😃 I’ve Got Friday On My Mind. Goodbye March

PA Weather
Sewickley | Showers, 58
Camp Hill | Mostly Cloudy, PM Rain, 59
Bryn Mawr | Increasing clouds, 61

PA Sports
76ers (50-26) | FRI vs. Toronto
Flyers (29-32-13) | Ottawa 4-5 (OT) | SAT vs. Buffalo
Penguins (37-28-10) | Nashville 2-0 | SAT vs. Boston
Phillies | Texas 7-11 | SAT vs. Texas
Pirates | Cincinnati 5-4 | SAT vs. Cincinnati

What We’re Hearing
“Well, if you have somebody that there’s not a path in a general election, we’re not going to sit, sit on the sidelines and be idle. There are a number of other groups out in the center right universe that are not going to sit back and allow an unelectable Republican filing candidate to win a primary. Dave McCormick is the type of candidate who can win a primary election and a general election. If Dave gets in the race, we’re going to be with him.” – Steve Daines

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Bridget Kosierowski and Sen. Joe Pittman. Early wishes for Sen. John DiSanto (Sat.), Rep. Jim Marshall (Sun.) and Rep. Jim Rigby (Sun.)

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Top Story

1. Donald Trump Indicted

“Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.

The exact nature of the charges was unclear Friday because the indictment remained under seal, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump’s surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that wouldn’t prevent Trump from seeking and assuming the presidency.

The indictment, the first against a former U.S. president, injects a local district attorney’s office into the heart of a national presidential race and ushers in criminal proceedings in a city that the ex-president for decades called home. Arriving at a time of deep political divisions, the charges are likely to reinforce rather than reshape dueling perspectives of those who see accountability as long overdue and those who, like Trump, feel the Republican is being targeted for political purposes by a Democratic prosecutor.” (AP)”

Related

A President Faces Prosecution And A Democracy Is Tested. “For the first time in American history, a former president of the United States has been indicted on criminal charges. It is worth pausing to repeat that: An American president has been indicted for a crime for the first time in history.” (New York Times)

• Trump Indicted By N.Y. Grand Jury. (Washington Post)
• Grand Jury Votes To Indict Donald Trump (Wall Street Journal)
• ‘O.J. Simpson On Steroids:’ Team Trump Prepares For Post-Indictment Frenzy. (POLITICO)
• Trump Indicted After Manhattan DA Probe For Hush Money Payments. (Fox News)

Western PA Political Leaders React To Trump Indictment. “Some called the criminal charges long overdue. Others called for caution. Still, others described the indictment of former President Donald Trump as “partisan” and unfair.” (Tribune-Review)

State

2. Fetterman, Casey, Brown Introduce Rail Safety Legislation

The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio continues to have an impact on the lives of those living in the region and now three U.S. Senators want to prevent future harm to rail-side communities and families.

Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the “Railway Accountability Act” on Thursday, designed to address additional long-standing rail safety concerns and protect workers.” 

• Fetterman Pushes For Railroad Safety In First Bill As A Senator. (Post-Gazette)

Related

Greene Tells PA Conservatives To Keep The Faith Despite Recent Losses. “U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the national Republican Party’s top political flame-throwers, brought her political faith and tenacity to Pennsylvania Thursday night, urging a sympathetic audience to watch and work for better days for conservatives ahead.” (PennLive)

DOC Seeks $2.9B From PA’s Next State Budget, Up 5.8% “State legislators questioned corrections officials about mental health services available to inmates as well as staff vacancies during a budget hearing Thursday in the Pennsylvania House.” (CNHI News)

Lee Speaks Out On House Floor About Hoax Shooting Reports. “U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, decried Wednesday’s hoax shooting reports that shut down schools in Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania communities in remarks on the House floor.” (Tribune-Review)

Advocates Rally For Local Control Of Minimum Wage In PA. “Action Together NEPA and SEIU Healthcare PA were joined by Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, Sen. Marty Flynn and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski on Thursday to demand local control over the minimum wage.” (Times Leader)

Lehigh Grad Spent $500,000 On The Last PA School Board Races. Where Is He Investing This Year? “Two years ago, Paul Martino poured $500,000 into Pennsylvania school board races in what the Bucks County venture capitalist and GOP donor billed as a bipartisan effort to ensure pandemic school closures wouldn’t happen again.This year, with school board seats again on the ballot in Pennsylvania, Martino isn’t claiming any political neutrality. The Back to School political action committee he started is now branding itself as a conservative super PAC seeking to “stop the liberal left.”” (Morning Call)

PA LGBTQ Leaders Create Statewide Advocacy Organization. “In an effort to advance LGBTQ inclusion in Pennsylvania, leaders from across the state formed Keystone Equality, a nonpartisan organization with a goal of organizing statewide LGBTQ advocacy initiatives.” (Lock Haven Express)

Campaign Finance, Lobbying Reform Still Receiving Little Attention In PA Legislature. “As lawmakers gathered in Harrisburg this week for another round of budget hearings, both legislative chambers got the chance to question top officials from Pennsylvania’s Department of State. The department is best known for its oversight of elections. But it also plays a key part in an area long neglected by the legislature: the role of money and lobbying in politics and policy-making.” (Spotlight PA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A Latina Has Never Been Elected To Citywide Office In Philly. Could This Year Bring Change?

“For decades, one Latino lawmaker has been the norm for Philadelphia City Hall.

Today, Latinos make up 15% of the city’s population, but hold just one of 17 Council seats. And the May 16 Democratic primary presents an opportunity for Philadelphia’s Latino community — and its women in particular — to finally increase their representation in City Hall.” (Inquirer)

Related

Your Guide To The Philadelphia Primary Election. “In a city where turnout is typically low, you’d think Philly voters would overlook a primary. But in a city that’s as one-party as we are, the primary election — specifically, the Democratic primary — largely determines who wins in the general election.” (Philadelphia Citizen)

Amen Brown Had To Fight To Stay On The Ballot For Mayor? Will A Super PAC Come To His Rescue? “The 11 Democrats running for mayor of Philadelphia — and the super PACs supporting at least three of them — will report on Tuesday how much money they have raised and spent this year. Will that be a big day for Amen Brown? Or a total bust?” (Inquirer)

Ups and Downs. Our look at the week now behind us. (PoliticsPA)

Lancaster County: Who’s Running For Office? “Here at Politics PA, we want to make sure that you are aware of who is running for elected office and where they stand. Today, we take a look at the candidates for office in Lancaster County.” (PoliticsPA)

PA House Democrats Majority At Stake In Delco Race To Replace Mike Zabel. “The race is underway to fill a Pennsylvania House vacancy in Delaware County created by Rep. Mike Zabel’s resignation earlier this month, putting Democrats’ one-seat majority on the line.” (PennLive)

Council Seeks Halt Of State’s Control Of Philadelphia’s Gun Laws. “City Council passed a resolution Thursday calling on the state General Assembly to temporarily suspend its gun law preemption for Philadelphia and other big cities to allow the city to enforce efforts to address the problem.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

Ruling Allowing Marino To Run For DA In PA County Appealed To Commonwealth Court. “Commonwealth Court has been asked to overturn the ruling that allowed former U.S. Rep. Thomas A. Marino to remain on the ballot as a Republican candidate for Lycoming County district attorney.” (PennLive)

Washington County Lawmaker Says $10M In Casino Money Is Unaccounted For. Others Roll Their Eyes. “Claiming that up to $10 million in public money is unaccounted for in Washington County, state Rep. Bud Cook is escalating a longstanding campaign for a high-caliber audit of a program that funnels tax revenue from casinos into local community projects.” (Post-Gazette)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• A Fractured System: PA Must Coordinate Higher Education. (Post-Gazette)
• Armed School Security A Must In PA For Protecting Students. (Sen. Mike Regan)
• In The Game of Life, We Keep Swinging and Missing When It Comes To Gun Violence. (Lori Falce)

1 Thing

5. Our Masters Pool

Are you a golfer? Do you like watching The Masters tournament every April? Well, have we got something for you.

Join our inaugural PoliticsPA fantasy golf tournament to make your viewing of this event even more enjoyable.

• Pick any five players from the field to comprise your team
• Low four rounds count for your daily team total
• At least four players must make the 36-hole cut or your team is eliminated
• Pick the winning 72-hole individual score as the tie-breaker

To make sure that we are above board, we will not charge an entry fee and we’ll do this for bragging rights only.

Send your five-person team and the winning 72-hole score (tiebreaker) to steve@politicspa.com. Please provide your name and email address. We will accept submissions until 8 a.m. EDT Thursday.

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