PA Capitol News: Top 10 Stories From Harrisburg Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- General Assembly Wants To Expand Powers Over Executive

-- House Republicans Schedule Nov. 16 Committee Meeting On Bills Amending State Constitution To Invalidate Regulations Unilaterally Without Any Review Of Their Actions  [PaEN]

-- House Speaker Cutler: People Have A Right To Restore Balance In Constitution

-- Spotlight PA: Republican House Speaker Wants To Greatly Expand Lawmakers’ Power Over Governor, Executive Branch

-- City & State: Republicans Unveil New Constitutional Amendments To Curb Executive Power

-- Governor’s Race--

-- AP: PA Senate Republican Majority Leader Jake Corman To Run For Governor

-- PennLive: PA Senate Republican Majority Leader Jake Corman Tests Positive For COVID  

-- ErieT: Republican Sen. Laughlin - ‘I Like My Chances’ In Governor’s Race, But Fundraising Lags

-- WBTimes: Republican Candidate For Governor Dave White, Brings Campaign To Wilkes-Barre

-- Inquirer: Republican Candidate For Governor Picks Social Media Fight About His Daughter’s Delayed Mail Ballot

-- City & State: New Poll Shows Sen. Mastriano Leading Potential Republican Gubernatorial Field

-- PennLive - John Baer: PA Republicans Face Quandary Over Its 2022 Candidates, Including Perceived Frontrummeers And (Maybe) Dr. Oz

-- PA Cap-Star: AG Shapiro Pledges To Pass Nondiscrimination Law If Elected Governor

-- AP: Democrats Facing Tough Slog In 2022 Governor’s Races [PA Included]

-- Nov. 2 Election Continues--

-- Dept. Of State Announces Automatic Recount Of Commonwealth Court Election Results

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Statewide Judge Race Heads To Recount; Republicans Request Another In Chester County

-- Spotlight PA: Recount Triggered For Open Commonwealth Court Seat With Democrat Leading

-- TribLive - Deb Erdley: Republican Commonwealth Court Judge Drew Crompton, Fmr Aid To Senate Republican Leader, Now Losing To Democrat By 12,565 Votes

-- LancasterOnline/The Caucus: Wolf Releases 17 Applications For Commonwealth Court Vacancy Filled In 2019, Ending 2-Year Open Records Case

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Why It Matters That Gov. Wolf Bungled His Own Mail-In Ballot

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Wolf’s Voting Error Shouldn’t Get A Pass, Neither Should The Big Lie

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Republicans Celebrating Big Wins In Tuesday Election, But Will It Last?

-- WESA: Allegheny County Election Results Suggest New Strength- New Opportunity- For Black Candidates

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: After Republican Victories, PA Democrats Must Reassess Plans For Next Election 

-- TribLive Guest Essay: ‘Old School Republicans’ Prevailed In PA’s Swing Counties

-- ScrantonT Editorial: State Doesn’t Need An Extra Election Office

-- MCall: Week After Election, Northampton County Still Counting Votes, Watched By Losing Candidate

-- YorkDR: York County’s Final Election Results Taking Time As 21,000 Write-Ins Cast

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Counting ‘Unprecedented’ 52,300 Write-Ins

-- TribLive: Voter Turnout At 36% In Westmoreland County

-- WHYY: Montgomery County Republicans Allege ‘Lack Of Trust’ In Election Results, But Say There’s No Evidence Of Fraud

-- Newsweek: Northampton County Man Who Threatened School Officials With ‘20 Strong Men’ Blames Election Loss On Fraud

-- AG Shapiro Files Brief In Case Opposing Senate Republican Subpoena of Personal Voter Information

Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a brief to request that Commonwealth Court strike down a subpoena issued by State Senators Cris Dush and Jake Corman that seeks the private personal information — including the partial social security number — of every registered voter in Pennsylvania.

-- WITF: House Republican Measure Banning Private Grants To Fund Elections Clears Key Committee [Even though House-Senate do not provide state funding to counties to run elections]

-- ScrantonT Editorial: State Doesn’t Need An Extra Election Office

-- PA Cap-Star: House Republicans Renew Push To Require Post-Election Reviews

-- PG Editorial: Why Do Republicans Oppose Voting-Rights Measures?

-- PA Cap-Star: AG Shapiro Pledges To Pass Nondiscrimination Law If Elected Governor

-- CourierT: A Bitter Battle Over Profane Biden Flag In Bucks County

-- PennLive: PA Man Charged In Assault On U.S. Capitol Suggests Community Service As Punishment, But It’s Rejected

-- CourierT: Transphobic, Anti-Semitic Comments Disrupt Central Bucks School District Meeting : ‘This Is Hate’

-- MCall: Western PA Hockey Goalie Receives Big Show Of Support After Vulgar Chants Directed At Her

-- TribLive: Armstrong School District Vows To Punish Student Who Attacked Transgender Teen

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Farmer At Odds With Feds Over Food Inspections Getting Advice From Extremists, Attorney

-- USA Today: New Poll: 29% Of Republicans Say American Culture, Way Of Life Have Changed For The Better Since 1950s

-- MCall: Bethlehem Leaders Denounce Discrimination, White Supremacy

-- Lancaster Online: Lancaster County Elected Officials Must Denounce Anti-Semitism, Other Forms Of Hatred

-- PG Editorial: Helping Pittsburgh Be A Place Of Belonging

-- Legislative Reapportionment Commission Nov. 15 Hearing On Citizen Mapping Efforts

-- WITF Smart Talk: Redistricting Plans Are Underway, With Little Public Oversight

-- Sentinel Guest Essay: Time For ‘The People’s Maps’

-- Spotlight PA: Baldwin School Student Savannah Rhodes Makes Voting District Map Out Of Halloween Candy

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: PA State Lawmakers Call For Term Limits, But Not For Themselves

-- Harrisburg Potpourri--

-- PA Cap-Star: Legislators At Work?  1 In 5 Laws Enacted In PA So Far This Year Renamed A Bridge Or Road

-- Spotlight PA: New Limits Would Curtail Lobbyist Perks For PA Lawmakers, But Sen. Corman Could Stand In The Way

-- ScrantonT Editorial: End ‘Gift’ Grift In General Assembly

-- LancasterOnline/The Caucus: PA Lobbyists Disclose Some Financial Interests For First Time, But Details Are ‘Very Nebulous’

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Disclosure Of Commonwealth Court Candidates Major Victory For Public Disclosure

-- PA Cap-Star: Wolf Administration Denies Legislative Panel Access To COVID Death Data, Saying It’s Not A Government Agency

-- TribLive: Custody Trial For Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Sean Parnell, Estranged Wife  Concludes

-- AP: Republican PA U.S. Senate Denies Estranged Wife’s Allegations

-- TribLive: TV’s Dr. Oz Considers Jumping Into Primary For PA U.S. Senate Seat 

-- Pittsburgh City Paper: Rep. Summer Lee Picks Up Endorsement For Congress

-- PG/Capitolwire.com - Robert Swift: House Panel Approves 2 Contentious Bail Bills

-- WESA: PA Lawmakers, Prison Reform Advocates Seek To Expand Eligibility For Compassionate Release

-- WilliamsportS: Republican House Member Wants To Address Transparency Loopholes In Local Government 

-- CitizensV: Drug Company Settlement Money Coming Soon, AG Shapiro Says

-- PG: PennDOT’s Decision To Continue Pursuing Bridge Tolls Despite Federal Road Money Rankles Legislators

-- MCall - Ford Turner: PA Anticipates Getting About $13 Billion For Highway, Bridge Projects Over 5 Years From Federal Infrastructure Package

-- PG: Towns Sue To Stop PennDOT Tolls On I-79 Bridge

-- MCall - Ford Turner: House Committee Advances Bills To End ‘Madness’ Of Daylight Savings Time, Private Funding Of Elections

-- Inquirer: Foreclosure Starts To Tick Up In PA, NJ, Nationwide

-- AP: State’s Homecare Program Has Big Problems, Advocates Say

-- Inquirer: Taxpayers May Never Know Results Of PA School Employees Pension Fund Investigation

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Philly Voters Overwhelmingly Want To Legalize Marijuana, Harrisburg Should Listen

-- PennLive: $1.9 Million In Renovations Underway In Courtyard Of Governor’s Residence

-- AP: Striking Scranton Teachers Take Their Case To Harrisburg

-- WHYY: Glen Mills School Wants To Reopen Under New Name Following Decades Of Child Abuse Allegations

-- ReadingE: 2 Men Arrested In Berks On Charges Of Smuggling Undocumented Immigrants

-- PG: Plans For Major Immigrant Detention Center Move Forward In Clearfield County

-- PennLive: PA’s School Mask Mandate Is Back In Force During Governor’s Appeal

Some parents are eyeing a court ruling this week invalidating the Wolf administration’s school mask mandate as a victory for them.  The Commonwealth Court ruling is on hold after Gov. Tom Wolf swiftly appealed the ruling, which stands to lift the state mandate requiring students, teachers and staff to wear face masks in Pennsylvania’s schools.

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Why I Reluctantly Agree Wolf Must Appeal Ruling Overturning State’s School Mask Mandate

-- AP: [Republican] Commonwealth Court Throws Out Governor’s School Mask Mandate; Wolf Appeals 

-- PennLive: PA’s School Mask Mandate Voided By Divided Commonwealth Court

-- TribLive: Some School Districts Ready To Go Mask-Optional, Others Not Ready To Say

-- Gov. Wolf: State Anticipates Ending Statewide K-12 School Mask Requirement On Jan. 17

-- AP: Wolf Expects To Let PA Schools Set Masking Rules In January

-- PG: Sooner Or Later, Mask Decisions Will Be Back With School Boards

-- TribLive Editorial: Mask Appeal By Wolf Is Latest Political Power Play

-- WITF: COVID Cases Likely To Remain High In PA As Holiday Season Approaches

-- WESA: Allegheny County’s COVID Numbers Remain ‘Stubbornly High’

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Doctor: ‘We Will Be Living With This Virus, There Is No COVID Zero’

-- TribLive: Students, Staff Of Greensburg School District Move To Remote Learning After Spike In COVID Cases

-- WESA: PA Kids’ Enrollment In Medicaid Increased 14% During Pandemic

-- PA Cap-Star: More Than 400 PA Schools Participate Voluntarily In COVID Testing Program

-- YorkDR: Anti-Vaccine Mandate Advocates Protest At PA State Capitol

-- MCall - Ford Turner: COVID Vaccination Mandates Get Attention In Legislature As Lehigh Valley Hospital Doctor Speaks Out In Opposition

-- CentreDT: Hundreds Gather For Anti-Vaccination Mandate ‘Freedom Rally’ At Penn State

-- WPSU: Centre County Volunteers In Medicine Vaccinate Nearly 2,000 Kids Ages 5-11 This Week

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: I Wasn’t Sure About Getting My Kids Vaccinated Until They Exposed Grandma To The Virus

-- CourierT: 90% Of Bucks County Employees Comply With Vaccine Mandate

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Leaders Ask All Businesses To Require Employee COVID Vaccinations

-- TribLive: A Dozen Western PA Health Systems Pledge To Comply With Vaccine Mandate For Hospital Workers

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Quietly Rolls Out Vaccine Mandate For All Non-Union City Workers

-- PG: Penn State President In Quarantine After COVID Exposure

-- PennLive: Republicans Oppose Sesame Street’s Fictional Big Bird Getting His COVID Vaccine 

-- USA Today: 423 Million COVID Vaccine Dozens Administered, 3,100 Injury Claims Filed, $0 Paid Out

-- AP: School Districts’ Lawsuit Over State Funding Heads To Trial

A lawsuit that could result in drastic changes to how Pennsylvania funds public education got underway Friday in a Harrisburg courtroom, seven years after a handful of the state’s districts first went to court to challenge a system they consider unfair.

-- WHYY: School Funding In PA Is About To Go On Trial, Here’s What You Need To Know

-- AP: Court Arguments Open Over State School Funding Disparities

-- WITF: ‘It’s About Children Struggling’: PA School Funding Trial Kicks Off With Plea By Plaintiffs

-- Inquirer: PA School Funding Is Depriving Students, Plaintiffs Argue At Start Of Historic Trial: ‘A Systemic, Widespread Failure’

-- PG: ‘Staggering’: Realtors Association Backs Lawsuit Against Allegheny County Over Calculations That Could Affect Property Tax Bills

-- PA Cap-Star: Republican Senator Announces Plans To Expand Gambling Again In PA By Taxing, Regulating ‘Skill Games’

They’ve made their way into bars and convenience stores across Pennsylvania, but so-called “skill games,” which critics have labeled as unregulated and illegal, are the subject of an ongoing battle in Harrisburg.

While some want the games banned, arguing that they annually result in millions of dollars in lost revenue for the Pennsylvania Lottery and casino industry, one Republican state lawmaker — who considers them a lifesaver for businesses — wants to tax the machines.

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Skill Gambling Games Knock On PA Capitol Door

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: Valley Forge Casino Steps Up Enforcement Against Gamblers Who Leave Kids In Cars

-- YorkDR: Police Called To Respond To Over 100 Incidents At New York County Casino

-- TribLive: PA Woman Sues Over Slot Game Payout; 13 Others Make Same Claim

-- PA Economy--

-- Gov. Wolf, Bipartisan Group Of Governors Urge Congress To Pass Semiconductor Legislation

-- Reuters: 9 Governors [Including Wolf] Press U.S. Lawmakers To Pass Semiconductor Funding Bill

-- NextPittsburgh: Which Of Pittsburgh’s Top Innovators Won The 2021 Tech 50 Awards?

-- YorkDR: Find Out How York County Gave Out Millions In COVID Relief Funds

-- WESA: Supply Chain Problems Mean Your Next Bottle Of Liquor Or Beer Might Look A Little Different

-- PennLive: State Treasurer Warns Of Scam Directed At Unemployment Compensation Recipients

-- Dept. Of Revenue: Low-Income Pennsylvanians May Be Missing Out On PA Tax Refunds

-- PennLive Guest Essay: I’m With Uncle Joe - Employment Up, Stock Market Is Thriving, Economy Making Strong Recovery - Mark Singel

-- AP: Senate Republicans Back Bill To Allow Guns To Be Carried Without Permits

The Senate Tuesday approved two veto-bound firearms bills, including one to allow people to carry a loaded gun openly or concealed, without a permit, and another to punish municipalities that impose firearms ordinances that are stricter than state law.

A House Committee already moved the bill out of committee.

-- MCall: House Already Moves Senate Bill To Let People Carry Guns Without A Permit

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Allow Concealed Or Open Carrying Of Guns Without A Permit

-- PA Cap-Star: Senate Republicans OK Gun Bill Preempting Local Gun Ordinances, Expanding Concealed Carry

-- ErieT: Republican Lawmakers Move Bill To Expand Concealed Gun Carry Rights, Let Anyone Sue Municipalities Over Firearms Ordinances

-- The Center Square: Pennsylvania Gun Bills Facing Certain Veto

-- PA Cap-Star: Bill Upping Penalty For Fleeing From Police Will Just Fill Jails, Lawyers Warn

-- WPSU: State College Borough Council Appoints Members Of Police Oversight Board

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Police Officer Accused Of Signing Up For Far-Right Group With Work Email

-- TribLive: Protesters Demand Prosecution In Jim Rogers’ Death While In Hands Of Pittsburgh Police

-- TribLive Editorial: Would Pittsburgh’s Traffic Stop Proposal Change Anything?

-- PG Editorial: Police Should Provide FBI With Use-Of-Force Data

[Posted: November 14, 2021]  PA Environment Digest