Author
Will Pa. ever get serious about property tax reform? | Mark O’Keefe
Rep. Frank Ryan wants to tax retirement income. It's a good idea, which means it'll never happen.
In his final budget, Wolf drops his State Police fee. But the problem remains | Mark O’Keefe
While the state won't see the revenue from the fees, it will also put an end to any conversations about how the state police could be used more efficiently.
What the 2021 judicial races tell us about 2022 and beyond | Mark O’Keefe
No party has won three, consecutive terms for governor since they were allowed to run for re-election in 1972
Will Pa. lawmakers finally pass real lobbying reform and a gift ban? | Mark O’Keefe
The calendar is tight -- but lawmakers can get it done with some actual political will.
The House GOP’s silence on police radar bill isn’t just deafening, it’s deadly | Mark O’Keefe
The measure hasn't come up for a vote before the state House of Representatives, and one doesn't seem likely, at least for this year.
The U.S. should unite like it did after 9/11 | Mark O’Keefe
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally heard my son’s voice on the phone. “Are you OK?, “I asked him. “Yes,” Bryan said. “I’m fine. We’re all together in a conference room.” Then I heard some chaos in the background. “Dad, I can’t talk now. I have to go. They’re evacuating the capital,” said […]
The Philly ‘burbs grew over the last decade. That’s a problem for the GOP | Mark O’Keefe
New Census data must be a source consternation for Republican strategists who will have to overcome the state's changing landscape.
I was a journalist from Coal Country. This is the Rich Trumka I knew | Mark O’Keefe
Trumka never wavered in his commitment to improving the lives of American workers battling on behalf of American workers until the end of his life.
Were Wolf’s budget season trades worth the price of a deal? Democrats may find out in 2022 | Mark O’Keefe
Was Gov. Tom Wolf trying to put a good face on the $40.8 billion state budget recently passed by the General Assembly, calling it a “good budget?” While Wolf was happy the Legislature passed the budget ahead of the June 30 deadline; it contained none of the significant proposals he made during his budget address […]
A Cambria County lawmaker has a plan to make Pa.’s liquor license system more competitive. Will it work? | Mark O’Keefe
Ever wonder why you have to bring alcohol to your favorite restaurant? Ever wonder why your favorite bar closes and never reopens? Situations like the above happen primarily because of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s rules and regulations. In the first situation, a restaurant may not have a liquor license because few are available in […]
Does Pa.’s Primary Day rebuke of Wolf signal rough sailing for Dems in 2022? | Mark O’Keefe
Wolf's appeal or lack of it could be a factor in the U.S. Senate race, especially if Lt. Gov. John Fetterman wins the Democratic nomination.
Pa.’s volunteer fire departments are in crisis. How Pa. lawmakers are moving to help | Mark O’Keefe
In 1970, there were about 300,000 volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania. That number has plummeted to 38,000 today.