Pennsylvania in Focus

Less burdensome regulation has led to economic growth in some states, but Pennsylvania trails far behind. As the commonwealth slips in population and job growth, one report argues that its red-tape-laden system will create more problems in the future. Nationally, Pennsylvania is the 14th-most regulated state, according to an analysis by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University.  Support this...

A federal report warns that SEPTA’s contract with a state-owned Chinese company lacked proper oversight and may not have met federal guidelines for Buy America requirements. However, much of the problem came from vague guidance from the federal government itself. The contract, a $138-million deal with the China Railway Rolling Stock MA Corporation, or CRRC, would have delivered 45 passenger railca...

A new report from the Pennsylvania State Police found no statistically significant racial or ethnic disparities during traffic stops in 2023. The data, analyzed by researchers from the University of Cincinnati, shows troopers pulled over white, Black and Hispanic drivers at the same rate. The odds of receiving a warning or citation or being arrested were “statistically insignificant,” said Dr. Rob...

Sufficient aid, including health care funding, to Pennsylvanians is being asked of Norfolk Southern in a settlement request of the U.S. Department of Justice, says state Attorney General Michelle Henry. Along with Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Justice Department was given the response when it requested input on a proposed settlement with the train company related to the February 2023 derailment in East P...

Twelve casinos filed a lawsuit last week demanding that unregulated skill game operators pay the same 54% tax rate applied to slot machines. While the industry claims this would make the levy constitutionally fair, critics argue it's another tactic meant to squash their competition. The turf war between Pennsylvania’s 17 casinos and roughly 67,000 unregulated skill game terminals in social clubs,...

Vice President Kamala Harris held a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night in her first official appearance with her new running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Harris said that she has found in Walz a “fighter” and a “patriot.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was also considered for the role, but that didn’t stop him from making an appearance on stage to stump for Harris and Walz. Shapir...

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared in Pennsylvania for the first time since an attempted assassination in Butler on July 13. He took the stage in a packed auditorium in Harrisburg, where he chided Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, for shifting her public image and relying on celebrities to draw crowds to her rallies. Trump’s comments come 10 days af...

Another year, another budget plan adopted in Pennsylvania. Despite a $3 billion increase in spending – including record investment in struggling school districts – some parents say they’re disappointed that "lifeline scholarships" were overlooked, again. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: htt...

The tax increase on cell phones to support Pennsylvania’s 911 system is on track to hit its expected revenues. The tax, passed in 2023 to raise the monthly surcharge from $1.65 to $1.95, brought in more than $97 million in the second quarter of 2024, a $5 million haul above initial estimates. The money supports 61 911 call centers across the commonwealth. Support this podcast:  https://secure.aned...

 Pennsylvania has a mine pollution problem. America has a critical mineral shortage. And both problems may get solved as researchers find these critical and strategic elements in the polluted waters that come from acid mine drainage. If all goes well, Pennsylvania could become a leader in boosting national security — while potentially creating billions of dollars in value from environmental hazard...

Two of Pennsylvania’s congressional lawmakers probed U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle on Monday about the agency’s communications minutes before a gunman opened fire at a July 13 campaign rally, nearly killing former president Donald Trump. Like most members of the House Oversight Committee, however, they were left with more questions than answers. Such as why the agents assigned to protec...

Rumors swirled Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris may select Pennsylvania’s governor as her running mate. The news comes as Gov. Josh Shapiro himself encouraged Pennsylvania Democrats to unite behind her, just hours after President Joe Biden stepped down from his campaign. "I’ve known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades – we’ve both been prosecutors, we’ve both stood up for the rule of law,...

State agencies own vast amounts of rural lands, which limits the tax base for small communities and townships. With the new state budget, those local governments will see more payments to balance out fiscal limitations. The extra funding, a $1.80 increase, comes from slot machine revenues, and state agencies will pay $9 per acre for their land to municipal and county governments, and school distri...

A veteran delegate from Pennsylvania believes former President Donald Trump could win the state again come November – bigly. “I have believed even before the debate debacle, even before the shooting, Trump would probably win Pennsylvania and would win it handily,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican strategist, during an interview with The Center Square from the Republican National Convention in Milw...

A bloody former President Donald Trump shook his fist into the air to show his supporters he was only wounded in an attempted assassination targeting him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service, but authorities provided only limited details late Saturday night. The Republican candidate for president this November was speaking at a campaign rally...

 As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, American democracy suffers from a lack of trust and imagination. So declared NPR CEO and president Katherine Maher during a TED event on the future of modern American democracy at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on Tuesday. The event is the first in a series of “fireside chats” announced in May by Visit Philly and TED to, as G...

 A fight between Chester County and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources over a state park continued Tuesday — with state legislators forming a firing line. At issue is the future of Big Elk Creek State Park, a years-long controversy where DCNR created the park in 2022 for “low-impact recreation” but later announced plans to build campsites and RV facilities. After a public outcry,...

Legislation that partly dismantles "squatters rights" in Pennsylvania will head to the governor’s desk after a brief stumbling block. Under the soon-to-be law, squatters could face a defiant trespass charge if they don’t vacate a property after being told to do so by the owner. Doing so safeguards homes and investments quickly and effectively without wading through needless red tape, said prime sp...

As Pennsylvania starts another fiscal year with a late budget, the public wants more decisive leadership from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Almost three-quarters of registered Pennsylvanian voters want Shapiro to “play a more active role in brokering a bipartisan deal to keep the state budget on track,” according to a new poll from the Commonwealth Foundation. Democratic voters wanted more action from Shapir...

A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition. The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. Support this podcast: h...

Three days ahead of schedule, Pennsylvania Senate leadership confirmed the state’s annual spending plan will be turned in late. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Thursday before adjourning session that the upper chamber would not return to Harrisburg until Monday – one day after the budget is due on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. He struck an optimistic tone that negotiations had come...

 Insurance coverage for telemedicine will soon be the rule, not the exception, in Pennsylvania. A bill headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk requires insurers, both public and private, to cover services rendered virtually. Doing so, supporters say, means more people can access healthcare – even if they live hours from the nearest hospital, can’t drive to a doctor’s office or find child care. Senate B...

Regulatory framework for a carbon capture and storage network in Pennsylvania slid through a House committee on Tuesday without discussion or objection. The Senate-authored legislation would also act as a guidepost for two hydrogen hubs under development within the state in the coming decade as part of the Biden administration’s broader energy transition plan. The idea is to store future emissions...

 Pennsylvania legislators pushing a bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana warn that, without action, neighboring states will supply the drug — and carry away the tax revenue. Reps. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, and Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, will soon introduce their legalization bill, written to closely overlap with a Senate proposal. They want to move fast. Support this podcast: https://...

Getting away from fossil fuels due to concerns about climate change has been a rallying cry for creating hydrogen hubs in Pennsylvania. But how to do it — and whether it’s possible — are open questions. “The concern with hydrogen production is it can be done the wrong way, which could serve to perpetuate fossil fuel use,” said Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Havertown, during a House Environmental Resources a...