Pennsylvania in Focus

Announcing a manufacturing expansion in Beaver County, Gov. Josh Shapiro argued for his model of economic growth and made a call for compromise to pass the state budget. The governor came to Aliquippa to celebrate a $40 million investment by Versatex, a building materials supplier, to build a 97,000-square-foot facility — doubling its manufacturing capacity and creating 80 new jobs. On top of the...

Both legislative chambers left town this week after advancing sweeping educational reforms likely to wind up – in some form – woven into the state budget due June 30. While the plans don’t necessarily clash, Senate and House leaders do. The ideological strife will boil down to the estimated return on investment. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4...

A bill altering the state’s public school funding formula passed the lower chamber Monday, spawning both fanfare and consternation among lawmakers. While supporters call the plan a victory for students held back by economic disparities, critics point out that 64 of the bill’s 87 pages focus on cutting financial support and tightening regulations for charter schools to save money. Dr. Anne Clark, C...

More than 50 religious leaders sent an open letter on Tuesday to Gov. Josh Shapiro asking him to support school choice and educational freedom. Black Pastors United for Education, the nonprofit group, urged Shapiro to “make education a non-partisan issue, boldly dismiss the politics that prevent progress, and comprehensively fund and secure educational freedom and opportunity.” The open letter com...

When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness. So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic...

After months of criticism, House legislators grilled leaders of the Pennsylvania Game Commission over the independent agency’s internal processes, stewardship of its assets, and whether improvement has been made since an audit revealed a litany of issues in 2019. The Game Commission has faced weeks of criticism since former Executive Director Bryan Burhans resigned after his business relationships...

The number of Pennsylvanians receiving food stamps and Medicaid has ballooned compared to a generation ago. Some experts warn the result is a welfare system vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse — some of it “by design.” The responsibility has grown over time. In 2000, Pennsylvania had 760,000 residents getting food stamps. Now, almost 2 million receive them. Growth in Medicaid has been similar: T...

Artificially generated impersonations of political candidates may soon violate state law. Bills pending in both chambers of the Legislature would leave campaigns liable in civil court for unauthorized media content that negatively influences an election. Creators that disseminate deep fakes within 90 days of an election could be fined as much as $250,000 if caught impersonating presidential or con...

Though some politicians treat recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania as an inevitability, others remain skeptical. They warn that the social costs of drug use don’t disappear – and a legalized industry brings problems of its own. Still, elected officials consider reforms even if they oppose legalization. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Waynesboro, has been an opponent of recreational use, but has  proposed a...

Pushing a dramatic funding expansion, Gov. Josh Shapiro embarked on a family RV trip on Monday to promote Pennsylvania’s new tourism brand. Speaking at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders baseball stadium in Moosic, the governor argued his $18 million proposed budget increase for tourism would help sell Pennsylvania as “The Great American Getaway.” The tourism push features a new video that highl...

Health care deserts are growing larger in Pennsylvania. The problems can range from workforce shortages, consolidations and higher costs for urban and rural Pennsylvania alike. Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, argued that a lack of health care centers means that residents face higher hospitalization rates that were otherwise preventable. Pennsylvania also struggles to provide comprehensive maternal c...

Pennsylvania may ban non-compete agreements for health care workers, ridding the commonwealth of most restrictions on where doctors and nurses can work. The legislation passed the House in May and awaits action in the Senate. House Bill 1633 , sponsored by Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, would make non-competes void and unenforceable for anyone authorized to practice in health care.  Full story: h...

A plan that cuts taxes in Pennsylvania by $13 billion over the next five years cleared the state Senate on Tuesday. The proposal repeals a 2004 personal income tax raise and eliminates the gross receipts tax charge on electricity bills. It also makes a $6 million annual recurring transfer to the Alternative Fuels Incentive Fund and creates a $500 tax credit for volunteer paramedics. Republican lea...

As Philadelphia and Pittsburgh see a drop in murders, public safety and crime remain high priorities across the state. To make communities safer, legislators want to figure out best practices for punishing crime and deploying policing. The House Judiciary Committee met on Wednesday and heard from testifiers that deterring crime comes down to the certainty of punishment, not the severity. Full stor...

A plan for school vouchers in Pennsylvania emerged from hibernation on Tuesday. The legislation remains a top priority among Republican leaders in the Senate and a thorn in the side of Democratic leaders in the House. Between them, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro keeps one foot in each camp – billing himself as a supporter of school vouchers, and of the Senate’s plan, but not the ultimate closer on a...

Pennsylvania's declining working age population foreshadows trouble ahead. Legislative Republicans, however, say they've developed a package of education bills to keep the state’s youth within its borders and boost the economy. The program, called  GrowPA,   was announced earlier this month as a way to deal with workforce shortages, high college costs and the struggle of lagging behind other state...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has a new leader after its top official resigned due to moonlighting as a wellness coach — and engaging in a “business relationship” with several commission workers. Bryan Burhans, PGC executive director, stepped down on Monday after the Board of Game Commissioners raised concerns unrelated to his leadership capabilities. Foradora, who is also the board president,...

Legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania has held legislative attention in recent years, but some problems still pester users in the medical marijuana program. Some clarity may soon come for the legal tensions between Second Amendment rights and state-approved marijuana use. Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, is proposing  Senate Bill 1146  to clarify that Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearm Act does...

Pennsylvania’s primary night lacked surprises as the presidential nominees were already locked in and few problems cropped up at the polls. Democrats cast their ballot for Joe Biden with 93% support and Republicans followed Donald Trump with 83% support according to early results. As the commonwealth prepares for a U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican nominee Dave McCorm...

Philadelphia Democratic state Rep. Kevin Boyle remains unaccounted for on Wednesday, according to a statement from his family circulating on social media. Boyle’s brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle – who represents Pennsylvania’s second congressional district – said in a statement shared by multiple media outlets on X that Kevin lives with “a serious mental health condition” that became symptomatic...

On the heels of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s green energy proposals for a state cap and trade program, House Democrats offered a dozen bills that couple economic growth with environmental protection. The legislative agenda includes 11 proposals focused on energy production, conservation, consumer energy costs, public transit funding, and efficiency standards for appliances, among other topics....

Norfolk Southern reached a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed after a toxic train derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The deal, announced Tuesday, resolves all claims within a 20-mile radius of the accident in East Palestine, Ohio, that unfolded in February 2023. It is pending federal court approval. The Center Square reached out to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office for com...

A proposed $100 million settlement in the Northern Tier to offer service upgrades and consumer refunds for low-quality phone and internet service may soon move forward. A panel of administrative judges recommended that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission accept the settlement, avoiding litigation and compelling Frontier to invest in its rural infrastructure. The $100 million settlement shou...

As the public awaits more details of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s higher education reform plans, Republican legislators offer some ideas of their own. During a Wednesday press conference, a gaggle of House and Senate leaders pushed for the creation of a grant program that offers scholarships to students who commit to stay in Pennsylvania. They also want to launch a similar deal for out-of-state students to...

Japanese-owned Nippon Steel says that the company’s longtime presence in the United States makes it an ideal partner to help grow the industry domestically. The comment comes after the White House and former President Donald Trump criticized the company’s $14.9 billion plan to acquire U.S. Steel, headquartered in Pittsburgh. President Joe Biden, although opposed, has made no promises to block the...