PA Capitol Report: Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week
Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else–
— Governor’s Race
— AP: Mastriano Wins Republican Race For Governor
— AP: How PA Republican Governor Pick Could Turn Election Lies Into Action
— The Guardian: Sen. Mastriano’s Win Prompts Election Fears In Pennsylvania
— Inquirer: How The PA Republican Establishment Broke Itself Trying To Stop Mastriano
— PennLive/TNS: How PA Republican Establishment Tried, Failed To Stop Mastriano
— Post-Gazette – Julian Routh: For PA Republicans, No Turning Back In Bid vs. Shapiro As Party Leaders Back Mastriano For Governor
— LancasterOnline – Brad Bumsted: It’s Way Too Soon To Bet Against A Mastriano Win This Fall In Race For Governor
— LancasterOnline Editorial: Primary Postmortem: A Vicious Campaign, Another Ballot Printing Error In Lancaster County, An Appalling Win [Mastriano]
— PA Capital-Star Editorial Cartoon: Mastriano’s Win Explained
— PA Capital Star: Rep. Carrie DelRosso Wins Republican Lt. Gov. Race
— AP: How PA Republican Governor Pick Could Turn Election Lies Into Action
— Inquirer: Republican Mastriano Won PA Governor’s Primary After A Campaign Fueled By Election Lies
— PennLive: Mastriano Claims Republican Mandate For Governor In Primary Win
— Post-Gazette: One Day After Primary, The General Election Campaign Has Already Started
— York Dispatch: Primary Sets Up Tough Choices For PA’s Republican Establishment
— Citizens Voice: Barletta Reflects On Governor’s Race
— Post-Gazette – Tony Norman: Onward Christian Nationalists, PA Republicans Just Nominated An Unapologetic Theocrat For Governor
— PennLive – John Baer: Mastriano vs. Shapiro – PA Governor’s Race Will Be Like Nothing We’ve Ever Seen
— MCall – Paul Muschick: Gov. Doug Mastriano? Why It’s Not Such A Long Shot, Other November Predictions
— Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Republican Party Chair Should Resign Over Mastriano Debacle
— WSJ Editorial: The Democrats Get Their Man In PA – Republican Mastriano
— TribLive/AP: Shapiro Wins Democratic Primary For Governor
— PA Capital Star: Rep. Austin Davis Wins Democratic Nod For Lt. Governor
— U.S. Senate Race
— AP: Dr. Oz, McCormick Tied In PA Republican U.S. Senate Race With 8,700 Ballots To Count
— AP: Dr. Oz, McCormick Prepare For Recount In PA Republican U.S. Senate Race
— Inquirer: There’s Another High-Profile Vote Count In PA, But PA Republicans Aren’t Objecting This Time [Spoiler- U.S. Senate Race]
— TribLive/Bloomberg: PA Republican U.S. Senate Fight In Epicenter Of Ex-President’s 2020 Grudge
— Financial Times: PA U.S. Senate Race Gets Messy For Republicans After Photo Finish
— Scranton Times Editorial: Wait, You Say The Election Wasn’t Rigged?
— MCall: Fetterman Wins Democratic U.S. Senate Primary
— MCall/Post-Gazette: Fetterman Raises $1.6 Million Within 24 Hours Of Primary Victory
— PA Capital-Star: Fetterman’s Lesson For Dems: A Clear Brand And Coherent Message Wins Every Time
— Post-Gazette: Fetterman Testing Whether PA’s Backroads Can Take A Progressive Democrat To Washington
— TribLive: Gisele Fetterman On Stepping Into Campaign After John’s Stroke: ‘I Didn’t Have To Think Twice’
— AP: Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Fetterman Says He Had A Stroke; Continuing With Campaign
— PA Capital-Star: Lt. Gov. Fetterman Has Stroke, Says He Expects To Make Full Recovery
— Post-Gazette: Lt. Gov. Fetterman To Have Pacemaker Installed
— Gov. Wolf: Lt. Gov. Fetterman Submits Declaration He Is Able To Resume Duties
— TribLive: What Went Wrong With Conor Lamb’s U.S. Senate Campaign?
— May 2022 Primary Election
— PA Election Results Webpage – Dept. Of State
— LancasterOnline Editorial: Primary Postmortem: A Vicious Campaign, Another Ballot Printing Error In Lancaster County, An Appalling Win [Mastriano]
— PennLive: Eleven Incumbent Lawmakers’ Re-Election Hopes Likely Dashed In Primary
— AP: PA Lawmakers See Terms Ended By Primary Defeats, Or In Serious Danger
— York Daily Record: York Incumbent Republicans Stan Saylor [Appropriations Chair], Keith Gillespie Lose House Seats By Narrow Margins
— MCall: Republican State Sen. Browne Losing By 30-Votes In Unofficial Returns
— LancasterOnline: Republican House Speaker Cutler, Sen. Aument Survive Primary Challengers
— LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Republicans Hold Back Challenge From [Far] Right In Midterm Primary
— TribLive: Rep. Abney Leads By Wind Margin In Pittsburgh State House Race
— Post-Gazette: Narrow Contests Remain In PA Legislative Races In Western PA
— TribLive/AP: Summer Lee Winner In 12th Congressional Democratic Race
— The Economist: Republicans Divide And Democrats Unite In PA Primaries
— Courier Times: PA Primary Highlights Republican Voters’ Split In Bucks County
— MCall: How The Lehigh Valley Voted In PA Primary
— PA Capital-Star: LGBTQ Candidates Ran Across PA To Mixed Results In Primary
— PennLive Guest Essay: Democrats Are Finding Their Footing – Mark Singel
— Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Primaries Spotlight National Political Pressures
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Losing Gracefully And Winning Patiently Are Necessary Democratic Norms
— Dept. Of State Reports Successful Primary Election In PA
— LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Printing Mistakes Means Two-Thirds Of Mail-In Ballots Won’t Scan; Same Issue Happened In 2021 Primary Election
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Lancaster County [Again] Botched Mail-In Ballots, Undermines Voter Confidence
— Erie Times: Franklin County Democrat Given Republican Ballot, Told The Democratic Primary Was On A Different Day
— Centre Daily Times: Centre County Sees Highest Voter Turnout For Nonpresidential Primary In 10 Years
— WITF: Berks County Primary Election Faces Technical Problems, Errors, Criticism
— TribLive: Outstanding Votes In Allegheny County Could Sway Races, But Will Take Time
— TribLive: Voter Turnout Strong For Westmoreland Primary As Political Leaders Look To Fall Campaign
— York Dispatch Editorial: We, As Voters, Must Accept Responsibility For Toxic Political Ads On Our Airwaves
— November 2022 Election
— Scranton Times: Democrats Face Political Headwinds But PA May Be Different
— Erie Times: In 2024, These 2 Groups Will Decide Which President PA Picks
— Post-Gazette – David Mills: How Politics Works When Everyone Is Mastriano To Someone
— Post-Gazette – Salena Zito: Rhetoric Versus Realism At The Pump, And In The Formula Aisle
— PennLive Guest Essay: Democrats Are Finding Their Footing – Mark Singel
— Post-Gazette Editorial: A New Era Of Pennsylvania Politics
— PA Capital-Star: PA Republicans Further Narrow Democrat’s Registration Edge
— Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout
— AP: How PA Republican Governor Pick Could Turn Election Lies Into Action
— The Guardian: Sen. Mastriano’s Win Prompts Election Fears In Pennsylvania
— PennLive – Jan Murphy: PA Senate Republican Election Inquiry Continues, Consultant Contract Extended
— NYT: How Ex-President’s 2020 Election Lies Have Gripped State Legislatures [PA Included]
— AP EXPLAINER: How Mailed Ballots Law Slow Results In PA
— Post-Gazette: PA Mail-In Ballot Law Could Slow Down Election Results Again
— Wilkes-Barre Times Editorial: Attempts To Delegitimize Mail-In Voting Are Getting Tiresome
— MCall: Federal Court Rules Lehigh County Must Count Mail-In Ballots Without Dates From Nov. 2021 Election
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Lancaster County [Again] Botched Mail-In Ballots, Undermines Voter Confidence
— Citizens Voice Editorial: Give Counties More Flexibility To Count Mail-In Votes
— Williamsport Sun: Group Still Seeking Hand Recount Of 2020 Election Results In Lycoming County
— PA Capital-Star: 40 PA Republican Lawmakers Joined Far-Right Facebook Groups
— LancasterOnline: Hate Crime Reporting In PA Is Inconsistent, But Trends Clearly Show An Increase
— Post-Gazette/NYT: PA Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kathy Barnette Confronted With Her Anti-Islamic Tweets
— Reading Eagle: Reading Redevelopment Authority Chairman Apologizes For Racial Slur; Council Removes Him From Post
— LancasterOnline Editorial: We Must Fully Reject White Nationalism And Hatred Before They Take Even Deeper Root Here
— Post-Gazette Editorial: What’s The Vaccine For Hate?
— LancasterOnline: Elizabethtown School District Parent Challenges Best-Selling Novel ‘Me And Earl And The Dying Girl’
— WHYY: Central Bucks School District Backpedals Classes About Puberty Area Now Optional And Virtual
— PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol
— Post-Gazette/NYT: PA Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kathy Barnette Confronted With Her Anti-Islamic Tweets
— Post-Gazette – Tony Norman: Republican Kathy Barnette And The Return Of The Good Old Days
— State Constitutional Amendments
— Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To More Than 70 Proposed Amendments To State Constitution
— PA Politics Of Russian Invasion
— House Local Govt. Committee Meets May 25 On Bill To Prohibit Communities From Moving To Clean, Cheaper Energy Sources To Address Climate Change [PaEN]
— TribLive: Respite From Gasoline Price Increases Will Be Brief As Summer Driving Season Nears, Analyst Says
— WHYY – Susan Phillips: Good News For Philly Oil Refiners, Bad News For Travelers: Diesel And Jet Fuel Costs Are Skyrocketing
— Scranton Times: UGI To Increase Natural Gas Rates By 7.4% On June 1
— PennLive: UGI To Raise Cost Of Natural Gas, With Another Hike Possible In December
— Utility Dive: FERC To Monitor Natural Gas, Power Markets For Manipulation As Summer Electricity Prices Jump Up To 233%
— Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Producers Added One Drilling Rig During Past Week
— Harrisburg Politics Potpourri
— Gov. Wolf: Lt. Gov. Fetterman Submits Declaration He Is Able To Resume Duties
— Post-Gazette: Lt. Gov. Fetterman To Have Pacemaker Installed
— Gov. Wolf: Senate President Pro Tempore Corman To Temporarily Assume Duties Of Acting Lt. Governor Whilte Fetterman Recovers
— TribLive: Fmr State Sen. Jim Ferlo Dies At Age 70
— PennLive: The Pennsylvania Society Elects First Female President Since Founding In 1899
— Post-Gazette: Sen. Brewster Wants PennDOT To Make PA Bridge Inspection Data Public
— Scranton Times Editorial: Overdue Bill To Disclose Fees Paid By State Pension Funds
— Post-Gazette: Texas Trio Admits To Multi-Million-Dollar Ripoff Of Government Meal Programs In PA
— TribLive Editorial: Avoiding Bidding Process Isn’t An Emergency
— TribLive Editorial: Confidentiality Agreements Are Counter To Transparency
— Post-Gazette: PA Traffic Deaths Rise Again, Up 9% In 2021
— Budget 2022
— PA Gaming Board Reports Revenue For April Up 14% Compared To April 2021
— TribLive: PA Casino Revenue $462 Million In April, Down Slightly From March
— AP: PA Judge Halts Bridge Tolling Plans, For Now
— Altoona Mirror Editorial: Clock Ticking On Planning For State Budget
— COVID Pandemic/Health
— WITF: COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Rising In Pennsylvania
— TribLive: PA COVID Update: 27,391 Cases Reported In Last Week
— PennLive: With Rising PA COVID Cases, Officials Remind Public About ‘Being Prudent’ With Masks, Vaccines
— Post-Gazette: New COVID Variant Of Concern Detected In Western PA
— Spotlight PA: Despite High Vaccination Rates Among PA Prisoners, Some COVID Restrictions Remain In Place
— NPR: Counties Supporting Ex-President Continue To Suffer Far Higher COVID Death Tolls
— WESA: PA Will Delay Closures Of 2 Institutions For People With Intellectual Disabilities
— COVID – Schools
— WHYY: Mask Mandate Returns For Philly Schools
— Erie Times: Erie School District Again Requires Face Masks
— TribLive: Pittsburgh Whittier K-5 Closed Until Thursday Because Of COVID Cases
— KYW: 2 Montgomery County Schools To Require Masks Again Due To Increase In COVID Cases
— MCall: How Lehigh Valley School Districts Are Working to Get Kids Their COVID Shots
— Opioid Deaths
— WLVR: PA Teen Drug Deaths Are Down But Officials Warn That Could Change
— School Districts/Higher Education
— MCall Guest Essay: How Bethlehem School District Is Overpaying Private Cybercharter Schools $2.7 Million
— Scranton Times Editorial: School Funding From State Issue Beyond Mere Legality
— Spotlight PA: PA’s Richest Person Spent At Least $18 Million On Primary To Support Private Alternatives To Public Schools
— LancasterOnline: Elizabethtown School District Parent Challenges Best-Selling Novel ‘Me And Earl And The Dying Girl’
— WHYY: Central Bucks School District Backpedals Classes About Puberty Area Now Optional And Virtual
— TribLive: New Lawsuit Contends Retaliation Against Sewickley Academy In Race Debate
— Gun Violence/Law Enforcement
— TribLive: Gov. Wolf Calls Recent Mass Shootings ‘Appalling,’ Reiterates Call For Gun Reforms
— TribLive: Butler County Gun Parts Supply Store Files Federal Lawsuit Opposing Ghost Gun Rules, Enforcement
— KYW: Philadelphia’s Gun Violence Epidemic Continues To Have Devastating Impact On City’s Youth
— WHYY: In West Philly, Families Of Gun Violence Victims Come Together For Healing And Reflection
— WHYY: Teen Committee Conducts Gun Violence Survey To Bring Solutions To Philly Officials
— PennLive: Harrisburg Summit Gives Teens A Chance To Have Meaningful Conversations About Gun Violence
— PA Economy
— Dept. Of Labor & Industry Reports PA Unemployment In April 4.8%, Down Slightly From March
— AP: PA Jobless Rate Fell In April; Payrolls, Labor Force Up
— PA Capital-Star: Thousands In Philly Have Arrests, Convictions Hurting Job Chances; Clinics Aim To Fix That
— Gov. Wolf: New State Authority Ready To Deploy $100 Million In Life-Changing Internet For All Funds
— WPSU: PA Takes First Step To Join Federal ‘Internet For All’ Initiative
— WESA: PA WIC Family Skips Bills To Buy Infant Formula
— MCall Guest Essay: Why I Put My Job In The Allentown Symphony On The Line To Not Pay Union Dues
— Inquirer Editorial: Philadelphia Screwed Up Property Tax Assessments, Start Over
— WHYY: PA Grants Chester Receiver Permission To File For Bankruptcy On Behalf Of City
— TribLive: Ghost Towns Dot Western PA, Pittsburgh Landscape And History
— TribLive Editorial: Preventing Ghost Towns Means Being Open To Change