What’s Up, Thursday? Welcome to the new month.

PA Weather
Uniontown | Sunny, 87
Hollidaysburg | Sunny, 85
West Chester | Sunny, 86

PA Sports
Pirates (28-27) | San Francisco 9-4 | F-Sun vs. St. Louis
Phillies (25-30) | NY Mets, 1-4 | Th vs. NY Mets
Union (8-4-3) | Charlotte 1-0 | Sat vs. Montreal

What We’re Hearing
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be the headliner at a Brian Fitzpatrick fundraiser in Philadelphia next Thursday.

Want The Playbook
Sign up for your free subscription to the PoliticsPA Playbook and we’ll email you every weekday morning. Yes, it’s free. And everyone likes free.

Top Story

1. House Passes Fiscal Responsibility Act

Fifteen of the 17 members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation voted in favor of the Fiscal Responsibility Act – better known as the debt limit bill – that passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a 314-117 vote on Wednesday night.

The bill suspends the federal debt limit through January 1, 2025, and increases the limit on January 2, 2025, to accommodate the obligations issued during the suspension period.

Rep. Madeleine Dean said she voted for the Act to ensure America would not default. “This is not a perfect bill, but that’s the nature of compromise. We cannot default — my vote for the Bipartisan Budget Agreement is a vote to protect the livelihoods of my constituents.”

Reps. Summer Lee and Scott Perry were the lone members of the Pennsylvania delegation to vote against the package. (PoliticsPA)

Related

Lee Is The Only Western PA No Vote As The House Passes A Debt Ceiling Bill. “U.S. Rep. Summer Lee cast the only no vote among Western Pennsylvania’s House members Wednesday as lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill lifting the debt ceiling and cutting non-defense domestic spending.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• US Debt Default Would Be ‘Catastrophic’: Congresswoman Susan Wild A ‘Yes’ Vote on Debt Ceiling Deal. (Morning Call)

VP Kamala Harris Is Coming To Philadelphia On Tuesday To Meet With Labor Leaders. “Harris will participate in a moderated conversation with the international executive board for SEIU, the service employees union in Philadelphia, according to a White House official. ” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Plotting The GOP’s Most Efficient Electoral College Pathways. “Flipping Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin is likely the GOP’s best chance at winning back the presidency. But there are other viable routes to 269 as well that involve Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.” (Sabato’s Crystal Ball)

Harrisburg

2. Coleman, Dush Propose Option For Voters To Change Mind On Mail Votes

Just when you think Pennsylvania is finally settling into the idea of no-excuse mail-in balloting, a pair of Republican state senators are proposing another change to the system.

Jarrett Coleman and Cris Dush are circulating a co-sponsorship memoranda that would establish the primacy of the in-person ballot. What does that mean? Well, what if the voter wants to choose another candidate after casting their mail ballot?

Despite the fact that when a no-excuse mail ballot is received by an elections office it is treated in the same manner as an in-person vote, the senators are calling for an option for voters to “change their mind if new information comes to light about their preferred candidates.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

Election Advisory Board Agnostic Over Voter ID. “Should the General Assembly pursue it, the Election Law Advisory Board said Wednesday it will offer guidance on how to improve the policy. If not, they won’t recommend any new rules.” (The Center Square)

Laughlin Introduces Bill To Raise Minimum Wage. “Senator Dan Laughlin (R-49) has joined the effort among Pennsylvania politicians to raise the commonwealth’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2026.” (YourErieNow)

Eugene DePasquale Launches Bid In Crucial 2024 Attorney General Race. “Former state auditor general Eugene DePasquale says he will run for state Attorney General next year, becoming the first entrant in a race whose statewide importance could vie with the battle over the U.S. Senate seat held by Bob Casey.” (WESA)

PA Lawmakers Propose Bills To Study AI’s Potential, Safeguard Against Threats. “As the marvels and shortcomings of artificial intelligence increasingly capture headlines, Pennsylvania lawmakers are proposing legislation to track and regulate the emerging technology’s use.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Dave McCormick: ‘America Needs To Go To The Gym’  “McCormick, the former CEO of asset management firm Bridgewater Associates, spoke with City & State earlier this month about his 2022 campaign, his new book – and the likelihood of him running for Senate against U.S. Sen. Bob Casey next year.” (City & State)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Study: Teachers Leaving Jobs At Accelerating Rate In PA

“Teachers are leaving their jobs at an accelerating rate in Pennsylvania, amid fears of a nationwide exodus of burned-out teachers and a collapse in enrollment in recruitment programs that is making teachers increasingly difficult to replace.

A new analysis by Penn State’s Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis shows that the rate of teacher attrition in Pennsylvania grew faster in the 2022-23 school year and hit its highest point in a decade of tracking.” (AP)

Related

With $220M Off The Tax Roll, Scranton Officials Move To Verify Tax-Exempt Status Of Nonprofit and Government-Owned Properties. “With almost 6% of Scranton’s 27,000-plus parcels off the tax rolls, city officials want to hire a firm to verify the tax-exempt status of nonprofit- and government-owned properties.” (Times-Tribune)

Lycoming County Dispute Over Ballot Images Moves To Commonwealth Court. “Commonwealth Court has been asked to overturn a Lycoming County judge’s ruling that images of votes cast in person are not public record.” (PennLive)

Delco Candidate Demands To See Mail-In Ballot Envelopes. “The results of the May 16 primary are slated to be certified Thursday, June 1. Not so fast, says Joy Schwartz, a Republican candidate for Delaware County Council.” (DV Journal)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

Editorial

• Debt Ceiling Deal Is A Hollow Victory. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Allegheny County Needs To Pay Its Court-Appointed Attorneys Better. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• A Republican Reality Check On McCarthy’s Debt Ceiling Deal. (Wall Street Journal)

Opinion

• Primary Runoff Elections Produce Better Candidates – And PA Needs That. (Sens. Ryan Aument, Frank Farry)
• Sara Innamorato Upends Fracking Politics In PA. (Megan McDonough)
• The Entitled Gen Zers Are Right About Work. (Erin Lowry)
• Open Letter To Washington ‘Leaders’ On That Debt Ceiling Thing. (John Baer)
• The Durham Report Shows Why We Don’t Want The FBI Involved In Politics. (Bruce Ledewitz)
• Our Fake Spending Debates. (Ben Shapiro)
• The Complicated Truth About The PA Primary. (Mark Nicastre)
• Why ‘Bud Lighting’ Isn’t Stopping Anytime Soon. (Jonah Goldberg)
• PA Should Ban Tik Tok. Here’s Why. (A.J. Ernst)

1 Thing

5. Cookout Crunch

Thank your host! Prices for cookout staples are up from last year.

• A Memorial Day basket of seven barbecue essentials cost $27.32 compared to $25.07 last year — a nearly 9% increase.

A 32-ounce bottle of ketchup had the biggest increase, at 27.9%. A 20-ounce bottle of mustard went up 13%. Relish was up 12.3%, research firm Datasembly found.

• The only item with a slight decline was a pack of 80%/20% fresh ground beef burgers — down by 3 cents. (Axios)

Thanks for starting your day with us.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
Please invite your colleagues
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook