Pennsylvania in Focus

(The Center Square) – Students across 18 public schools in Pennsylvania failed proficiency tests for math and reading. That is, not even 1% of children hit the benchmark. This reality is widening support for school choices beyond assigned districts, as has happened in some form across 34 states. Sen. Judy Ward, R-Hollidaysburg, and Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, say the commonwealth’s resi...

(The Center Square) – A 173-page bill that regulates adult-use cannabis in the commonwealth went from introduction to committee approval in less than 24 hours. While Democrats laud the proposal as long overdue and the best amalgamation of many state models, Republicans argue the process was fast-tracked, secretive and potentially dangerous. Critics argued that’s not true. Without comment from law...

(The Center Square) - Recruitment and retention were primary challenges for Berkeley Hills Fire Company in Allegheny County. It’s one of the thousands of volunteer fire departments that make up the majority of the state’s network of first responders. It’s not an easy job, and finding those with the time, flexibility, and interest to do it has become increasingly difficult. Some say it’s a shift in...

(The Center Square) – A recent poll suggests that support for school choice doesn’t hinge on any political affiliation, age, ethnicity, region or 2024 presidential vote. Rather, across all demographics, as many as two-thirds of respondents support the concept of educational scholarships that offer state funding directly to families to fund private school tuition. Support for the policy reached as...

(The Center Square) - Dozens of organizations across Pennsylvania have taken advantage of tax credits and rebates provided by the federal infrastructure bill to fund projects that support renewable energy and climate resiliency. PennEnvironment and Evergreen Collaborative, both environmental organizations who operate in the commonwealth, have created an interactive map to see which companies have...

(The Center Square) – Expanded tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for 24.3 million Americans face expiration at the end of 2025, leaving many in the field fearful about the future of medicine for the working class. In Pennsylvania, that means premiums for 500,000 residents enrolled through Pennie — the state’s health insurance marketplace — could nearly double. As enrollment drops, pri...

(The Center Square) – As the number of independent voters grows, there is broad bipartisan support among Pennsylvania voters for allowing the state’s 1.4 million independents to participate in primary elections, says a new poll. Pennsylvania is one of only 14 states with closed party primaries. Implementing open or semi-open primaries would require changes to state election law, an issue currently...

(The Center Square) – Government unions leverage payroll deductions to funnel money to almost exclusively Democratic candidates, according to a new report in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative policy group based in Harrisburg, said government unions spent $33 million in 2023 and 2024 supporting political action committees and other causes, of which just 5.2% backed candidate...

(The Center Square) - Policymakers spoke in no uncertain terms at a hearing in Pittsburgh on Tuesday: both rural and urban regions will suffer if the legislature doesn’t come up with funding solutions for mass transit. The last long-term dedicated funding measure, Act 89, was passed in 2013 and has since expired. Since then, the governor and legislature have battled over short-term solutions for t...

(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro provided an update on investigations into the arson that occurred at his Harrisburg residence over the weekend. His update comes after details about the case, and with them about the alleged attacker Cody Balmer, have come to light - including that he was struggling with acute mental illness. A potential motive for the crime was mentioned in a search warrant...

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania politics cast a stunning juxtaposition this weekend. On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, a conservative political celebration for state Republicans, began its three-day run while stocks plummeted following the president’s announcement of new tariffs. Meanwhile, Democratic senators Vincent Hughes and Art Haywood of Philadelphia marked 57 years sin...

(The Center Square) – The debate over whether children should undergo gender transition treatments has grown in fervor since Election Day, though a pending bill to ban the procedures in Pennsylvania has not. The Senate Majority Policy Committee, filled entirely with Republicans from the upper chamber, will center the issue at a hearing in Altoona next week. Parents, medical professionals, and detr...

(The Center Square) - The Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association joined legislators at the capitol to speak out against the proposed closures of State Correctional Institute Rockview in Centre County and nearby Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County. Their stated concerns are many. The two facilities are major employers in the rural central area of the state, and residents are worrie...

(The Center Square) - Invoking the state and national history of immigration, beginning with the welcome offered by William Penn, some Pennsylvania elected officials want to pass new laws that counter the federal government’s recent deportation efforts. The PA Welcoming Caucus held a press conference skewering the Trump administration’s immigration policies, of which Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelph...

(The Center Square) – Democrats in Pennsylvania flipped a reliably red seat in the state Senate on Tuesday by less than 500 votes. East Petersburg Mayor James Malone’s victory over Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons surprised all. In November, President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick won the region by wide margins. Malone will replace former Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lititz...

(The Center Square) - The facts and figures around rural healthcare in Pennsylvania are grave. That’s why it was unsurprising to hear Gov. Josh Shapiro say in a press conference on rural healthcare that Sullivan County, home to just under 6,000 people and falling, did not have a single physician. Dr. Sam Schrack operates the Laporte Health Center where he’s been for three years. “I’ll be in office...

(The Center Square) - House Democrats are once again making the attempt to turn 2021 recommendations from the bipartisan, bicameral Juvenile Justice Task Force into legislative action. Last year, they were successful in passing laws derived from just two of the task force’s 35 recommendations. According to Rep. Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, when broken down into action items the recommendations are m...

(The Center Square) - As Pennsylvania grapples with ways to better care for and rehabilitate the tens of thousands of people held in its prison system, a sweeping report shows the nation at a crossroads and taxpayers holding a $182 billion price tag for incarceration. The Prison Policy Initiative, or PPI, is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for criminal justice reform. In its recent view...

(The Center Square) – The Trump administration froze $175 million in federal funds to the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, citing its promised crackdown on institutions that support athlete policies permitting men in women's sports. The president’s rapid response team confirmed the move on X, saying “promises made, promises kept” – an oft-repeated refrain meant to connect the administratio...

(The Center Square) - Chester-Crozer Hospital is the nearest emergency department for thousands of residents, many of whom do not have private transportation. When news broke that it may soon be closing, it shed light on the role of private equity in Pennsylvania’s health care system. For now, doors are staying open thanks to funding from the Foundation for Delaware County, but a new buyer must be...

(The Center Square) - Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, signaled an appetite for additional cyber charter reforms this week. At least so it appears, according to an op-ed the No. 2-ranking Republican wrote detailing progress that’s been made and work still to be done. It's also significant given long-standing disagreements on how tuition for cyber charter schools should be calculated....

(The Center Square) – The Shapiro administration’s handling of a sexual misconduct complaint against a cabinet member, and one reporter’s request to know more about the investigation behind it, may cost taxpayers a lot of money. In a court transcript obtained by The Center Square, an attorney representing the Office of the Governor says the state deleted internal emails sent and received over an e...

(The Center Square) - Over 2 million Pennsylvanians receive funds from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Monthly, this brings about 367 million in federal dollars to the state. In budget hearings before the House Appropriations Committee, legislators sought to better understand who that money benefits, how it’s being used, and how it can be abused. According to Depart...

(The Center Square) - The quality of life afforded the state’s prisoners is a perennial concern for families, human rights advocates and workers within the judicial system, including the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections itself. For the nearly 40,000 incarcerated Pennsylvanians, new approaches to corrections could make a big difference in their experience. For some, they already are. A progra...

(The Center Square) — Pennsylvania will need to spend $2 billion over the next five years to cover its expanded Medicaid program. And while lawmakers are worried about finding the money to foot the bill, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services insists that doing so will lower costs in the long run. Senate Republicans are not yet convinced and hope the new Trump administration will agree to r...