🚴 I’ve Got Friday On My Mind! Happy Mothers’ Day on Sunday.
PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Partly Sunny, 83
Harrisburg | Mostly Sunny, 86
Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, 86
PA Sports
76ers (tied 3-3) | Boston 86-95 | Sun vs. Boston
Pirates (21-17) | F-Sun vs Baltimore
Phillies (18-19) | F-Sun vs Colorado
Union (4-4-2) | Sat vs. Colorado
What We’re Hearing
Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver the Commencement address at the University of Rochester this morning. You can watch his speech here.
Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Jordan A. Harris. Early wishes for Rep. Robert E. Merski (Sun).
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Top Story
1. How To Vote, Where To Vote And What You Need To Know For May 16
“Pennsylvania’s 2023 primary election is almost here, and Spotlight PA has assembled a list of guides to help you figure out where to vote, how to make sure your ballot is counted, and what you should know about all the people running.
Voters in this election will pick their party’s candidates for four statewide appellate court seats — one on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, two on the Superior Court, and one on Commonwealth Court.
There is also a slew of local judicial elections on the ballot, along with citywide and local races for offices like mayor and school board, plus two special elections for state House seats — one in Delaware County, and one in the upper Susquehanna Valley.” (SpotlightPA)
Related
2023 PA Primary Guide. “Pennsylvania voters will decide a slew of party nominations in the May 16, 2023 primary elections, from school boards and township commissions to county-wide offices and state judgeships.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- The Democratic Primary Voters Guide. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Primary Election Guide. (Tribune-Review)
- Election 2023: County Commissioners (PoliticsPA)
Elections Officials In Central PA Expect Smooth Sailing With Primary Results On Tuesday. “Elections officials in central Pennsylvania are confident that they will have results for the May 16 primary election posted on election night.” (PennLive)
Democrats Have A Huge Opportunity To Win Back Rural Voters. “In last year’s midterms, when Democrats narrowly held on to control of the Senate and won crucial elections in battleground states, they did so in part by reversing one of Donald Trump’s biggest 2020 accomplishments: They won more voters from rural and exurban communities.” (Vox)
Harrisburg
2. Grove Calls For Budget Reforms
“With the constitutional deadline for the General Assembly to pass a budget just over seven weeks away, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations committee, Rep. Seth Grove, of York County, outlined areas of concern as budget negotiations begin.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Related
Heather Boyd And Katie Ford Duel For Pivotal Delco State House Seat. “A special election in Delaware County has captured the attention of political onlookers across the Commonwealth.” (WHYY)
House Republican Cool On Governor’s Plan For Rent, Tax Rebates And 911 Funding. “Keystone components of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first budget proposal face scrutiny of Republican legislators worried by the risk of recession and a structural deficit in commonwealth finances.” (CNHI News)
How A PA Senate Bill About SEPTA Crime And DA Larry Krasner Turned Into A Fight Over Words. “In their latest attempt to circumvent Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, Republican senators want the state attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate crimes on SEPTA.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Four-Day Workweek Offered As Part Of Labor Shortage Remedy. “Four-day workweeks may boost Pennsylvania’s recruitment and retention of young workers – or at least some lawmakers would like to find out.” (The Center Square)
$300 Million Skills Games Tax Proposal Emerges. “The games – which look like slot machines, but give users control of the outcome – sit in restaurants, veterans’ halls, and truck stops. So far, however, the machines operate outside of state law.” (The Center Square)
Around The Commonwealth
3. A Coming Of Age For Progressives?
“This is the point in every election cycle where people tend to ask political reporters how they think the election will play out. The key to answering is to sound insightful without getting pinned to a prediction you can be mocked for next week. So what I’m telling anyone who asks is: “This election will mark a coming of age for this generation of Pittsburgh progressives.”
You’ll note that doesn’t necessarily predict a happy occasion for them on Tuesday, necessarily. As we probably all remember, comings of age can be awkward.” (WESA)
Related
Innamorato Is Campaigning On Her Harrisburg Experience. But She Hasn’t Done Much There. “Sara Innamorato continues to tout her experience as a state representative as a key selling point in her campaign for Allegheny County executive. She just doesn’t say how thin that experience really is — at least by one measure.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Inside The Last Days Of The Election. “Who has a vision, and the ability to implement it, that gets us closer to the latter in the next four years? Shouldn’t that be the animating question of this election?” (Philadelphia Citizen)
What Philly’s Democratic Party’s Sample Ballots Tell Us About Tuesday’s Primary. “Voters entering polling places Tuesday to cast ballots in the primary election will likely encounter at least one person handing out “sample ballots” suggesting which candidates they should support.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
2 Candidates Loan Themselves $90,000 Or More In Primary Race For Erie County Judge. “Two of the three candidates for Erie County Common Pleas Court judge are taking a similar approach to funding their campaigns leading up to the municipal primary on Tuesday.” (Erie Times-News)
Erie County Offers Affected Voters Chance To Correct Ballot Envelopes. “The process, known as ballot curing, allows voters to address issues including wrong/missing signatures or dates and naked ballots.” (ErieNewsNow)
In Lehigh Valley School Board Elections, National Politics Take Center Stage. “In Lehigh Valley school board races this primary season, there are many markers of big-time political campaigns that haven’t been present in past elections: campaign websites, door-to-door canvassing and political action committees among them.” (Morning Call)
Cumberland County: Who’s Running For Office? (PoliticsPA)
Editorial
4. What They’re Saying
A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.
Editorial
- Democrat Deborah A. Kunselman and Republican Carolyn Carluccio Are Best Choice In PA Supreme Court Primary. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Proposed Allegheny County Minimum Wage Increase Has Merit. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Opinion
- Here’s How PA Can Unlock Its Potential To Become A True Economic Leader. (Gov. Josh Shapiro)
- I Asked People Along Broad Street About The Election. One Thing Is On Their Minds. (Jenice Armstrong)
- How Both Parties Win Elections And Lose Them. (Matthew J. Brouillette)
- The AR-15 Is ‘America’s Rifle.’ Ban It. (John L. Micek)
- Enough With The Bellyaching Over Trump’s CNN Town Hall. (Jack Shafer)
- In A Critical Special Election, PA Democrats Stake Their State House Majority On Abortion. (Salena Zito)
1 Thing
5. Are You Ready For Some Football?
Here are the 2023 schedules for the Eagles and the Steelers.
Eagles: Sep 10 at New England; Sep 14 vs. Minnesota; Sep 25 at Tampa Bay; Oct 1 vs. Washington; Oct. 8 at LA Rams; Oct. 15 at NY Jets; Oct. 22 vs. Miami; Oct. 29 at Washington; Nov. 5 vs. Dallas; Nov. 20 at Kansas City; Nov. 26 vs. Buffalo; Dec. 3 vs. San Francisco; Dec. 10 at Dallas; Dec. 17 at Seattle; Dec. 25 vs. NY Giants; Dec. 31 vs. Arizona; Jan 6-7 at NY Giants.
Steelers: Sep 10 vs. San Francisco; Sep 18 vs. Cleveland; Sep 24 at Las Vegas; Oct 1 at Houston; Oct 8 vs. Baltimore; Oct 22 at LA Raiders; Oct 29 vs. Jacksonville; Nov 2 vs. Tennessee; Nov 12 vs. Green Bay; Nov 19 at Cleveland; Nov 26 at Cincinnati; Dec 3 vs. Arizona; Dec 7 vs. New England; Dec 15-16 at Indianapolis; Dec 23 vs. Cincinnati; Dec 31 at Seattle; Jan 6-7 at Baltimore.
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2 Responses
Pittsburgh District Attorney Steve Zappala, jr is whining about “Dark Money” bring spent against him in his re election. He should know since his past campaigns have been loaded with it. In 2019 his victory party was paid for by “Duffy Conley” at Conley’s in laws bar in the South Side. Conley is known as Pennsylvania’s poker machine king and Zappala never laid a glove on him. Tit for tat?
As D.A. for the last 25 years his legacy is one of racism, sexism and misogynism. He has been awol
From his office and usually inebriated.
It is time for the Drunk to go.
Hold off on Fall football until after the Spring primary elections.