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What We’re Hearing
“Given that Republicans are more obsessed with hurting poor people than holding banks accountable, you’d think that someone who didn’t have a job could crash our economy.” – John Fetterman

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Reps. Emily Kinkead, Greg Vitali and Kate Klunk (Sun.).

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Top Story

1. Senate Approves Bill To Avert National Default, Sending It To Biden’s Desk

“The Senate on Thursday night capped four months of contentious debate and voted to send a compromise bill to President Biden’s desk that extends the government’s borrowing authority until January of 2025 and staves off a potential default next week.

A large bipartisan majority of the Senate voted 63-36 to approve the bill, which passed the House on Wednesday night.

Just four Democrats voted against the measure: Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), along with Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).” (The Hill)

Related

Fetterman Votes Against Debt-Ceiling Bill Because Of SNAP Restrictions. “The bipartisan debt limit bill is on its way to President Joe Biden after the U.S. Senate voted Thursday to clear the measure for his signature. Pennsylvania’s two senators, Democrats Bob Casey and John Fetterman split on the bill. Casey, of Scranton, voted for it, while Fetterman, of Braddock, near Pittsburgh, voted against it.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

US Senate Passes Measure To Halt Biden’s Student Debt Forgiveness. “A day after posting a win on the debt ceiling bill, President Joe Biden was handed a stinging rebuke by the Democratic-controlled Senate as the chamber passed a measure that overturned his student debt relief plan.” (PoliticsPA)

Four States Where Parties Look To Bounce Back Better In 2024. “It can’t be any worse than 2022. That’s the bipartisan sentiment about a handful of states that Republicans and Democrats believe are going to perform much better for their candidates in 2024.” (Roll Call)

Harrisburg

2. DePasquale Announces Candidacy For Attorney General

Former state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania Attorney General with a press release and campaign video on Thursday. 

DePasquale, who served as a three-term state representative before becoming Auditor General from 2013-21, said he wants to build on his experience as the state’s top watchdog and investigator. (PoliticsPA)

• DePasquale To Run For PA Attorney General In 2024. (AP)
• Former Two-Term Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Wants To Be PA’s Next Top Prosecutor. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Laughlin, Tartaglione Offer Differing Minimum Wage Increase Proposals. “Should the Pennsylvania minimum wage be increased from $7.25 per hour? A pair of Keystone state senators think so. They just don’t agree on the increase.” (PoliticsPA)

Should PA Require Voter ID? Research Agency Divided On Best Ways To Implement It. “Research shows most Pennsylvanians support a photo ID requirement at the polls, but if the state were to mandate this, what would happen to the voters who don’t have their IDs on Election Day?” (WITF)

Autism Advocates Are Dreading A Campaign Season Of Insinuations About Ron DeSantis. “Jessica Benham is a state legislator in Pennsylvania, representing a district that includes parts of Pittsburgh and its environs. A cofounder of the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, she’s one of the only openly autistic state legislators anywhere in the United States.” (POLITICO)

Around The Commonwealth

3. From Parks To Housing, PA Mayors Tout How Federal Dollars Are Rebuilding Their Cities

“Pennsylvania cities are undergoing a transformation with making improvements to parks, providing affordable housing and even addressing “under the hood” needs such as stormwater projects.

All of this is happening with the help of more than $6.1 billion that flowed to the state’s county and local governments from the $1.9 trillion federal American Rescue Plan Act.” (PennLive)

Related

Pittsburgh-Area Democrats Hope GOP Will Be Punished In 2024 For Debt-Ceiling Game Of Chicken. “On Wednesday night, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to raise the federal government’s debt ceiling — a move that, with Senate approval, will most likely prevent cratering the global economy.” (WESA)

Johnny Doc, Out At Local 98, Now Wants To Oust His Hand-Picked Successor. “John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty declared Mark Lynch Jr. “the right choice at the right time” 18 months ago when Dougherty stepped down as business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Lynch replaced him. Now Dougherty is waging a campaign from the sidelines, trying to prevent Lynch from winning a full term in an election” (Philadelphia Inquirer) 

Industry Stakeholders, Gainey, Lee Unveil Plans For Keystone Space And Defense Innovation District. “A panel of industry executives and government officials, including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, unveiled a master planning process Thursday for the Keystone Space and Defense Innovation District, a proposed space and defense industry cluster to be located on the city’s North Side.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

United Steelworkers Seeking Vote To Unionize Thousands Of Pitt Staff. “The United Steelworkers said it intends to file paperwork Monday calling for a state-supervised labor election that could unionize more than 5,000 workers at the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus and four branches.” (Tribune-Review)

Elections Bureau Will Draw In Tie For Democratic Nomination For District Judge. “The Cumberland County Bureau of Elections will draw the winner in the primary race for the Democratic nomination for the Magisterial District Judge 09-3-02 in the Newville area.” (The Sentinel)

Fate Of York City Mayor To Be Decided – Again – As Oath-Of-Office Appeal Moves Forward. “After months of waiting, another key step in the ongoing battle over York City Mayor Michael Helfrich’s eligibility for office is set for next week.” (York Dispatch)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• Inaction, Division Won’t Stop PA Gun Violence. Common Sense, Unity Will. (Lt. Gov. Austin Davis)
• D.C. Deal Tells 45 Million Student Debtors What Their Government Thinks Of Them. (Will Bunch)
• The Incorrect Seriousness Of Political Correctness. (Pamela Paul)
• PA’s Education System Is Broken. Here’s How To Fix It. (Elizabeth Stelle)
• Progressives Make Gains In PA’s Biggest Counties – Despite Establishment Dems. (Michael Coard)
• Worth Watching Bishop McCort’s Schedule Switch. (Tribune-Democrat)
• Donald Trump Can’t Repeat His 2016 Success In 2024. (Chris Nicholas)
• The GOP Isn’t Letting Go Of Racial Resentment. (Francis Wilkinson)
• House Approval Of Debt Ceiling Deal A Triumph Of The Political Center. (Matt Harris)
• Are Right Wing Attacks On Press Protections Just Attacks On Democracy? (Rob Miraldi)

1 Thing

5. Spelling Champ

“Dev Shah, a 14-year-old from Florida, has won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Shah’s winning word was “psammophile,” a noun that is used to describe animals and plants that prefer to live in sandy soil environments, according to Merriam-Webster.

Shah, an eighth-grader from Largo in the Tampa Bay area, also spelled “poliorcetics,” “aegagrus” and “schistorrhachis” correctly to take home the $50,000 cash prize.” (NPR)

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