In less than week, the PA Democratic Party will find out how much their endorsement is worth. Tuesday’s primary for Commonwealth Court pits endorsed candidate Kathryn Boockvar against Barbara Ernsberger, who ran against the party in 2009 and won.

Yesterday the PA House Republicans released a new budget plan. This budget looks like good news for university students, because it will repeal Tom Corbett’s unpopular cuts to PA higher education.

Risa Ferman is unopposed for her re-election campaign. But according to sources close to the MontCo DA, she raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars in the first quarter.

The saying goes that Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line. There are a number of GOP insiders who hope that bears out in the upcoming primaries for Commonwealth and Superior Court.

In the GOP race for Auditor General, former congressional candidate Frank Ryan of Lebanon County appears to be the lone man standing.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams will endorse Patrick Murphy for Attorney General today, PoliticsPA has learned.

State Rep. Metcalfe’s bill to require photo IDs for PA voters, passed the House State Government Committee today. The civil rights advocates at the PA chapter of the ACLU were quick to criticize the measure, saying it would lead to disenfranchisement.

Governor Corbett singled out teachers unions today in keynote speech today to the American Federation for Children, a D.C.-based pro-vouchers group. Several dozen protesters, including representatives of teachers’ unions, also the made the trip from Pennsylvania.

Albert J. Neri, 58, an award-winning state capitol correspondent for newspapers in Pittsburgh and Erie, died on May 7, 2011. For the past 15 months, Mr. Neri had been a resident of the Homeland Center, Harrisburg. He went there after complications from cancer treatment.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) recognized PA House Majority Leader Mike Turzai yesterday with its 2010-11 Legislator of the Year award, the organization’s highest honor.