Happy Friday. You made it. Shapiro calls on legislature to provide relief. Can GOP be civil during campaign? Debate schedules taking shape. Is Fetterman pulling away? Broadband expansion in central PA. Here is the Playbook.

PA Weather
Bradford | Showers, 44
Bedford | Partly sunny, 49
Bensalem | Mostly sunny, 61

PA Sports
76ers | today at LA Clippers
Flyers |  d. St. Louis, 5-2; today at Colorado
Penguins | today at NY Rangers
Villanova MBB | d. Michigan, 63-55; SAT vs. Houston

PIAA Basketball Championships
4A Boys | Neumann Goretti d. Quaker Valley, 93-68
4A Girls | Archbishop Wood d. Lansdale Catholic, 57-45
1A Boys | Bishop Canevin d. St. John Neumann, 64-47
1A Girls | Northumberland Christian d. Kennedy Catholic, 66-54

News

PA Senate Race: White House Removes Oz, Walker from Fitness Council: The White House has removed Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN)

• The Hill: How Fetterman is pulling away in Pennsylvania
• Spotlight PA: Spotlight PA leads historic coalition to host debates for Pennsylvania U.S. Senate primary races
• WJET: Union members and Erie Democrats call out candidate Dave McCormick

PA Governor Race: Shapiro Calls On Legislature to Adopt Relief Plan: Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Governor, today called on the state legislature to back his proposed plan to bring relief to Keystone State taxpayers.

• Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Two GOP hopefuls ask for Mastriano; running mate Daniels to be civil in 2022 primary
• PennLive: Shapiro offers his $2 billion-plus tax elimination and rebate plan ‘to give people relief today’
• WJET: Gov. candidate Melissa Hart makes campaign stop in Erie

‘Davis looks to build momentum with $1M ad buy, union endorsement’: City & State PA reports that “as Democrats face off in a primary election contest to determine who will be the party’s lieutenant governor nominee this fall, candidate Austin Davis is hoping to pick up as much momentum as possible so he can join his prospective running mate – presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro – on the Democratic ticket this November.”

‘Sunrise Movement endorses progressive Democrats Summer Lee, Nida Allam and Erica Smith for Congress’: CNN reports that “Sunrise Movement, the youth-led climate activist group, on Thursday announced its endorsements of Summer Lee in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional district, Nida Allam in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district and Erica Smith in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional district, further bolstering progressive support behind the three Democratic candidates for the US House of Representatives.”

‘Congressional candidate Steve Irwin endorsed by Western Pa. building trades group’: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that “the Laborers’ District Council of Western PA said Thursday it is endorsing Pittsburgh attorney Steve Irwin in the Democratic primary race in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District.”

‘Lancaster County man running for 4th Congressional District’: The Pottstown Mercury reports that “Daniel Burton is seeking the Republican nomination in the May primary.”

‘Pa. lawmaker, ex-cop explains his support for pot legalization: ‘I haven’t lost my mind’’: PennLive reports that “as a former law enforcement officer, Sen. Mike Regan wants people to know why he has come around to thinking legalizing adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania is the way to go.”

‘Pa. teachers union calls on auditor general to rethink his plan to close school audit bureau’: PennLive reports that “the head of Pennsylvania’s largest teachers’ union is urging state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor to immediately rethink his decision to close the school audit bureau in his department.”

‘Business group unveils plan to boost manufacturing, energy in Pennsylvania’: The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that “a proenergy, promanufacturing coalition of business and labor on Thursday released a plan they believe will jumpstart Pennsylvania’s economy and set southwestern Pennsylvania to better compete with other states in economic development.”

‘Pa. standardized test scores fell — even at schools that were prepared to go remote’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “results of the 2021 standardized exams released by the state this month showed a precipitous drop in student scores across Pennsylvania compared to before the pandemic — the last time the tests were taken.”

‘More than 1,000 Pennsylvania workers quit AFSCME union in 2021’: The Center Square reports that “over a nine-month period in 2021, almost 1,200 workers left AFSCME Local 13, which represents state and local government workers in Pennsylvania, according to public records obtained by the Freedom Foundation, a group that educates workers about their right to leave government unions.”

‘’Bring back some law and order:’ Pennsylvania bill would require gun locks with gun sales’: The Center Square reports that “Rep. Darisha Parker, D-Philadelphia, proposed HB2435 that would require sales of long guns to include “a locking device to ensure safe storage of the firearm,” similar to current law that requires the same for handguns.”

‘Pa. senior citizens, disabled would get double property tax or rent rebate for one year under Gov. Wolf plan’: The Allentown Morning Call reports that “Gov. Tom Wolf visited the south Bethlehem apartment complex Thursday to call on the Republican-controlled Legislature to apply about 10% of $2.2 billion in federal pandemic-relief money still held by the state to help senior citizens and the disabled.”

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

‘Hundreds gather at City & State’s inaugural Above & Beyond Awards’: “City & State’s inaugural Above & Beyond Awards brought hundreds of attendees to Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Philadelphia to honor 40 women in politics, business, media, education and other sectors who have made major contributions across Pennsylvania.”

‘7th Congressional District GOP Candidates Scheller, Dellicker to debate on April 1’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “Republicans Lisa Scheller and Kevin Dellicker, who will face each other in the May 17 primary for the 7th Congressional District seat, will participate in a debate on April 1 at Northampton County Community College, Alumni Hall, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township.”

Legislative Election Updates

‘Steve Santarsiero announces campaign for re-election to the state senate’: The Bucks Local News reports that “Steve Santarsiero on March 24 announced the launching of his campaign for re-election to the Pennsylvania State Senate in District 10 (Bucks County).”

‘Retired neurosurgeon, 90, backs out of race for state Rep.’: WJET reports that Republican James Salmon “made the decision to withdraw his candidacy and support Joe Kujawa.”

Regional Spotlight: North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: Erie County Council chooses Democrat Julie Slomski for county clerk 
Erie Times-News: Ex-Erie City Council President Arrington leaves federal prison early
WJET: Local business owners react to gubernatorial forum
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Sen. Yaw: Grants announced to boost regional broadband
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Broadband expanding to Bastress and Limestone townships
Centre Daily Times: Centre County gets $2.3 million to expand high-speed broadband. Here are the 3 projects

Opinion  
Ernest Owens: Why the Kenyatta vs. Fetterman vs. Lamb Senate Primary Is the Race to Watch in May
Cherelle L. Parker: 300 new community police officers could help stem Philly’s pervasive violence 
Larry Platt: The Fix: Is City Council Anti-Democratic? 
Annemarie Hirsch and Christine Gray: 4 ways that census undercounting could impact the health of Pennsylvanians
Erica Frankenberg: Pennsylvania families need support finding quality, affordable childcare
Cassie Miller: Lawmakers ask Biden for new Chesapeake Bay funds in 2023 budget proposal | Thursday Morning Coffee
Joe Volpe: Sens. Casey and Toomey, our house is still burning
Paul Muschick: Why racing dirt bikes and ATVs through Allentown streets is not a victimless crime
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Negotiate an equitable deal for city and non-profits 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: An ‘American’ song contest is a musical melting pot
Tony Norman: The wheels of justice for Jim Rogers turn slowly…
Ronald H. Linden: Ukraine and the legacy of Madeleine Albright
Joyce M. Davis: A grieving grandmother is determined to stop the murders in Harrisburg. More people should join her | Social Views
Clifford A. Rieders: Israel finds itself in the vise grip
Robert Hill: Racism in Ukraine, and what it means for women
Mohannad Ghawanmeh: Immigrants have long been vital to the arts scene in Philadelphia 
Trudy Rubin: Don’t let Putin’s nuclear and chemical threats stop us from giving Ukraine what it needs 
Fatima Kermalli: How to show all the persecuted around the world that we care