A preview of Hillary vs. Bernie, DePasquale endorses Shapiro and we review the lengthy budget battle. Good morning politicos, here’s the Playbook!
Map: What A Hillary vs. Bernie Contest in PA Could Look Like: The New York Times predicts how Pennsylvania might vote in the April 26th primary.
DePasquale Endorses Shapiro for AG: The Auditor General leads the latest list of backers of Josh Shapiro’s campaign.
PA-8: Naughton Ready to Be A Do-Something Politician: We talk with PA-8 Democratic Congressional candidate Shaughnessy Naughton.
Clarke Goes to Bat for Shapiro in New TV Ad (VIDEO): The Philly Council President advocates for Shapiro’s Attorney General campaign in a new TV spot.
2015-16: The Year of the Budget Battle: A look back at what led up to the budget that almost wasn’t.
PA-2: Evans Releases First TV Ad (VIDEO): The State Rep. and Democratic Congressional candidate is hitting the airwaves.
Today is PA’s Voter Registration Deadline: You must register today if you’d like to vote in the April 26th primary.
Legislative Elections Update
HD-158: Leonard Rivera has abandoned his effort to take on State Rep. Chris Ross.
The 158th district is part of Chester County.
Statewide
PLSReporter: Governor’s Fiscal Code veto draws mixed reaction
StateImpactPA: Huntingdon County landowners brace for tree cutting along pipeline route
StateImpactPA: Groups stitch together massive anti-pipeline quilt
State House Sound Bites: For Medical Marijuana Bill, An Unexpected Lull
Philadelphia
Inquirer: Will racial infighting impact the second congressional district race
Inquirer: School funding, borrowing trigger Wolf veto of spending bill
Inquirer: At least 180k join GOP as Pa. primary nears
WHYY Newsworks: Bullying and bemusement: Tackling modern politics in the modern classroom
WHYY Newsworks: In Pennsylvania, online registration a boon to young voters
WHYY Newsworks: For Pa. medical marijuana bill, an unexpected lull
Philadelphia Business Journal: Philadelphia gets nearly $3M in federal funding for pedestrians, bicycles
Philadelphia Business Journal: Expect a big tax hike – or a big tax cut – depending on who’s president
SEPA
Pottstown Mercury: Union supervisors hear Schuylkill River Trail pedestrian bridge options
Pottstown Mercury: Wolf vetoes fiscal code bill related to Pa. budget
Bucks County Courier Times: Blame Trump? Ahead of primary, more Bucks. Montgomery voters switch from “D” to “R”
Delco Daily Times: Marple planners oppose plan for new adult community
Bucks Local News: Newtown Township wants a piece of Philadelphia’s wage pie
Daily Local News: Rivera quits 158th campaign
Pittsburgh
Tribune Review: Pittsburgh fiscal overseer reorganizes, embraces spending rules
WESA: For Medical Marijuana Bill, An Unexpected Lull
WESA: As Impasse Ends, Democrats Are A Frustrated Minority
Pittsburgh Business Times: What politicians, small business and mice have in common
Post-Gazette: Wolf vetoes fiscal code bill related to Pennsylvania budget
Southwest
Beaver County Times: Glovier bringing fiscally conservative message to 10th Legislative District race
Beaver County Times: Rossi stresses Democratic roots in 15th Legislative District primary
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Analysis | Ratings agencies see much to dislike in Pa. budget
NEPA
Times Leader: Luzerne County Republicans continue to increase in number
Times Leader: Tony George denies accusations of retaliation against Wilkes-Barre police union
Pocono Record: Monroe County Republican Committee Chairman leaves position
Citizens Voice: NEPA legislators’ endorsements of Trump make USA Today
South Central
Lebanon Daily News: 101st Pa. House District candidates to debate
Patriot-News: Abortion foes sue Harrisburg, claim city violates their free speech rights
Patriot-News: Legalizing marijuana for recreational use OK with GOP state Senate candidate
Patriot-News: Hillary Clinton’s campaign is opening a Harrisburg office
Patriot-News: PennDOT awards contract that could lead to more natural gas fueling station and vehicles in Pennsylvania
Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: City Council debates ban on swimming in creeks that run through Bethlehem parks
Morning Call: Committee recommends Lehigh County keep Cedarbrook near its current size
Morning Call: Pat Toomey waiting to back another Republican presidential candidate
Reading Eagle: Medical marijuana bill poses dilemma for supporters
North by Northwest
Centre Daily News: Budget passed, but fight not over for Wolf, legislators
Centre Daily News: Goodwill Industries seeks Centre Region municipal partnerships
Go Erie: Partnership to build compressed natural gas fueling stations
Opinion
Daily News: Why change doesn’t register in Pa.
Inquirer: In closed primaries, Trump is a tougher sell
Inquirer: For patients seeking marijuana, progress and barriers
Times Leader: Our Opinion: Electronics recycling law in Pennsylvania requires retuning
LancasterOnline: Toomey’s seat could be a ‘toss up’ if Trump is nominated
Patriot-News: Five men. Five fatal shootings. Three months. Harrisburg has had more than enough
Patriot-News: Are Americans paying more attention to the election? Yes. But are they psyched about voting? No
Post-Gazette: Secret defense: Kane should deliver her trial argument in public
Blogs
Keystone Crossroads: Bucks County group tabs unused church space to shelter homeless
Citified: City Council Holds Marathon Hearing on Youth Gun Violence
2 Political Junkies: DoD Directive On Climate Change
PA Budget & Policy Center: Gov. Wolf Should Veto Hidden Tax Increase That Could Hike Water Rates by Hundreds of Millions
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7 Responses
The judicial system cannot be cleaned up without a purge of all of Godfather Zappala’s cronies that he appointed while on the Supreme Court (including his ‘tenure’ with Cappy and Castile). During the “Cash for Kids” whitewash committee hearings, one of his minions on the Conduct Board threatened to take the Fifth, then eventually stopped ‘cooperating’ altogether, and this with a friendly forum. If we elect another Zappala to statewide office, we can expect more of the same. Meanwhile, the mob still controls the turnpike commission with their appointees. Look at what a good job they did during the storm.
Dear PoliticsPA staff,
In the wake of Eakin’s high-profile resignation and the continued employment of Frank Fina as a prosecutor, perhaps you want to write about this:
“Senator Williams calls for new ethics legislation for state judges”
Posted: Friday, March 25, 2016 12:00 am
Damon C. Williams Tribune Staff Writer
Looks like some folks in Harrisburg are not willing to let these creeps get away with being profane bigots and then rigging the system so they can get away with it. Hardy Williams gets it. And he is taking action. I agree with Sen. Williams that “Pennsylvania cannot continue to have a system that allows — and shields — its jurists and prosecutors from punishment for unethical behavior.”
Right now – Philadelphia DA Seth Williams is shielding prosecutors Frank Fina and Marc Costanzo and their unethical behavior. Chief Justice Castille stated that the “porn-gate” e-mails were criminal. Regardless whether we agree, they certainly were profane, disturbing and inappropriate. They most definitely exposed Fina as a racist and a woman-hater. And the fact that Fina used his Government computer calls into question his ethics and judgment even more. Now we have the Superior Court calling his conduct in the Penn State case “highly improper.”
Here’s the article:
http://www.phillytrib.com/news/williams-calls-for-new-ethics-legislation-for-state-judges/article_86313443-b97e-5b67-bc93-d1cb1c2ab640.html
@Chappy: Sad news, but old news.
Don’t cry, Chappy!! Everything will be OK!!
Isn’t it amazing how no one is asking the question WHY Josh has so much money immediately after running in a county-wide election? Shouldn’t his campaign coffers be empty or at least depleted? Somehow, he never had to touch those funds.
Oh, wait, that’s right: The MCRC Chairman made sure his good friend Shapiro didn’t have a tough fight and that the party was too busy fighting with each other instead of the Democrats, so Shapiro could waltz to re-election and save his war chest for the AG’s race. When Vereb inevitably switches parties, he won’t say it’s because of the sweet sweet hack job he’s been offered, he will say it’s because “the party left him.” He’s already laying that groundwork.
Inquirer Editorial slamming Eakin and a System that allows him to escape accountability. It is so ironic that these men who for decades held others accountable (as prosecutors and judges) are never apt to take personal responsibility for their own mis-deeds.
Pennsylvania’s Court of Judicial Discipline noted last week that the profane and bigoted emails that finally forced state Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin to resign were marked by “arrogance and the belief that an individual is better than his or her peers.”
Eakin’s e-mails were nowhere near as profane and bigoted as prosecutor Frank Fina’s. But yet, he is still dodging accountability. Seth Williams is not only refusing to fire Fina (who is hooking Seth up with his Corbett Republican buddies in Harrisburg), but Seth is also demoting good prosecutors who suggested that firing Fina it would be the right thing to do.
The Inquirer Editorial Board gets it right:
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160329_Inquirer_editorial__Ex-Justice_Eakin_dodges_accountability_to_the_end.html
I am really getting annoyed that Shapiro has all the $$$ and all the momentum.