☑️ It’s Wednesday. Happy National Poll Worker Recruitment Day.
PA Weather
☔ Bradford | Showers Likely, 71
🌥️ Shippensburg | Partly Sunny, 80
☀️ Doylestown | Mostly Sunny, 79
PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (69-57) | San Francisco 4-3 | Wed vs. San Francisco
⚾ Pirates (57-69) | St. Louis 6-3 | Wed vs. St. Louis
What We’re Hearing
“It’s really surprising to see this announced so publicly, that essentially Gov. Shapiro agreed with Republicans to rig the charter appeals board.” – Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters PA.
🎂 Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Clint Owlett, Rep. Regina Young and Rep. Ed Neilson.
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Top Story
1. 8 Presidential Candidates Qualify For Tonight’s 1st Republican Debate
“Eight Republican candidates have met the criteria to take the stage and will participate in the first GOP presidential debate on Wednesday night, the Republican National Committee has announced.
The eight participants are: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
Former President Donald Trump, the party’s current front-runner, has opted to skip the debate and instead participate in a prerecorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.” (Washington Post)
- 5 Things Democrats Are Watching During The Republican Debate. (The Hill)
Related
Reader Poll: The GOP Presidential Debate: Who Do You Want To Hear From? “The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 season is slated for Wednesday night in Milwaukee and will be broadcast by Fox News. With GOP front-runner Donald Trump planning to skip the event, we want to know who you want to hear from the most during the debate?” (PoliticsPA)
Group Wants Service Members, Vets To Participate In Restoring Faith In US Election System. “Poll working, not watching, is the goal for a group of former troops and military family members seeking to get the nation’s veterans to staff the polls this year, next year and beyond.” (Military.com)
State
2. PA Agrees To Start Publicly Reporting Problems With Voting Machines
“A legal challenge in Pennsylvania over the viability of a particular manufacturer’s voting system has ended in a settlement that advocates say will boost accountability and transparency by requiring election officials to record and publicly report problems with voting machines.
The election-security advocates who sued say such a requirement will provide a contemporary account of which voting machines are working well and which ones aren’t — information that can benefit every state.
Some election officials also see the potential to help suppress conspiracy theories and misinformation about voting machine malfunctions that can fester on Election Day and in the days after when votes are being counted.” (AP)
Related
A PA Court Says State Police Can’t Hide How It Monitors Social Media. “All four Democratic justices supported the majority decision, which said the lower Commonwealth Court went beyond its authority in trying to give the state police another attempt to justify keeping details of the policy a secret. Tuesday’s order appears to end a six-year legal battle.” (AP)
Funding For Home Repairs, Public Defense On Hold As PA Lawmakers Negotiate Final Budget Pieces. “Nearly three weeks after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Pennsylvania’s main state budget legislation, the code bills that will enable more than a billion dollars in spending remain in a legislative morass.” (Spotlight PA)
Shapiro OKs Multistate Licensed Nurses To Practice In State. “Starting Sept. 5, registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who hold a multistate license through the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) will be permitted to practice in the state.” (CNHI News)
School Voucher Battle Headed Back To Campaign Trail. “Though school choice supporters lost a budget fight over a $100 million voucher program, the next battle appears to be at the ballot box.” (The Center Square)
PA State Budget Is Months Overdue; Will Private School Vouchers Cause More Delays? “The state Senate will return to session next week, hoping to finish the final pieces of the state budget. But this year’s messy, drawn-out negotiations indicate it may not be that simple.” (LNP)
Here’s Who You Can Expect To See On The Ballot In PA This Fall. “State judicial races are headlining the ballot this year in the commonwealth.” (Erie Times-News)
Republicans Say They Have A Deal To Change PA’s Charter School Appeal Board. Here’s What To Know About How It Works. “As they continue to push for more school choice, Republican leaders say they have an agreement with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to make changes to a little-known state board that can allow the expansion of charter schools.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Business Leaders, Lawmakers Hope For Bipartisan Action On Permitting Reform. “Leaders from the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce partnered with two state senators on Tuesday to push for state-level permitting reforms, making the case that a streamlined and more transparent permitting process will keep more businesses and workers in the state and ultimately pay dividends for the state’s economy.” (City & State)
Around The Commonwealth
3. Erie County Council Declined To Recognize Seven Brenton Davis Vetoes. They Took Effect Anyway
“When Erie County Executive Brenton Davis vetoed seven items in the 2023 general fund budget in December, a majority of Erie County Council refused to recognize the vetoes on legal grounds.
But according to the final 2023 county budget, which was posted on the Erie County website Aug. 3, the Davis administration has carried out the vetoes anyway.” (Erie Times-News)
Related
In Search Of The Magic Number: Chester Receiver Updates City Bankruptcy Status. “The receiver for the city of Chester is crunching numbers to arrive at a “baseline expenditure” amount that would help provide residents with vital services.” (WHYY)
Stefanide Targets DA Stollsteimer Over Spike in Delaware County Crime. “Crime surged 25 percent over the past year in Delaware County, and Beth Stefanide, who is running for district attorney, is laying the blame at the feet of incumbent Democrat Jack Stollsteimer.” (DV Journal)
Luzerne County Council Seeking Court Assistance To Place Question On Ballot. “A Luzerne County Council majority voted Tuesday to ask the county court to convene a panel to properly frame a home rule charter amendment question so it can appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.” (Times Leader)
Walker To Make Write-In Bid To Return As Somerset Commissioner. “or the first time in eight years, Gerald Walker’s name won’t be printed on the November ballot for Somerset County commissioner. That’s not going to stop the county’s president commissioner from making a “grassroots” run for reelection.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
Recount In GOP Commissioner Race In Six Precincts Shows Only One Discrepancy. “The Fayette County Election Bureau completed their hand recount of six precincts’ worth of primary ballots in Fayette County’s Republican commissioner race with only one discrepancy found.” (Observer-Reporter)
Sandy Twp. To Reject Any Attempt By Dubois To Hire New City Manager, Finance Director. “Township Manager Shawn Arbaugh noted that at the DuBois City Council’s last meeting on Aug. 14, the council made motions to advertise both for a new city manager in preparation for the termination of current criminally-charged city Manager John “Herm” Suplizio and also a finance director, which would be a new position in the city. ” (DuBois Courier Express)
Editorial
4. What They’re Saying
- Pardon Trump – On One Condition. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
- Trump Was Right About Election Fraud, Just Not In The Way He Alleged. (Carl Hisiro)
- Donald Trump and the Sixth Amendment. (Colin Hanna)
- Zappala’s Selective Transparency Hurts The Cause of Justice. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Rural PA Needs More People. (Bing Ran, Joseph Hafer)
- Children Deserve a Quality Education That School Choice Makes Possible. (R. Myles Slade-Bowers)
- Abysmal Reading Scores Trigger Bipartisan Legislative Action. (Beth Ann Rosica)
- WVU Walkout Has Lessons For PA Colleges, Leaders. (Tribune-Review)
- Don’t Derail Safety Bills. (Scranton Times-Tribune)
1 Bug Thing
5. Spotted Lanternflies Invade Western PA
“When Moshe Marvit got off work in Green Tree this week, he noticed that every single car in the parking lot was covered in spotted lanternflies.
And it’s not just at work. Marvit said his back patio is infested with spotted lanternflies, a small invasive insect the size of a quarter with spotted blue and red wings. He said the bugs are awkward flyers and don’t bite, but they just inhabit all of the back porch.
For many residents in Western Pennsylvania, escape from the lanternfly is futile. The invasive species has swarmed trees, exterior walls of coffee shops, personal vehicles and more.” (Tribune-Review)
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