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

— AP: House Republican Leader Asks PA Supreme Court To Throw Out House Voting District Map

— PA Cap-Star: House Republicans Ask Court To Toss House Voting District Map, Reuse Current Lines In 2022

— MCall –  Ford Turner: Allentown, South Whitehall Cited In House Republican Challenge To House Voting District Map

— WITF: Reading, Allentown Highlight How Redistricting Can Impact Latino Communities For Better, Worse

— City & State PA: How Pennsylvanians Are Trying To Bring Racial Equity To Drawing Voting Districts

— AP: House, Senate Voting District Maps Draw Legal Challenge Over Dividing Butler County

— YorkDR: Republican Rep. Seth Grove Wants To Cut The ‘Political BS’ On Elections, Maps; Democrats Call BS On Him

— AP: PA High Court Eyes How To Pick Congressional Voting District Map

— Spotlight PA: PA Supreme Court Weighs What Makes A Fair Congressional Voting District Map

— WHYY: PA Supreme Court Justices Trying, Begrudgingly, To Pick New Congressional Voting Districts Map

— PA Cap-Star: PA Supreme Court Arguments In PA’s Congressional Voting Districts Map Begin Today

— PA Cap-Star Guest Essay: PA’s Congressional Voting District Process Failed Again, Courts Have To Step In – Fair Districts PA

— WITF: PA Supreme Court Set To Start Weighing New Congressional Voting Districts Map

— YorkD Guest Essay: A Fair Congressional Voting Districts Map Awaits Final Approval – House Republicans

— Governor’s Race

— Inquirer: Several Staffers Have Left Republican Sen. Corman’s Campaign For Governor

— ReadingE: Republican Gubernatorial Hopeful Sen. Corman Visits Berks County

— City & State PA: Barletta, Mastriano Lead In Early Republican Polls For Governor

— LancasterOnline: U.S. House Subpoena Of Republican Candidate For Governor Sen. Mastriano Could Boost His Campaign

— PennLive – John Baer: Republican Race For Governor A Hot Mess, And It’s Just Starting To Bubble

— PA Cap-Star: Democratic Group Files Campaign Finance Complaint Against Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Barletta-Linked PAC

— ScrantonT: Republican Candidate For Governor David White Portrayed Himself As The Blue-Collar Candidate

— MCall – Bill White: Will PA’s Government Go Full MAGA Next Year?

— City & State PA: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Dr. Nche Zama Promises To Unite PA

— Inquirer Pro/Con: Should PA Governors, Lt. Governors Run On Same Ticket?

— AP: Democrats Eye Key Governors’ Races As Backstop Against Republicans [Including PA]

— U.S. Senate Race

— City & State PA: Endorsements In PA’s U.S. Senate Race Keep Stacking Up

— WBTimes: Bartos Says Grassroots Campaign For Republican U.S. Senate Nomination Favors Him Over ‘Two Political Tourists’

— WESA: Republican U.S. Senate Contender McCormick Talks Crime, Immigration In Western PA

— Inquirer: The Very Different U.S. Senate Campaigns Of Fetterman, Lamb

— Inquirer: Conor Lamb (D) Campaigned With Indicted Union Official In Philadelphia

— ScrantonT: Casey Officially Neutral But Has Deep Ties To Lamb In U.S. Senate Race

— YorkD Editorial: Republican U.S. Senate Hopeful McCormick Fumbles With Super Bowl Ad

— May 2022 Election

— WHYY: Mail-In Ballot Applications Are Available For May Primary [Yes, You Can Still Request One]

— TribLive: Mail-In Ballot Applications Sent To Voters As Questions Remain Ahead Of May Primary

— AP: Republican Commonwealth Court Judge Issues Order Blocking Mail-In Voting For Primary Election; PA Supreme Court Reviewing Underlying Decision

— WITF: Tech Issue Could Hinder Some PA Voters From Applying For Mail-In Ballot, Here’s What To Do

— YorkDR: York County Commissioners Name New Elections Director; Democrats Say She Has No Elections Experience

— Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

— MCall – Ford Turner: Republican Sen. Argall Rip Wolf Administration For Skipping Election Reform Hearing; Counties Tell Of Pressing Need For Election Funds, More Time To Process Mail-In Ballots [Counties Have Been Asking For These For Years]

— ScrantonT Editorial: Republicans Responsible For Delays In Counting Ballots, Time To Listen To Local Experts

— PennLive – Charles Thompson: Progressive Activists Ask Wolf Administration To Bar Republicans Involved In Trying To Overturn The Nov. 2020 Election, Assault On U.S. Capitol From Primary Ballot

— PennLive Guest Essay: If You Participate In An Insurrection, You Can’t Hold Public Office – Mark Singel

— YorkDR: Republican Rep. Seth Grove Wants To Cut The ‘Political BS’ On Elections, Maps; Democrats Call BS On Him

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

— AP: U.S. House Subpoenas Republican Candidate For Governor Sen. Mastriano In Fake Republican Electors Scheme

— PA Cap-Star: U.S. House Subpoenas Republican Sen. Mastriano In Fake Electors Scheme

— YorkD: ‘Subpoena Was Long Overdue:’ For Republican Sen. Mastriano From U.S. House Committee Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol

— PA Cap-Star: Who In PA The U.S. House Committee Investigating The Assault On U.S. Capitol Wants To Hear From And Why

— PennLive – Charles Thompson: Progressive Activists Ask Wolf Administration To Bar Republicans Involved In Trying To Overturn The Nov. 2020 Election, Assault On U.S. Capitol From Primary Ballot

— PennLive Guest Essay: If You Participate In An Insurrection, You Can’t Hold Public Office – Mark Singel

— LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Man Sentenced To 2 Years’ Probation On Charges Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

— Inquirer: Montgomery County Man Sentenced To 2 Weeks In Prison On Charges Related To The Assault On U.S. Capitol

— State Constitutional Amendments

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

— PennLive Guest Essay: Republican Lawmakers Are Abusing The Constitutional Amendment Process – PA Common Cause

— TribLive Guest Essay: Constitutional Amendment On Liquor Privatization – A Glass Half Full Or Half Empty? – Bars & Taverns

— PennLive Guest Essay: Taverns, Restaurants Raise Questions On Proposed Republican Liquor Privatization Constitutional Amendment

— Harrisburg Potpourri

— WITF/AP: Democrats Fear Extinction In Rural PA And Across The Country

— AP: Fmr Rep. Davidson Fined All Of $150 Over Campaign Law Violations [Does That Seem Right To Anyone Else?]

— MCall – Paul Muschick: Talk About Getting Off Easy: A $150 Fine For A State Officials Who Ripped Off Taxpayers

— ScrantonT: Scranton Man Sent Email Threatening To Burn Down Wolf’s Home

— CourierT: PA Law Mandates Judges Retire At Age 75, Here’s How They Can Avoid It

— MCall – Ford Turner: Lawmakers Want State Approval Of Hospital Deals After 2 Chester County Hospital Closures

— AP: Dept. Of Aging Official Pressed Over Fate Of 3 Elderly Residents In Philadelphia

— PennLive Guest Essay: Legalizing Marijuana Could Compromise Public Health And Safety – Police Chiefs

— Gov. Wolf: Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman Departing; Mike Humphreys Named Acting

— WESA: New Doula Program Designed To Help Pregnant People In PA State Prisons

— PG Editorial: Lawmakers Have No Business Trading Stocks [On Inside Information]

— Budget 2022

— The Center Square: State Revenue Estimate Discrepancies Focus Of PA House Budget Hearing

— Independent Fiscal Office Budget Hearing Materials: Federal PA Pandemic Relief: $30.7 Billion Direct Aid To Businesses; $26.5 Billion Aid To State/Local Governments

— PA Gaming Board: January Gaming Revenue Up 26% Over Last Year To $393.1 Million

— The Center Square: Inflation, Workforce Issues Dominate PA House Budget Hearing

— Gov. Wolf Outlines $200 Million Plan To Make College Affordable

— AP: Wolf Renews High-Ed Scholarship Idea, Amid Worker Shortage

— PA Gaming Board: $68 Million In Wagers Placed On Super Bowl, 27% Increase Over Last Year

— PG: Pittsburgh’s Bridges On The Brink As Spans Decay With Little Help

— COVID Pandemic In PA

— Dept. Of Health Weekly Update On COVID Cases, Vaccinations, Hospitalizations

— MCall: PA COVID Hospitalizations Ahead Of Last Year’s Rate Despite Falling Case Numbers, 20,898 More Cases Last Week

— Inquirer: More Than 9,000 Pennsylvanians Died In COVID Omicron Surge

— WHYY: Philly Drops COVID Vaccine Mandate For Indoor Dining

— Inquirer: PA Hospitals See Dramatic Drops In COVID Patients

— TribLive: Allegheny County’s COVID Stats ‘Headed In A Favorable Direction

— Inquirer: Philly Offering $100 To Get COVID Vaccination, Now It Just Needs Willing Residents

— Penn State: Insights Into Why Gun Violence Increased In PA During COVID Pandemic 

— PG: Fmr. Acting PA Health Secretary Hired By UPMC

— COVID – Schools

— Reuters: School Boards Get Death Threats Amid Rage Over Race, Gender, Mask Policies  [PA Schools Featured]

— Spotlight PA: As COVID Surged, Few PA Schools Signed Up For Free COVID Testing

— Opioid Epidemic

 — Spotlight PA: U.S. Justice Dept. Finds PA Courts Discriminated Against People With Opioid Use Disorder

— PennLive: Lawmakers Grapple With Fatal Overdose Rate Jump, Addiction Crisis Worsened By COVID

School Funding/Administration

–Spotlight PA: IFO Report Suggests No Correlation Between Money Spent On Public Schools And Standardized Test Scores

— Inquirer: Final Republican Witness In PA School Funding Trial Disputes $4.6 Billion Spending Gap

— ScrantonT: Final Witness Expected To Testify Tuesday In School Funding Trial

— WHYY: From Pupil Counting to Plagiarism, PA’s School Funding Trial Takes Twists During Republican Defense Phase

— PG: Increased Investment In Schools Could Help Resolve Social-Emotional Issues, Says State Education Secretary

— Reuters: School Boards Get Death Threats Amid Rage Over Race, Gender, Mask Policies  [PA Schools Featured]

— TribLive: White Students ‘No Longer Members’ Of Winchester Thurston School In Pittsburgh After Video Mocking George Floyd

— CourierT: Embattled Bucks County School Official Refusing Calls To Resign Over Anti-LGBTQ Political Flyer

— PennLive: Middletown Schools To Require Students To Use Clear Backpacks After Gun Found In Middle School

— Inquirer: Chester County H.S. Shuts Doors For A Day After ‘Threatening Statements’ Made Over Masking

— ErieT: Erie School Board Gets First Black Woman President

— LancasterOnline Editorial: McCaskey H.S. Response To Investigation Of Name-Calling Incident During Basketball Game In Lebanon ‘Wonderful’

— ScrantonT Editorial: ‘Shallow Dive’ By Independent Fiscal Office On Funding-Student Score Relationship Should Not Drive Policy

— TribLive Editorial: Online Education An Important Part Of School Choice Discussion

— TribLive Editorial: Suicide Prevention Programs Need To Utilize, Support Students

— Gov. Wolf Outlines $200 Million Plan To Make College Affordable

— AP: Wolf Renews High-Ed Scholarship Idea, Amid Worker Shortage

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: PA Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program Draws Nearly 15,000 Applications

— PG: Penn State Trustee Panel Proposes 3.5% Boost In Room, Board Charges

— PennLive – Charles Thompson: Penn State Sets 3.5% Hike In Room, Meal Rates For 2022-23 School Year

— TribLive: Indiana U. Of PA Plans Tuition Break For In-State Undergrads

— WITF: Students Consider Careers In Machining As Alternative To Increasing Expensive College Degrees

— WHYY: University Of Pennsylvania Receives $125 Million Gift To Train Nurse Practitioners For Free

— PG: Slippery Rock University President Stepping Down, Cites Pandemic

— Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

— State Police Responds To Recommendations From State Law Enforcement Citizen Advisory Commission

— MCall – Ford Turner: State, Federal Estimates Of PA Overdose Deaths Are Far Apart, Shapiro Points To ‘Historic’ Shortage Of Police

— ABC27: Philly DA Blames Republicans For Spike In City Violence

— Sen. Corman Renews Call To Impeach Philly DA

— AP: Commonwealth Court Rules Against Philadelphia Lost-Gun Reporting Law

— Inquirer Guest Essay: 7 Moms Whose Kids Were Killed By Gun Violence Share What They’ve Lost

— Inquirer Guest Essay: ‘Please Take Pictures:’ Philadelphia Moms Who Lost Children To Gun Violence Don’t Want Us To Look Away

— PennLive: Middletown Schools To Require Students To Use Clear Backpacks After Gun Found In Middle School

— Inquirer: 12-Year-Old Is Charged With Murder In Beating Death Of 70-Year Old Man During Carjacking

— PennLive: Town Hall Offers Answers To Harrisburg Gun Violence That’s ‘Worse Than You Think’

— TribLive: Westmoreland Man Charged In Shooting Outside Bar Treated City Street ‘Like It Was The O.K. Corral’

— Penn State: Insights Into Why Gun Violence Increased In PA During COVID Pandemic 

– CitizensV Editorial: Remington Settlement Warning Shot For Insurers

— TribLive: Pittsburgh Activists, Officials Hope Legislation Will End ‘Systemic Racism’ In Traffic Stops

— MCall – Paul Muschick: Some PA Cops Can No Longer Stop Vehicles For Minor Infractions, What That’s A Problem

— LancasterOnline: Lancaster DA No Longer Using Civil Forfeiture Funds To Help Pay Drug Task Force Salaries

— PennLive Guest Essay: Legalizing Marijuana Could Compromise Public Health And Safety – Police Chiefs

— PA Economy

— Independent Fiscal Office Budget Hearing Materials: Federal PA Pandemic Relief: $30.7 Billion Direct Aid To Businesses; $26.5 Billion Aid To State/Local Governments

— MCall – Paul Muschick: They Reported Unemployment Fraud, They Never Got A Response, Then Came The Tax Forms

— MCall: State Unemployment Compensation, Other Systems To Go Down Temporarily Over The Weekend

— The Center Square: Inflation, Workforce Issues Dominate PA House Budget Hearing

— AG Shapiro Charges 5 Out-Of-State Residents For Defrauding PA’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program

— PA Cap-Star: New State Authority Meets To Tackle Broadband Expansion Across PA

— TribLive: What’s The Post-Pandemic Future Of Downtown Pittsburgh Development?

— WHYY: Philly Is Poised To Be First U.S. City To Run Its Own Bank

— Other

— WHYY/NPR: How To Prepare For Russian Cyberattack; Federal Cyber Security & Infrastructure Agency Issued A ‘Shields Up’ Warning To U.S. Companies

— Inquirer Editorial: Term Limits For Philly City Council Will Bring New Voices To Local Politics

— Inquirer: WHYY Lost At Least Half Its Journalists; Many Complain About Pay, Morale And Lack Of Innovation

–AP: Native American Tribal Leaders Want Ancestors Remains From Carlisle Indian School Cemetery Brought Back To Their Land

— LancasterOnline: March 1 Fasnacht Day – What’s A Fasnacht?  Historing, Meaning, Toppings

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