The 5(ish) Tweets that sum up a most unusual budget season | Wednesday Morning Coffee

By
John L. Micek
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Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf delivers his sixth budget address to a joint session of the general assembly inside the House of Representatives chamber at the State Capitol in Harrisburg on Friday, December 13, 2019 (Photo from Commonwealth Media Services).

Good Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Working into the night on Tuesday, the Legislature advanced a $25 billion budget that will provide five months’ worth of funding to help see the state cope with the economic devastation dealt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the Capital-Star’s Stephen Caruso and Elizabeth Hardison report, the spending plan passed the House on a 103-99 vote, before heading to the Senate, which positioned it for a series of floor votes this week.

Here, then, the five Tweets that capture the essence of Tuesday night’s relatively low-impact debate.

1. They’ve found a riff, they’re sticking with it — The Republican edition.

And the Democratic response:

2. Remembering those on the front lines.

3. They’re from a think-tank. They’re here to help.
From the right ...

And the left:

4. And what of the schools?

5. Hey! No horning in on our act.

The Pennsylvania Capitol building. (Capital-Star photo by Sarah Anne Hughes)

Our Stuff.
Stephen Caruso and Elizabeth Hardison stayed up late watching the Legislature so you didn’t have to. Here’s their full report on the stopgap plan apparently barreling towards Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.

Still wondering which Pennsylvania businesses applied for a waiver from the Wolf administration’s shutdown order? Elizabeth Hardison put together this searchable database of who asked for what.

From our partners at the Pittsburgh Current, a look at the steps Allegheny County is taking, including reducing polling places, to ensure voter safety during the June 2 primary. Not everyone is taking kindly to those steps, however.

A pair of Philly Dems, Rep. Joanna McClinton, and Sen. Tony Williams, dropped off masks, gloves and other protective supplies to senior residences in southwest Philly, our partners at the Philadelphia Tribune report.

On our Commentary Page this morning, opinion regular Anwar Curtis returns with some advice for the graduating seniors out there. Opinion regular Simon Haeder has some thoughts on how Pennsylvania can get creative to protect vulnerable elders during a pandemic. And community colleges will play a key role in helping the state emerge from the pandemic, the head of Pa.’s community college system writes.

Voters line up at a polling place on Election Day. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Elsewhere.
Montgomery County has gone to court to get the deadline for mail-in ballots extended, the Inquirer reports.
Democratic leaders in Pittsburgh are criticizing mailers that are ‘spreading falsehoods’ about Rep. Summer Lee, Pittsburgh City Paper reports.
PennLive looks at the latest push for liquor privatization.
Pennsylvania State Police have cited a Lehigh Valley gym owner who reopened despite state orders, the Morning Call reports.

Here’s your #Pennsylvania Instagram of the Day:

Philadelphia restaurants are now open for in-person orders, WHYY-FM reports.
An increase in applications for SNAP benefits is the ‘tip of the iceberg,’ WESA-FM reports.
Stateline.org looks at the plight of unemployed single mothers amid the pandemic.
Democrats on Capitol Hill are more likely to expand their majority than lose it this November, according to a new Roll Call analysis.

What Goes On.
The House comes in at 11 a.m. The Senate gavels in at a leisurely 1 p.m.
Here’s a look at the day’s committee action. All sessions are live-streamed.
First, up the Senate:
10 a.m: Senate Democratic Policy Committee/House Democratic Policy Committee
11 a.m.: Game & Fisheries Committee
11:30 a.m.: Intergovernmental Operations
Call of the Chair: Health & Human Services

Here’s the House:
9 a.m., 60 East Wing: Children & Youth Committee
9:30 a.m., 205 Ryan: Finance Committee
10 a.m., G50 Irvis: Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee
10 a.m: Democratic Policy Committee/Senate Democratic Policy Committee
10 a.m., B31 Main Capitol: Local Government Committee

Time TBD: Daily COVID-19 briefing

You Say It’s Your Birthday Dept. 
Best wishes go out this morning to Glenn Hamilton, a DJ at Harrisburg rock station (and Pa. Senate squawk box soundtracking) WRVV 97.3 FM, who celebrates today. Congratulations, sir. Enjoy the day.

Heavy Rotation.
Here’s one from singer-songwriter David Keenan. It’s ‘Altar Wine.’

Wednesday’s Gratuitous Hockey Link.
It’s official: The NHL plans a return to play with a 24-team playoff format, with teams competing in two locations. The date, however, is still TBA.

And now you’re up to date. 

John L. Micek
John L. Micek
A 3-decade veteran of the news business, John L. Micek is the Pennsylvania Capital-Star's Editor-in-Chief. An award-winning political reporter, Micek’s career has taken him from small town meetings and Chicago City Hall to Congress and the Pennsylvania Capitol. His weekly column on U.S. politics is syndicated to 800 newspapers nationwide by Cagle Syndicate. He also contributes commentary and analysis to broadcast outlets in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Micek’s first novel, “Ordinary Angels,” was released in 2019 by Sunbury Press

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