PA Capitol Report: Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week
Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else–
— July 4th
— Post-Gazette – Salena Zito: Remembering Another July 4th In A Meadow In The Allegheny Mountains South Of Pittsburgh In 1754
— Congressional Voting Districts
— PA Capital-Star: PA Case On Congressional Voting Districts Takes A Back Seat As U.S. Supreme Court Takes On Independent State Legislature Doctrine
— Governor’s Race
— Post-Gazette – Julian Routh: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Says Economy Will Sway Voters
— Inquirer: Republican Candidate For Governor Mastriano Sticking To His MAGA Playbook In General Election
— PennLive: Polling Website Has PA U.S. Senate Race A Toss-Up, Shapiro Favored To Win Governor’s Race
— Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Lawyer’s Campaign For Governor Shows How Big Money Shapes PA Politics
— U.S. Senate Race
— Inquirer: Dr. Oz’s Image Took A Beating During Republican Primary, It’s Weighing On Him As General Election Starts
— PennLive: Fetterman Skipping July 4th Campaigning, But should Be Back ‘Really Soon’
— Post-Gazette – Julian Routh: PA U.S. Senate Race May Break Advertising Spending Records
— PennLive: Polling Website Has PA U.S. Senate Race A Toss-Up, Shapiro Favored To Win Governor’s Race
— November 2022 Election
— PennLive – John Baer: Will Abortion Ruling Help PA Democrats Win In A Republican Year?
— AARP-Pennsylvania Poll: Black Voters Say Inflation Most Important To Them In Race For Governor
— AP: More Than 1 Million Voters Switch To Republicans In Warning For Democrats [Includes PA]
— May 2022 Primary Election
— Post-Gazette Editorial: High Voter Turnout Is A Symptom Of Polarization, Not A Cure
— Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Lawyer’s Campaign For Governor Shows How Big Money Shapes PA Politics
— Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout
— WITF: Bill Loosening Rules For PA Election Poll Watchers Heads To Wolf’s Desk
— City & State PA: Ex-President Says Bill Expanding Poll Watcher Access Should Be Tied To PA Budget
— AP: Fight Over 2020 Election Records Lands In Lycoming County Court
— AP: U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Case On State Authority Over Congressional Redistricting, Federal Elections [PA Included]
— Spotlight PA: How PA Keeps Its Voter Rolls Clean And Updated
— Inquirer Guest Essay: In A Time Of Racial Division, Remembering The Multicultural Focus Of Bucks County Nobel Prize-Winning Author Pearl S. Buck
— PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol
— PennLive – Charles Thompson: Ex-White House Aide – Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry Was In On Talks About Ex-President Going Along To Assault The Capital On Jan. 6
— York Daily Record: ‘Vote Perry Out’: Protesters Chant Calling On Republican Cong. Scott Perry To Resign
— PennLive Guest Essay: When Is Enough Enough For Ex-President’s Republicans [U.S. House Investigation Into Assault On U.S. Capitol] – Mark Singel
— Inquirer Editorial: Lingering Threat Of Enablers Seeking To Overturn 2020 Election Results – Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry
— Post-Gazette Editorial: The Republicans Who Said No To Ex-President And Paid For It
— PA Capital-Star: Here’s Full List Of PA 2020 Fake Electors Under Investigation By FBI
— Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh-Area Man Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol Says U.S. House Hearings Have ‘Poisoned The Jury Pool’ For Trial
— PennLive: 2 Lycoming County Residents Plead Guilty To Criminal Charges Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol
— TribLive: Feds Make Plea Offer To Crawford County Man Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol
— MCall: Montgomery County Man Charged With Crimes Related To The Assault On U.S. Capitol Sentenced To Prison
— WPost: Canada, New Zealand Designate Proud Boys, The Base As Terrorist Organizations
— State Constitutional Amendments
— WHYY: Fight Gears Up Over PA Constitutional Amendment To Protect ‘Every Unborn Child’
— PA Capital-Star: Bad Faith Use Of Constitutional Amendment Process Reduces Power Of Voters Under The Guise Of Increasing It – Philadelphia Bar Assn.
— Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To More Than 70 Proposed Amendments To State Constitution
— PA Politics Of Russian Invasion
— Altoona Mirror: Peoples Gas Cost Nearly Doubles, Average Bill Increases $33/Month
— Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Freeing Competitive Markets Where Only A Handful Of Corporations Control The Prices You Pay – Rep. Pisciottano (D-Allegheny) & Rep. Innamorato (D-Allegheny)
— Inquirer – Andrew Maykuth: Philadelphia Natural Gas Works Reverses Onerous Weatherization Charges For May Gas Bills
— WHYY: Refunds To Philadelphia Natural Gas Works Customers For May Bills Could Cost $12 Million
— PA Consumer Advocate To Investigate Unusually Large Weather Normalization Charge To Customers Of Philadelphia Natural Gas Works
— Inquirer – Andrew Maykuth: PA Consumer Advocate To Investigate Excessive Philadelphia Natural Gas Works Weather Charges
— Inquirer – Andrew Maykuth: What To Do If Your Philadelphia Natural Gas Works ‘Weather Normalized’ Bill Is Not Normal
— York Daily Record: Sheetz Lowers Some Gasoline Prices Below $4 Now Thru July 4 Weekend
— MCall – Ford Turner: Sen. Boscola Proposes Temporary Halt To Gasoline, Diesel Taxes In PA
— TribLive Guest Essay: Dr. Oz’s Misinformed Oil & Natural Gas Policies – Penn State Public Policy Student
— Harrisburg Politics Potpourri
— PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Who Runs Harrisburg? You Or The Corporate Elite? Lawmakers Have A Choice To Help Working Pennsylvanians
— Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Lawyer’s Campaign For Governor Shows How Big Money Shapes PA Politics
— PA Capital-Star: From Fireworks Restrictions To Abortion Access, Here’s The Harrisburg Week In Review
— TribLive: Rep. Dowling To Retire, Remove Name From Ballot After DUI Charges Filed
— Scranton Times Editorial: Put Pensions On The Line For Lawmakers For Sexual Misconduct
— AP: Lawmakers Pass New Limits On Fireworks As July 4th Nears
— Scranton Times: Rising Costs Deal Blow To Fireworks Shops
— Erie Times: PA Supreme Court To Decide Whether Open Records Law Applies To PIAA?
— Budget 2022
— AP: PA Heads Into Fiscal Year Without Budget In Place, Senate, House Return Tuesday
— Post-Gazette: Lawmakers Leave Harrisburg For July 4th Holiday With Budget Still Unfinished
— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Lawmakers Target Next Week To Complete State Budget
— PA Capital-Star: House, Senate Cancel Holiday Weekend Sessions After Missing Budget Deadline
— MCall – Ford Turner: PA Budget Talks Slow Down, Leaving Lehigh Valley Lawmakers Uncertain
— Spotlight PA – Stephen Caruso: PA State Budget Is Officially Late, Here’s What You Need To Know
— City & State PA: Ex-President Says Bill Expanding Poll Watcher Access Should Be Tied To PA Budget
— AP: Pennsylvania To Begin Fiscal Year Without A Budget
— Dept. Of Revenue Reports FY 2021-22 Revenues $5.6 Billion Above Estimates
— Independent Fiscal Office Reports FY 2021-22 Revenues $6.22 Billion Above Estimates
— ABC27: Gov. Wolf On Stalled PA Budget Talks: ‘Republicans Screwing Around’
— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Wolf, Lawmakers Struggle To Forge 2022-23 Budget Despite $12 Billion Financial Cushion
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Why Can’t Pennsylvania Pass A Budget On Time?
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Dock Legislators’ Pay For Tardy State Budget
— AP: Talks Yield No Pennsylvania Budget Deal With 3 Days Left To Deadline
— PA Capital-Star: The Clock Is Ticking For Lawmakers, Wolf On State Budget, What To Know So Far
— City & State PA: Republican House Budget Chair – Budget Unlikely To Be Done By June 30 Deadline; Wolf’s Budget Secretary Says Deal Is ‘Very Close And Within Reach’
— AP: House Republicans Target University Of Pittsburgh Fetal Research In College Funding Bill
— Post-Gazette: Pitt Funding, State Budget All On Hold As PA’s Budget Deadline Looms
— Post-Gazette: House Republicans Put Pitt’s Funding On The Line Unless It Stops Fetal Tissue Research
— TribLive: Allegheny County Democrats Push For Pitt Funding As PA Budget Deadline Edges Closer
— TribLive Editorial: State Law Is Not The Way To Find Joe Paterno Statue
— Erie Times Guest Essay: We Need Help For Working Families, Not Corporate Tax Cuts – Allegheny College Professor
— AP: Commonwealth Court Blocks Governor’s Bridge Tolling Plan
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Bridge Tolling Plan Is Dead, But Long-Term Road, Bridge Funding Still Needed
— MCall: Where Did Pennsylvania’s $63 Billion In Federal COVID Relief Money Go?
— COVID Pandemic/Health
— TribLive: COVID Variants Inevitable As Long As Virus Continues To Spread, Doctors Say
— WESA: Allegheny County Reports Slight Uptick In COVID Numbers
— WESA: 3 Allegheny County Residents Test Positive For Monkeypox Virus
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Nursing Home Crisis Demands State Action
— MCall – Ford Turner: House Passes Ban On Sale Of Kratom To Minors
— MCall: Where Did Pennsylvania’s $63 Billion In Federal COVID Relief Money Go?
— School Districts/Higher Education
— PA Capital-Star: It’s Beyond Time To Address Soaring Taxpayer Cost Of Private Cyber-Charter Schools
— AP: Republicans Pass Bills Limiting LGBTQ Instruction, Trans Athletes Pass Senate
— MCall – Ford Turner: Bill To Keep Transgender Athletes Out Of Girls’ Sports Clears Legislature, Wolf Promises Veto
— PennLive – Jan Murphy: PA Won’t Become Next State To Ban Transgender Athletes, But It Doesn’t Stop Republican Lawmakers From Trying
— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Bills Limiting Student Exposure To Sexual Content Pass Senate
— Erie Times: PA Supreme Court To Decide Whether Open Records Law Applies To PIAA?
— PA Capital-Star: Community College Of Philly Pays Off Students’ Unpaid Balances For 2nd Year
— Erie Times: Erie County Community College Board Eyes New Campus Site
— Post-Gazette: Pitt Funding, State Budget All On Hold As PA’s Budget Deadline Looms
— TribLive: Allegheny County Democrats Push For Pitt Funding As PA Budget Deadline Edges Closer
– The Center Square: Open Records Bill Would Mean Major Changes For PA Funded State-Related Universities
— Erie Times: Edinboro University Now Pennsylvania Western
— Gun Violence/Law Enforcement
— City & State PA: Republicans Again Replace Gun Control Bill Language With Concealed-Carry Legislation
— WHYY: With New Federal Gun Law In Place, Some PA Lawmakers Push For State ‘Reg Flag’ Gun Law
— AP: House Republicans Set Up Committee To Consider Philly DA’s Impeachment
— PA Capital-Star Editorial Cartoon: Republican Impeachment Of Philly DA Explained
— Scranton Times Editorial: State’s New Legislative Motto: ‘Hubris’ [Gun Violence]
— PA Capital-Star: Pittsburgh Mayor Pleads With Lawmakers To Fight Gun Violence
— Erie Times Guest Essay: People Die Daily From Gun Violence In PA, We Need Solutions, Not Excuses – Rep. Darisha Parker (D-Philadelphia)
— Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Appeals Commonwealth Court Decision On Local Gun Regulations
— TribLive Editorial: Does The U.S. Supreme Court Believe In States’ Rights Or Not? [ Roe, NY Gun Law Decision
— Spotlight PA: Conflicting Reports, Gaps In Data Obscure True Number Of PA Law Enforcement Agencies
— TribLive Editorial: Lawmakers Should Put Teeth In Police Background Database Law
— WESA: Pittsburgh Police Accreditation Threatened By Law To Scale Back Traffic Stops
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Allegheny County Jail Board Must Enforce Transgender Policies And Culture Of Respect
— Inquirer: Philly Will Spend Nearly A Billion Dollars On Policing And Violence Prevention
— TribLive: Safe Use Of Firearms, Responsible Gun Ownership Focus Of Free Training
— PennLive: 8 Akron Police Officers Shoot Black Ohio Man 60 Times As He Fled After A Chase
— PA Economy
— MCall: Where Did Pennsylvania’s $63 Billion In Federal COVID Relief Money Go?
— Post-Gazette: ATI’s Relocation A Blow To Pittsburgh’s Self-Esteem, But Not Necessarily PA’s Coffers
— PA Capital-Star: Local Groups Launch Campaign To Encourage Pay Equity In Pittsburgh
— Post-Gazette Editorial: Pittsburgh Should Use Federal Windfall For Neglected Roads And Bridges
— Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Property Owners Who File Assessment Appeals Could Get Tax Breaks
