🌅 Greetings, Thursday

PA Weather
Kittanning | Sunny, 85
Sayre | Sunny, 88
Northampton | Sunny, 86

PA Sports
Pirates (7-5) | Houston 0-7 | Th-Sun vs. St. Louis
Phillies (4-8) | Miami 2-3 | Th-Sun vs. Cincinnati
Flyers (30-38-13) | THU vs. Chicago
Penguins (40-31-10) | THU vs. Columbus
Union | Atlas FC 2-2 | SAT vs. Chicago

What’s Happening Today
Appropriations Committee
Senate (930a: Dept. of Health, 1p: PennDOT)
House (10a: DCED, 1p: SERS & PSERS)
Democratic Policy Committee – House (12p)
Housing & Community Development – House (1230p)
Aging & Older Adult Services – House (1p)
Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities – House (230p)

What We’re Hearing
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) raised over $685,000 in the first quarter of 2023 and has more than $1.9 million in hand.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and Rep. David Zimmerman.

Sign Me Up
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Top Story

1. Mixed Signals For Commonwealth In F&M Poll

The latest poll from the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College indicates optimism for the new administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro, positive signs for the reelection campaign of Sen. Bob Casey Jr., and support for reproductive rights, but headwinds when discussing election integrity and the rise of crime, drugs, violence and guns in the Commonwealth. (PoliticsPA)

Related

F&M Poll Finds PA Voters Are Pessimistic About Their Finances; GOP Voters Favor Trump In 2024 Presidential Primary. “Two-in-five registered Republicans in Pennsylvania say they support former President Donald Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential primary, and if the next election were to feature a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, Trump again runs nearly even with the man who beat him two and a half years ago.” (LNP)

PA Voters Give Public Schools Poor Grades In New Poll. “According to a new poll, it appears all of those battles have impacted how the public sees its local schools. A Franklin & Marshall College poll released today shows that more than half of registered voters in Pennsylvania give the state’s public schools a grade of C or lower.” (Reading Eagle)

Poll: Casey Leads 2024 U.S. Senate Race Amid Voter Unease. “A new poll shows U.S. Sen. Bob Casey strongest so far among likely 2024 statewide election candidates, but voters remain generally dissatisfied with the state’s direction and their personal finances.” (Times-Tribune)

State

2. Kelly Joins 68 Congressional Republicans Backing Texas Abortion Pill Ruling

“Rep. Mike Kelly (R-16) has signed on with 68 other Republican members of Congress to back a federal judge’s ruling that would overturn the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.” (PoliticsPA)

• Texas Judge’s Abortion Pill Ruling Supported By 69 Republicans In Congress, Including One From PA. (PennLive)
• Shapiro Can’t Stockpile Abortion Drug After Federal Ruling. (6abc)

Related

Doug Mastriano, A Sure Bet … To Lose. “Pennsylvania should be one of America’s premier swing states. Long after helping to prove my own long and dearly held thesis about the Republican Party’s most likely path to an electoral majority correct in 2016 (albeit not in the way I’d have preferred), the state has remained a reliable bellwether of the GOP’s overall chances in the post-Obama era, reacting to “normal” Republican candidates in a way that tracks Republican fortunes nationally (and particularly in the Rust Belt).” (National Review)

Registration Deadlines Approaching For May 16 Primary. “Did you know we are less than a month away from the deadline to register to vote or apply to vote by mail in the municipal primary?” (PoliticsPA)

John Fetterman To Chair His First Subcommittee Meeting. “U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said in a tweet Wednesday that he will be chairing his first subcommittee hearing next week.” (PennLive)

Vocational Education Support Climbs The Legislative Priority List. “Boosting funding for career and technical education programs stands out among the governor’s budget priorities this year as legislative leaders signal joint support for the request.” (The Center Square)

Chip Component Plant To Get $300M Expansion In PA. “The electronics subsidiary of German multinational healthcare company Merck KGaA said Wednesday it will spend $300 million to expand its specialty gas production facility in eastern Pennsylvania in a step that state officials hope will help boost the area’s appeal to the fast-growing semiconductor industry.” (AP)

Supreme Court Showdown Over Sabbath Could Change Workplaces Across US. “Rain or shine. Sleet or snow. Just not on the Sabbath. Former U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Gerald Groff spent every day for seven years delivering the mail in a rural corner of southeast Pennsylvania — except for Sundays when he would attend worship services and rest.” (ABC News)

PA Not Just A Fossil Fuel State: 67 Examples Of Clean Energy. “Pennsylvania is historically known for oil, coal and natural gas. A statewide environmentalist organization is trying to change that image by highlighting examples of renewable and energy-efficient projects around the state — 67 of them, one in each county.” (LehighValleyLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. KDKA Investigates: SEIU Healthcare’s Influence Over Mayor Ed Gainey’s Administration

“Who’s running the city of Pittsburgh: Mayor Ed Gainey or SEIU Healthcare?” (CBS Pittsburgh)

Related

A Major Union Has Major Influence In Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s Office, Report Says. “A health care workers union has considerable sway over Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration after it helped elect him, according to a new report, including drafting Mr. Gainey’s talking points for an ongoing fight with UPMC — with which the union has long clashed.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

How To Bring Back Jobs To Allegheny County? Candidates For Executive Float Their Pitches At RMU. “While the hourlong exchange at Robert Morris University saw few jabs from the five Democrats and one Republican, their pitches for reversing the county’s job losses varied widely, from encouraging immigration to improving access to child care.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Doven Goes On Offense Over Hallam’s Past In County Council Race. “The race for Allegheny County Council’s at-large Democratic seat took an ugly turn on Wednesday morning, when challenger Joanna Doven accused first-term incumbent Bethany Hallam of selling heroin prior to taking office — an accusation that Hallam rejected and that one criminal defense attorney who frequently handles drug cases called a “horrible” attack.” (WESA)

• Joanna Doven Says Rival Bethany Hallam Used To Be A Drug Dealer – And Acts Like One On City Council. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Ballot Curing Fails At Lancaster County Elections Board. “Former Lancaster County solicitor Christina Hausner voted against a plan put forth by Democratic Commissioner John Trescot to publish a list of voters whose mail-in ballots contained clerical mistakes to notify those voters that their ballots are in danger of not being counted.” (LNP)

How Jeff Brown’s Three Bad Days Could Shape The Philly Mayor’s Race. “The businessman running for Philadelphia mayor on a pitch that he’s different from the rest of the politicians in the race has for months been seen as a top contender. But he’s had a tough week, with a comment about trash going viral just a day after an ethics probe dominated the news.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Rebecca Rhynhart Is Promising To Make Government Work. Does Philadelphia Want A Technocrat In A Time Of Crisis? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• The Mayoral Debate Recap. (Al Dia News)
• Takeaways From Philly’s Mayoral Debate. (PoliticsPA)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• Cybercharters, Tough Budgets Plague PA Schools. (Rep. Izzy Smith-Wade-El)
• Abortion Pill Ruling Puts Politics Ahead Of Medical Evidence. (Jennifer Smith)
• Dark Money, Jeff Brown, And The Perils Of Anonymous Political Donors. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Oh, Pennsylvania, What Are You Thinking? (John Baer)
• State Policy Penalizes Working Class. (Citizens Voice)
• A Mayoral Agenda For Older Philadelphians. (Bill Johnston-Walsh)
• Philly Needs New Voices Against The Machine. (Sam Oropeza)
• Figure Out The Source For State Police Fund Money First. (Tribune-Review)
• Once Again, Mastriano Seeking To Play His Favorite Role Of Spoiler. (Doug Weidman)
• PA Needs Tax Relief – And Cutting Spending Is Pivotal To That. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)

1 Thing

5. ‘Ateball,’ ‘Bosbich,’ And More Rejected PA Vanity Plates

“Over at PennDOT, it’s somebody’s job to sift through the thousands of vanity license plate applications annually to weed out the bad seeds. Each submission must comply with a set of rules put in place to ensure they don’t offend, confuse or copy other drivers. Motorists can make up any combination of up to seven letters and/or numbers to make their tags stand out on highways and byways.

The agency recently issued a “Do Not Issue” list of unacceptable configurations – and the list is long – and lewd.” (City & State)

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