🌸 Welcome Monday. Welcome Spring.

PA Weather
Meadville | Sunny, 46
Sunbury | Sunny, 51
Wilkes-Barre | Sunny, 51

PA Sports
76ers (48-22) | MON vs. Chicago
Penguins (34-25-10) | MON vs. Ottawa
Flyers (25-32-12) | TUE vs. Florida

What We’re Hearing
“I just think that there was a key piece of transparency missing from this whole process.”

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Top Story

1. Norfolk Southern CEO To Appear Before PA Senate Committee

As promised, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw is on the schedule to appear before the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee today, beginning at 10 a.m.

Shaw will appear before the committee to testify about the Norfolk Southern train wreck along the western border of Pennsylvania in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, and the decision to intentionally ignite five railroad cars full of dangerous chemicals on Feb. 5.

Related

Stockholders Sue Norfolk Southern Claiming Securities Violations. “Norfolk Southern and three of the railroad’s top executives are being sued by some of their own stockholders claiming federal securities laws were violated by alleged false statements issued before and after the toxic derailment, fire, and chemical spill in East Palestine.” (WFMJ)

In Toxic Ohio Derailment, Other Americans See Echoes Of Their Fights. “She heard a heartbreaking echo of her own city’s experience — the mistrust of government assurances that it’s safe to live in town, the feeling among residents that answers are not arriving quickly enough, the fear and isolation that come with being contaminated.” (Washington Post)

Allegheny

2. Allegheny County Exec Candidate Fawcett Calls Out Weinstein For ‘Abusing Public Trust”

As questions begin to grow about Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein’s role on a local sewer board, another Democratic candidate for County Executive teed off on new revelations and accused Weinstein of “abusing his public trust.”

Related

As FBI Asks Questions, County Treasurer Weinstein Denies Wrongdoing. “After the term of Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein concluded on the county sewer board, political allies took action that could have kept him there, even though he said he was “fine” with moving on.” (Union Progress)

Weinstein Denies Deals In Attempt To Stay On Alcosan Board. “Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein on Friday said he never tried to orchestrate political deals behind closed doors in order to regain power and position on the county’s influential Alcosan board.” (Tribune-Review)

Around The Commonwealth

3. PA Education Advocates Criticize Shapiro’s Budget, Which Flatlines ‘Level Up’ Funding For Poor School Districts

“Public school advocates fighting for increased state education funding believe Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget is a “step backwards” after it excluded additional dollars for Pennsylvania’s highest needs school districts.

The budget, which proposes an additional $671.4 million in basic and special education funding, does not earmark any increased dollars for the Level Up program, created in 2021 to boost the amount of state money going to Pennsylvania’s 100 poorest districts.” (Post-Gazette)

Related

Ups and Downs. As winter comes to a close and spring is right around the corner, it’s time for us to take stock and look at last week’s Ups and Downs. (PoliticsPA)

Mayoral Candidate Jeff Brown Got $18.7M In Taxpayer Support to Open ShopRite Stores In ‘Food Deserts.’ “On the campaign trail, Brown rarely mentions the taxpayer support that made it possible for him to open stores in underserved communities.” (Inquirer)

Philly’s Delegation to Harrisburg Wants to Increase The Minimum Wage, Fix School Buildings, And More. “Philadelphia Democrats in the state House are hoping their new majority will allow them to push for significantly increasing the minimum wage, addressing deferred maintenance to school buildings, and achieving other long-sought policy goals that they say would help the nation’s poorest big city.” (Inquirer)

PA LGBTQ Leaders Create Statewide Advocacy Organization. “The organization’s membership will accomplish this via community building within local, state and federal governments; and it will work to get LGBTQ community supporters elected, facilitate LGBTQ voter participation and convey to government officials that LGBTQ Pennsylvanians have political power.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Philadelphia City Council Candidate Tracker. “Every seat on Philadelphia’s governing body is up for grabs in this year’s election, and the field of contenders is predictably expansive.” (Billy Penn)

Turf Recycler Hit With Environmental Violations As It Works to Open PA Plant. “The artificial turf they one day hope to recycle has been waiting around, stacked in sagging piles in Pennsylvania fields and parking lots. And the very same company that is in line to capture nearly $2 million in state incentives is also getting notices that it’s violating the commonwealth’s environmental laws.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Duerr, Kirk To Sit On Allegheny County Election Board For 2023 Election. “Two members of Allegheny County Council, one currently serving and another who resigned in a failed bid for higher office, will serve on the county elections board for the 2023 election.” (Union Progress)

Congressmen Disagree About Committee Hearing Into Ballot Paper Shortage. “U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, said Sunday the committee should wait until the Luzerne County district attorney’s office concludes its investigation into the paper shortage that impacted dozens of polling sites.” (Times-Tribune)

Marino Gets Green Light To Run For DA. “Former Congressman Tom Marino has the green light to run for Lycoming County district attorney. Friday, Senior Judge Edward D. Reibman of Lehigh County ruled the petition to set aside Marino’s nomination petition, filed by Todd Bartley, be denied.” (NorthCentralPA.com)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• Republicans Taking Over Stuff Run By Black People Because GOP Hates Democracy. (Will Bunch)
• Davis’ Clumsy Handling of Clemency Firings Raises Questions, But Shapiro’s Move to Strengthen Process Is Encouraging. (Post-Gazette)
• Governments Should Extract Direct Compensation From Norfolk Southern. (Post-Gazette)
• The Founding Fathers Knew Who Was The Real Problem With Government. (Adam Carrington)
• Evan Republicans Applauded Shapiro’s Budget, But Now The Hard Work Begins. (Mark S. Singel)
• PA’s Teacher Shortage Has An ‘Uglier’ Problem: Lack of Teacher Diversity. (Rebecca L. Watts)
• Let’s Keep History Alive – Digitally. (Cody McDevitt)
• Mayoral Candidates, Stop The Public Education Platitudes. (Debra Weiner)
• Helen Gym’s Policies on Transgender Youth Put Children and Families At Risk. (Anne Morris)
• Shapiro Hears Gideon’s Trumpet (Citizens’ Voice)

1 Thing

5. Welcome Spring!

The 2023 spring equinox takes place today at 5:24 ET.

The equinox is when the sun appears directly overhead of the equator as its position in the sky moves northward, due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis as it revolves around the sun. It is a midpoint between the solstices, the shortest and longest days of the year. There are two equinoxes each year, one in spring and one in fall.

As a result, daylight and nighttime hours will be roughly (but not exactly) equal.

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