July 27: Time Running Short
Action Needed Soon On ‘24 Primary Date. Mackenzie Announces For PA-07. Why Trump Is Coming To Erie? Sandwich Heaven. Here is the PoliticsPA Playbook
Action Needed Soon On ‘24 Primary Date. Mackenzie Announces For PA-07. Why Trump Is Coming To Erie? Sandwich Heaven. Here is the PoliticsPA Playbook
Sixth-term state rep faces two primary challengers for GOP nomination
Expresses concern over limited time for counties to adequately prepare
100-page appeal of Commonwealth Court’s conclusion of no misbehavior in office by Philly DA
Freedom Caucus At Crossroads? No Budget, No Pay? Gainey Nomination Left Behind. Move Like Jagger. Here is the PoliticsPA Playbook
PAC endorses six candidates for office in Keystone State
Cooper proposes legislators’ pay delay if budget is not enacted
Bidenomics A Tough Sell In Philly. Ward Speaks Out. PA and Hydrogen Hubs. Affirmative Action For The 1%? Here is the PoliticsPA Playbook
“Time for our leaders to work together to comply with the court’s ruling and fulfill their duty”
Senate President Pro Tempore says budget impasse could be solved in August
🥵 Welcome Thursday. Stay cool out there.
PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 90
Harrisburg | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (55-47) | Baltimore 6-4 | Fri-Sun vs. Pittsburgh
⚾ Pirates (45-57) | San Diego 3-2 | Fri-Sun vs. Philadelphia
⚽ USWNT | Netherlands 1-1 | Tue vs. Portugal
⚽ Union | Querétaro 5-1
What We’re Hearing
“You still see Trump signs everywhere in Pennsylvania, and you have to respect Trump’s strength.” – Sen. John Fetterman
Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, one of the best blocking linemen in Bald Eagle Area football history.
Not Just Another Email
Get your political news emailed to you at the start of every day. Sign up for your free subscription to the PoliticsPA Playbook.
In a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that time was of the essence if hopes of moving the date of Pennsylvania’s 2024 presidential primary were to be realized.
“I strongly urge that any legislation moving the date of the primary be passed by the General Assembly as soon as possible. Given that you have not scheduled the Senate to return to session until September 18, meaning any legislative action on this topic is at minimum two months away, I am deeply concerned we will not give county election officials the time they need to adjust thousands of polling locations to accommodate a new, earlier Primary date.” (PoliticsPA)
Related
The PA Budget Fight Threatens The Chances For A Smooth Change In PA’s 2024 Primary Date, Official Says. “Pennsylvania’s top elections official said Wednesday that he is “deeply concerned” counties won’t have enough time to adjust thousands of polling locations for the 2024 presidential primary election if lawmakers wait too long to change the date.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A Very Narrow Electoral College Playing Field. “This has been an incredibly volatile 15 years of politics, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the results of the Electoral College. From 2008 until the 2020 election, only 10 states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (plus two swing single-vote districts NE-02 and ME-02) — have voted for both Democratic and Republican nominees.” (Cook Political Report)
Senate Republican Grill Mehalchick Over Sandusky Case Ruling. “U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans repeatedly questioned federal judge nominee Karoline Mehalchick’s decision to overturn a high-profile Penn State University sexual abuse case conviction four years ago during her confirmation hearing Wednesday.” (Times-Tribune)
What’s On Fetterman’s Mind. “Sen. John Fetterman hosted a group of reporters in his office on Tuesday to chat about politics and his home state of Pennsylvania.” (POLITICO)
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh) announced that he is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 7th Congressional District.
The 40-year-old Mackenzie, who has represented the Lehigh Valley in Harrisburg since 2012, also announced that he will not stand for reelection to the state House in the 187th District. (PoliticsPA)
Related
House Impeachment Managers File Appeal In Krasner Case. Rep. Craig Williams, chairman of the House impeachment managers, today announced that the House managers in the impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner have filed their 100-page appeal in the state Supreme Court. (PoliticsPA)
Legislation Sets Path For Recreational Marijuana In PA. “A bill sponsored by Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, would legalize marijuana, but for Laughlin, marijuana has been effectively legal since medical marijuana was legalized in 2015.” (WESA)
Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus Calls For Libraries To Leave The American Library Association. “Last week, the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus called on all libraries in the state to end their affiliations with the association, because (president Emily) Drabinski has referred to herself as a Marxist.” (WESA)
Report Urges Governments To ‘Go Electric’ With Their Vehicle Fleets; PA Needs A Jump Start. “State and local governments could save Pennsylvania taxpayers as much as $361 million over 10 years by replacing their light-duty vehicles with electric models, according to a recent study.” (PennLive)
“(Donald) Trump and other politicians hoping to win the state’s vote would be wise to remember the commonwealth’s lone Great Lakes community. Erie is a battleground county in a battleground state, its results often reflective of Pennsylvania as a whole.”
“The county can be predictive and we’ve seen that through multiple, multiple elections,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
“It almost exactly nailed the last election. It was pretty much spot on.” (Erie Times-News)
Related
Why John Fetterman Believes Donald Trump Would Be ‘Formidable’ In 2024. “The Democratic senator said people should “respect Trump’s strength” in Pennsylvania, citing his continued popularity in the battleground state.” (HuffPost)
Many PA State Retirees Say They Can’t Afford Inflation On Their Stagnant Pensions. “Enrollees in Pennsylvania’s two public sector pension funds — the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) — haven’t seen a cost of living adjustment, or COLA, since 2004.” (Spotlight PA)
Report Outlines The Cost Of Climate Change On PA Communities, Taxpayers. “Conducted by The Center for Climate Integrity, Resilient Analytics, and Scioto Analysis, the report, found that climate change adaptations will cost municipalities and taxpayers more than $15 billion by 2040.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Pittsburgh Nonprofits, Still Reeling From The Pandemic, Face Uncertainty As PA Budget Impasse Continues. “Organizations serving the community’s most vulnerable are confronting questions about how to continue their operations if they lose consistent funding from the state.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A New Enforcement Office Under Mayor Ed Gainey Is One Step Closer To Approval. “Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to Mayor Ed Gainey’s proposed new Office of Equal Protection, which the administration has said would help enforce civil rights and labor laws.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Pitt Raises Tuition By 2% For PA Undergraduates While Freezing Rate At Regional Campuses. “The increase will bring the in-state undergraduate rate for most majors at its main Oakland campus to $20,155 for the 2023-24 academic year. That is up from last year’s $19,760 rate for most of its students.” (PennLive)
“Hundreds of hungry fairgoers lined up at the North Hall of the Lebanon Expo Center Tuesday night to get their slice of the 150-foot Lebanon bologna sandwich, proclaimed by event organizer Visit Lebanon Valley as the world’s largest Lebanon bologna sandwich.
Some 1,200 slices of Seltzer’s bologna and 600 slices of provolone cheese from Country View Grocery store were put together as four slices of bologna, one slice of cheese, then another four slices of bologna between 200 pounds of freshly baked French bread from Lebanon County Career and Technology Center’s pastry arts program.” (Lebanon Daily News)
Thanks for starting your Monday with us.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
Please invite your colleagues
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook
🥵 Welcome Thursday. Stay cool out there.
PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 90
Harrisburg | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (55-47) | Baltimore 6-4 | Fri-Sun vs. Pittsburgh
⚾ Pirates (45-57) | San Diego 3-2 | Fri-Sun vs. Philadelphia
⚽ USWNT | Netherlands 1-1 | Tue vs. Portugal
⚽ Union | Querétaro 5-1
What We’re Hearing
“You still see Trump signs everywhere in Pennsylvania, and you have to respect Trump’s strength.” – Sen. John Fetterman
Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, one of the best blocking linemen in Bald Eagle Area football history.
Not Just Another Email
Get your political news emailed to you at the start of every day. Sign up for your free subscription to the PoliticsPA Playbook.
In a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that time was of the essence if hopes of moving the date of Pennsylvania’s 2024 presidential primary were to be realized.
“I strongly urge that any legislation moving the date of the primary be passed by the General Assembly as soon as possible. Given that you have not scheduled the Senate to return to session until September 18, meaning any legislative action on this topic is at minimum two months away, I am deeply concerned we will not give county election officials the time they need to adjust thousands of polling locations to accommodate a new, earlier Primary date.” (PoliticsPA)
Related
The PA Budget Fight Threatens The Chances For A Smooth Change In PA’s 2024 Primary Date, Official Says. “Pennsylvania’s top elections official said Wednesday that he is “deeply concerned” counties won’t have enough time to adjust thousands of polling locations for the 2024 presidential primary election if lawmakers wait too long to change the date.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A Very Narrow Electoral College Playing Field. “This has been an incredibly volatile 15 years of politics, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the results of the Electoral College. From 2008 until the 2020 election, only 10 states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (plus two swing single-vote districts NE-02 and ME-02) — have voted for both Democratic and Republican nominees.” (Cook Political Report)
Senate Republican Grill Mehalchick Over Sandusky Case Ruling. “U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans repeatedly questioned federal judge nominee Karoline Mehalchick’s decision to overturn a high-profile Penn State University sexual abuse case conviction four years ago during her confirmation hearing Wednesday.” (Times-Tribune)
What’s On Fetterman’s Mind. “Sen. John Fetterman hosted a group of reporters in his office on Tuesday to chat about politics and his home state of Pennsylvania.” (POLITICO)
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh) announced that he is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 7th Congressional District.
The 40-year-old Mackenzie, who has represented the Lehigh Valley in Harrisburg since 2012, also announced that he will not stand for reelection to the state House in the 187th District. (PoliticsPA)
Related
House Impeachment Managers File Appeal In Krasner Case. Rep. Craig Williams, chairman of the House impeachment managers, today announced that the House managers in the impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner have filed their 100-page appeal in the state Supreme Court. (PoliticsPA)
Legislation Sets Path For Recreational Marijuana In PA. “A bill sponsored by Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, would legalize marijuana, but for Laughlin, marijuana has been effectively legal since medical marijuana was legalized in 2015.” (WESA)
Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus Calls For Libraries To Leave The American Library Association. “Last week, the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus called on all libraries in the state to end their affiliations with the association, because (president Emily) Drabinski has referred to herself as a Marxist.” (WESA)
Report Urges Governments To ‘Go Electric’ With Their Vehicle Fleets; PA Needs A Jump Start. “State and local governments could save Pennsylvania taxpayers as much as $361 million over 10 years by replacing their light-duty vehicles with electric models, according to a recent study.” (PennLive)
“(Donald) Trump and other politicians hoping to win the state’s vote would be wise to remember the commonwealth’s lone Great Lakes community. Erie is a battleground county in a battleground state, its results often reflective of Pennsylvania as a whole.”
“The county can be predictive and we’ve seen that through multiple, multiple elections,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
“It almost exactly nailed the last election. It was pretty much spot on.” (Erie Times-News)
Related
Why John Fetterman Believes Donald Trump Would Be ‘Formidable’ In 2024. “The Democratic senator said people should “respect Trump’s strength” in Pennsylvania, citing his continued popularity in the battleground state.” (HuffPost)
Many PA State Retirees Say They Can’t Afford Inflation On Their Stagnant Pensions. “Enrollees in Pennsylvania’s two public sector pension funds — the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) — haven’t seen a cost of living adjustment, or COLA, since 2004.” (Spotlight PA)
Report Outlines The Cost Of Climate Change On PA Communities, Taxpayers. “Conducted by The Center for Climate Integrity, Resilient Analytics, and Scioto Analysis, the report, found that climate change adaptations will cost municipalities and taxpayers more than $15 billion by 2040.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Pittsburgh Nonprofits, Still Reeling From The Pandemic, Face Uncertainty As PA Budget Impasse Continues. “Organizations serving the community’s most vulnerable are confronting questions about how to continue their operations if they lose consistent funding from the state.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A New Enforcement Office Under Mayor Ed Gainey Is One Step Closer To Approval. “Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to Mayor Ed Gainey’s proposed new Office of Equal Protection, which the administration has said would help enforce civil rights and labor laws.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Pitt Raises Tuition By 2% For PA Undergraduates While Freezing Rate At Regional Campuses. “The increase will bring the in-state undergraduate rate for most majors at its main Oakland campus to $20,155 for the 2023-24 academic year. That is up from last year’s $19,760 rate for most of its students.” (PennLive)
“Hundreds of hungry fairgoers lined up at the North Hall of the Lebanon Expo Center Tuesday night to get their slice of the 150-foot Lebanon bologna sandwich, proclaimed by event organizer Visit Lebanon Valley as the world’s largest Lebanon bologna sandwich.
Some 1,200 slices of Seltzer’s bologna and 600 slices of provolone cheese from Country View Grocery store were put together as four slices of bologna, one slice of cheese, then another four slices of bologna between 200 pounds of freshly baked French bread from Lebanon County Career and Technology Center’s pastry arts program.” (Lebanon Daily News)
Thanks for starting your Monday with us.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
Please invite your colleagues
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook
🥵 Welcome Thursday. Stay cool out there.
PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 90
Harrisburg | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (55-47) | Baltimore 6-4 | Fri-Sun vs. Pittsburgh
⚾ Pirates (45-57) | San Diego 3-2 | Fri-Sun vs. Philadelphia
⚽ USWNT | Netherlands 1-1 | Tue vs. Portugal
⚽ Union | Querétaro 5-1
What We’re Hearing
“You still see Trump signs everywhere in Pennsylvania, and you have to respect Trump’s strength.” – Sen. John Fetterman
Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, one of the best blocking linemen in Bald Eagle Area football history.
Not Just Another Email
Get your political news emailed to you at the start of every day. Sign up for your free subscription to the PoliticsPA Playbook.
In a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that time was of the essence if hopes of moving the date of Pennsylvania’s 2024 presidential primary were to be realized.
“I strongly urge that any legislation moving the date of the primary be passed by the General Assembly as soon as possible. Given that you have not scheduled the Senate to return to session until September 18, meaning any legislative action on this topic is at minimum two months away, I am deeply concerned we will not give county election officials the time they need to adjust thousands of polling locations to accommodate a new, earlier Primary date.” (PoliticsPA)
Related
The PA Budget Fight Threatens The Chances For A Smooth Change In PA’s 2024 Primary Date, Official Says. “Pennsylvania’s top elections official said Wednesday that he is “deeply concerned” counties won’t have enough time to adjust thousands of polling locations for the 2024 presidential primary election if lawmakers wait too long to change the date.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A Very Narrow Electoral College Playing Field. “This has been an incredibly volatile 15 years of politics, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the results of the Electoral College. From 2008 until the 2020 election, only 10 states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (plus two swing single-vote districts NE-02 and ME-02) — have voted for both Democratic and Republican nominees.” (Cook Political Report)
Senate Republican Grill Mehalchick Over Sandusky Case Ruling. “U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans repeatedly questioned federal judge nominee Karoline Mehalchick’s decision to overturn a high-profile Penn State University sexual abuse case conviction four years ago during her confirmation hearing Wednesday.” (Times-Tribune)
What’s On Fetterman’s Mind. “Sen. John Fetterman hosted a group of reporters in his office on Tuesday to chat about politics and his home state of Pennsylvania.” (POLITICO)
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh) announced that he is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 7th Congressional District.
The 40-year-old Mackenzie, who has represented the Lehigh Valley in Harrisburg since 2012, also announced that he will not stand for reelection to the state House in the 187th District. (PoliticsPA)
Related
House Impeachment Managers File Appeal In Krasner Case. Rep. Craig Williams, chairman of the House impeachment managers, today announced that the House managers in the impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner have filed their 100-page appeal in the state Supreme Court. (PoliticsPA)
Legislation Sets Path For Recreational Marijuana In PA. “A bill sponsored by Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, would legalize marijuana, but for Laughlin, marijuana has been effectively legal since medical marijuana was legalized in 2015.” (WESA)
Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus Calls For Libraries To Leave The American Library Association. “Last week, the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus called on all libraries in the state to end their affiliations with the association, because (president Emily) Drabinski has referred to herself as a Marxist.” (WESA)
Report Urges Governments To ‘Go Electric’ With Their Vehicle Fleets; PA Needs A Jump Start. “State and local governments could save Pennsylvania taxpayers as much as $361 million over 10 years by replacing their light-duty vehicles with electric models, according to a recent study.” (PennLive)
“(Donald) Trump and other politicians hoping to win the state’s vote would be wise to remember the commonwealth’s lone Great Lakes community. Erie is a battleground county in a battleground state, its results often reflective of Pennsylvania as a whole.”
“The county can be predictive and we’ve seen that through multiple, multiple elections,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
“It almost exactly nailed the last election. It was pretty much spot on.” (Erie Times-News)
Related
Why John Fetterman Believes Donald Trump Would Be ‘Formidable’ In 2024. “The Democratic senator said people should “respect Trump’s strength” in Pennsylvania, citing his continued popularity in the battleground state.” (HuffPost)
Many PA State Retirees Say They Can’t Afford Inflation On Their Stagnant Pensions. “Enrollees in Pennsylvania’s two public sector pension funds — the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) — haven’t seen a cost of living adjustment, or COLA, since 2004.” (Spotlight PA)
Report Outlines The Cost Of Climate Change On PA Communities, Taxpayers. “Conducted by The Center for Climate Integrity, Resilient Analytics, and Scioto Analysis, the report, found that climate change adaptations will cost municipalities and taxpayers more than $15 billion by 2040.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Pittsburgh Nonprofits, Still Reeling From The Pandemic, Face Uncertainty As PA Budget Impasse Continues. “Organizations serving the community’s most vulnerable are confronting questions about how to continue their operations if they lose consistent funding from the state.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A New Enforcement Office Under Mayor Ed Gainey Is One Step Closer To Approval. “Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to Mayor Ed Gainey’s proposed new Office of Equal Protection, which the administration has said would help enforce civil rights and labor laws.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Pitt Raises Tuition By 2% For PA Undergraduates While Freezing Rate At Regional Campuses. “The increase will bring the in-state undergraduate rate for most majors at its main Oakland campus to $20,155 for the 2023-24 academic year. That is up from last year’s $19,760 rate for most of its students.” (PennLive)
“Hundreds of hungry fairgoers lined up at the North Hall of the Lebanon Expo Center Tuesday night to get their slice of the 150-foot Lebanon bologna sandwich, proclaimed by event organizer Visit Lebanon Valley as the world’s largest Lebanon bologna sandwich.
Some 1,200 slices of Seltzer’s bologna and 600 slices of provolone cheese from Country View Grocery store were put together as four slices of bologna, one slice of cheese, then another four slices of bologna between 200 pounds of freshly baked French bread from Lebanon County Career and Technology Center’s pastry arts program.” (Lebanon Daily News)
Thanks for starting your Monday with us.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
Please invite your colleagues
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook
🥵 Welcome Thursday. Stay cool out there.
PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 90
Harrisburg | Partly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (55-47) | Baltimore 6-4 | Fri-Sun vs. Pittsburgh
⚾ Pirates (45-57) | San Diego 3-2 | Fri-Sun vs. Philadelphia
⚽ USWNT | Netherlands 1-1 | Tue vs. Portugal
⚽ Union | Querétaro 5-1
What We’re Hearing
“You still see Trump signs everywhere in Pennsylvania, and you have to respect Trump’s strength.” – Sen. John Fetterman
Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, one of the best blocking linemen in Bald Eagle Area football history.
Not Just Another Email
Get your political news emailed to you at the start of every day. Sign up for your free subscription to the PoliticsPA Playbook.
In a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that time was of the essence if hopes of moving the date of Pennsylvania’s 2024 presidential primary were to be realized.
“I strongly urge that any legislation moving the date of the primary be passed by the General Assembly as soon as possible. Given that you have not scheduled the Senate to return to session until September 18, meaning any legislative action on this topic is at minimum two months away, I am deeply concerned we will not give county election officials the time they need to adjust thousands of polling locations to accommodate a new, earlier Primary date.” (PoliticsPA)
Related
The PA Budget Fight Threatens The Chances For A Smooth Change In PA’s 2024 Primary Date, Official Says. “Pennsylvania’s top elections official said Wednesday that he is “deeply concerned” counties won’t have enough time to adjust thousands of polling locations for the 2024 presidential primary election if lawmakers wait too long to change the date.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A Very Narrow Electoral College Playing Field. “This has been an incredibly volatile 15 years of politics, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the results of the Electoral College. From 2008 until the 2020 election, only 10 states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (plus two swing single-vote districts NE-02 and ME-02) — have voted for both Democratic and Republican nominees.” (Cook Political Report)
Senate Republican Grill Mehalchick Over Sandusky Case Ruling. “U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans repeatedly questioned federal judge nominee Karoline Mehalchick’s decision to overturn a high-profile Penn State University sexual abuse case conviction four years ago during her confirmation hearing Wednesday.” (Times-Tribune)
What’s On Fetterman’s Mind. “Sen. John Fetterman hosted a group of reporters in his office on Tuesday to chat about politics and his home state of Pennsylvania.” (POLITICO)
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh) announced that he is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 7th Congressional District.
The 40-year-old Mackenzie, who has represented the Lehigh Valley in Harrisburg since 2012, also announced that he will not stand for reelection to the state House in the 187th District. (PoliticsPA)
Related
House Impeachment Managers File Appeal In Krasner Case. Rep. Craig Williams, chairman of the House impeachment managers, today announced that the House managers in the impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner have filed their 100-page appeal in the state Supreme Court. (PoliticsPA)
Legislation Sets Path For Recreational Marijuana In PA. “A bill sponsored by Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, would legalize marijuana, but for Laughlin, marijuana has been effectively legal since medical marijuana was legalized in 2015.” (WESA)
Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus Calls For Libraries To Leave The American Library Association. “Last week, the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus called on all libraries in the state to end their affiliations with the association, because (president Emily) Drabinski has referred to herself as a Marxist.” (WESA)
Report Urges Governments To ‘Go Electric’ With Their Vehicle Fleets; PA Needs A Jump Start. “State and local governments could save Pennsylvania taxpayers as much as $361 million over 10 years by replacing their light-duty vehicles with electric models, according to a recent study.” (PennLive)
“(Donald) Trump and other politicians hoping to win the state’s vote would be wise to remember the commonwealth’s lone Great Lakes community. Erie is a battleground county in a battleground state, its results often reflective of Pennsylvania as a whole.”
“The county can be predictive and we’ve seen that through multiple, multiple elections,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
“It almost exactly nailed the last election. It was pretty much spot on.” (Erie Times-News)
Related
Why John Fetterman Believes Donald Trump Would Be ‘Formidable’ In 2024. “The Democratic senator said people should “respect Trump’s strength” in Pennsylvania, citing his continued popularity in the battleground state.” (HuffPost)
Many PA State Retirees Say They Can’t Afford Inflation On Their Stagnant Pensions. “Enrollees in Pennsylvania’s two public sector pension funds — the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) — haven’t seen a cost of living adjustment, or COLA, since 2004.” (Spotlight PA)
Report Outlines The Cost Of Climate Change On PA Communities, Taxpayers. “Conducted by The Center for Climate Integrity, Resilient Analytics, and Scioto Analysis, the report, found that climate change adaptations will cost municipalities and taxpayers more than $15 billion by 2040.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Pittsburgh Nonprofits, Still Reeling From The Pandemic, Face Uncertainty As PA Budget Impasse Continues. “Organizations serving the community’s most vulnerable are confronting questions about how to continue their operations if they lose consistent funding from the state.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A New Enforcement Office Under Mayor Ed Gainey Is One Step Closer To Approval. “Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to Mayor Ed Gainey’s proposed new Office of Equal Protection, which the administration has said would help enforce civil rights and labor laws.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Pitt Raises Tuition By 2% For PA Undergraduates While Freezing Rate At Regional Campuses. “The increase will bring the in-state undergraduate rate for most majors at its main Oakland campus to $20,155 for the 2023-24 academic year. That is up from last year’s $19,760 rate for most of its students.” (PennLive)
“Hundreds of hungry fairgoers lined up at the North Hall of the Lebanon Expo Center Tuesday night to get their slice of the 150-foot Lebanon bologna sandwich, proclaimed by event organizer Visit Lebanon Valley as the world’s largest Lebanon bologna sandwich.
Some 1,200 slices of Seltzer’s bologna and 600 slices of provolone cheese from Country View Grocery store were put together as four slices of bologna, one slice of cheese, then another four slices of bologna between 200 pounds of freshly baked French bread from Lebanon County Career and Technology Center’s pastry arts program.” (Lebanon Daily News)
Thanks for starting your Monday with us.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
Please invite your colleagues
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook
Did Josh Shapiro "Tank" His Interview for VP?
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