrisburg for the summer — an ominous sign that the bipartisan wound won’t heal anytime soon. The development comes nearly two weeks after the Senate recessed until mid-September, furious over Gov. Josh Shapiro’s default on a $45.5 billion budget deal — complete with a new $100 million school choice program he helped draft — amid resistance from Democratic leadership in the House.
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Pennsylvania officials will soon have a five-year action plan for how to build out universal broadband service across the state. As federal funds roll out nationally, however, demand for labor will be high and could make the task harder.
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Pennsylvania’s legislators have one of the highest salaries in the nation, and generous reimbursement rules for expenses can send more taxpayer money into their pockets. A proposed bill could change those rules, however, limiting the checks to cover only costs that lawmakers actually paid.
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Pennsylvania ranks high among the list of states reporting a rise in deaths from an animal tranquilizer that’s immune to existing overdose-reversing medications. Xylazine, also called Tranq, killed 102 people in 2018, according to federal data. That figure increased 35-fold just three years later. For the states in CDC’s Region 3 – Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C. – the overdose rate is nearly quadruple the national average.
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The governor’s vow to veto funding for a new school choice scholarship program and end the budget impasse may prove ineffective after all. Thanks to the complexities of the legislative process, the state’s annual spending plan requires multiple enabling pieces of legislation – commonly referred to as “code bills” — to become effective.
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The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will soon see a new commissioner focused on fare collection and reducing how much tolls increase annually. Keith Leaphart, a physician, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, received a unanimous and favorable recommendation from the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday for the Turnpike Commissioner position.
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After multiple hearings, Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt's nomination cleared his first legislative hurdle. On Monday, the Senate State Government Committee voted 10-1 to recommend Schmidt’s nomination. Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Chambersburg, was the only member to vote against Schmidt, who had appeared before the committee twice earlier this month.
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Lifeline scholarships in Pennsylvania just got a celebrity endorsement, according to a letter sent to the governor’s administration Thursday. Meek Mill – a rapper, activist, and Philadelphia native – is one of the lead signatories on a letter sent to Gov. Josh Shapiro, two of his cabinet members, and the General Assembly that says the Lifeline Scholarship program will free students trapped in “failing” schools, irrespective “of their family’s socioeconomic status or their zip code.”
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As solar capacity in Pennsylvania grows rapidly – accounting for more than half of the state's proposed energy projects – so do questions about how maintenance costs for the power grid should be distributed. During a public hearing hosted by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on Tuesday, experts tussled over whether legal favoritism for solar projects – combined with overreliance on traditional power sources – may leave some ratepayers footing more of the bill for grid upkeep than others.
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The Senate introduced a proposal for lifeline scholarships Thursday without fanfare, despite the policy’s high ranking on Republicans’ legislative priority list. Senate Bill 795 would create spending-restricted accounts for students living in low-performing districts to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.
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In some schools across the state, students walk the same halls that children of Civil War soldiers once did – a fact lawmakers find shameful, not venerable. House Education Committee Chairman Peter Schweyer, D-Allentown, represents one such school in his district: Harrison-Morton Middle School, built in 1874, and on track to graduate its 150th class next year.
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The state House approved a boosted phone surcharge for 911 services, even though the proposal’s tie to inflation sparked division among lawmakers who all agree the state’s emergency services system needs more money. House Bill 1304 increases the monthly fee assessed on phone bills from $1.65 to $1.97, to adjust every year after with the consumer price index until the provision sunsets in 2029. Doing so would generate an additional $30.4 million for the state’s emergency services fund in 2024, according to the bill’s fiscal note.
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The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a law last year to curtail dirt bikes and ATVs from use in cities across the state, but not all localities are happy with it. In Philadelphia, the regulations cause problems for a pre-existing local ordinance. Before the state law passed, Philadelphia’s off-road vehicle law had stronger provisions, but that has now been superseded by the legislature. One way to find a compromise would be to exempt the city and let it reimplement its more-stringent law — a policy advocated by Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia.
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Tax credits for workers and families advanced to the Pennsylvania House floor this week, setting the stage for a partisan showdown over the ballooning cost of incentive programs moving through the chamber. Lawmakers clashed over two bills – one to create an earned income tax and another to expand the state’s existing child care tax credit – in the House Finance Committee on Tuesday.
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Unexpected revenues woven into a new budget proposal on Monday pads Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desired bottom line, though by how much remains a point of controversy among lawmakers. The plan increases public education spending by $491 million and splits $450 million between two restricted accounts reserved for school facilities modernization and whole home repairs. There’s also cuts to certain government operations, conservation programs and some services for schools, health care, and public assistance – among others.
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No EMS-related hearing in the General Assembly is complete without legislators and testifiers sounding the alarm over a system in crisis. At a Senate Health and Human Services hearing on Tuesday, these warnings and more echoed in the Capitol.
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Pennsylvania’s emergency services face a serious financial crisis — and a dire situation to recruit first responders and ensure their health. The state’s inaction, combined with mounting demands, leaves firefighters frustrated. Emergency workers scale back their voluntary commitments or quit for easier jobs with higher pay. Many of them suffer from PTSD and health problems. Suicide rates eclipse the generation population.
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Voters in Philadelphia ranked crime as a top concern heading into the May primary election. Democrats, who have a strong majority in the city, even chose former City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, who campaigned on public safety. Whether Parker, who rode to victory on the support of the city’s political establishment, can align her policies with voter preferences, however, remains to be seen.
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Two controversial gun bills cleared the state House on Monday with bipartisan support, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get anywhere near the governor’s desk any time soon. That’s because, despite Democrats’ slim margin in the lower chamber, Republicans still control the Senate by six votes – and they believe stricter laws, including universal background checks and emergency protection orders, won’t solve the problems the proposals purport to fix. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, told The Center Square that increasing safety and security remains of “chief importance” to Republicans, but said their policies to do so involve supporting law enforcement; leading school safety initiatives; and examining ways to provide “greater mental and behavioral health support.”
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Attracting businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs already in the area to grow the economy isn't the only issue holding back rural workforce growth. Other practical problems that pop up, from the pressures of family or a lack of infrastructure, can keep residents out of a job, state officials told the Senate Majority Policy Committee recently. “Bringing people into Pennsylvania and keeping them here, particularly in rural communities, is a challenge that we all need to address and think about,” said Nancy Walker, acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
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The possible parameters for a state budget compromise emerged this week in a window across the street from the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. The Commonwealth Foundation, a free market think tank headquartered just steps from the building’s grand rotunda, unveiled signage for its “Shapiro’s Promises” campaign – in reference to Josh Shapiro’s overtures for bipartisan cooperation during his first term as governor. By all appearances, negotiating his first spending plan – with a Republican-majority Senate and Democratic-majority House – serves as a de facto litmus test for the strength of that promise. The possibilities leave the foundation, whose policy positions typically align with legislative Republicans, feeling optimistic.
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Researchers say they recently discovered a grim consequence of the pandemic: overdose death rates climbed dramatically. The United States saw overdose fatalities increase 50%, with 107,000 people dying in 2021. The biggest spikes happened among American Indian and Native Americans and black Americans. Among adolescents, overdoses more than doubled. Federal regulatory changes during the pandemic, however, granted more flexibility that some health professionals and advocates want to keep in place permanently.
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Democratic state officials, both current and former, sailed to victory in contested primaries across the state. Republicans, likewise, held the 108th state House district despite hope from Democrats to widen their narrow one-seat majority in the lower chamber. Meanwhile, the stage has been set for a November showdown for the open state Supreme Court seat.
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A revenue analysis estimates that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal for adult-use cannabis could bring in more than $250 million annually — but legalization advocates aren’t so enthusiastic. The concern is not about legalizing and regulating marijuana. Instead, it’s a worry that Pennsylvania will repeat the mistakes of high-tax states that have failed to move people from the illegal market into a regulated one.
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Long-simmering problems in Pennsylvania’s emergency medical services system have created stress points for ambulance services and fire departments big and small. The House Democratic Policy Committee held a panel on Friday to hear from first responders on where their legislative priorities should be to address the growing crisis.
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Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity leads a coalition of state financial officials pushing back against new federal mortgage fees they call “unconscionable.” “This new policy makes it more expensive for people with good credit to buy houses – and that’s absurd,” she said. “Americans who have built a good credit score and saved enough to make a strong down payment should not be penalized and forced to pay more on their mortgage every single month.”
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Onerous rules that restrict new housing and make it impossible to build starter houses or small apartment buildings drive up prices and push homeownership further out of reach, experts told Senate Republicans on Wednesday. As Pennsylvania faces a housing shortage, a return to abundance may require state-level zoning reforms – and limits on local control, they say.
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Nurse practitioners rallied in Harrisburg on Wednesday for greater independence in practice, advocating for a change that dozens of other states have already made. More independence would mean abolishing state requirements for nurse practitioners to have a collaboration agreement with a physician. Instead, advocates want NPs to have full practice authority to see patients and provide the treatment they were trained to give.
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Advocates of skill games rallied at the Pennsylvania Capitol on Tuesday in support of legislation that would regulate the industry, removing them from a legal gray area outside of the state's gambling law. Supporters emphasized the importance of skill games for Pennsylvania businesses and veterans groups, along with the potential tax revenues that would follow regulation.
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In a Monday hearing, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee was warned of the lurking taxpayer cost for plugging orphaned and abandoned wells. While current policy caps bonds on conventional oil and gas wells at $2,500, the actual cost of plugging an abandoned one is much higher – $30,000 or more.
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Pennsylvania lawmakers sent two identical constitutional amendments back to the chamber floor on Tuesday for future consideration. The do-over comes six weeks after the chamber referred the amendments back to the Judiciary Committee for a public hearing, in adherence to new policies adopted after a months-long gridlock provoked a review of operating rules.
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Mass transit in Pennsylvania nears a financial crossroads in the coming year, and either way, residents will pay the price. After federal pandemic aid ends in 2024, SEPTA – one of the nation's largest public transportation systems that serves Philadelphia and its nearby suburbs – will face a $240 million deficit, leaving no option but to raise fares and cut services.
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Advocates say medication-assisted treatment best prevents overdoses, but awareness and support still lag. The situation means residents dealing with substance abuse disorders can’t access a “crucial” tool for recovery, said Fred Way, founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences. More than 5,300 people in Pennsylvania died from an overdose in 2021 – the third highest rate in the nation, as The Center Square previously reported.
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Research shows more than a third of college students drop out of school because they can’t afford food and don’t qualify for – or even know about – public assistance, leaving them stuck in a hunger “gap” that elected officials want to fill. State Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Braddock, told the Department of Human Services on Tuesday she hopes the governor’s administration will support policies that keep low-income college students fed – just as it does for public school children.
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Though one state agency has refused to greenlight natural gas development on its lands, another one has — and reaped a significant windfall from doing so. The Pennsylvania Game Commission – since approving natural gas development a dozen years ago on just one-eighth of the 1.6 million acres it manages – has collected nearly $900 million in revenue to support infrastructure upgrades, land preservation and outdoor recreation.
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More oversight for the gambling industry could be coming to Pennsylvania, this time focused on skill games. A proposed regulation would centralize a monitoring and control system and create a tax structure that could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to state coffers, advocates say. Skill games look like slot machines, but are games of skill where gamblers can affect the outcome, as opposed to games of chance like slot machines. They aren’t subject to the commonwealth’s gambling law nor taxes.
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Local officials have long complained of PennDOT ignoring their concerns. Now, a state lawmaker wants to create a database to track how quickly the Department of Transportation responds to municipal leaders, and how – or if – they resolved the problem.
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The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio was just the latest of a number of environmental disasters to hit Pennsylvania. Disasters, leaks, and pollution have damaged the natural landscape across the commonwealth, and Pennsylvania residents pay for the consequences through their health and tax dollars.
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Halfway through the state’s annual budget talks, the governor’s administration appears unified around a single strategy: spend money to make money.
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Proposed cuts to Pennsylvania’s support for several chronic diseases may not be all that they seem, budget records show. The Department of Health faced criticism Tuesday during a hearing with the House Appropriations Committee over a proposed 40% funding reduction for programs that serve ALS patients and their families. The department historically earmarks millions in support of diseases that include AIDS, ALS, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, Lyme disease, cystic fibrosis and leukemia, among others. Last year, the state spent more than $16 million supporting programs for these conditions.
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Child care workers and advocates warned lawmakers that Pennsylvania faces a major shortage of workers and a lack of funding during a Wednesday committee hearing. Workers are leaving for better-paying and less-stressful jobs at grocery stores and in the fast-food business, and hundreds of child care options have disappeared since the pandemic. “As families return to work, we need to make sure that child care is available for those families and that that child care is affordable,” said Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Philadelphia.
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A months-long backlog of unemployment claims still haunts the Department of Labor and Industry, and top officials told the Senate Appropriations Committee that more money could help them catch up. In Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget, the department would see an 11% funding increase, about $90 million. Nancy Walker, the department's acting secretary, said the additional dollars will pay for more staff to clear a backlog of more than 35,000 claims. “Our first priority was to look at (unemployment claims) and see how we can make that process better,” she said.
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As the University of Pittsburgh prepares for a trio of events on transgender issues, thousands of students have demanded that administrators cancel them. State-level lawmakers have joined in the call as well. Free-speech advocates, however, warn that doing so harms freedom of expression and threatens the university as a place for open debate. One of the events that some students oppose will also include a transgender speaker.
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More than a month after the East Palestine train derailment and Norfolk Southern’s decision to burn vinyl chloride from five tanker cars, Pennsylvania residents want more information — and more attention from state leaders. In western Pennsylvania – a few miles from East Palestine, Ohio – residents spoke of the need for independent analysis and expanding the testing area to ensure water and soil quality. They also want a more proactive approach from the many state and federal alphabet agencies in the area. Understandably, the speed at which test results and new information reaches them is a recurring issue.
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Two of Pennsylvania’s most respected economic analysts offered muddy expectations of future revenue estimates on Monday. Acting Revenue Secretary Pat Browne sat before the Senate Appropriations Committee – on which he served as majority chairman for nearly a decade before joining Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration – to discuss how to spend the $50 billion in the state’s bank account at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The total, including $42.2 billion in recurring revenues and $5.7 billion in rainy day funds, would cover Shapiro’s $44.3 billion spending plan that infuses significant investments into public education, public safety and workforce development.
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As Pennsylvania officials discuss an electric vehicle fee to replace the gas tax, federal funds are available to build out the EV charging infrastructure in the commonwealth. On Monday, PennDOT announced its first round of funding will open on March 27 and close May 5 for EV stations across Pennsylvania. The money will flow through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program, with $25 million available for fiscal year 2022 and $37 million for fiscal year 2023, according to a news release. In total, Pennsylvania will receive almost $172 million over five years from the federal government.
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Consensus continues building in the General Assembly as lawmakers embrace expansion of the state’s child care tax credit. What exactly an expansion looks like remains to be seen, though Gov. Josh Shapiro, Senate Republicans and House Democrats – who play key roles in negotiating the state’s budget – agree more must be done. “We have reached the point where this is no longer an issue for families, but an issue for employers across the commonwealth,” Nicole Reigelman, spokeswoman for House Democrats, told The Center Square on Monday. According to the Economic Policy Institute, care for one child in Pennsylvania nears $12,000 per year – a cost so prohibitive that nearly 1.6 million parents have left the workforce entirely. During his budget address last week, Shapiro said the state’s economy loses $3.5 billion each year because of lacking child care options.
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Farmers in western Pennsylvania began offering their soil samples for collection in recent weeks after contamination concerns about the train derailment in nearby East Palestine, Ohio went unaddressed. Cliff Wallace, president of the Beaver-Lawrence Farm Bureau, told The Center Square on Tuesday he’s spoken with property owners seven miles out from the burn site who say they saw plumes of smoke drifting over their land in the aftermath of the crash. Wallace, who taught agriculture classes in the region for 35 years, said he soon began compiling video footage and photos of the smoke, knowing that something more had to be done.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro has recreational cannabis on his mind, though legalization advocates worry the tax rate could be too high. Details remain scant, but the governor’s proposed budget includes an adult-use cannabis tax in the form of a 20% wholesale tax, assuming that sales would begin in January 2025. The commonwealth would then realize revenues starting in fiscal year 2024-25. The budget estimates that Pennsylvania would harvest $16 million in 2024-25, growing to $189 million annually by 2027-28.
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Plugging more abandoned oil and gas wells has become a bigger priority on the state and federal level, but some advocates say this isn't the most cost effective solution. When more strings get attached to funding, costs rise for projects that are already expensive, said The Well Done Foundation. Political considerations to show that something gets done also complicate matters. “Every well is absolutely, 100% different — and I’m talking about wells that are located 660 feet away from each other in the same farmer’s field,” said Curtis Shuck, chairman of the Well Done Foundation.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro made the case for his proposed budget on Tuesday, claiming only a modest spending increase while boosting business growth, funding for public education, and the commonwealth’s safety net. Shapiro also singled out tax incentives for teachers, health care workers, and police, and doing more to lure major business expansion deals to Pennsylvania like some neighboring states. “This budget is packed with common-sense solutions to the problems that the people of Pennsylvanian face every single day,” Shapiro said. “Government can and should be a force for good in our lives. We can do big things together — if we just work, again, together.” Join The Center Square's Christen Smith and Anthony Hennen.
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Senate Republicans emphasized family-friendly policies and economic growth as they described their agenda for the legislative session on Wednesday. How much agreement and compromise that will come from a Democratic-controlled House and governor’s mansion, though, remains to be seen. Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Reporter Anthony Hennen.
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Joanna McClinton took a step into history on Tuesday, elected speaker of Pennsylvania's House of Representatives. She is the first Black woman to hold the position. It opened when Democrat Mark Rozzi resigned earlier in the day, and the chamber followed with a 102-99 vote for the District 191 representative over Republican Rep. Carl Metzgar. Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Reporter Anthony Hennen.
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Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
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Lawmakers in Pennsylvania became the first to subpoena Norfolk Southern over its handling of the train derailment in nearby East Palestine, Ohio. The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee voted on Wednesday to invoke the privilege one month after more than 50 train cars jumped the track following a mechanical failure, a preliminary federal inquiry shows. Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Reporter Anthony Hennen.
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A comparison of tax levels of the 50 states shows residents in Pennsylvania still pay more than most other Americans. In a yearly comparison carried out by the Independent Fiscal Office, Pennsylvania is above-average with its tax burden. The tax burden is different from overall tax rates: it is measured as a ratio of revenues collected by a tax to levels of personal income. The focus is on how much revenue a tax brings to the state, rather than the tax rate set by the law. Join The Center Square's Christen Smith and Anthony Hennen on this episode of Pennsylvania in Focus.
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At the first public hearing hosted by the Pennsylvania Senate about the Norfolk Southern train derailment in nearby East Palestine, Ohio, affected residents expressed their anger, their fear, their frustration — and their utter disappointment in state officials who have a duty to keep them safe. Held by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, Pennsylvanians living near East Palestine told lawmakers of the health effects they and their families have so far experienced. They mentioned sore throats, skin rashes, headaches, eye irritation, a chemical smell in the air and anxiety over how the health of their families could be affected in the future. Join The Center Square's Christen Smith and Anthony Hennen on this episode of Pennsylvania in Focus.
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Everyday Economics: Join economist Dr. Orphe Divounguy and Chris Krug as they discuss global markets, inflation, and everything else that will help you understand the economic world around you.
Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
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A special Pennsylvania House panel wasted no time Tuesday approving two alternative pathways toward civil retribution for adult survivors of child sexual abuse. But the offers fall well short of adequate, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, told The Center Square – a comment that appears to foreshadow the long fight ahead. Join The Center Square's Christen Smith and Anthony Hennen on this episode of Pennsylvania in Focus.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith as they discuss state and local leaders said Tuesday that Norfolk Southern’s response to a train derailment near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border ignored best practices and prioritized speed over safety. Commonwealth Court declared Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional recently and, as such, diametrically opposed education advocates all proclaimed victory.
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Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss Pennsylvania having a number of tax subsidy programs that boost favored industries with public funding. The state’s largest program, however, attracts less attention than many smaller programs. And it isn’t a fund for economic development, or emerging tech, or health care. Democrats cemented control of the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday after winning three special elections near Pittsburgh.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with how schools in Pennsylvania are using a loophole to reorganize funds to raise taxes.
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Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss how Pennsylvania schools hide funds to raise taxes without breaking the law. Local governments bring in billions of dollars from fines and fees across the country annually – and Pennsylvania localities collected more than $202 million in 2020, a new analysis shows.
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Everyday Economics: Join economist Dr. Orphe Divounguy and Chris Krug as they discuss global markets, inflation, and everything else that will help you understand the economic world around you.
Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the audit that shows twelve Pennsylvania school districts hid $400 million to pass tax increases.
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Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss Pennsylvania House Speaker Mark Rozzi said that, despite serving as a state representative since 2012, he’s just now learned “Harrisburg is broken.” A Pennsylvania survivor-turned-lawmaker asked his fellow Republicans to unbundle three constitutional amendments. A dozen school districts in Pennsylvania exploited a legal loophole to raise millions of dollars in new taxes.
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Everyday Economics: Join economist Dr. Orphe Divounguy and Chris Krug as they discuss global markets, inflation, and everything else that will help you understand the economic world around you.
Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up with the executive order that results in Pennsylvania dropping college degree mandate for state jobs.
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Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss Pennsylvania lawmakers bid adieu to Harrisburg Wednesday for an unanticipated five-week reprieve from the legislative session schedule. In his first executive action since becoming governor, Josh Shapiro abolished college degree requirements for state job listings in hopes of expanding economic opportunity. Though warm feelings of bipartisanship quickly fell apart in the state House earlier this month, hope remains for a working relationship between Senate Republicans and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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Take five minutes to get caught up to date with a new report in Pennsylvania that estimates opening a two-year litigation window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims against public schools which could cost taxpayers as much as $32 billion.
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Everyday Economics: Join economist Dr. Orphe Divounguy and Chris Krug as they discuss global markets, inflation, and everything else that will help you understand the economic world around you.
Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Pennsylvania Editor Christen Smith and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the halls of Harrisburg being haunted by missed opportunities this week as the hope for bipartisan pragmatism has curdled. Within a week of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives choosing a surprise speaker to lead, the sense of support and unity is already fading.
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Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
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Take five minutes to get caught up to date with the latest data that shows the number of murders that occurred in the city of Philadelphia in 2022.
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America in Focus: A weekly feature of the top TheCenterSquare.com stories of the week out of Washington D.C. with commentary from The Center Square editors and more!
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss that after delays, motions to adjourn, and much uncertainty, the narrowly divided Pennsylvania House of Representatives chose Democrat Mark Rozzi of Berks County as Speaker of the House. Philadelphia has again failed to stop murders in the city, as it repeats a homicide toll that surpasses 500 deaths. While murders are down compared to a year ago, the level of violence dwarfs recent years, when as few as 277 murders happened in 2016. Pennsylvania will get almost $100 million to improve its public health infrastructure, from employee hiring to IT upgrades.
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Everyday Economics: Join economist Dr. Orphe Divounguy and Chris Krug as they discuss global markets, inflation, and everything else that will help you understand the economic world around you.
Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pennsylvania-in-focus/support
Take five minutes to get caught up to date with the data out of Pennsylvania that shows a significant drop in population in 2022.
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America's Talking: An interview podcast hosted by Austin Berg. Guests include professors, journalists, artists, business and nonprofit leaders, authors, and more.
Everyday Economics: Join economist Dr. Orphe Divounguy and Chris Krug as they discuss global markets, inflation, and everything else that will help you understand the economic world around you.
Future of Freedom: Future of Freedom is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the work of the non-profits which are shaping the future of the freedom movement. Listeners will hear civil, intellectual conversations about why the organizations exist, what their mission is, and how they work to achieve it. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pennsylvania-in-focus/support
Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the top news stories in the state of Pennsylvania in the year 2022. CDC: Overdose deaths up 14% nationally, Pennsylvania #3 overall. As Shapiro prepares for office, Pennsylvania GOP sees chance for school choice.
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Take five minutes to get caught up to date with the report out of Pennsylvania that shows the state's tax credit programs' annual growth is $200 million.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the fact that for Pennsylvania inmates, phone calls are three times more expensive. Philadelphia transit workers endorse Democrat Jeff Brown for mayor. Report: Pennsylvania tax credit programs' annual growth is $200M.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the eight Pennsylvania GOP senators urging Toomey to support cannabis banking.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss how in the PA House, both parties now claim a majority and authority to set election date. Eight Pennsylvania GOP senators urge Toomey to support cannabis banking. CVS, Walgreens to pay out $450M to Pennsylvania in opioid settlement. Report: Reliability, low fares, short trips key to transit in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the issue police departments are having filling police positions in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss Philadelphia, Pittsburgh struggle to fill open police positions. Licensing report: Pennsylvania 31st for burdens on workers. Pennsylvania natural gas price up 95%, new wells up 42%. Pennsylvania counties adopt demolition fee to deal with blighted homes.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the new report that shows Pennsylvania education assessment scores regressed in COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Executive Editor Dan McCaleb as they discuss Pennsylvania public schools adding racial, cultural bias rules for teachers. Report: Pennsylvania coal ash site sixth-most polluted in nation. Pennsylvania education assessment scores regress in COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the amount Pennsylvania will be getting from a Walmart opioid settlement and how it will be used to address opioid addiction in the Keystone state.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss Democrats taking 102-101 majority in Pennsylvania House; GOP chooses Senate leaders. Highest natural gas price since 2010 drives a spike in Pennsylvania home energy costs. Pennsylvania set to receive $120 million from Walmart opioid settlement.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the shrinking number of workers in the state of Pennsylvania, the implications that could have on the state's economy, and what the state can do to try to incentivize more work in the Keystone state.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the Pennsylvania House voting to impeach Philly DA Larry Krasner. Shrinking Pennsylvania workforce endangers budget surplus, reserves. Pennsylvania to spend $100 million on mental health treatment, worker recruitment.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the results of the midterm elections in the state of Pennsylvania as the Keystone State remains competitive, swings blue in '22. Fetterman victory in Pennsylvania signals importance of candidate quality, metro vote.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the Pennsylvania race for Governor between Democrat Josh Shapiro and Republican Doug Mastriano.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate debate between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Concern grows in schools for mental health, 'erosion of the social fabric'. Pennsylvania weighs parental bill of rights as gender, race issues flare in schools. Pennsylvania considers letting counties create tourism districts, levy hotel fee.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Senate candidates Oz, Fetterman vow more support for police. Pennsylvania's mail-in ballots, legal uncertainty to cause future election headaches. Crime big topic for gubernatorial candidates, but not all policies are clear.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: RGGI: Pennsylvania leadership tale of opposition, support, and ambivalence. Pennsylvania marijuana lessons to learn from New Jersey issues. New polling on Pennsylvania races. Philadelphia pushes for more gun control, enforces existing laws less.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the open records bill that was just passed in the PA Senate that would result in the opening of more info through records at Penn State, Temple, & Pitt.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Oz-Fetterman Narrows to 2 Points; Economy and Crime Focal Points. Poll: Shapiro and Fetterman lead, but voter trust in elections much lower. EV future in Pittsburgh clouded by problems, both mechanical and riders.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania Faces High Housing Prices Unless ‘Record-Level Building’ Happens. Critic: Limiting opioid prescriptions would worsen overdose crisis. In union-stronghold Pennsylvania, Democratic nominee supports school choice.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a with the “growing financial issues” with the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and the news is not good for drivers who pay tolls. “Today, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has more debt than the entire state government of Pennsylvania, and the only way to pay it is to raise tolls,” Auditor General Timothy DeFoor said in a press release.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania House Holds Philadelphia Da in Contempt for Refusing State Subpoena. Pennsylvania's approach to sealing criminal convictions could go national. Pennsylvania Turnpike: More debt than the state, with toll increases likely.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a new report that looks at the impact of student loan forgiveness in Pennsylvania!
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Report: Penn second-worst in country for free speech. Pennsylvania breweries eye expansion into distilling spirits. 'No silver bullets' for lack of affordable housing in Pennsylvania. Student loan forgiveness in Pennsylvania favors the wealthy.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the new proposal of the Clean Slate expansion that could include sealing low level felony records in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen and America's Talking Network General Manager Cole McNeely as they discuss: Pennsylvania report that says student enrollments down, administrator hires up. Clean Slate expansion could include sealing low-level felony records. Use of drop boxes a decision for Pennsylvania counties. Majority of funds for climate change program went to repave Bloomsburg parking lots.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the rising crime rates in Philadelphia and the ensuing political fallout.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Student loan forgiveness arrives, but shrinking student numbers in PA remains a major problem. Inflation's toll on Pennsylvania agriculture: Making current problems worse. 2020 Was the Deadliest Year for Pennsylvania in the Last Decade.
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Take less than 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the story of the Mayor of Meadville, Pennsylvania being charged with malfeasance.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania bans scholarship displacement, but few colleges admit to the practice. Federal law makes recreational marijuana a complicated ask in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania driver indicted for $200K in Social Security fraud. Pennsylvania school district taxes hit $15.7B, will reach $20B in 2026.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with how federal law makes recreational marijuana a complicated ask in Pennsylvania!
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania veterans still struggle with mental health, homelessness. More funding sought to subsidize Pennsylvania medical marijuana purchases. Advocates warn Pennsylvania hydrogen hub expensive, inefficient.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the debate happening in Erie, Pennsylvania Legislature on police funding. In a city where the median household income is $38,655 and 1-in-4 residents live in poverty, the top-paid police officer in Pennsylvania's fifth-largest city made more than $159,000 in 2021.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Reporter Tom Gantert, and Reporter Joe Mueller as they discuss: Pennsylvania city, where 25% live in poverty, debates police funding. PennDOT submits $171 million EV charging station plan to feds. Federal funding kept Pittsburgh transit running during pandemic. Wolf, Delloso 'reintroduce' $2,000 payments.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date as the Pennsylvania Legislature sends $1M to address hunger at higher education institutions.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Reporter Joe Mueller as they discuss: Pennsylvania vets waiting more than a year for federal records required for benefits. Pennsylvania Legislature sends $1M to address hunger at higher education institutions. PennDOT eyes Legislature for new avenues in funding roads, bridges.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a new report that highlights the safest cities for walkers in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pittsburgh safer for walking than Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Scranton, Allentown. Pennsylvania gambling expected to hit $5B in revenues for 2022. Report: Pennsylvania has a housing deficit of 98,000 units, rent-burdened population.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the latest on RGGI in Pennsylvania and how the recent injunction impacts the situation.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania budget lauded by GOP, Dems, but critics call spending 'not sustainable'. More opioid treatment programs sought in Pennsylvania's county jails. With injunction, a resolution to RGGI in Pennsylvania still far off.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the comments Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney made about being Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten, Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Philadelphia's Jim Kenney: 'I'll be happy when I'm not mayor', Pennsylvania revenue collections $6.2 billion above IFO expectations, & Pittsburgh eyes $2 million for office-to-apartment conversions.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a proposed major change in public records requirements for some of Pennsylvania’s best-known universities that is working through the General Assembly.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Mastriano rally focuses on opioid crisis, harsher penalties for Pennsylvania fentanyl dealers. Open records bill would mean major changes for Pennsylvania 'state related' universities. Pennsylvania poised to join EMS grouping, lessening barriers for workers.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the latest economic numbers in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania's cities, big and small, have yet to recover from the pandemic's downturn. Pennsylvania's economic recovery sees some progress, but poor compared to other states. Pennsylvania higher ed bets on funding formula to force more cash from the legislature. Pennsylvania mulls the end of medical non-compete agreements .With 5,400 overdose deaths, Pennsylvania House moves to legalize fentanyl test strips.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the rise of food and energy prices and the suggested short-term solutions in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Managing Editor Alan Wooten and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: With food and energy prices high, few short-term solutions, Pennsylvania tackling 30,000-case backlog of unemployment fraud, Pennsylvania's difficult shift for funding roads, & Beer delivery issues reflect a distributor monopoly problem in Pennsylvania.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a report stating the working class is getting hit the hardest by falling real wages in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania gas hits $5, Philadelphia consumer price index at 40-year high. Pennsylvania pedestrian deaths up 20%; bigger cars, road design at issue. Tens of millions of Pennsylvania school dollars 'unauditable'.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a survey of business leaders in Pennsylvania that highlights a pessimistic outlook on the economy and little reason for optimism.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Majority of Pennsylvanians think the state is on the wrong track. Inflation, labor shortages drive mood of Pennsylvania's economic 'malaise'. IRS Data: Pennsylvania keeps losing population and wealth.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the report that says Pennsylvania is relying too much on short-term federal funds for long-term expenses.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania's GOP Senate primary between Oz, McCormick goes to a recount. Fiscal office: A 60% chance of stagnation for the Pennsylvania economy. Report: Pennsylvania's pandemic spending sets up a 'fiscal cliff'.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the bipartisan effort to make Pennsylvania a hydrogen hub.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary remains undecided two mornings after Election Day. Pennsylvania primaries: Trump-backed Mastriano for governor, hopeful Senate Democrat Fetterman win. Pennsylvania third for drug overdose deaths nationally.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the increasing gas and energy prices in Pennsylvania.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Rising natural gas prices means up to 45% increases on Pennsylvania utility bills. Pennsylvania funding for education up 40 percent since 2000. Policy summary of Republican candidates for Pennsylvania Senate.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the top Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania Senator.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Policy summary of Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania Senate. Pennsylvania moratorium loophole nets $45M in oil and gas revenue. Strong Pennsylvania tax collection revenue; partisan divide on the economy.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the top GOP candidates for Pennsylvania Governor & Senator.
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Join The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb, Managing Editor Alan Wooten, and Pennsylvania Reporter Anthony Hennen as they discuss: Policy summary of top GOP candidates for Pennsylvania governor. Democrats, Republicans claim the mantle of cutting Pennsylvania taxes. State pressure on Philly mayor to reduce gun violence.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the conversation Pennsylvania legislators are having as they may look to expand the film tax credit by almost 80% in the state.
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Pennsylvania legislators look to expand film tax credit by almost 80%. Pennsylvania county demolition funds for blighted properties: a rural and urban divide. Despite opposition, Pennsylvania Medicaid contracts keep unionization language. Commonwealth Foundation disputes Pennsylvania public union membership numbers. Despite its setbacks, carbon capture may come to Pennsylvania.
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Get caught up to date on the discussions of the inheritance tax and it's impact on citizens in Pennsylvania. Today, the Commonwealth receives about $1.2 billion in revenue with an inheritance tax that ranges from 4.5% to 15% and affects all inherited wealth. Pennsylvania is one of only six states that still has an inheritance tax, and with no exclusions that limit when the tax is applied.
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Philadelphia stands out as only city to reinstate mask mandate. Pennsylvania inheritance tax: a $1.2 billion burden. Report: Pennsylvania No. 38 in economic momentum. Marijuana legalization bills make progress in Pennsylvania General Assembly.
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Get caught up to date on the report that shows little transparency in tax subsidies in Pennsylvania.
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Report notes $222 million in Pennsylvania tax subsidies, but little transparency. Bill would end Pennsylvania public university property tax exemptions. With $1.7 billion in ARPA funds, $75 million could go to Pennsylvania economic development
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Get caught up to date on the Pennsylvania bill that would eliminate the "Newcomer Tax".
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Bill to ban spot appeals would eliminate the Pennsylvania 'newcomer tax'. Pennsylvania bill would require mapping of overdose deaths. Independent office's report confirms woes in Pennsylvania joining RGGI.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with new tax proposals that call for lowering of the gas tax and corporate tax in the state of Pennsylvania.
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Independent Fiscal Office update casts doubt on Wolf's rosy budget outlook. Pennsylvania gas tax cut could issue $650M bond to cover shortfall. Pennsylvania temporary health care deregulation may become permanent.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with a plan that calls for higher and more tolls in the state of Pennsylvania.
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Pennsylvania bridge tolling: 'Haphazard' plan, foreign contractor draw ire of many. Pennsylvania agency's staff shortage compounds fraud problems. Pennsylvania health systems may be compelled to unionize by Medicaid contracts.
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Take 5 minutes to get caught up to date with the union reform and college budget conversations happening in the state of Pennsylvania.
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New report argues it's time for public-sector union reform in Pennsylvania. Election security, rule of law dominate Pennsylvania hearing. $26 million for mine reclamation coming to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania community colleges eye a budget increase, first in years.
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