explainer
What you need to know about the GOP-backed audit of Pa.’s elections
Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate took steps to review the 2020 election last week, requesting thousands of documents from three counties across the state.
Redistricting, explained: What it is, how it works, and how Pa. politicians get to draw their own maps
It’s a year ending in one, so politicians across America are once again busting out their sharpies and spreadsheets to divide up voters in the once-a-decade redrawing of Pennsylvania’s congressional and legislative boundaries.
What is private equity and why are Pa. lawmakers concerned about the tens of millions of dollars of your money tied up in it?
What does a private equity firm do? And why has its work, which attracts rich individuals and well-endowed institutions, become a source of controversy?
Pennsylvania’s property tax, explained: A moral wrong, or the building block of government finance?
When he started knocking on doors during his inaugural campaign for state representative in 1992, Sam Rohrer noticed a topic popping up again and again — property taxes. He was aware of complaints, but the extent of the problem became more and more apparent as he talked to his soon-to-be constituents in Berks County. Rohrer, […]
How the Trump administration’s regulatory changes are touching everything from family planning to food stamps
Rule changes are behind some high-profile immigration news and Planned Parenthood's withdrawal from Title X.
How Pa.’s Supreme Court moved left, and what it means for the GOP
(*Updated: This story was corrected at 11:50 a.m. to correct the spelling of David Senoff’s name.) It’s been nine years since Pennsylvania Democrats last controlled a chamber of the General Assembly. With Gov. Tom Wolf’s election in 2014, the party regained its grip over the executive branch. In his four years in office, Wolf has […]
Pa.’s marketplace change, explained: Why a health insurance proposal easily won bipartisan support
It’s seemingly a legislative unicorn — a bipartisan solution that costs no extra state dollars and could save Pennsylvanians big bucks.
Cracking the Code: These budget bills are where the deals get made
The bills are a package of budget-enabling legislation that effectively serves as the instruction manual for spending the money in the state’s General Fund budget.
EITC, explained: How Pennsylvania’s educational tax credits are used, who benefits, and more
Here’s a look at how the program works and who stands to benefit from it.
Restore Pennsylvania, explained: Everything you need to know about Gov. Tom Wolf’s infrastructure plan
This week, Gov. Tom Wolf's administration unveiled the details of Restore Pennsylvania, an initiative to restore crumbling infrastructure, expand broadband access, and help communities fight blight.
How the Pa. General Assembly is trying to expand rights for crime victims
The House and Senate have approved a dozen victim-centered bills over the last past week, including a few identical versions of the same bill passed by both chambers.
It’s harder than ever to conduct polls. Should we still believe what they say?
Over the course of six days in March, researchers from Franklin & Marshall College surveyed 540 Pennsylvania voters to get their opinions on everything from gun control and nuclear energy to President Donald Trump and Gov. Tom Wolf’s job performance. Their findings were released Thursday, in the latest installment in F&M’s oft-cited public opinion survey. […]