🎉 Friday. It’s Friday.

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Center Valley | Mostly Sunny, 86

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Pirates (8-5) | St. Louis 5-0 | F-SU vs. St. Louis
Phillies (4-9) | Cincinnati 2-6 | F-SU vs. Cincinnati
76ers | SAT vs. Brooklyn
Union | SAT vs. Chicago
Flyers (31-38-13) | Chicago 5-4 (OT)
Penguins (40-32-10) | Columbus 2-3 (OT)

What’s Happening Today
Appropriations Committee
Senate (930a: Gov. Budget Office)
House (10a: PUC, 1p: GBO)
Democratic Policy Committee (1p)

What We’re Hearing
“While almost all other state legislatures in the country have already wrapped up and gone home, Pennsylvania has not even gotten started. What a colossal waste of both time and money.” – Rep. Paul Schemel

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Donna Oberlander (Sat.) and Rep. Mindy Fee (Sun.)

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Top Story

1. Focus Group: PA Swing Voters Detest MAGA And Abortion Overreach

“Some Pennsylvania swing voters who identify as “pro-life” are still firmly against banning the common abortion drug mifepristone — and view it as the latest example of GOP extremism and overreach, according to our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups.

Republicans are caught in an abortion problem of their own making. They’ve so far failed to unite the party around a single proposal, and aggressive steps by conservative courts and states are further turning former GOP voters away from the right.” (Axios)

Related

Republicans Look To Stave Off Chaotic Primaries In Senate Races. “This week, Republican officials in Arizona secretly gathered potential candidates for the state’s 2024 Senate race to deliver an urgent message: Play nice. Republicans are concerned about potentially divisive GOP primaries in Pennsylvania, Arizona, West Virginia, Ohio and Montana.” (Washington Post)

Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose The Deal. “The transaction is the first known instance of money flowing from Crow to the Supreme Court justice. The sale netted the GOP megadonor two vacant lots and the house where Thomas’ mother was living.” (ProPublica)

State

2. Ready To Run: Fitzpatrick Raises Over $685,000 In Q1

Preparing the war chest for his 2024 congressional run, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01) will be reporting that his campaign raised over $685,000 in the first quarter of this year.

The Bucks County Republican has amassed more than $1.9 million as of March 31. The $685,000 quarterly figure dwarfs the totals that his campaign reported in each of the quarters during the 2022 campaign. (PoliticsPA)

Related

Shapiro, Murphy Announce Joint Task Force To ‘Strengthen Labor Law Enforcement.’ “New Jersey and Pennsylvania Governors Phil Murphy and Josh Shapiro announced the states would join forces to strengthen labor law enforcement in the neighboring states. The Democrats unveiled a new interstate task force to tackle wage theft and worker misclassification.” (WHYY)

Supreme Court Candidates With Party Backing Show Fundraising Advantage. “The candidates running for an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court are getting campaign money from wealthy donors, their own bank accounts, construction trade unions, and in one case, from failed 2022 GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.” (Spotlight PA)

A ‘Very Serious Conversation:’ PA House Panel Hears Fixes On Maternal Mortality Crisis. “Pennsylvania faces a mortality crisis among women and birthing people of color, healthcare experts told a legislative panel on Thursday, as they offered ideas about how to fix it.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Republican Again Proposes Taxing Skill Games, Calling Them Part ‘Of The Small Business Economy.’ “They’ve made their way into bars, restaurants, clubs, and convenience stores. But skill games have generated controversy for years.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Full Mouth Of Teeth Called ‘Luxury Bones’ For Poor And Rural Residents Of PA. “In Pennsylvania, some people who need a root canal have to settle for a pulled tooth — a choice a state lawmaker calls “horrifying.” It’s not for lack of dental coverage. It’s because the person is covered by Medicaid, which pays for root canals only in extreme cases.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. How Did Philly Candidates Fare At Latino Mayoral Forum?

photo by Nigel Thompson

“On Monday, April 10, one day after the only Latino Philly mayoral candidate dropped out of the race, eight of the remaining nine Democrats and the lone Republican vying for the city’s top leadership post packed into the Esperanza Arts Center in North Philly to speak to the city’s Latino community.” (Al Dia News)

Related

Clarke Endorses Mayoral Candidate Cherelle Parker, Who Was Part Of His Leadership Team. “This year’s Philadelphia mayor’s race at one point included six candidates who were members of City Council last year, giving Council President Darrell L. Clarke plenty of options as he weighed his endorsement.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Derek Green Suspends Run For Philly Mayor. “Derek Green, a former prosecutor and two-term City Council member, has suspended his campaign for Mayor of Philadelphia.” (PoliticsPA)

• Former Councilmember Green Drops Out Of Mayor’s Race. (Philadelphia Tribune)

Philly Republicans, Facing A Potential City Council Shut-out, Are Also Battling Each Other. “Republicans in Philadelphia face an existential threat: potentially having no members elected this year to serve on City Council. So the very last thing the Republican City Committee needs is a nasty intraparty donnybrook. But that’s exactly what’s playing out five weeks before the May 16 primary.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Abortion Becomes A Main Topic In Allegheny County Judicial Race. “Let’s start with the good news: If you’ve been waiting for your mail-in ballot here in Allegheny County, you need to be patient for only a little while longer. Elections staff say the ballots will start hitting mailboxes late next week.” (WESA)

Acting EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist Poised To Become First Black Woman To Lead Pittsburgh EMS. “Chief Gilchrist was named acting chief earlier this month when Rom Romano announced his retirement after decades with the emergency medical services bureau.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Bethany Hallam Says Joanna Doven Committed ‘Borderline Defamation’ In Calling Her A Drug Dealer. “A day after rival Joanna Doven accused her of having dealt heroin, Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam called the attack “borderline defamation” that alienates people from politics.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

79 Candidates Running For 44 Open Seats In 9 Area School Board Races In Berks, Chester And Montgomery Counties. “As the spring primary approaches on May 16, and with school board seats increasingly in the crosshairs of national politics, it appears that more than 66 percent of incumbents in area school districts will be seeking reelection.” (Reading Eagle)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• Democracy Checks Power, That’s Why It’s In Danger. (Aaron Brown)
• Utilities Commission Needs Utilities Experts, Not Politicos. (Post-Gazette)
• Jeff Brown May Not Care About Chester, But Philly Should. Stop Sending Your Trash There. (Zulene Mayfield)
• We Want What Seinfeld and Springsteen Offer. (Pamela Paul)
• Take Time To Learn About Your School Board Candidates: The Education Of Your Children Depends On It. (Barbara Geistwhite)
• PA Legislature Should See Tennessee Expulsions As Cautionary Tale. (Tribune-Review)
• Election Trends Portend Ominous Forecast For Republicans. (Andy Bloom)
• Medical Debt, A Uniquely American Problem. (Rep. Arvind Venkat)
• Leave Our Judicial Elections Alone. (Adam Bonin)
• PA’s Outrageous Gas Prices And Gas Taxes. (Paul Kengor)

1 Thing

5. The Gift Of Life

“Ed Kisslak, 88, of Waynesboro was honored at the American Red Cross blood drive April 6 at the Waynesboro American Legion. Since 1962, he has given 36 gallons of blood — represented by jugs displayed during the drive — and actively encourages others to give the gift of life.

He gave blood for the 288th time, continuing a streak that began in 1962. The 288 pints has been enough to help 864 patients in need.” (Waynesboro Record-Herald)

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