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What’s Happening Today
Watch the PA-10 Democratic Candidates’ forum on PCN-TV at 7 p.m.

What We’re Hearing
“Everybody agreed on one thing: That there’s a very good chance there’s gonna be violence in the next election.” – Charlie Dent

Start Your Day Smarter
The PoliticsPA Playbook gives you all today’s PA political headlines in an easy-to-read format. All by 8 AM. And it’s free. Subscribe now.

Top Story

1. These PA Voters Will Pick The Next President. They’re Frightened About American Democracy

“Earlier this month, 15 voters in this closely contested area of Pennsylvania convened to discuss the state of American democracy.

To say they were discouraged as the 2024 election gets underway would be an understatement.

Sitting around folding tables in an arts center just off of the small town’s Rockwell-esque Main Street, the voters painted a bleak picture over the next hour: A largely negative view on everything from trusting that their and their neighbors’ votes will be fairly counted, the speed it takes to get results and that those results will be accepted by the losers.” (POLITICO)

Related

Lee Touts Backing Of Top House Democrats As Primary Fight Looms. “In a show of unity, leaders of the Democratic U.S. House caucus are rallying Wednesday to support Congressional Representative Summer Lee. The move comes as the first-term incumbent girds for a contentious primary contest, in which a rival rolled out endorsements of her own on Tuesday.” (WESA)

The House G.O.P.’s Incredible Shrinking Majority. “When Republicans assumed control of the House early last year after winning a narrow majority in the 2022 midterms, Representative Earl Blumenauer, a veteran Democrat from Oregon, made a bold prediction: His party had a slight chance of reclaiming power before the next election — through sheer attrition.” (New York Times)

Republicans In Two Key Swing States Are Charting Very Different Paths After Getting Crushed In 2022. “In Pennsylvania, Republicans who clamored for state party leaders to take a more active role early in primaries to prevent another statewide nominee far outside the party’s mainstream — like 2022 gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano — seem to have won the argument.” (NBC News)

PA-13: Farnham Makes It Official. “Beth Farnham, an Adams County Democratic Committee Member, has formally announced her candidacy to run for the 13th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.” (PoliticsPA)

State

2. Shapiro Announces Expanded Eligibility For Property Tax/Rent Rebates

“Hundreds of thousands more older adults and those with disabilities in Pennsylvania are now eligible for an increased rebate on property taxes and rent.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stopped into the Litzenberger House in Bethlehem to make a major announcement on the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. Due to bipartisan legislation, the maximum rebate amount rose from $650 to $1000. Income limits also jumped, to $45,000 — increasing for the first time since 2006.” (LehighValleyLive)

Related

Critics Worry of PASSHE’s ‘Continuing Woes’ During A Decade Of Change. “The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy argued the root of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s “continuing woes” stem from staffing expenses.” (The Center Square)

Tax Deal Would Help 500,000 Low-Income Pennsylvania Children. “The families of more than 500,000 children in Pennsylvania under the age of 18 would benefit from an expanded child tax credit under proposed legislation that also calls for providing a tax break to those hurt by last year’s Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

HD-120: Kaufer Says He Will Not Stand For Re-Election. “After serving in Harrisburg since 2015, Rep. Aaron Kaufer has decided that he will not stand for re-election in the 120th Legislative District in 2024.” (PoliticsPA)

Candidate Announcements

• SD-37: Ruscitto To Challenge Robinson For Allegheny County Seat. (PoliticsPA)
• HD-92: Democrat Makes Fresh Attempt At Flipping GOP-Held PA House Seat. (PennLive)
• HD-119: Democrat Kocher Announces. (Times Leader)
• HD-101: Rep. John Schlegel Announces Bid For Re-Election To State House In 101st District. (LebTown)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Huntingdon Officials Raise Challenges and Solutions for Rural Broadband in PA

“Officials in mountainous central Pennsylvania say they know how to get long-awaited high-speed internet to all their constituents, but government and industry are standing in the way.

Local leaders raised their concerns and solutions during a Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee hearing on Jan. 16 in Huntingdon.

Jeff Thomas, a Huntingdon County commissioner who worked in the telecom industry for decades, said the government grant process is too complicated for small internet providers to navigate.” (Lancaster Farming)

Related

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato Talks Reassessments, Taxes. “In her first sit-down television interview since taking office, KDKA political editor Jon Delano pressed her on whether taxpayers can expect a property reassessment any time soon.” (CBS Pittsburgh)

Your School District Could Get More Money From The State. Here’s How Much. “A proposal to double the state’s annual investment in basic education from the current $7.9 billion to more than $15 billion in seven years was cleared by a state panel last week.” (PennLive)

Jerry Jordan, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President, Is Retiring After 37 Years With The Union. “Jordan has opted not to run for reelection as president of the 13,000-member union, which is in a contract-negotiating year. Arthur Steinberg, who runs the PFT’s health and welfare fund and is president of the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania, will become the next city teachers’ union president.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Nahal Toosi: Why the World Is Betting Against American Democracy
• Sen. Bob Casey Jr.: Asking GAO To Probe Harmful Pricing Strategies And Find Ways To Protect Consumers
• Rep. Mike Kelly: New Year, Same Commitment To Western Pennsylvania
• Rep. Mike Sturla: Basic Education Funding Report Is Just The End Of The Beginning
• Beth Ann Rosica: College Radicalism Trickles Down To Local Public Schools
• Shane McCarver: Pennsylvania Should Keep Our National Guard Out Of Undeclared Foreign Wars
• Cathryn Miller-Watson: Need Workers? Hire a Migrant
• Cal Thomas: GOP, Where is the Noble Rhetoric?

1 Name Thing

5. Belle Vernon Borough Council Write-In Candidate Loses Election After Votes Tossed Out Due To Name Issue

“A man who ran as a write-in candidate for Belle Vernon Borough Council lost after more than three dozen votes were tossed out.

The issue is how the candidate’s name was written in.

The Fayette County Board of Elections did not count the votes, saying there were two Edward Staskos registered to vote within the district: Edward Stasko Sr. and Edward Stasko Jr.” (CBS Pittsburgh)

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