Good Morning Monday. I want my hour of sleep back.

The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. What Would You Say. Dave Matthews Band.

PA Weather
Erie | Sunny, 52
Elysburg | Sunny, 60
Easton | Sunny, 64

PA Sports
Flyers (27-30-8) | Seattle 1-4 | New Jersey 1-3 | Tue vs. Ottawa
Penguins (25-31-10) | Vegas 0-4 | Minnesota 3-1 | Tue vs. Vegas
Sixers (22-41) | Utah 126-122 | Mon vs. Atlanta
Union (3-0) | New England 2-0 | Sun vs. Nashville

What We’re Hearing. [Reading, B&O, Short Line, Pennsylvania]

Eyes On. GOP eyes are watching Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01) to see if he will fall in line behind Speaker Mike Johnson’s CR.

Social Media. Join us on Twitter and Bluesky at @PoliticsPA

Top Story

1. Shapiro, Fetterman Responses to Trump Spotlight Political Differences, Challenges For Democrats

“With President Donald Trump’s torrent of major policy changes sparking protests from the House chamber floor to Downtown Pittsburgh, Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman say they remain focused on getting things done for Pennsylvanians.

But how they’re navigating Trump’s second presidency puts the spotlight on their personal and political differences as Pennsylvania’s top Democrats in state and federal office, and as high-profile names often thrown into speculation on the 2028 presidential race. It also reflects the challenges Democrats face amid a Republican stronghold, for now, over all three branches of the federal government.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

Rating Donald Trump’s Second Term So Far: He’s Rattling the Cage and So Many Here In Pennsylvania Couldn’t Be Happier. “In Pennsylvania – a key swing state that went for Donald Trump in the last election – voters tell Sky’s Mark Stone the US president is ‘doing real great’. For some though, there is real anxiety.” (Sky News)

Scott Perry Says No One ‘Legitimately’ on Medicaid Will Lose Coverage. ““You’re talking about improper payments, but you didn’t include people that are here illegally. If you’re here illegally, you should not be on any federal assistance program. That’s not what they’re designed for.”” (The Hill)

Helping to Run An Election in PA Often Starts With Running For Election. “You know those workers at the polling place who help you cast your ballot each election? There are elections for them, too.” (Votebeat Pennsylvania)

State

2. COVID’s Lasting Effects

“Five years ago this month, Pennsylvania’s chief executive scrambled to manage a global health crisis for which no one in the world was prepared.

As leader of the nation’s fifth most-populous state, then-Gov. Tom Wolf found himself winging it like everyone else. He had no playbook for covid-19.

“It looked to be pretty serious,” Wolf recalled recently in an interview with TribLive, “but how to handle it was unknown.”” (Greensburg Tribune-Review)

Elsewhere

Lawsuit Aims to Strike Down LGBTQ Antidiscrimination Protections in PA. “Two public school districts and several parents have sued Pennsylvania in a bid to undo antidiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people, saying the state’s two-year-old regulation is illegal because it goes beyond what lawmakers intended or allowed.” (AP)

More Than 3,000 Apply For PA Student Teacher Stipends In One Day. “In only 24 hours, more than 3,000 Pennsylvanians studying to become educators applied for a stipend of up to $15,000 to fund their required semester of in-classroom training. But unless lawmakers act, many will not receive them – essentially meaning they will work for free.” (Penn Capital-Star)

1000s in Limbo As Shapiro Admin Again Tries to Convince Lawmakers to Fund Home Repairs Program. “Republican concerns about state spending could keep $50 million to help Pennsylvania homeowners with the cost of major repairs out of this year’s budget, despite overwhelming demand and bipartisan support for a similar initiative several years ago.” (Spotlight PA)

Education Outcomes in Bucks County Hindered By $36M State Funding Gap: Report. “For some of Bucks County’s children, funding gaps stand between them and an education that will boost their chances for upward mobility and success, according to a recent report.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Around The Commonwealth

3. County Democratic Committee Endorses Corey O’Connor for Pittsburgh Mayor

“After hours of voting, the Allegheny County Democratic Committee narrowly endorsed Corey O’Connor in the race for Pittsburgh mayor in this spring’s primary, the second straight mayoral primary in which the coveted endorsement went to the sitting mayor’s challenger.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

This Southeastern PA City is Leading the Fight For Environmental Justice. “The city of Chester, Pennsylvania, is situated along the Delaware River, just southwest of the Philadelphia Airport. For decades, it’s held a reputation for poverty, pollution and crime. It could, Chester Mayor Stefan Roots believes, become a beautiful waterfront city again — if environmental justice is served.” (The Center Square)

Demystifying Public Comment. “Your step-by-step guide for attending and speaking out at Philadelphia City Council, Board of Education and Department of Planning meetings.” (Philadelphia Citizen)

Dems Submit Same Three Names to Replace Former Lackawanna County Commissioner Matt McGloin. “Lackawanna County’s Democratic Party chairman re-submitted Friday the same three names who the party recommended last week to replace former Commissioner Matt McGloin.” (WVIA)

Editorial

4. Speak Your Mind

• Let’s Return to Civil Political Discourse. (Bill O’Boyle)
• Pennsylvania Should Not Raise Money On Marijuana. (Chris McGuinn)
• Pennsylvania’s Public Transportation Needs a Big Push to Get Rolling Again. (Chris Sandvig)
• Does Pennsylvania Have Too Many Colleges? (Chris Nicholas)
• Send in the Clowns? Don’t Bother, They’re Here. (Howard Lurie)
• What is the Cost of Accepting GOP Donations For Democratic Candidates? (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• Retired Social Security Administration Executive Examines the Purge of Federal Public Servants and Democracy. (James J. Riley III)
• The ‘Bad Man’ Theory of the Presidency. (E. Fletcher McClellan)

1 Thing

5. Board Game Trivia

Start your week off with a simple board game question? Name the four railroads in Monopoly. The answer is above.

Thank you for starting your week with us.
And reading the PoliticsPA Playbook