Good Friday morning. The DSCC goes after McCormick, Oz in an ad campaign. The clock is ticking for statewide candidates to submit nominating petitions. What is the “independent legislature” theory? Here is the Playbook.

>> Remember to turn your clocks forward before going to sleep Saturday night.

PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Increasing Clouds, 56
Harrisburg | Partly Sunny, 55
Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, 59

PA Sports
76ers | lost to Brooklyn, 129-100
Flyers | lost to Florida, 6-3; SAT at Carolina
Penguins | tonight vs. Vegas
PIAA Wrestling continues in Hershey

News

DSCC Takes Shots at McCormick, Oz in Advance of Biden Address: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) took a swipe at David McCormick and Mehmet Oz today, as part of an effort to slam the Republican Party for opposing the American Rescue Plan.

Clock is Ticking for Candidates to Submit Petitions: The deadline for collecting signatures to qualify for the ballot for the Pennsylvania primary election is drawing closer. And the pressure is on candidates trying to reach the threshold – and more – by 5 p.m. on the March 15 date.

The “Independent Legislature” Theory. What It Means for PA: The theory of the “independent legislature.” How this theory is interpreted in the coming months and years will have major ramifications for how the Commonwealth and other states choose presidential electors.

Corman Proposes Changes to State Gas Tax: With gas prices continuing to reach record territory across the Commonwealth, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Centre) has a fix.

PA Senate Race: ‘Dave McCormick dropped millions into the Pa. Senate race. Good luck finding out where it’s coming from.’: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “no campaign team in America is spending more on a single Senate race right now than David McCormick and the super PAC supporting him. But good luck finding out where all that cash comes from.”

• PennLive: Senate candidate Jeff Bartos makes stop in central Pennsylvania
• PennLive: Oz primes audience for culture war at campaign stop in Carlisle
• City & State PA: Endorsements in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race keep stacking up.

‘These folks lack fame and fortune, but they hope to be Pa.’s next governor, U.S. senator’: PennLive reports that “most of the open statewide seats up for grabs in this year’s election have drawn crowded fields which makes getting attention a lot harder.”

‘A Josh Shapiro LGBTQ endorsement event set off a backlash’: Philly Clout reports that “Shapiro came to Philly seeking to cultivate a sense of inevitability for his gubernatorial ticket. Brian Sims pounced on potential instability in that ticket. A Democratic donnybrook ensued.”

‘Biden to visit Philadelphia on Friday as Dems gather to plot midterm strategy’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “President Joe Biden will visit Philadelphia on Friday, where he’s slated to address U.S. House Democrats during an issues retreat, the White House has said.”

‘Meet Alexandra Hunt, the Former Stripper Gunning for Dwight Evans’s House Seat’: Philadelphia Magazine reports that “she’s garnered national buzz for her “Elect Hoes” slogan. Her war chest is approaching $500K. She’s been backed by Gloria Steinem. Here’s how she plans to unseat an incumbent who’s been in politics longer than she’s been alive.”

‘4-month trial in lawsuit over public school funding wraps’: The Associated Press reports that “a marathon trial over how Pennsylvania funds public education reached an end Thursday but it will be months before a judge rules in the case brought by a group of poorer school districts against Republican state legislative leaders.”

‘As gas prices climb toward or top $5 a gallon, Pa. policymakers look to provide relief at the pump’: PennLive reports that “with gas prices in Pennsylvania averaging $4.43 a gallon according to AAA, state policymakers are looking for ways to provide some relief to motorists at the pump.”

‘Here’s what U.S. Rep. Susan Wild had to say about rising gas prices and Ukraine at a town hall’: The Allentown Morning Call reports that “at the town hall that about 20 people attended Thursday afternoon at the Lehigh Valley Career & Technical Institute, Wild touted the $13.6 billion in humanitarian and military aid the House passed Wednesday as part of a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill. She added she is pushing the Biden administration to form a global coalition to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

‘Deputy Energy Secretary Won’t Predict How High Gas Prices Will Go’: KDKA reports that “David Turk said alleviating the pain at the pump is key for President Joe Biden.”

‘PennDOT picks construction group for bridge-tolling project’: The Associated Press reports that “Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has picked a consortium of companies to manage construction on as many as nine major interstate bridges in Pennsylvania — upgrades on the aging spans that are to be paid for by tolls under the administration’s current plan.”

‘The 4 reasons the Pa. Supreme Court picked the winning congressional map’: Spotlight PA provides “a rundown of the justices’ arguments for and against the map.”

City & State PA’s Biggest Winners & Losers This Week: City & State PA highlights the three winners and losers in Pennsylvania politics last week.

‘Bucks lawmaker to introduce plan to thwart employee misclassification’: The Bucks Local News reports that “state Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, has announced that he is working with his colleagues to introduce 15 recommendations contained in the Joint Task Force on Employee Misclassification’s preliminary report to the General Assembly released earlier this month.”

‘Judge: Pipeline company failed to safeguard residents’: The Associated Press reports that “the developer of a multi-billion-dollar pipeline that traverses southern Pennsylvania should have done more to protect the safety of more than 200 residents of an apartment complex during eight months of construction work, a judge ruled.”

‘Introducing City & State PA’s 2022 Advisory Board’: City & State PA reports that “this board will offer valuable insights, including those that go toward shaping City & State’s power lists, which are developed through deep research, based on a set of criteria.”

‘A Q&A with Keystone Contractors Association Executive Director Jon O’Brien’: City & State PA reports that “O’Brien reflects on his work in the industry, examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed how business is done, and offers ways that state lawmakers can help construction workers and companies alike in the years to come.”

‘With more than $1 billion in profit generated last year, the Pennsylvania Lottery marks 50th anniversary’: PennLive reports that “the Wolf administration marked the 50th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Lottery, and its economic benefit for older adults, with a visit today by officials to the Mechanicsburg Place Senior Center.”

Legislative Election Updates

‘Former Norristown council president seeks new state House seat’: Montgomery Media reports that Rochelle Culbreath will seek the “Democratic nomination for new 54th House District.”

‘York County man to challenge incumbent Rep. Dawn Keefer for state House seat’: PennLive reports that “a Democrat has entered the race for the 92nd state House seat in covering northern York County, seeking to oppose incumbent Rep. Dawn Keefer in the fall general election. Keefer, a Republican, is seeking a fourth term in office this year.”

Regional Spotlight: North by Northwest
WJET: Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor candidate visits Erie
Centre Daily Times: Here’s what 2022 PA House, Senate District maps would have in store for Centre County
Centre Daily Times: Immigrant rights advocates bring fight to recently-opened facility near Philipsburg
Centre Daily Times: State College Borough Council passes resolution in support of Ukraine. Here’s what it says
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Williamsport’s $25.4M American Rescue Plan budget approved
WJET: Area residents apply for mail-in ballots for primary election

Opinion  
Glen Thomas: New federal rules threaten state’s position in electricity market
John L. Micek: Pa. awards $800K in grant money to help veterans find jobs | Thursday Morning Coffee
Joyce M. Davis: A Susquehanna Township School Board director taught students a valuable lesson in how not to act in public
Inquirer Editorial Board: Cutting off Russian gas is the right call 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Taxing the wrong constituents
LNP | LancasterOnline Editorial Board: High family’s incredible philanthropy shows the best of Lancaster County 
Jonathan C. Rothermel: Back to normal? Nothing ever stays the same. We should accept that 
Eric Turner: Philly kindergarten teacher: Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ legislation has me terrified 
Larry Platt: Zelensky For Mayor? 
Tony Norman: Meanwhile, somewhere in America …
Herb Field: Democrats would be making a grave mistake to give up the fight for rural voters
Chris Horne: Undocumented students deserve to go to college. We need to provide the path 
Will Bunch: Why Biden’s booming economy feels so lousy to millions of voters 
Brooke Petry: My daughter and I have asthma. Stricter auto pollution standards are a breath of relief 
Joseph Otis Minott: Sidewalks are a matter of life or death
Jeremy Glazer: Teachers are quitting in droves. Here’s how to stem the staffing crisis in schools.
Kimmell Proctor: The Real Opportunity Gap 
Trudy Rubin: Mariupol’s bombed maternity hospital exemplifies why NATO should protect Ukraine’s skies