It’s Special Election Day in PA. Fulton commissioner clarifies statements. Late Luzerne ballots to be accepted. Smear tactics in Harrisburg race. PennDOT plans in Lanco. Here is the Playbook.
PA Weather
Bradford | Partly Sunny, 59
Bellefonte | Mostly Cloudy, 57
Bethlehem | Mostly Cloudy, 58

PA Sports
76ers | tonight at Indiana
Flyers | tonight vs. Columbus
Penguins | tonight vs. Colorado
News

PA Senate Race: GOP Senate Candidates Meet at PLC: The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference (PLC) concluded its two-day run in Camp Hill with a forum for the candidates for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

• Lamb, Kenyatta Hold Senate Debate in Allentown: It was the late singer Meat Loaf who sang, “Two out of three ain’t bad.” That was the best Muhlenberg College could muster on Sunday as two of the three leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate gathered for a debate in Allentown.
• Inquirer: John Fetterman has a big lead in the Pa. Senate primary. Will attacks matter with 6 weeks to go?
• WHYY: What do we know about Pennsylvania Senate candidates’ personal finances?
• Puck News: The Right Stuff: Oz’s Agony, How Elon Ripped Trump, Shapironomics
• Politico: Mehmet Oz goes all in on fracking to woo Pa. voters
• City & State PA: Endorsements in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race keep stacking up.

PA Governor Race: McSwain, Mastriano, Barnette Top PLC Straw Polls: It was a Saturday for some candidates to crow about as the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference concluded its two-day event and released its straw polls.

• Spotlight PA: Pa. election 2022: A guide to the primary race few voters are paying attention to

‘Lawmakers fail to override key element of gov’s climate plan’: The Associated Press reports that “Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature failed Monday in a last-ditch effort to block the centerpiece of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight climate change, a regulation requiring fossil fuel-fired power plants to pay a price for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit.”

‘Pa. to move clemency applications online within a year’: PennLive reports that “the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons is poised to roll out an online system for clemency applications later this year, the board announced Monday – potentially relieving a bottleneck from an antiquated paper-based system which can leave applicants in limbo for years.”

‘Wolf vows special session if Berks lawmaker’s child sexual abuse legislation isn’t passed’: The Reading Eagle reports that “Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday that he will schedule a special legislative session this summer if they fail this spring to pass a bill that gives victims of child sexual abuse the opportunity to sue their abusers in court.”

‘Progressive Caucus PAC backs Summer Lee in Pennsylvania’: The Hill reports that “the political action committee is endorsing state Rep. Summer Lee in the 12th Congressional District, The Hill first reported, offering a boost in the crowded Democratic primary from top lawmakers on the left.”

‘Pa. acid mine drainage cleanup set for boost as Bob Casey, bipartisan lawmakers move to tweak infrastructure law’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “Pennsylvania is on the cusp of receiving an unprecedented amount of federal funding to clean up the dangerous and polluting remnants of past coal mining. Lawmakers from the state want to ensure that a slice of those funds can pay for the long-term costs of keeping abandoned mine drainage from damaging streams.”

‘More parking-protected bike lanes could be built under Pa. House proposal’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “municipalities could consider adding more parking-protected bike lanes under a proposal that would remove a technicality in state law that bars local governments from building the lanes on state-owned roads.”

‘Fulton County commissioner ‘clarifies’ response to Senate committee investigating Pa. elections’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “more than a month after appearing before the Pennsylvania Senate committee that’s investigating past elections, Fulton County Commissioner Stuart Ulsh signed an affidavit to “clarify” statements he made during a September hearing.”

‘After Petition Challenge, Republican Candidate Withdraws Candidacy’: Levittown Now reports that “a Bristol Township resident who was challenging incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick in the spring primary has withdrawn from the race. Caroline Avery, a resident of the township’s West Bristol section, withdrew her candidacy late last week, according to information filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State.”

‘Biden, Rep. Wild among elected officials saying images coming out of Ukraine evidence of war crimes by Russian military’: WFMZ reports that “several U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, now say the horrifying images coming out of the Ukrainian city of Bucha are evidence of war crimes by the Russian military.”

‘Pennsylvania’s broken ‘compassionate release’ law, by the numbers’: Spotlight PA reports that “in Pennsylvania prisons, thousands of people are aging behind bars, suffering from chronic health conditions, and requiring regular medical care that costs taxpayers millions of dollars annually. Republican and Democratic lawmakers agree the state needs a more effective way to release ailing people from prison, but have not come to a consensus.”

‘Chesapeake Bay federal funding bump could be used to boost restoration efforts in Pa., bay advocacy group says’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “two Chesapeake Bay restoration programs are set to see a bump in funding as part of President Joe Biden’s $5.8 trillion 2023 fiscal year budget, which the administration unveiled last week.”

‘State rep’s wife files for divorce’: The Scranton Times-Tribune reports that “the wife of state Rep. Mike Carroll has filed for divorce.”

‘Former Mayor Peduto joins Carnegie Mellon University faculty’: The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that “Peduto will be joining the faculty of the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, the university announced on Monday.”

‘What the 1950 Census says about the Bidens of Scranton, Pa.’: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “after decades of waiting, the U.S. Census Bureau has finally released a treasure trove of information for those anxious to dig into their family history — including the first family.”
Legislative Election Updates

‘The special election to fill out the state House terms for Gainey and Wheatley is today’: WESA reports that “voters in Pittsburgh’s two majority-Black state House districts go to the polls today to fill out the terms of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and one of his key lieutenants. Gainey and his chief of staff Jake Wheatley had represented state House districts, 19 and 24. Both seats became vacant when the men took their city posts, and today voters will decide who fills them until the end of this year.”

‘Special election in 116th Legislative District on Tuesday, April 5’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that “the special election in the 116th Legislative District will be held Tuesday, April 5, to fill the unexpired term of former State Rep. Tarah Toohill, who is now a judge in Luzerne County.”

‘Late ballots will be accepted from Luzerne County special election voters impacted by state glitch’: The Wikes-Barre Times Leader reports that “Luzerne County’s Election Board will be permitted to count approximately 305 mail ballots if they arrive after Tuesday’s special election for state representative in the 116th Legislative District because the impacted voters received the ballots late “through no fault of their own,” a county judge ruled Monday.”

‘County Councilman withdraws from state Rep. race’: WJET reports that “Erie County Councilman Andre Horton is withdrawing from the state Representative race.”

‘Central Pa. state House candidate battles fake tweets, online smear tactics’: PennLive reports that “state House candidate David Buell said Monday that someone impersonated him in racially tinged tweets and also set up websites intended to hurt his campaign.”

Regional Spotlight: Central
PennLive: School districts grapple with likely end to universal free meals 
PennLive: Central Pa. activists recognize Trans Day of Visibility, argue for instatement of nondiscrimination ordinance 
PennLive: Harrisburg getting help to fight homicides after 6 people killed while in the wrong place at the wrong time
York Daily Record: USA TODAY’s Women of the Year: Dr. Ala Stanford tackles disparities brought to light by COVID
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster city and county redevelopment authority seek affordable housing proposals 
LNP | LancasterOnline: PennDOT 2022 construction season includes at least $71M in road, bridge improvements in Lancaster County; here’s the list of 30 projects 
LNP | LancasterOnline: ‘Smart growth’ conference looks ahead to Lancaster County in 20 years
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster County commissioners to seek manager of new jail project

Opinion  
Judy Ward: The rush to legalize recreational marijuana ignores public health and safety concerns
Rob Matzie and Kevin Boyle: Let’s help Ukrainians transition to security in Pa.
Paul Muschick: Lehigh County DA investigating if people delivered multiple mail ballots at Allentown dropbox
Robert F. Powelson: Our water is becoming privatized. That’s a good thing. 
John L. Micek: More money, more problems? Pa. tax collections shot up in March | Monday Morning Coffee
Inquirer Editorial Board: Philadelphians have been waiting nearly 3 years for unarmed traffic enforcement. That’s too long.
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Rural hospitals are in major trouble, and staffing minimums may not help
Tony Norman: Yesterday, a child was murdered …
Dick Polman: How much more evidence does Merrick Garland need to indict Trump? 
Natalie Pompilio: 5 times ‘Abbott Elementary’ spotlighted Philly’s broken schools — and how teachers want to fix it 
Inga Saffron: The stingy renovation of the Inquirer building is a crime against both police and the public