👋 It’s Wednesday. Bye-bye baseball season.

PA Weather
☁️ Johnstown | Mostly Cloudy, 71
☁️ Lewisburg | Mostly Cloudy, 70
⛅ Wilkes-Barre | Partly Sunny, 73

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (3-4) | Arizona 2-4
🏒 Flyers (3-2-1) | Vegas 2-3 | Thu vs. Minnesota
🏒 Penguins (2-4-0) | Dallas 1-4 | Thu vs. Colorado
🏀 Sixers (0-0) | Thu vs. Milwaukee

What We’re Hearing
“Exploring human relationships, sex and love are some of the most challenging and rewarding obstacles that we will face in life. And we need the right education and materials available to ensure people can explore those spaces safely.” – Sen. Amanda Cappelletti.

What’s Happening
Senate will convene at 11 a.m. Monroe County commissioner forum, 7 p.m.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Sen. Wayne Langerholc and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll

The Best Political News In The Keystone State
Get your Pennsylvania political news emailed to you at the start of every day. Sign up for your free subscription to the PoliticsPA Playbook.

Follow Us
On the platform formerly known as Twitter | On Facebook | On LinkedIn

Top Story

1. Shapiro Says He And Accuser Have A ‘Responsibility’ To Honor An NDA In Harassment Accusations Against Top Aide

“Amid growing calls for more transparency into sexual harassment allegations against a former top aide and the resulting six-figure settlement with the accuser, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday that both she and his administration have a “responsibility” to honor a confidentiality agreement.

Mr. Shapiro’s administration agreed to a $295,000 settlement with the woman last month that included a nondisclosure agreement, an increasingly controversial clause often attached to agreements involving workplace misconduct. He declined to say whether he would seek legal action against the accuser if she publicly told her story.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

Democratic Lieutenant Governors, Advocates, Discuss Solutions To Prevent Gun Violence. “The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association hosted the gun violence prevention policy summit, which was the first event of its kind. The DLGA partnered with the gun violence prevention advocacy groups Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives and Giffords, as well as the labor union American Federation of Teachers, for the event.” (Penn Capital-Star)

SD-10: Lynch Joins Growing Democratic Field. “Blake Lynch, who just left his post as a senior executive with WITF, launched his campaign today in a quest to unseat Rep. Scott Perry in the capital-region seat that includes Dauphin and parts of Cumberland and York counties.” (PoliticsPA)

State

2. Pennsylvania Senate Passes Bill Opponents Worry Targets Books About LGBTQ+ and Marginalized People

“A bill passed the GOP-controlled state Senate to require Pennsylvania parents to opt in their children to access book deemed sexually explicit after more than an hour of passionate floor debate Tuesday.

The bill passed 29-21, with objection from most Democrats. It now goes onto the Democrat-controlled House, where it faces an uncertain future. The bill passed the chamber, along with another that regulated how teachers communicate with parents about curricula, and drew opposition from the state’s largest teachers union.

The move is part of a larger nationwide effort of expanding parental oversight of schools, which saw a swell of energy in Florida last year.” (AP)

• PA Senate Passes ‘Explicit Content’ Legislation After Heated Debate Over Whether It’s A Book Ban. (Penn Capital-Star)

Related

2023 Election: PA Voter Registration Numbers. “Now that voter registration has come to a close for the 2023 municipal elections, it’s time to take a look at the makeup of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State figures from October 23, Democrats continue to hold an advantage in registration over Republicans in the Commonwealth. ” (PoliticsPA)

Candidate For Pennsylvania Appeals Court In November Election Struck By Car While Placing Yard Signs. “Maria Battista, a Republican running for Pennsylvania’s Superior Court, was hospitalized overnight. Her campaign said she was released Monday after being treated for injuries that included a hairline fracture of her collarbone.” (AP)

Former Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz To Announce Bid For State Treasurer. “Former City Controller Alan Butkovitz becomes the third Democrat seeking to challenge Republican Stacy Garrity, who won the state treasurer’s seat in a very narrow 2020 victory.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

PA Lawmakers Approve Declaration To Aid Repair Work For I-95 Bridge Collapse. “The disaster declaration will be extended until February, and allows state government to continue to access emergency funding and follow streamlined rules for the repair work.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Putting An Armed Security Officer In Every School Gains PA Senate Panel’s Support. “Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering requiring every public school building to have a trained armed security officer present during school hours.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Shapiro Announces Continued State Investment In Pittsburgh-Area Nuclear Energy Project

“The state Department of Community and Economic Development awarded a $1,083,250 Pennsylvania First grant to Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse to help the company establish a new facility in Etna. The plant will manufacture non-nuclear parts for a portable nuclear microreactor called the eVinci.” (WESA)

Related

Erie County Council: Municipal Election Race Includes These Nine Candidates On The Ballot. “With four of the council’s seven seats on the Nov. 7 ballot, Erie County voters will have an opportunity to drastically shift the council’s 4-3 Democratic majority.” (Erie Times-News)

Bob Brady Furious Over Working Families Party Endorsements. “It’s possible that Republicans will wind up without any City Council at-large seats. There are seven at-large seats in total, and the city reserves two for members of any non-majority party. In other words, two of those seats have to go to people who aren’t Democrats.” (Philadelphia Magazine)

Allegheny County District Attorney: Matt Dugan vs. Stephen Zappala. “The District Attorney serves as the county’s chief prosecutor and law enforcement officer. This election sees 25-year incumbent Stephen A. Zappala Jr. running against former county chief public defender Matt Dugan” (Pittsburgh City Paper)

Mark Rozzi Endorses Ex-Spouse Jacklyn Rusnock For His Berks County House Seat. “While it’s not unusual for an outgoing lawmaker to endorse a candidate to take their seat, or even for a candidate to run to replace their spouse, Rusnock and Rozzi are former spouses.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• The PA Democrat Who Sounds Like Reagan On Taxes. (Sen. Ryan Aument)
• Pennsylvania Leaders Must Protect Our Wetlands. (Kelly Knutson and Ellen Kohler)
• A Third Party Will Elect Donald Trump. (Jim Greenwood and Ed Rendell)
• Pennsylvania’s Transportation Systems Need Funding. (Chris Sandvig)
• Assault on Free Speech Has Bred Antisemitism in Our Colleges. (Rep. Joe D’Orsie)
• Fulton County Voting Machine Mess Will Have Far-Reaching Consequences. (Bill Gindlesperger)
• The Critical Political Transition From Running To Governing. (Chip Minemyer)

1 Thing

5. ‘Taco Tuesday’ For All

“A drawn-out saga over the “Taco Tuesday” trademark is over: The popular phrase is now free to use in all 50 states, Axios’ Kelly Tyko writes.

Taco Bell announced today — a Tuesday, of course — that a local restaurant has relinquished its registration of the trademark in New Jersey. A Wyoming-based chain gave up the rights to the phrase in 49 other states this summer.

Taco Bell filed legal petitions in May aiming to cancel the trademark registrations.”

Thanks for starting your Wednesday with us.
Please invite your friends
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook