☂️ A Wet Tuesday. Keep the umbrella at the ready.

🎶 Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Walk This Way. Run-D.M.C.

PA Weather
🌧️ Ligonier | Showers, 67
☂️ Danville | Showers, 69
☔ Royersford | Showers, 67

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (24-17) | St. Louis 2-3 | Tue-Wed vs. St. Louis
⚾ Pirates (14-28) | NY Mets 3-4 | Tue-Wed vs. NY Mets
⚽ Union (7-2-3) | Wed vs. LA Galaxy

PA Money | Futures (as of 7:33 a.m.)
💰 Dow 🔽 -204.00 | NASDAQ 🔽 -29.50 | S&P 🔽 -13.00

📅  What’s Happening Today. The House convenes at 11 a.m. for a voting session, while the Senate gets underway at 1 p.m. And the PA Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of RGGI.

🔊  What We’re Hearing. House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson put out his bill text last night, which would move significant costs for food aid to the states.

🗞️  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1. DNC Takes Step Towards Ousting Hogg, Kenyatta As Vice Chairs

“The Democratic National Committee is moving forward with a challenge to David Hogg’s election and that of another DNC vice chair just months after they attained their roles.

The DNC’s credentials committee voted 13 to 2, with 3 abstentions, to void the February elections of Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta as vice chairs.” (Axios)

Elsewhere

DNC Vice Chair Slams Trump As ‘Punk,’ ‘Would-Be Dictator’ in Fiery PA Town Hall. “”There is a strategy of authoritarians and would-be dictators and punks like Donald Trump,” Malcolm Kenyatta said at a town hall in Levittown that was officially targeting swing-district Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.” (Fox News)

In John Fetterman, Democrats Wanted a Regular Guy. And Boy, Did They Get One!. “There’s nothing more “middle-aged everyman” than ignoring your health problems and lashing out at the people closest to you because you consider yourself the most unfairly persecuted person on Earth.” (Slate)

• Fetterman’s Mom, in York County, Defends Son Amid Turmoil, Says ‘He’s Doing Well’. (PennLive)

A Republican Group Cozies Up to John Fetterman in New Ad as His Relationship With Dems Becomes More Strained. “In the spot called “Stand out,” running on cable and digital platforms, Club for Growth praises Fetterman and then urges Pennsylvanians to ask him to back the GOP-supported Trump tax cuts.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

State

2. PA House Advances Sweeping Election Reform Bill

“The state House on Monday advanced a wide-ranging election reform bill sponsored by Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia — addressing ballot drop boxes, early in-person voting, and pre-canvassing, among other things — and it could get a final vote on Tuesday.

Democrats on Monday said little about the reform bill during the process of amending it, but during a committee meeting last week many praised it.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

State Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments Over PA’s Membership in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. “Pennsylvania’s long-delayed membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that would require fossil fuel burning power plants to pay for carbon dioxide emissions will be the subject of arguments Tuesday before the state Supreme Court.” (Penn Capital-Star)

On Heels of Auditor General’s Report, PA Delves Into Cyber Charter Funding Question. “State lawmakers are expected to soon field legislation on the fraught issue of cyber charter funding, which could have a significant impact on how Pennsylvania finances education in the upcoming budget.” (PennLive)

Powerful Health Systems Oppose a Growing Effort to Prevent Hospital Closures Through More Oversight. “As hospital closures and consolidations across Pennsylvania create health care deserts and powerful monopolies, a bipartisan faction of lawmakers wants to empower the state to dig deeper into these transactions before they happen.” (Spotlight PA)

Weed Instead of Wine? What PA’s State-Run Weed Stores Could Look Like If Recreational Cannabis Is Legalized. “Imagine walking into a Pennsylvania state store — not for wine, but for weed. That’s the vision behind a newly passed bill in the state House, which proposes legalizing recreational marijuana and selling it exclusively through state-run cannabis shops.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

PA Lawmaker Ignites Budget Talk, Backlash With Flamethrower Video. “Pennsylvania’s always-contentious budget season is heating up. In one instance, quite literally.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Penn State Administration Is Proposing to Close Seven Commonwealth Campuses

“Pennsylvania State University’s administration has proposed closing seven of its 20 Commonwealth campuses, according to multiple sources close to the board of trustees.

They are Dubois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York, according to the sources. Collectively, they enrolled nearly 3,200 students as of the fall semester and experienced enrollment declines over the last five years ranging from 15% at York to 32% at DuBois.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Penn State Pushes Back Against Report Detailing Possible Campus Closures. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

O’Connor Outraises Gainey 3-to-1 in Pittsburgh Mayor Race This Year; Outside Spending Remains Murky. “The candidates running for mayor of Pittsburgh — and their allies — have filed their last complete financial reports before the May 20 Democratic primary. And while one progressive group reports spending $600,000 on TV ads to bolster Mayor Ed Gainey’s re-election prospects, the report filed by an ally of his challenger, Corey O’Connor, raises as many questions as answers.” (WESA)

Primary 2025: Scranton Mayoral Race. “Incumbent Paige Cognetti is running for a second full term as mayor of “The Electric City.” Cognetti will square off against Bob Sheridan in the Democratic primary, while Trish Beynon and Lynn Labrosky will contend for the GOP nomination.” (PoliticsPA)

PIAA Playoff Reform Bill Advances Out of PA House Committee. “The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) may soon be able to create separate playoffs and championships for public schools and non-public schools.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Editorial

4. Speak Your Mind

• Cleveland-Cliffs Layoffs, Closures Show That Pittsburgh Dodged a Bullet. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Divided Legislature Means Pointless Bills. (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• The Great Trump Tariff Rollback. (Wall Street Journal)
• Why Nonvoters Don’t Vote: What New Census Data Show. (Karlyn Bowman)
• The Smearing of John Fetterman. (James Kirchick)
• It’s Time to End Covid Penalties on Small Businesses. (Sen. Jarrett Coleman)
• Rise of the ‘MAGAcrats?’ #SCRAN’NON. (Chris Kelly)
• School Boards Should Serve Students—Not Political Parties. (Rachel Hutchison)

1 Thing

5.  81 Straight Years of Voting

“Having the primary election fall during her birthday week feels like a gift to the woman who has voted 81 years in a row. Lorraine Koons, who will turn 103 next week, says voting is a patriotic duty, especially for primary elections.

“ I think everyone should vote just because it’s your duty to vote when you’re a citizen,” Koons said Friday. “That’s one of the privileges of being a citizen.” (WITF)

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