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⚾ Phillies (55-47) | Baltimore 6-4 | Fri-Sun vs. Pittsburgh
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⚽ 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
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Top Story

1. Schmidt Urges Senate To Act Soon On Possible Presidential Primary Date Change

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)

State

2. Ryan Mackenzie Announces Candidacy For PA-07 Seat

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)

• State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie Joins Crowded Field Of GOP Candidates Challenging Susan Wild In 2024. (Morning Call)
• Ryan Mackenzie Formally Enters Lehigh Valley’s Congressional Race. (LehighValleyNews.com)

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)

• GOP Lawmakers Want The Supreme Court To Reconsider The Case For Impeaching Philly DA Larry Krasner. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Podcast: Williams On House Impeachment Managers Appeal In Krasner Case. (DV Journal)

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)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Trump’s Coming Back To Erie. Why This Nook Of PA Is Critical To The Former President

“(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)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• PA Lawmakers Need Training Camp. (Tribune-Review)
• Low-Income Students In Failing Schools Deserve A PASS. (Sen. Judy Ward)
• Unite? Yes – Against Krasner. (Broad + Liberty)
• Gainey Administration Misled Council About Police Study. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• It’s Time To Boycott Florida. (Solomon Jones)
• America’s Future Depends On A Truthful Reckoning With Its Past. (Mary C. Curtis)
• Why We Should Legalize Marijuana In PA. (Jemille Q. Duncan)
• Urban Planning Is Often Overlooked As A Career – Here Are Some Ways To Change That. (Stephen Kofi Diko, Danilo Palazzo, Leah Hollstein)
• Time To Open Window For Sex Abuse Survivors. (Marci A. Hamilton)

1 Sandwich Thing

5. 150 Feet Of Love

“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)

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