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
— 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]
— 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
— 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
— 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
— 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
— 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