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February 1st Playbook

Gov. Wolf is seeking approval for a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production to fund a variety of projects. Here is the Playbook.

Wolf Renews Call For Raise in PA Minimum Wage: The Governor’s proposal would raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour on July 1, 2019, while the rate gradually increases by 50 cents until it reaches $15 an hour in 2025.

HD190: Movita Johnson-Harrell In As Dem Candidate: She most recently served as the supervisor of Victim/Witness Services and Restorative Justice at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

Reader Poll: Should PA Legalize Recreational Marijuana?: Lt. Governor John Fetterman is set to visit every county listening to Pennsylvanians perspective on the matter.

Harrisburg & DC
AP: Wolf seeks $4.5B capital program paid by Marcellus Shale tax
AP: State lawmaker says he won’t make excuses after DUI arrest
AP: Gas driller seeking to have man thrown in jail for contempt
AP: Students sue school for not letting them hand out Bibles
AP: Lawsuit challenges school’s policy about passing out Bibles
WITF: Pa. Dems would have made gains even under old congressional map, analysis suggests
WITF: Wolf resuscitates a long-stymied priority: a minimum wage hike
Post-Gazette: Toomey bill would give Congress approval on tariffs invoked over national security  
StateImpactPA: Wolf wants to fund infrastructure with shale tax; Republicans say nope  
StateImpactPA: Bitter cold tests electricity, natural gas systems
StateImpactPA: N.J. landfill reverses decision to take thousands of tons of contaminated soil from Pa. military base
Inquirer: Gov. Tom Wolf seeks a natural gas severance tax – once again
Bucks County Courier Times: NJ governor wants full fracking ban in the Delaware River Basin
PLSReporter: Gov. Wolf calls for plan to fund infrastructures across the state  
PLSReporter: American Lung Association releases its 17th “State of Tobacco Control” report  
KDKA: Gov. Wolf Seeking $4.5B Capital Program To Be Paid For By Marcellus Shale Tax
Beaver County Times: Auditor general to probe bureau handling child-abuse appeals   
Harrisburg Patriot News: Pa. state representative on DUI arrest: ‘I made a mistake and I would just ask people to forgive me for it’
Harrisburg Patriot News: Toomey takes on Trump on Twitter over tariffs: here’s what happened next

Philadelphia
Inquirer: Councilman Bobby Henon’s lawyer fires back, says his client was fighting for union workers
Inquirer: Feds say Johnny Doc used Local 98’s money to buy influence, power, and a Philly councilman
Inquirer: Union official and councilman at the same time, Bobby Henon crossed the line, prosecutors say
Inquirer: Will Church of Scientology’s tower finally open after nearly a dozen years?
Inquirer: Philadelphia’s municipal IDs coming in the spring, city says, not this month
Inquirer: Philadelphia’s last major drug encampment closes in bitter cold, but the opioid crisis persists
Philadelphia Magazine: “Angriest Black Man In America” Takes Case of Man Accused of Attacking Marines   
Philadelphia Magazine: Reputed Philly Mobster Phil Narducci Arrested By Feds
WHYY Newsworks: Henon pleads not guilty to federal corruption charges  
WHYY Newsworks: Butkovitz: ‘Doc’ is running the show at Philly’s City Hall  
WHYY Newsworks: Johnny Doc charges rattle Pennsport
PLSReporter: Henon on leave as Council passes resolutions, amends pharma regulations
Billy Penn: Who’s Johnny Doc and why should I care that he got indicted?
Billy Penn: Indictment can’t stop Philly City Hall’s love of the side hustle
KYW Newsradio: 8 accused in Local 98 indictment to appear in court Friday  
KYW Newsradio: Council passes resolution to ban R. Kelly from performing in Philly
Philadelphia Business Journal: ‘Johnny Doc’ charges: How they might affect Philadelphia’s business community

SEPA
Inquirer: Seeking to ban ‘undetectable’ guns, Rep. Madeleine Dean proposes law
Inquirer: Cosby victim Andrea Constand settles suit she filed against ex-DA Bruce Castor
Daily Local News: Gov. Wolf signs into law stiffer penalties for repeat DUI offenders
Daily Local News: Phoenixville schools’ $96M preliminary budget has $2.2M deficit, may raise taxes above 2.3% cap
PLSReporter: Montgomery County to offer paid parental leave for employees
Delco Daily Times: Ammunition scare forces lockdown at Drexel Hill Middle School

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Though neither faced re-election, Fitzgerald, Peduto pulled in $1 million in combined campaign contributions
Post-Gazette: Gun rights advocates float complaints against city officials; DA says no evidence of crimes
Post-Gazette: School taxes could go up in Mt. Lebanon, but only slightly
Tribune Review: Private criminal complaint filed against Bill Peduto, officials over gun bills
Tribune Review: Hempfield to review past votes, but supervisors balk at state audit
Tribune Review: Oakmont Council has a vacancy
KDKA: State Lawmaker Says He Won’t Make Excuses After DUI Arrest

SWPA
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Politicians ‘wholly’ support milk bill
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Nelson announces plan to run for Bedford County Sheriff
Altoona Mirror: City Council approves CDBG transfer
Altoona Mirror: State Game Commission plan to cull deer herd angers some
Observer-Reporter: Larry Spahr: from paper ballots to punch cards and beyond    
Observer-Reporter: Borodaty running for county treasurer    
Observer-Reporter: Mon Valley District Judge Hopkins to retire    
Observer-Reporter: Washington, Greene jobless rates increase   
Beaver County Times: Real estate agent seeks nomination for recorder of deeds

NEPA
Times-Tribune: Scranton school director to state auditor general: Give us space
Times-Tribune: Novembrino plans to retire at year’s end
The Times Leader: Wolf’s plan to restore Pa.’s infrastructure dependent on gas industry severance tax
The Times Leader: More outrage over stormwater fee as WVSA continues to make changes
Citizens Voice: Nexstar would sell WNEP as part of Tribune deal

South Central
LNP | LancasterOnline: Harrisburg bishop issues letter condemning NY state law that expands abortion
Carlisle Sentinel: Student club files suit against Mechanicsburg Area School District over Bible distribution flap
York Daily Record: Suicides hit record number in 2018, York County coroner’s report shows
York Daily Record: Updates: Who’s planning to run for judge, other elected offices in York County in 2019
York Dispatch: DePasquale praises York County CYF’s progress in new audit report

Lehigh Valley   
Express Times: Bethlehem eyes way to raise women’s pay, after Philly tried it and ended up in court
Express Times: First deputy coroner launches bid for Lehigh County position
Reading Eagle: Pa. state representative proposes bill to help boost Berks Heim funding
Morning Call: Pat Toomey renews push for Congress to sign off on President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs  
Morning Call: Easton wants PennDOT to add $28 million in projects, including Lehigh River pedestrian bridge, to its long-range plan
Morning Call: Councilman Bryan Callahan wants to stop Bethlehem businesses from asking job applicants this question
Morning Call: Ongoing Allentown-LCA water dispute washes away city’s entire legal budget

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Levee plan grows complicated
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Yaw addresses opioids, other issues
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: City Council rejects Scoreboard bids
Erie Times-News: Dahlkemper outlines priorities in State of County speech  
Erie Times-News: City of Erie gets 36 applications for business grants
Erie Times-News: Erie prosecutor Erin Connelly announces for judge

Opinion
Vincent Hughes and Gregory Holston: It’s long past time to treat poor Pennsylvanians with the dignity they deserve
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Go get ’em!: Lawsuits give robocallers taste of their own medicine
Dr. Chris McGinley and Dr. Angela McIver: Philly school progress report shows improvement, but more work lies ahead
Roberto Torres: The dangerous privilege of those who want the U.S. to stay out of Venezuela
Vanessa Davila: When will #MeToo reach places like North Philly?
Will Bunch: A domestic terrorist slaughtered 5 women in a Florida bank and hardly anyone noticed
John L. Micek: Toomey makes new push to tame Trump on tariffs | Thursday Morning Coffee

3 Responses

  1. There is absolutely no reason shale tax shouldn’t exist. But it is correct to say that permits needed to stopped asap and complaints should cause existing operations shutdown pending investigation. Otherwise, wanting a shale tax is hot air.

    1. Thomas Jefferson-

      There’s a very simple reason: the oil/gas industry blatantly bribes PA state elected officials, and there is so much money/power invested, that hardly anyone stands up to it.

  2. If Wolf wants to tax shale, he has to be prepared to make (and carry through) with a threat to stop issuing permits (drilling and pipelines), shutdown existing operations that have complaints about polluted water until DEP can re-test samples, and pursue criminal investigations into the corner-cutting by the industry.

    The industry would give him 10% to keep their shady operations running (and ruining PA).

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