Welcome back to work – hope you had a good, relaxing Fourth of July weekend – thanks to those who served.

State Sen. Jake Corman will not run for U.S. Senate. The Approps chiarman dropped that little egg on Friday afternoon. He was the highest-ranking elected Republican still being discussed as a possible candidate (after the state’s GOP congressional delegation took a pass), and a talented fundraiser. His departure from the race will have GOP recruiters scratching their heads.

And analysis continues now that the budget is set in stone. Capitol Ideas has the winners and losers of the budget fight (spoiler: Tom Corbett won). Peter Jackson of the AP analyzes just how much of the Gov’s first term agenda was accomplished last week. The Inquirer profiles PA House Parliamentarian Clancy Myer, who played an important role in getting the budget on time. And the Tribune Review looks at which legislative items are waiting for the fall.

PoliticsPA Reports

State Sen. Corman Not Running For U.S. Senate
State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in 2012, he told Adam Smeltz of StateCollege.com on Friday.

DCCC Automated Messages Attack Gerlach, Meehan on Social Security
July may not be election season, but that isn’t stopping The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) from sending automated phone messages to thousands of Pennsylvanians.

Mitt On The Road: Allentown
Today, Allentown’s mayor Ed Pawlowski is urging Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to hit the road, in response to his campaign’s most recent web video released, “Mitt on the Road: Allentown, PA”.

National
New York Times: Early moves in Pennsylvania
Politico: Paying attention to Mitt
Politico: Obama’s deadline dollar dash
Real Clear Politics: At closed Pa. factory, Romney assails Obama’s policy “failure”
Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Rendell says PA ‘absolutely up for grabs’

Statewide
Tribune-Review: Why Vouchers Failed
Capitol Ideas: The Winners and Losers of the Budget Fight
Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Liquor stores, vouchers, drilling fees to top fall agenda
AP, via Pottstown Mercury: Corbett achieves much of first-year agenda
Pottstown Mercury: Property tax reform final piece of state budget
Pittsburgh Post Gazette: DeWeese loses bid to change trial location
Daily Times: School tax bill stalls Pa. budget
Daily Times: Pa. man believes he has rare copy of Declaration on Independence
Montgomery Media: School districts react to Pa. budget cuts

Philly
Philadelphia Weekly: With Corbett’s Budget Comes Center City Protest
Philadelphia Weekly: PW Stalks Obama in Philly
Philadelphia Weekly: Philly Will  Take Another Hit If The Federal Debt Ceiling Isn’t Raised
Philly.com: Schools Crunch, Other Demands Fueled City Tax Hike
Philly.com: Last Gulp For Lobbyists Before Openness Rules?
Philly.com: Tentative Deal Reached On Family Court Electrical Work
Fox: Four Philadelphia City Council Members Taking Raises
WHYY Newsworks: Federal Cuts Means Fewer Summer Jobs For Philly Kids
CBS: Pennsylvania House Democrats From Bucks and Allegheny Counties Challenge Republicans Over Welfare Reform
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. Voters Get More Say On School Budgets

Philly Suburbs
Inquirer: Small town mayor who’s big on the fourth
Times Herald: ANALYSIS: Was Castle Doctrine expansion necessary?
Bucks Local News: State Senate passes bill to name section of U.S. Route 1 in memory of fallen Middletown officer
Bucks Local News: Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick promotes local land conservation bill at meeting in Doylestown
Bucks Local  News: State lawmakers approve $27.15B budget; local representatives cast differing votes
Bucks Local News: Santarsiero votes no on voter identification bill
Bucks Local News: Bucks County Commissioners reiterate commitment to green infrastructure, land preservation

Pittsburgh
Early Returns: Onorato Taps New Spokesperson
Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Bill would keep identities of callers to 911 under wraps

Southwest
Altoona Mirror: Protect Medicare
Altoona Mirror: Union wants fed aid for W. Pa. Reynolds workers
Altoona Mirror: Pa. universities’ board to vote on 2011-12 tuition
Tribune-Review: Corbett succeeds on fiscal priorities
Tribune-Review: New Castle Doctrine law lauded
Tribune-Review: Forum to support VA chief
Tribune-Review: Corbett signs Pa. budget ahead of deadline
Tribune-Review: Frazier passes balanced budget

Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: Program to save mortgages defunded
Morning call: Lehigh Valley’s housing vacancy rate among nation’s lowest
Express Times: Kazoos lead the way in Nazareth’s Fourth of July parade

South Central
York Daily Record: Postal service asks Platts for help
York Daily Record: Local lawmaker’s legislation at heart of last-minute budget deadlock

NEPA
Wayne Independent: Gergely applauds Game Commission support for Sunday Hunting
Citizens Voice: Toomey the wealthiest among local reps
Citizens Voice:  Ex-Lackawanna Commissioner Cordaro to forfeit $355,000
Citizens Voice: State budget cuts may affect natural gas drilling regulations
Standard Speaker: HCA speeds up applications for state grants, loans
Standard Speaker: Home-rule transition committee to recommend ethics, personnel codes
Daily Review: State, local officials gather to re-name public alley for area businessman
Daily Review: Speaker of a divided house Grow presided over the House during Civil War.

North by Northwest
Statecollege: Spanier: Scores of Penn State Job Losses Projected from Funding Cut
Erie Times-News: Fairview group seeks change in government
Courier Express: Money awarded for development of trail
Tri-County Sunday: New conservation exec: Be cautious with Marcellus drilling
Sun Gazette: Legislative Tally

Opinions
Doug Pike, Pottstown Mercury: Reform Medicare without reducing benefits for seniors
WHYY Newsworks, National Interest Blog: Of Denzel, Fireworks, Layoffs and Lockouts
Reading Eagle editorial: John Forester: State budget on time, but at what cost
Reading Eagle editorial: Wagner, residents rights: Use funds for intended purchases
Express Times opinion: No extraction tax in PA budget? Fine, just give us free natural gas
Philadelphia Weekly: Redistricting the 7th: How Will Latinos Fare?
Press Action blog: The Great Natural Gas Export Swindle
Daily Times: If you love America, get thee to the polls
Daily Times: Every Pa. resident will pay for 2011-12 budget
Keystone Politics: Dent’s constituents confront him on giveaways to the rich