Briefs
As the fight over Trump’s Wall rages in Washington, Pa. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon is headed for the Border
The delegation headed by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer "will meet directly with immigrant advocates about the humanitarian situation as well as receive a border security briefing."
Lawmaker who chaired Liquor Control Committee moves to lobbying role for Pa. brewers
Former Rep. Adam Harris, a Republican who spent 16 years in the General Assembly before retiring last session, has a new job leading outreach for Pennsylvania’s beer brewing industry. Harris was chairman of the House Liquor Control Committee in 2016 when the state reformed its liquor laws, including letting distributors sell six packs. “Brewers across Pennsylvania […]
‘Not a climate bill’: Environmental group pans proposed nuclear deal
Environmental groups are emerging as early critics of a proposed bailout of Pennsylvania’s nuclear industry, a policy that state lawmakers are expected to debate early this year. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a New York-based environmental advocacy group, sent a letter to Pennsylvania lawmakers last week asking them to reject any policy fix for […]
Pa. Dems want your $4 to pass ‘the most progressive budget in years’
We'll look forward to the inevitable television commercials and direct-mail pieces that $4 ask will more than likely underwrite.
Top Pa. Senate Dem. moves to halt Highmark/UPMC divorce
The Pennsylvania Senate’s top Democrat is wading into the acrimonious — and seemingly endless — break up of two of the state’s largest healthcare providers. Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, is seeking co-sponsors for a bill that would require UMPC Health System and Highmark Inc. to either contract with each other for services or […]
With plant shutdowns looming, Pa.’s nuclear industry braces for a policy showdown
Pennsylvania gets almost half of its energy from nuclear power, but that could soon change if lawmakers don’t amend the state’s alternative energy policies. Two of Pennsylvania’s five nuclear power plants are headed toward shutdown in the next two years due to stiff competition from the state’s natural gas providers. Pennsylvania’s nuclear industry create more […]
To build ‘civic muscle,’ this group is giving out cash for citizen-drawn congressional maps
Three dozen Pennsylvanians walked out of the Capitol Wednesday with a nice chunk of change, all for drawing maps. The winners, divided by age and region, had participated in a political cartography contest run by Draw the Lines PA, a nonpartisan civic education group that asks commonwealth citizens to make their own congressional maps online. […]
Convicted Penn State abuser Jerry Sandusky to be re-sentenced, report
Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky will be resentenced for his 2012 conviction on multiple counts of sexual abuse. But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has rejected his request for a new trial. From Yahoo Sports: “The re-sentencing order does not mean that Sandusky will face less time in prison. It just sends the issue […]
Regional news outlet, RadioPa, has a new owner in Maryland Media One
Radio PA, a Keystone State broadcast stalwart that faced the prospect of closing up shop in April, has a new owner. Baltimore-based Maryland Media One LLC, which runs the Maryland News Network, says it’ll take over operations of the regional news network starting April 16. In a news release, Maryland Media said Radio PA’s current […]
Pa. Senate passes pension forfeiture bill, report
A quick one from our colleagues at Capitolwire, who report this morning that the Senate has approved legislation that would expand the list of offenses that would require public employees and officials to forfeit their pension benefits. According to Capitolwire, “the legislation would expand the list of convictions to include any felony conviction, guilty plea or no […]
Rep. Jake Wheatley thinks Pa. is ready for recreational pot – again
Even with Senate GOP leadership opposed and a decriminalization bill just receiving its first tentative vote last fall, Rep. Jake Wheatley sees reasons for optimism that this session could mean legal pot for Pennsylvania.