PA Capitol Report: Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week


Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else–

— New Voting Districts – Senate, House, Congressional

— WHYY: Redistricting Forces Contentious Democratic Primary In Northwest Philly

— TribLive: Newly Elected Rep. Abney, Grayson Square Off In Pittsburgh House District

— Governor’s Race

— AP: Ex-President Backs Republican Sen. Mastriano In PA Governor’s Primary
— WHYY: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Mastriano Taunts ‘Establishment’ At Closed Event With Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kathy Barnette

— Post-Gazette Letter: Republican Committee Chair In Allegheny County: Please, Republicans, Not Mastriano

— WITF: Every PA Republican Governor Candidates Campaigns On Election Disinformation, Here Are The Facts

— AP: Republicans Fear Far-Right Candidate Sen. Mastriano Will Be PA Governor Nominee

— Inquirer: PA Republican Insiders Plotting To Stop Far-Right Candidate Sen. Mastriano In Governor’s Race

— Inquirer: Last-Ditch Republican Effort To Stop Sen. Mastriano In PA Governor’s Race Too Little, Too Late

— TribLive: Sen. Kim Ward Endorses Dave White In Republican Primary For Governor

— LancasterOnline – Brad Busmted: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Mastriano Says Democrat Shapiro’s TV Ad Will Help Him Win Primary

— WHYY: Martin’s Potato Roll Empire Backing Republican Sen. Mastriano For Governor, Philly Sandwich Slingers Are Concerned

— PennLive: McSwain Tops Fundraising Among Republican Gubernatorial Candidates With $5 Million From One Group – School Choice

— WITF: Republican Governor Candidates Push For Parents’ Rights In Public Education

— Spotlight PA: Candidates For Governor Raised $12.8 Million In April Alone

— WHYY: Where Are PA’s Candidates For Governor Getting Their Money?

— TribLive: What Price Will Candidates Pay To Emerge From PA Primaries?  [Campaign Funding]

— AP: Republican Sen. Corman Drops Out Of Governor’s Race, Endorses Barletta

— PA Capital-Star: Republican Sen. Corman Drops Out Of Governor’s Race, Endorses Barletta In Effort To Halt Mastriano

— LancasterOnline – Brad Bumsted: Republican Candidate For Governor Sen. Corman Decides To Exit Race [Again]

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Republican Sen. Corman Decides To Drop Out Of Governor’s Race [Again]

— Centre Daily Times: Sen. Corman [Republican] Compares Abortion Ruling Leak To Jan. 6 Assault On U.S. Capitol, Says Both Done ‘To Intimidate’

— TribLive: Republican Melissa Hart Drops Out Of Governor’s Race, Endorses Barletta 

— Post-Gazette: McKeesport’s Rep. Austin Davis Thinks He Has A Shot At Winning Democratic Nomination For Lt. Gov [Only 1 Opponent]

— City & State PA: Sen. Corman Looks To Form Cryptocurrency Task Force To Take Advantage Of Economic Opportunities Of Crypto Currency Boom

— AP: Crypto Comes To Washington, Will The Millions Buy Influence? [PA U.S. Senate Race]

— WSJ: How More Than $1 Trillion Of Crypto Vanished In Just Six Months

— Bloomberg: More Than $200 Billion Wiped Off Cryptocurrency Market In A Day

— Reuters Explainer: Does The Cryptocurrency Crash Pose A Threat To The Financial System?

— WPSU: Talks With Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Melissa Hart

— U.S. Senate Race

— AP: Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Fetterman Says He Had A Stroke; Continuing With Campaign  

— WHYY: Where Are PA U.S. Senate Candidates Getting Their Money?

— TribLive: What Price Will Candidates Pay To Emerge From PA Primaries?  [Campaign Funding]

— WHYY: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Mastriano Taunts ‘Establishment’ At Closed Event With Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kathy Barnette

— AP: Ex-President Scrambles To Fend Off Dr. Oz Challenger In PA U.S. Senate Race

— AP: Dr. Oz Condemns Kathy Barnette’s Tweet On Islam And Pedophilia

— Post-Gazette: Kathy Barnette’s Ascension Brings Scrutiny From Republican Rivals In U.S. Senate Race

— Inquirer: Kathy Barnette The Surprise Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Who Just Might Win

— PennLive: Kathy Barnette Giving Republican U.S. Senate Primary A Grassroots Jolt

— Erie Times: Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Carla Sands Voted By Mail Twice In 2021, But Now Wants To Outlaw Mail-In Ballots

— AP: Conservative Groups Go Against Dr. Oz In PA U.S. Senate Race 

— NYT: For Many Pennsylvania Voters Devoted To Ex-President, Less Swayed By His Guidance  [Dr. Oz]

— Post-Gazette: Ted Cruz Vouches For McCormick’s Conservatism In Western PA Visit In PA U.S. Senate Race

— The Guardian: Can This Offbeat Tattooed Democrat Flip A PA U.S. Senate Seat?

— NYT: Conor Lamb Had All The Makings Of A Front-Runner, So Why Is He Struggling?

— Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Officials Indulge Election Delusion At Greensburg Rally With Ex-President

— TribLive: Westmoreland Sheriff, Commissioners Battle Over Deputies Staffing Greensburg Rally With Ex-President

— May 17, 2022 Primary Election

— PennLive: PA’s Top Election Official Asks For Post-Election Patience, Says Results Likely To Take ‘A Few Days’

— WHYY: PA’s Top Election Official Talks Mail Ballots, Drop Boxes Ahead Of Primary Tuesday

— PA Capital-Star: State Officials Report More Than 910,000 Requests For Mail-In Ballots

— Spotlight PA: Unmarked Postcards Sent To Pennsylvanians Tell Them ‘Whether You Vote Is Public Record’

— PennLive – John Baer: Primary Election Results Could End Traditional Politics For PA Democrats, Republicans

— PennLive Guest Essay: Who Will Be A Good Public Servant?  It’s Hard To Tell From Messay Run-Up To The Primary – Mark Singel

— Post-Gazette – Brandon McGinley: Republicans Sen. Mastriano, Kathy Barnette Exemplify Politics In A Time Of Apocalypse

— Erie Times Editorial: Campaigns Take Anti-Democratic Turn, PA Voters Should Hold Them Accountable

— Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Officials Indulge Election Delusion At Greensburg Rally With Ex-President

— MCall: Republican Sen. Pat Browne [Budget Chair] Faces First Primary Challenge In 30 Years

— LancasterOnline: Republican House Speaker Faces Primary Challengers

— WHYY: Sen. Anthony Williams Has His First Real Challenger In 23 Years

— ABCNews: Republican Conservative Rep. Mike Jones Endorses Challengers To Republican Rep. Stan Saylor (Chair Of Budget Committee), long-time Republican Rep. Keith Gillespie

— Citizens Voice: Republican Candidate For House Arrested Last Year For DUI

— WHYY: Redistricting Forces Contentious Democratic Primary In Northwest Philly

— Inquirer: Philly’s Democratic Establishment And Progressives Again Facing Off Over House Seats

— TribLive: Newly Elected Rep. Abney, Grayson Square Off In Pittsburgh House District

— TribLive: Bernie Sanders Stumps For Summer Lee At Pittsburgh Rally

— Inquirer Editorial: PA Primary Endorsements

— Inquirer Editorial: We Wanted To Endorse In Republican Primaries This Year, We Can’t

— Scranton Times: MSNBC: Luzerne County Rightward Shift Represents Political Seachange

— Inquirer: Mailers Targeting Philly Progressives Have Curious Links To Trump, City’s Democratic Party

— City & State PA: Mailer Featuring Gun To Head Of Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler Causes Upheaval At A Philadelphia PAC

— PA Capital-Star: New National Democratic Ad In PA Hits Republican Plan To Sunset Medicare, Social Security

— WITF: PA ACLU, Lancaster County Commissioners Fight Over Ballot Drop Box Removal In Court

U.S. Supreme Court Leaked Abortion Opinion

— PA Capital-Star: A Midterm Gift? Abortion Could Swing Persuadable Republicans To Democrats

— TribLive/Bloomberg: How PA’s Abortion Fight Could Play Out Across The Country

— AP: Anti-Abortion Sen. Casey Backs Abortion Rights Bill

— TribLive: Casey Says He Supports Codifying Abortion Rights Into Federal Law

— TribLive: Hundreds Rally In Pittsburgh Against Abortion Restrictions

— Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

— Inquirer: Republicans Respond To Potential South Philly Ballot Harvesting By Republican Operative With Firings, Campaign Attacks

— LancasterOnline: Conservative ‘Audit The Vote’ Report On 2020 Election In Lancaster County Riddled With Errors, Deeply Flawed

— Erie Times: Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Carla Sands Voted By Mail Twice In 2021, But Now Wants To Outlaw Mail-In Ballots

— Scranton Times Editorial: Pennsylvanians Should Hope Republican State Treasurer Is Better At Counting Their Money Than She Is At Counting Their Votes

— LancasterOnline Editorial: Conservative Audit The Vote Survey Was Flawed, Deceptive, Clearly Meant To Advance The Big Lie

— Post-Gazette Editorial: Chaotic Republican Primaries Show Need For New Primary System

— TribLive Editorial: Independent Voters Need To Be Engaged In Primary Process

— Citizens Voice Editorial: Rule Breakers Endanger Expanded Voting Options

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Conservative Groups Demand PA Lawmakers Pull Plug On Mail-In Voting

— WITF: PA ACLU, Lancaster County Commissioners Fight Over Ballot Drop Box Removal In Court

— Reuters: U.S. Police Trainers With Far-Right Ties Are Teaching Hundreds Of Cops [PA Police Training Firm Included]

— PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

— PennLive/AP: PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry Subpoenaed In House Investigation Of Assault On U.S. Capitol

— Politico: Republican Legislators In PA Urged By Attorney To Retabulate State’s Popular vote In Dec. 2020

— Inquirer: Emails Shed New Light On Push By PA Lawmakers To Overturn 2020 Election Vote, Including Republican Candidate For Lt. Governor

— AP: Man Who Fired Shots Into Democratic Party Headquarters In Montgomery County Gets Prison

— State Constitutional Amendments

— Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To More Than 70 Proposed Amendments To State Constitution

— PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

— PUC Alerts Electric Customers Prices To Compare Going Up June 1 Between 16.1% And 44.6% Due To Rise In Natural Gas Prices  [PaEN]

— Utility Dive: Electricity Prices Jumped 51% In PJM Interconnection; 85% In New England Due To Rising Natural Gas Prices

— PUC Office Of Consumer Advocate Urges Consumers To Know Their Options In Face Of Rising Energy Prices

— Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Capital Restoration Project In Governor’s Office Suite Completed

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Does Buying Sets Of Daily Drawing Lottery Balls Qualify As An Emergency?  Conservative Republican Lawmaker Says No

— AP: Crypto Comes To Washington, Will The Millions Buy Influence? [PA U.S. Senate Race]

— City & State PA: Sen. Corman Looks To Form Cryptocurrency Task Force To Take Advantage Of Economic Opportunities Of Crypto Currency Boom

— AP: Crypto Comes To Washington, Will The Millions Buy Influence? [PA U.S. Senate Race]

— WSJ: How More Than $1 Trillion Of Crypto Vanished In Just Six Months

— Bloomberg: More Than $200 Billion Wiped Off Cryptocurrency Market In A Day

— Reuters Explainer: Does The Cryptocurrency Crash Pose A Threat To The Financial System?

— COVID Pandemic/Health

— MCall: PA COVID: 21,781 New Cases  Last Week, Hospitalizations Jump 40% In Lehigh Valley

— Post-Gazette: COVID Cases Rising Steadily In Allegheny County, Across The State

— Erie Times: Pandemic Wanes, But Challenges Remain For Mental Health Patients, Providers In Erie County

— Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Ranks High In Preventable Hospitalizations, Report

— Inquirer: Philly Area Home-Care Workers Often Cheated On Overtime, PA’s Medicaid Rules Don’t Help

— Penn State: ‘Stop The Bleed’ Training Saves Lives Of Gun Violence Victims, In Other Emergencies

— WESA: Baby Formula Shortages Have PA Parents Scrambling

— PennLive: Columbia County Businessman Must Pay $215,000+ Restitution For Illegal Use Of COVID Relief Funds

— COVID – Schools

— Post-Gazette: Rising COVID Cases Force Closure Of Pittsburgh Public Schools Administrative Building

— TribLive: Allegheny County COVID Cases Rise, Pittsburgh Schools Reinstate Mask Mandate

— Inquirer: Philly Schools Launching ‘Mask To Stay’ COVID Policy

— Opioid Deaths

— PA Capital-Star: State, Local Officials Highlight Addiction Prevention Efforts In PA

— Scranton Times: More Than 100 Overdose Deaths In Lackawanna County, Over 200 In Luzerne County In 2021

— Spotlight PA: Why Dept. Of Health Is Taking Spotlight PA To Court Over Revealing How Patients, Physicians Are Using Medical Marijuana To Treat Addiction

— PA Capital-Star: The Pressure Is On PA As Neighboring States Legalize Recreational Marijuana

School Districts/Higher Education

— TribLive Editorial: Are Rankings Fair To High Schools?

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: New PA Private Charter School Leader Vows To Fend Off Funding Cuts

— York Dispatch: ‘Devastating’ Death Leads Dallastown H.S. Team To Join Suicide Prevention Battle

— WHYY: LGBTQ Students, Faculty Fear Impact Of Central Bucks Schools’ Decisions

— TribLive: West Allegheny H.S. Student Brought Loaded Assault Rifle To School Parking Lot In Allegheny County

— WHYY: Weapon Scans Begin For Philadelphia Middle Schools

— WHYY: Student Protestors Threatened, While New Policy To Censor Library Books Looms In Central Bucks School District

— Inquirer: For The Family Of A Native American Child Lost At The Carlisle School, A New Study Offers Hope Of Accountability

— TribLive: What Would A College Voucher Program Mean For Students In PA?

— Centre Daily Times: Neeli Bendapudi Officially Starts Tenure As New Penn State President

— Post-Gazette: Penn State Searching For Suspects In ‘Death By Cop,’ ‘Death By Hazing,’ ‘Death By Suicide’ Vandalism At Campus Landmarks

— PennLive: Penn State Searching For Suspects After ‘Profoundly Disturbing Acts’ Of Vandalism At Main Campus

— MCall: 79-Year Old, 19-Year Old To Graduate From Kutztown University

— TribLive Guest Essay: Continuing The Pitt-Pennsylvania Partnership

— Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

— City & State PA: Mailer Featuring Gun To Head Of Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler Causes Upheaval At A Philadelphia PAC

— TribLive: West Allegheny H.S. Student Brought Loaded Assault Rife To School Parking Lot In Allegheny County

— WHYY: Weapon Scans Begin For Philadelphia Middle Schools

— KYW: 2 Young Brothers Pass Away After Being Shot By Their Mother In Bucks County

— Penn State: ‘Stop The Bleed’ Training Saves Lives Of Gun Violence Victims, In Other Emergencies

— WHYY: Delaware County Leaders Plan To Dispatch Mental Health Experts Alongside Police

— Inquirer: Philly’s Public Defenders Say Staff Pay Inequity Is A Racial Justice Issue

— Wilkes-Barre Times: State Senators Push Bipartisan Juvenile Justice Reforms

— WESA: More Employers Giving Workers With Criminal Records A Chance In Today’s Hot Job Market

— TribLive: Pittsburgh Black Lives Matter Protester Acquitted By Judge After Charges Refiled

— PA Economy

— WESA: More Employers Giving Workers With Criminal Records A Chance In Today’s Hot Job Market

— PA Capital-Star: Changes To Rules For Tipped Workers To Take Effect In August

— PA Capital-Star: Affordable For Whom? The Cost Of Child Care In PA

— MCall – Paul Muschick: Why Don’t More PA Towns Have ‘Do Not Knock’ Solicitation Laws

— Post-Gazette: Owners Of Pittsburgh Commercial Properties Could Benefit From Property Assessment Appeals Deal

— Inquirer: ‘It’s Wrong,’ Philly Property Assessments Double In Some Working-Class Neighborhoods

— WHYY: Philly Council Considering Measures To East Impact Of New Property Assessment

— MCall: Lehigh County Has An Eviction Problem, Could A Lawyer Be The Solution?

— TribLive: Lawsuit Alleges Pittsburgh’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Is Unconstitutional

— City & State PA: Sen. Corman Looks To Form Cryptocurrency Task Force To Take Advantage Of Economic Opportunities Of Crypto Currency Boom

— AP: Crypto Comes To Washington, Will The Millions Buy Influence? [PA U.S. Senate Race]

— WSJ: How More Than $1 Trillion Of Crypto Vanished In Just Six Months

— Bloomberg: More Than $200 Billion Wiped Off Cryptocurrency Market In A Day

— Reuters Explainer: Does The Cryptocurrency Crash Pose A Threat To The Financial System?

— PennLive: Columbia County Businessman Must Pay $215,000+ Restitution For Illegal Use Of COVID Relief Funds

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