👋 Goodbye, January. Wonder what Punxsutawney Phil will say on Sunday?
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PA Weather
☂️ Punxsutawney | Rain, 48
☔ Quarryville | Rain, 49
🌧️ Pine Grove | Rain, 45
PA Sports
🏀 Sixers (19-27) | Fri vs. Denver | Sun vs. Boston
🏒 Flyers (23-24-6) | NY Islanders 0-3 | Sun vs. Colorado
🏒 Penguins (21-24-8) | Sat vs. Nashville
🔊 What We’re Hearing. Hatti Specter, granddaughter of the late Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), is bringing both a political and athletic legacy to Capitol Hill in her new role as a legislative aide to Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.).
🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for former Gov. Mark Schweiker.
📱 Social Media. Are you socially active? Find @PoliticsPA on Twitter | Bluesky | Facebook | LinkedIn
Top Story
1. Shapiro Unveils “Lightning Plan” To Fast-Track Energy Projects in Commonwealth
“Saying that Pennsylvania is “losing out,” Gov. Josh Shapiro today called for the Commonwealth to be more competitive, unveiling his “Lightning Plan” to secure the state’s energy future.
The Democrat’s plan will provide funding for new projects through an updated Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) manufacturing tax credit, streamline energy project approvals by creating a state energy siting board to cut red tape, and encourage communities to lower utility bills through shared energy resources.” (PoliticsPA)
- Shapiro Seeks ‘Lightning’ Action to Bolster PA Energy Sector. (New Castle News)
Elsewhere
Trump Says Tariffs on Canada and Mexico Coming Saturday, And He’s Deciding Whether to Tax Their Oil. “The risk of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican oil could undermine Trump’s repeated pledge to lower overall inflation by reducing energy costs.” (AP)
Where Will Trump and Vance Land on Rail Safety? Deluzio Says They Should ‘Put Actions Behind Their Words’. “U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, showed up Wednesday afternoon in Tarentum and stood next to a set of railroad tracks to remind everyone that, although Congress has entered a new session with new leadership, he’s still pushing the Railway Safety Act.” (Pittsburgh Union Progress)
Punxsy Ready For a Full Groundhog Weekend. “It looks to be possibly the largest crowd ever for Punxsy Phil’s forecast on Groundhog Day this Sunday, Feb. 2, beginning at 3 a.m. at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney.” (Punxsutawney Spirit)
State
2. Pennsylvania’s Upgrade of Glitchy Voter Registration System Falls Further Behind Schedule
“More than a year after the Pennsylvania Department of State canceled a contract to upgrade the state’s voter registration system, there’s still no replacement contract in place.
The state has been trying since 2019 to upgrade the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, a database of the state’s voters that was built in the early 2000s and still undergirds many of the functions of running elections.
Local election officials complain that the system is outdated, has a tendency to crash, and requires complex workarounds for some processes.” (PoliticsPA)
Elsewhere
Shapiro Deal On Electricity Price Caps Will Likely Spur Fresh Debate On Clean Energy. “Gov. Josh Shapiro has declared a partial victory in a battle to limit electricity price increases, but critics say the governor has overstated his achievement when it comes to an energy market with many moving parts.” (PennLive)
Fiery Resignation By PA’s Consumer Advocate Breeds Fear Office Will Lose Independence. “In a letter announcing he would resign as Pennsylvania’s consumer advocate, Patrick Cicero claimed he was the victim of a “public campaign led by various investor-owned utilities to seek my removal.”” (Spotlight PA)
PA Counties With Their Own Health Departments See Benefits, New Research Shows. “Epidemiologist Becky Dawson and other researchers just published a study showing counties that do have them tend to have more primary care doctors, more people getting vaccinated, and lower infant mortality rates, among other health measures.” (WHYY)
HSN Is Closing Its St. Petersburg Headquarters After Nearly 50 Years and Moving To Pennsylvania. “Digital shopping network HSN is leaving St. Petersburg after nearly 50 years. HSN’s headquarters, located off Roosevelt Boulevard in the Gateway area, will close within months and relocate with sister network QVC to West Chester, Pennsylvania, home of their parent company, Qurate Retail.” (WUSF)
Around The Commonwealth
3. The Shrinking Electoral Relevance of PA’s Suburbs
“Heading into Election Day 2024, the mainstream media breathlessly hyped suburbanites as the voters who will determine the next president of the United States. “Ground zero,” “the whole deal,” and “mini blue wall” were the terms used by pundits to emphasize the importance of suburban voters. But now that the dust has settled, it appears none of that prognostication was accurate.
Recent data released by the Pennsylvania Department of State indicate that Pennsylvania’s suburban voters didn’t decide the 2024 presidential election, as has been their customary role in the past. In fact, the data reveal that suburban voters were the election’s lagging indicator of a historic political realignment that has reshaped American politics for the foreseeable future.” (RealClear Pennsylvania)
Elsewhere
Political Push Polls Aim to Shape Public Opinion in Pittsburgh Mayor Race. “Many of us hate political polls, or claim to. Not Erin Breen. So two weeks ago, when she got a text that asked “Could you share your thoughts in this 3 min Pittsburgh survey? Thanks!” Breen clicked on the link. That may have given her a preview of the kind of attacks we’ll all soon hear in Pittsburgh’s mayoral race.” (WESA Politics)
Philly Is Down 9 Judges, and Some Officials Say the City Got Snubbed in a Deal to Fill Seats Elsewhere. “Lawmakers in the state Senate are poised to approve judicial vacancies in 10 counties next week. Philadelphia — which has the most open judicial seats of any county — isn’t one of them.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
911 Enters the 21st Century Across PA, With Location Pins, County Connection, Texts. “Pennsylvania’s 911 communications have finally entered the 21st century, with the antiquated analog system used for 60 years now replaced by fiber optics and technology long available in smartphones in most, but soon to be all, communities in the Commonwealth.” (Chambersburg Public Opinion)
Cambria Commissioners Say Printing Error Caused Ballot Problems, New Protocols Announced. “Election Day problems in Cambria County that caused widespread issues with ballots and delayed tabulation of votes were caused by a printing error due to an incorrect general election ballot communication, the county commissioners said Thursday.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
Philadelphia School District Budget Gap Threatens Student Gains. “The School District of Philadelphia is facing a massive budget shortfall in the coming year. The district must contend with a $442 million budget gap in the 2025–26 school year, superintendent Tony Watlington told Axios before his second State of Schools address yesterday.” (Axios Philadelphia)
Editorial
4. What’s On Your Mind
- The Transformational Investment That Will Help Pennsylvania. (Molly Parzen)
- First of All, Do No Harm, Mr. Trump. (David Mills)
- The High Cost of Shapiro’s Energy Agenda. (Rep. Tim O’Neal)
- PA Must Do Its Part to Address Illegal Immigration. (Sen. Jarrett Coleman)
- When Is It Too Soon For Criticism? (Lori Falce)
- Deportation Is Not the Immigration Reform Places Like Erie Need. (Claire Everhart)
1 Thing
5. Grubhub Robots Bring Delivery to Campus
“GrubHub is partnering with Avride, an autonomous robot delivery company, to expand its offerings on college campuses. The pair have launched 100 robots on The Ohio State University’s campus, but have plans to expand further.
The robots can hold a decent amount of food, such as an assortment of pizza and drinks, the company states. They also have customizable LED panels that offer animated designs, such as the college’s colors.” (Engadget)
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