Toomey defends the police after Baltimore, Crowdpac rates the Philly mayoral candidates by ideology and Abraham casts herself as a champion of children in her latest ad. Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz!

PA-Sen: Toomey Delivers Defense of Police: The Senator praised law enforcement in the wake of the events in Baltimore.

PHL-15: Crowdpac Rates Mayoral Candidates on Ideological Spectrum: The new information modeling organization is tackling Philadelphia’s May 19th ballot.

PHL-15: Abraham Touts Her Record in Second TV Ad (VIDEO): The former Philly DA describes her work to allow children to remotely testify against their abusers.

Wecht Releases Second TV Ad After Coveted Post-Gazette Endorsement (VIDEO): Candidate for PA Supreme Court David Wecht touts reform plan in new commercial.

PHL-15: Diaz Releases First TV Ad (VIDEO): With just less than two weeks to go, the Judge is hitting the airwaves.

Helen Gym Earns Endorsement from Philly NOW: The National Organization of Women announces its preferred candidate for Philly City Council.

Statewide
StateImpactPA: Fracking Activist Permanently Barred from Cabot Gas Sites
StateImpactPA: Shell’s Cracker Air Emissions Plan Gets Hearing
StateImpactPA: Fish with Cancerous Tumor Worries State Official
PA Independent: Nurses: Regulations Hamper Health Care Efficiency in PA
PA Independent: PA Lawmakers Vote to Slim their Ranks, but History Says it’s All Talk
PA Independent: PA General Assembly Takes Four Months to Send First Bill to Wolf
Capitol Wire: Two Collective Bargaining Bills Move to House
Capitol Wire: Reed Uses Wolf Tax Plan to Leverage Support for Saylor Property Tax Proposal
Capitol Wire: Comparing the District-by-District Impact of Wolf and House GOP Property Tax Plans
State House Sound Bites: Harrisburg Adds 311 Service
PLSReporter: State and Municipal Pension Reform Plans Could be Tied Together
PLSReporter: VIDEO: Scarnati Discusses Budget, Reducing Size of Legislature

Philadelphia
Inquirer: Nutter: Williams’ talk about dumping Ramsey shows he’s not smart enough to be mayor
Inquirer: L&I teams up with Fire Department to inspect derelict buildings
Philly.com: Adwatch: Diaz releases first ad, targets Kenney and Williams
Daily News: Philly bar kicks 21 candidates to judicial curb
Daily News: Williams: Ramsey’s out if I’m elected
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. House passes long-shot plans to shrink General Assembly
WHYY Newsworks: One year later, carpenters and Convention Center still at odds
WHYY Newsworks: Tame affair at televised Philly mayoral debate
WHYY Newsworks: Contributions limits double in Council race
WHYY Newsworks: A one-man sit-in for pension reform in Harrisburg
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. pension bill to move ahead despite Browne’s absence
WHYY Newsworks: Senate passes plan to open up Pa. public sector labor deals
WHYY Newsworks: Mayoral debate leaves Brewerytown residents unimpressed or unconvinced
WHYY Newsworks: Senate GOP pension changes would hit current, future Pa. public workers

SEPA
Pottstown Mercury: 3 Spring-Ford School Board candidates vie for 2 regions 1 seats
Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County approves union contracts for 475 county works
Bucks County Courier Times: Conwell-Egan boys basketball team honored by state House
Delco Daily Times: House passes legislation hiking 911 phone bill surcharge

Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review: Butler School Board Approves Consolidation Plan, Five Schools to Close
Tribune-Review: Controller Releases Report on Allegheny County Finances
Tribune-Review: Report: Drug Overdoses Kill at Least Seven Pennsylvanians Each Day
Tribune-Review: Pa. Gov. Wolf’s General Tied to $358M Bond Project Winner
Tribune-Review: Pittsburgh Council Favors Security Training Bill, Building Owners Threaten Lawsuit
Tribune-Review: Uber, Pennsylvania Regulators Debate Proposed $19M Fine in Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Republicans Seeks End to Traditional Pa. Pension Plans
Post-Gazette: Pa. Public Utility Commission Continues Pursuit of Trip Data from Uber
Post-Gazette: Winter Figures Are in, and Pa. Leads the Way in Snow Removal Costs
Post-Gazette: City Council Committee OKs Security Training Bill
Post-Gazette: Allegheny County’s Fund Balance Increases, Controller Reports
Post-Gazette: Toomey Sides with Police in Speech
WESA: Senate GOP Pension Plan Would Hit Current, Future Public Employees
WESA: House Passes Long-Shot Plans to Shrink General Assembly
WESA: Sen. Casey: Progress Has Been Made in VA System, But More Needs to Be Done
WESA: Pittsburgh City Council Passes Security Guard Training Requirement; Legal Challenge Likely
WESA: Is It Fair for City Workers to Use Overtime to Spike Their Pensions?
WESA: Pittsburgh’s Rental Property Registry Proposal Faces Uncertain Future

Southwest
Beaver County Times: Nichols: Shell Will Make Decision By End of Year
Beaver County Times: State to Spray Connoquenessing Creek for Black Flies
Beaver County Times: Other Conflict-of-Interest Issues Raised with Beaver County Program
Altoona Mirror: Marriott Plans Move Forward
Altoona Mirror: Central Cambria OKs Preliminary Budget
Altoona Mirror: City Manager Begins Work
Tribune-Democrat: High-Ranking Defense Official to Give Keynote Address at Showcase for Commerce
Tribune-Democrat: State Senate Republicans Seek End to Traditional Pension plans

NEPA
Times-Leader: Study Ranks NEPA Region 3rd Worst in Nation for Small Business Employees
Times-Leader: Is Gov. Wolf’s Proposed Budget Tax Relief or a Tax Shift?
Times-Leader: Fiscal Watchdog Tells Wilkes-Barre Audience State Budget Challenges Will Be Norm
Times-Leader: AG: Debts Owed by Wyoming Valley Businessman Can’t Be Dismissed
Times-Leader: Casey Unveils Report on Legislation to Reform Broken VA System
Times-Tribune: Fee Paid to Kane Special Prosecutor Remains Secret

South Central
Carlisle Sentinel: Bill to Honor of Fallen Big Spring Grad Moves to Senate
Carlisle Sentinel: Shippensburg Borough Council Moves Forward With One-Way Penn Street Plans
Carlisle Sentinel: Warmer Weather Means Road Projects in Full Swing in Cumberland County
Carlisle Sentinel: Iron Forge Project Begins in South Middleton
York Daily Record: Memorial to Break Ground on Replacement Hospital
York Daily Record: Senate GOP Pension Plan Would Hit Current, Future Public Employees
York Daily Record: York County Community Foundation: Ageism, What’s Wrong With These Statements
Harrisburg Patriot-News: Millions Wasted on Government’s Misuse of Natural Gas: Report
Harrisburg Patriot-News: PA Senate Republican Reform Bill Seeks to Dial Back Costly 2001 Public Pension Enhancements
Harrisburg Patriot-News: Cumberland County Commissioners Briefed on Status of Silent Dispatch System
Harrisburg Patriot-News: Barletta, Perry: Strike Proposal to Allow Undocumented Immigrants in Military

Lehigh Valley
Reading Eagle: Gov. Tom Wolf Visits Exeter Township School
Reading Eagle: Hamburg Teachers Approve New Contract
Reading Eagle: PennDOT Takes Steps to Assist Traffic Flow in North Coventry Township
Reading Eagle: Report: Nearly 2,500 Died in Pennsylvania Due to Drug Overdoses in 2014
Morning Call: Fice-Man GOP Race for Lower Macungie Commissioner Seats
Morning Call: Delaware River Basin Commission Wants Joint Review of PennEast Pipeline
Morning Call: Bethlehem Reaches Police Contract Agreement
Morning Call: Poll Shows Most Pennsylvanians Reject Online Gambling

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Salvation Army Building Getting Much-Needed Uplift
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Proposed WASD Budget Gets Approval
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Commissioners to Consider Rental Assistance Funds
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Councilman: Give Codes Staff Access to Police Records System
Erie Times-News: Crawford Commissioner Candidates to Meet Voters Friday

Opinion
Tribune-Review: Thugs Target Kennywood
Post-Gazette: Punitive Ban: Felons Deserve More Access to Health Care Jobs
Erie Times-News: Otters Need to Find Erie Buyer, Pay Taxes
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Burden for Wolf’s Tax Plan Will Hit Almost Everyone
Inquirer: Space invaders
Daily Local News: Wolf’s proposed gas tax cannot ignore the prices

Blogs
Citified: Tony Williams would Fire Chuck Ramsey and Mayor Nutter Thinks that’s Stupid
Citified: New Nelson Diaz Ad Piles on Jim Kenney
Citified: Tony Williams Misses Opportunity to Attack Jim Kenney at Final Debate
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: National Museum of Industrial History has an Executive Director
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Why NorCo Council Needs to Approve Major Pay Raises
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Brown Incorrectly Accuses Barron of Promoting without Council Approval
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Bethlehem’s FOP Endorses Judge Giordano
Commonwealth Foundation: A Transparent Win for Taxpayers
Keystone Crossroads: Senate GOP Pension Changes would Hit Current, Future PA Public Workers
Keystone Crossroads: Which PA School Districts Get the Highest Percentage of Aid from the State?