Hartman enters the race to challenge Smucker again, blue slips come to the front of the Senate, G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young’s latest Politically Uncorrected, and a new reader poll.  Good morning politicos, here’s the Playbook!

Politically Uncorrected: Questions The Courts Need to Ask: If the courts want to put an end to political gerrymandering, they will have to become involved in the one field they have traditionally avoided, politics.

Reader Poll: Who is The Most Vulnerable Congressman in the 2018 General Election?: Candidates are coming forward across the state looking to challenge incumbent Congressmen in the 2018 general election, so we want to know who is the most vulnerable.

Hartman Enters Race to Challenge Smucker: Democrat Christina Hartman is jumping into the race to challenge Congressman Lloyd Smucker next year.

Blue Slips Become Issue in Senate: The White House, RNC, and PA GOP are taking issue with Senators withholding blue slips preventing federal appeals court nominees from moving forward in the Senate. One of the Senators withholding a blue slip is Senator Bob Casey.

Statewide
State House Sound Bites: For the second year running, PA passes an unbalanced budget
PLS Reporter: Legislature leaves town with revenue package unfinished
PLS Reporter: VIDEO: Two new senate bills seek to ensure transparency in the collective bargaining process
PLS Reporter: Pittsburgh Councilman calling on Wolf administration to help new homeowners pay off student debt

Capitolwire: Capitolwire: Lawmakers leave with budget package unfinished.
Capitolwire: Capitolwire: House narrowly approves human services code, delays vote on others.

Philadelphia
Philly Voice: Michelle Obama to speak at Philly’s Pennsylvania Conference for Women
Philly Voice: Emails: Trump Jr. was told Russian government had dirt on Clinton
Philadelphia Business Journal: How dwindling Pa. tourism budget affects Philadelphia
Philadelphia Business Journal: Sen. Casey among Dems targeted for withholding ‘blue slips’
WHYY Newsworks: For the second year in a row, Pennsylvania passes an unbalanced budget
Philadelphia Magazine: Pa. House Passes Last-Minute Bill That Would Drastically Change Medicaid
Philadelphia Magazine: Chesco Township Accuses Sunoco of Violating Construction Agreement
Philadelphia Magazine: Pa. House Passes Last-Minute Bill That Would Drastically Change Medicaid
Inquirer: Wolf allows $32B Pa. budget to lapse into law
Inquirer: In Pa. Capitol, it’s all about avoiding a stalemate
Inquirer: Analysis: A revelation unlike any other in the Russia investigation
Inquirer: CBS3 news director out after short run in charge
Inquirer: Rough day for ‘Chip’ Fattah in return to court
Inquirer: Former administrator files bias case against Philly School District

SEPA
Bucks County Courier Times: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick adds amendments to defense spending bill
Bucks County Courier Times: Jacqueline Redner replaces Gary Sanderson as Pennsbury school board president
Delco Times: Sunoco responds after contaminating drinking water wells
West Chester Daily Local: West Goshen fights Sunoco on construction of Mariner East 2 pipeline
West Chester Daily Local: Christina Hartman announces candidacy for Pa.’s 16th Congressional District

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Gov. Tom Wolf to let Pennsylvania’s state budget become law without full funding
Post-Gazette: Consultant recommendations for struggling state university system due out Wednesday
Post-Gazette: Last-minute changes would add Medicaid work requirement as part of Pa. budget
Post-Gazette: ‘We can regroup and put it back together’: Lawmakers head home without funding Pennsylvania’s state budget
WESA: Peduto Blames Harrisburg For Delay Of Lead-Related Bills In City Council
WESA: Weekly Toomey Protests Could Give Democrats A Boost In 2018
WESA: Suburban PA Congressional Districts Could Be Battlegrounds Next Year
WESA: For The Second Year In A Row, Pennsylvania Passes An Unbalanced Budget
WESA: PA County Commissioners Get White House Invitation, But Don’t Know Why Or Who They’ll Meet
KDKA: Officials: Pension Dollars Invested In Medical Marijuana Project Without Their Knowledge
KDKA: Lawmakers Want To Make It Easier For Those With Criminal Records To Find Work
KDKA: Unbalanced Pa. State Budget Bill Becomes Law
Tribune Review: Pennsylvania Republicans push controversial work requirements for Medicaid
Tribune Review: Pouches to help rid some Pennsylvania counties of unused pain pills
WTAE: Wolf lets unbalanced budget become law in Pennsylvania, amid fight over how to fund it

Southwest
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: $32 billion state budget becomes law with Wolf’s signature
Observer-Reporter: Emails: Trump Jr. embraced help said to be from Kremlin
Beaver County Times: Attorney General Shapiro giving drug deactivation pouches to pharmacies
Beaver County Times: Beaver Borough Council adopts ordinance to restrict alcohol sales, production

NEPA
Times Leader: Audit: Luzerne County again reduces general fund deficit
Times Leader: Union boss: Dallas teachers gave board options to make up days
Times Leader: Wilkes-Barre’s IT improvements on agenda for council meeting
Times-Tribune: Community meeting scheduled over concerns of park’s drug paraphernalia
Standard-Speaker: Feds give Rural Health $1.5M

South Central
WGAL: Sen. Toomey comments on Trump meeting with Putin
York Dispatch: Casey, Toomey: Trump Jr. meeting with Russian lawyer ‘inappropriate’
Patriot News: With budget talks at a stalemate, lawmakers sent home until deal is reached
Patriot News: School code bill awaiting action combats lunch shaming, ends seniority-based furloughs and more
Patriot News: Inspector general bill to be signed by governor
Patriot News: Bipartisan pressure growing in Pa. House for a vote on a shale tax bill
LNP: Budget woes threaten Pennsylvania’s credit rating

Lehigh Valley
WFMZ: Pennsylvania budget becomes law with no plan to pay for it
WFMZ: Capitol goes quiet after unbalanced budget bill becomes law
Morning Call: Pa. Legislature settles into stalemate over budget
Reading Eagle: Talks at a stalemate over Pennsylvania’s unbalanced budget
Reading Eagle: Senate bill would protect highway workers in construction zones
Morning Call: Draft report on future of 14 state-owned universities expected Wednesday

North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: Erie County to get drug deactivation, disposable pouches from state
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction looking costly for South Side
Centre Daily Times: New GOP health bill likely keeping Obama tax boosts on rich

Opinion
Tribune Review: Pa.’s fractured fairy tale: The Budget Grim
Tribune Review: Another voting red flag
WHYY Newsworks: Junior Trump’s collusion confession
Inquirer: Public loses if ‘competing’ casinos can have same principal owners
Inquirer: Ethics chief can’t be patsy
Inquirer: Baer: Harrisburg’s pure political wind
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Gov. Tom Wolf favors electoral integrity
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Amid budget woes, consider myth of education funding
Patriot News: These are the healthcare changes we need: Opinion
Patriot News: It’s on Republicans to put Pa. back in black: Opinion
Patriot News: Appellate court made the right call — Recording cops in public is a 1st Amendment right: Editorial
LNP: Don’t expect much more than a status quo budget from the Legislature