👏  Let’s Go, Wednesday

🎶  Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Lose Yourself. This moment comes once in a lifetime. Eminem.

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📅  What’s Happening Today. Both chambers of the General Assembly convene at 11 a.m.

🗞️  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. PA Senate Passes “Save Women’s Sports Act”

“The Pennsylvania State Senate passed the “Save Women’s Sports Act” on Tuesday by a 32-18 vote.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Judy Ward, says that “school athletic teams designated for women may not be open to those of the male sex. The legislation defines “sex” as the biological distinction between male and female, based on reproductive biology and genetic make-up.”

Senate Bill 9 requires public schools and colleges to label sports teams as male, female or coed. The legislation states that only biological females can join teams designated for women. The bill also allows students to take legal action if they are harmed by violations of this rule.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Sen. John Fetterman Bashes ‘ Hit Piece’ That Questioned His Health. ““It’s a one-source story with a couple anonymous sources,” Fetterman told NBC News, according to a video shared on X. He went on to describe the article as “a hit piece from a very-left publication.”” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Fighter vs. ‘Wimp’: Swing-State Democrat Sees a New Party Divide. “Rep. Chris Deluzio argued in an interview that the old intraparty divide of moderate vs. progressive is over. Deluzio has himself straddled that divide at times. But he has also sought to grab the left’s mantle of economic populism as he has won two terms in a district just outside of Pittsburgh.” (NBC News)

New PAC to Rally Support For Stock Trading Ban. “A freshly established PAC will start pressuring both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to support a congressional stock trading ban.” (Axios)

State

2. Disappearing Documents: Shapiro Admin Deleted Accuser’s Emails — While Senior Aides’ Records Were Preserved

“Internal records obtained from Governor Josh Shapiro’s office suggest the email account of a top aide who accused a cabinet secretary of sexual harassment was deleted under suspicious and possibly selective circumstances — and not as part of any routine records policy.

The aide, who resigned in 2023 after lodging the allegation, appears to be the only official whose email records have been entirely wiped from state servers during that period.

The absence of any preserved messages raises sharp questions about whether the Shapiro administration took steps to erase a digital trail tied to a politically sensitive personnel matter — and whether broader email retention practices in the governor’s office are compromised or selectively enforced.” (Broad + Liberty)

Elsewhere

State Government Committee Sends Voter ID, Election Omnibus Bills to House Floor. “Coming to the House floor … election reform in Pennsylvania. No, really. Now whether it gets done or not is another story.” (PoliticsPA)

TikTok Ban For PA State Government Devices Advances. “A Pennsylvania Senate Committee unanimously approved a pair of bills during a meeting on Tuesday, including a proposal that would ban TikTok from being downloaded on state-owned networks and devices.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Democrats Reject Local Referendum Votes on Marijuana Stores as Legalization Bill Advances. “A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania moved closer to a final vote in the state House Tuesday, with Democrats rejecting a Republican bid to change it so a municipality could hold a referendum on whether to allow a marijuana store within its borders.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

All Six Living PA Governors Attend Fundraising Event For Fire-Damaged Governor’s Residence. “All five living former governors joined Gov. Josh Shapiro Monday night for a reception at the Governor’s Residence to help fund its restoration following the firebombing last month.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Memo from Montco: Deep SEPTA Cuts Would Make The County Less Livable and Prosperous

“Montgomery County is one of the richest in Pennsylvania, but if you look beyond the median household income data, it depends more on SEPTA than one might think.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• With Public Transit Agencies in Dire Straits, PA House Puts Shapiro’s Funding Plan Into Play. (Penn Capital-Star)

Elsewhere

Mayor Parker’s Administration Says It Is Ready ‘To Litigate’ If Philly’s Funding Is Put At Risk Under Trump Sanctuary City Order. “City Solicitor Renee Garcia offered City Council the Parker administration’s most articulated position thus far on the president’s April 28 executive order that will create a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” the Trump administration believes subvert federal immigration law.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

A County Pension Fund in Pennsylvania Just Became the First Known to Cease Purchasing New Tesla Stocks. “Lehigh County, located toward the east of Pennsylvania with a relatively affluent population that is often a swing county, has a county pension board that oversees $500 million in assets. It is the first known US pension fund to stop purchasing new Tesla stock.” (Business Insider)

3 Harrisburg Mayor Candidates Agree City Dysfunction Is Impeding Development. “Three Democrats looking to lead Harrisburg as its next mayor agreed Tuesday the city’s deteriorated downtown – graffiti-marred and dotted with vacancies — has reached a low point.” (PennLive)

How Penn State Trustees Plan to Vote on Campus Closures Could Run Afoul of Transparency Law. “The Penn State Board of Trustees plans to meet virtually this month to determine the fate of multiple campuses, a decision that will impact the futures of thousands of students and employees. However, the online-only nature of the meeting could run afoul of Pennsylvania’s public meetings law, according to legal experts.” (Spotlight PA State College)

Editorial

4. Speak Your Mind

• The ‘Significant Risk’ That Republicans Tank the Economy. (Russell Berman)
• A Ruinous Skill Games Tax Would Hurt Small Businesses and Help the Big Casino Industry. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) 
• Voter ID Compromise Would Be Ideal But Only If Parties Let It Be. (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• Pennsylvania’s Data Privacy Bill Is the Right Move For Consumers and Businesses. (Peter Caperonis)
• It’s Time to Fix the Flawed Tax Policy Hurting Independent Oil and Gas Producers. (Rep. Stephenie Scialabba)
• Pell Grants Are an Investment in Prosperity for the Entire Country. (Thomas P. Foley)

1 Thing

5. ‘Ewe’ Had to Be There

“Barreling down South Main Street in downtown Washington, the sheep competing in the final heat of Saturday’s “Running of the Wools” were anything but, well, sheepish.

It was a “shear” nail-biter at the finish line, but there could only be one leader of the pack, and this year the title for fastest sheep in Washington County goes to “Baaa-cking our Comm-ew-nity,” who was running on behalf of the Washington County Community Foundation.” (Uniontown Herald-Standard)

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