Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- 2022 Priorities

-- Spotlight PA: Gov. Wolf’s Final Budget Address Will Seek To Cement His Legacy

-- AP: What To Watch For In Gov. Wolf’s Budget Proposal

-- ScrantonT: Wolf To Roll Out Last Budget With Public School Education On His Mind

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $1.7 Billion Spending Plan For Federal American Rescue Plan Money

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Senate Democrats Call For A $3.75 Billion Investment In Public Education

-- WHYY: PA Democrats Set Budget Priorities With ‘Historic’ Education Spending Proposal

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Helping Pennsylvanians Means Putting Taxpayers First - Republican House Speaker, Majority Leader

-- Governor’s Budget Address Feb. 8 

 

-- PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- PA Cap-Star: Here’s The Full List of PA’s Fake Republican Electors - Gubernatorial Candidates Barletta, Gerow, More

-- CitizensV: Barletta Campaign Responds To Probe Of Fake Electors

-- TribLive: McKean County Man Gets Fine For His Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Inquirer: Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty To Charges Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- NYT: National Republican Committee Declares Assault On U.S. Capitol ‘Legitimate Political Discourse’

-- The Guardian: Republican Party Calls Jan. 6 Attack On U.S. Capitol ‘Legitimate Political Discourse’

-- WPost: Fmr Republican VP Mike Pence Says It Would Have Been ‘Un-American’ To Overturn Nov. 2020 Election Results For President

-- The Guardian: Fmr Republican VP Pence Says It Would Have Been ‘Un-American’ To Overturn 2020 Election Results

 

-- New Voting Districts - Senate, House, Congressional

-- AP: New Map Of House, Senate Voting Districts Approved By Reapportionment Commission 4 to 1; House Republican Opposes

-- PA Cap-Star: Panel Approves Final House, Senate Voting Districts Maps In Bipartisan Vote; House Republican Opposes 

-- Spotlight PA: Final Legislative District Maps Approved, But Legal Challenges Likely

-- Inquirer: New Legislative District Maps Could Boost Democrats, Reflecting Closely Divided State With More Voters Of Color

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Lehigh Valley A Flashpoint As Commission Approves Final Legislative District Maps

-- CitizensV: Luzerne County’s Political Landscape Is Changing

-- WBTimes: Sen. Yudichak (I) ‘Profoundly Disappointed’ In Redistricting Process

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Final Legislative Maps Introduce More Competitive Districts In Capital Region

-- WHYY: PA Supreme Court To Decide Congressional Voting Districts Map, With Conservative Judge As Special Master

-- AP: PA Supreme Court To Decide On Congressional Voting Districts Map

-- Spotlight PA: PA Supreme Court Takes Control Of Redrawing State’s Congressional Voting Districts Map

-- AP: PA Supreme Court May Step In To Congressional Voting Districts Case

-- AP: Commonwealth Court Judge Says She’ll Soon Rule On Congressional Voting Districts Map

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Supreme Court Taking A Look At Congressional Voting Map Case, Orders Stay On Lower Court

-- MCall: Will Allentown’s Chances Of Electing A Latino Representative Improve?

 

-- Governor’s Race

-- AP: Republican State Committee Won’t Endorse In Big Primary Fields For Governor, U.S. Senate

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Republican Leaders Decide Not To Endorse In Governor, Lt. Governor Races In Secret Lancaster Meeting

-- Inquirer: Jumbled Republican Primaries Will Stay That Way After No Party Endorsements At Republican Meeting In Lancaster

-- AP: Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Shapiro Sets Campaign Cash Record To Start Election Year

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Candidates For Governor Raising Big Money For A Big Race

-- Inquirer: First Fund-Raising Reports In PA Governor’s Race Show It’s Up For Grabs

-- WITF: Millions Pouring Into PA Governor, U.S. Senate Races

-- WESA: Republican Candidate For Governor Lou Barletta Tries To Build Campaign Off Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Last Of Republican Regional Straw Polls Hand Victories To Bartos, White For U.S. Senate, Governor

-- TribLive: Republican Rep. DelRosso Announces Run For Lt. Governor

-- TribLive: Fmr Republican Rep. Coleman Running For Lt. Governor

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Republican Candidate For Governor Lou Barletta Promotes Election Lies

 

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- AP: Republican State Committee Won’t Endorse In Big Primary Fields For Governor, U.S. Senate

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican U.S. Senate Candidates Battle To Standoff In Endorsement Battle In Lancaster Meeting

-- AP: Millions Follow Rich Candidates In PA U.S. Senate Race

-- Inquirer: How Much Money Oz, Fetterman Other PA U.S. Senate Candidates Raised So Far

-- WITF: Millions Pouring Into PA Governor, U.S. Senate Races

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Last Of Republican Regional Straw Polls Hand Victories To Bartos, White For U.S. Senate, Governor

-- PennLive - John Baer: Fetterman’s U.S. Senate Campaign Is As Unconventional As He Is

-- WPost: Conor Lamb, Leading Democratic Candidate For U.S. Senate In PA Opposes Fracking Ban

-- YorkDR: Dr. Oz Tries To Clean Up His Medical Record In Promoting Cures And Products

-- AP: Val Arkoosh Dropping Out Of Democratic U.S. Senate Race

-- PA Cap-Star Editorial Cartoon: For Sale, One Gently Used PA U.S. Senate Seat

 

-- November 2021 Election

-- MCall: Lehigh County Judge Race Remains In Limbo After Elections Board Delays Certification

-- MCall: Lehigh County Voters Sue To Delay Nov. Election Certification Over Undated Mail-In Ballots

 

-- May 2022 Election

-- WHYY: PA Voters Can Still Apply For Mail-In Ballots Despite The Court Battle

-- CourierT: Bucks County Officials Sound Alarm On Impact Of PA Redistricting Delays On Primary Election

-- ErieT: PA County Election Officials Demand Help From Lawmakers: ‘We’re Still Being Attacked’

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Has Some Big Races In 2022, But Political Parties Are Mostly Staying Silent, Why?

-- City & State: Republican Poll Says Republican State Candidates Have The Advantage This Year

-- PoliticsPA: Will Anyone Receive Endorsements At This Weekend’s Republican Meeting?

-- LancasterOnline: Sen. Augment To Face Primary Challenge From Ephrata Man Who Led Local Protests, Unapproved ‘Audit’ Of 2020 Election

 

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- AP: Republican’s PA Election Inquiry: Courts, Conspiracies And More Costs

-- AP: PA Supreme Court Sets March Argument On PA’s Mail-In Voting Law

-- CourierT Guest Essay: More Than Meets The Eye In Republican Efforts To Kill Mail-In Voting

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Republicans Liked PA’s Mail-In Voting Law When They Passed It In 2019, Then They Lost 

-- ErieT: PA County Election Officials Demand Help From Lawmakers: ‘We’re Still Being Attacked’

-- WITF Smart Talk: PA Republicans Gaining In Voter Registrations, Partisan Identification

-- ErieT Guest Essay: PA Republicans Are Stealing Your Right To Vote - PA Senate/House Democratic Leaders

-- ErieT Guest Essay: We Face An Apocalypse Of Our Own Making If We Let Voting Rights Falter In The U.S. - Erie Teacher

-- PA Cap-Star: Here’s The Full List of PA’s Fake Republican Electors - Gubernatorial Candidates Barletta, Gerow, More

-- CitizensV: Barletta Campaign Responds To Probe Of Fake Electors

-- WBTimes: AG Shapiro’s Office: 2020 Fake Republican Elector Plan Not Illegal, But Misleading

-- LancasterOnline: Sen. Augment To Face Primary Challenge From Ephrata Man Who Led Local Protests, Unapproved ‘Audit’ Of 2020 Election

-- CourierT: America First Candidate To Change Republican Cong. Fitzpatrick

-- CourierT Guest Essay: For Our ‘Great Experiment’ To Survive, Politicians Must Observe The Rules - Fmr Rep. Kate Harper 

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp. Republican Chair Resigns As Committee Prepared To Remove Him For Denouncing FreePA, A Conservative Disinformation Group

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Republican Twp. Chair’s Forced Exit Illustrates Lancaster County Republicans’ Shift Toward Extremism 

-- LancasterOnline: White Supremacist Group Patriot Front Recruiting In PA, Targeting Lancaster County With Propaganda 

-- TribLive: Etna Rallies Against Swastika Flag In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Out Of Running For 2024 Republican Convention

 

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To More Than 70 Proposed Amendments To State Constitution

-- Inquirer Pro/Con: Is It Time For PA To Get Out Of The Booze Business?

-- ReadingE Editorial: Constitutional Amendment On Alcohol Sales Concerning

 

-- Harrisburg Potpourri

-- PA Cap-Star: Updated PA Incumbent Retirement And Primary Tracker

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Coming Together For A Brighter Future For PA - PA House Democratic Leadership

-- TribLive: Special Election To Fill Rep. Wheatley Set For April 5

-- TribLive: Legislative Aide To Sen. Costa Nominated To Run For Rep. Gainey’s House Seat

-- WESA: 6 Hopefuls To Seek Democratic Party Nomination In House District Special Election

-- Inquirer: Philly Democrats Pick Rep. Mike Drescoll As Nominee For City Council

-- WBTimes: Rep. Carroll Not Seeking Reelection

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Sen. Browne Blocks Newspaper’s Attempt To Get Information On Taxes Paid In Allentown’s Unique Neighborhood Improvement Zone 

-- Inquirer: Sheryl Lee Ralph On ‘Abbott Elementary,’ Her Marriage To Sen. Hughes

-- CourierT: America First Candidate To Change Republican Cong. Fitzpatrick

-- WESA: Candidates To Replace Cong. Doyle Post Healthy Fundraising Totals

-- Inquirer: PA Members Of Congress Traded Millions In Stocks, Some Lawmakers Trying To Ban The Practice

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Barbara Hafer’s PAC Illuminates Absurd Law

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Legislature Takes First Steps Toward Recreational Marijuana - Holding A Hearing

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Legal Pot ‘Inevitable’, Fire Up Bill

-- Inquirer Pro/Con: Is It Time For PA To Get Out Of The Booze Business?

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Horse Racing Reforms Long Overdue

-- Spotlight PA: Report Says Fmr PA School Pension Fund CEO Withheld Information From Board

-- AP: Report Flags Consultant Error In PA School Pension Fund Data

-- ErieT: Gov. Tom Ridge To Be Honored By The Intelligence And National Security Alliance

 

-- Budget 2022

-- Spotlight PA: Gov. Wolf’s Final Budget Address Will Seek To Cement His Legacy

-- AP: What To Watch For In Gov. Wolf’s Budget Proposal

-- ScrantonT: Wolf To Roll Out Last Budget With Public School Education On His Mind

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $1.7 Billion Spending Plan For Federal American Rescue Plan Money

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Wolf Proposes $1.7 Bill Relief Program For Families, Small Businesses, Health Care, Conservation

-- MCall: Wolf’s Proposal For $1.7 Billion For Pandemic Relief Funds Includes Families, Workers, Small Businesses

-- PA Cap-Star: ‘We Should Not Do Nothing:’ Wolf Unveils $1.7 Billion Spending Plan For Federal Relief Money

-- AP: Wolf, Democrats Outline Propose For Investing $1.7 Billion In American Rescue Plan Funds

-- The Center Square: Republican House Speaker Pans Wolf’s Federal Relief Spending Plan

-- Gov. Wolf Launches Nonprofit Security Grant Program With $5 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding

-- TribLive Editorial: Nursing Shortage Can Use American Rescue Plan Funds

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Senate Democrats Call For A $3.75 Billion Investment In Public Education

-- WHYY: PA Democrats Set Budget Priorities With ‘Historic’ Education Spending Proposal

-- WHYY: General Assembly Diverts $4.2 Billion In State Funding Meant To Pay For Highways & Bridges To Pay State Police Instead [2019]  [Is There A Pattern Here?]

-- PG: As Wolf Readies Final Budget, State University System Waits To See If They Will Get More Funding

-- Dept. Of Revenue: January State Revenue Collections $376.8 Million Over Estimate; $1.8 Billion Over Estimates Fiscal Year-To-Date  

-- Independent Fiscal Office: January Revenue Collections $440.6 Million Over Its Estimate; $2.2 Billion Over Fiscal Year-To-Date 

-- The Center Square: IFO: Revised Economic Forecast Shows Higher Revenue Estimate For PA  [State Revenue Estimate Increases $3.3 Billion]

-- PennLive: PA Casinos Hit Jackpot With Record Year In 2021

-- WHYY: Philly Moves Closer To ‘Epicenter For Sports Betting’ Prediction

-- Inquirer: Ex-Bookkeeper For Delaware River Waterfront Agency Admitted Stealing $2.6 Million To Gamble

 

-- American Rescue Plan Funding

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $1.7 Billion Spending Plan For Federal American Rescue Plan Money

-- TribLive Editorial: Nursing Shortage Can Use American Rescue Plan Funds

-- PA Cap-Star: These PA Congressional Republicans Opposed The Biden American Rescue Plan Funding, Then Touted It Back Home 

 

-- COVID Pandemic In PA

-- PA Cap-Star: COVID Still A ‘Serious’ Situation In PA, Health Secretary Says

-- WHYY: Philly COVID Cases Continue To Drop, But ‘We’re Not Out Of The Woods Yet’

-- PennLive: UPMC Doctor Warns Against Danger Of Pandemic Fatigue

-- PG: January Was Allegheny County’s Deadliest Month Since COVID Vaccine Rollout

-- PG: COVID Continues To Decline In Allegheny County, Across PA

-- CitizensV: Holidays Produced Huge, Larger COVID Case Surge This Year And A Lot Of Deaths In NE PA

-- MCall: PA COVID Cases Fall To 12-Week Low As Northampton Records 1,000th Death

-- AP: PA Adding Long-Term Care Beds To Ease COVID Crunch

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Health Care Providers Offering Incentives To Students To Fill Position, Including Paying Them To Go To School

-- TribLive Editorial: Nursing Shortage Can Use American Rescue Plan Funds

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: COVID Policies At The Capitol In Harrisburg Are All Over The Map

-- ABC6: 5,000 Blank Vaccine Cars, N95 Masks Stolen From Philadelphia Hospital

 

-- TribLive: Western PA Health Care Facilities In Compliance With Federal Vaccine Mandate

-- PennLive: ‘Small Number’ Of Unvaccinated Employees Lose Jobs At Hershey Company

-- PennLive: PA Republicans Push Bill To Protect Doctors Prescribing Unproven Treatments For COVID

--WITF/PennLive: Tower Health Doctor Fired For Prescribing Unproven COVID Treatments To Patients

-- PennLive: Complaints Of Lebanon County Restaurant Being Used As Conduit For Unproven COVID Treatments Referred To Attorney General 

-- WHYY: Down 2 Hospitals In One Month, New Efforts To Restore Health Services In Chester County

-- WHYY: Blood Donation Shortage A ‘Major Concern’ In Pennsylvania

-- PA Cap-Star: On The Job In D.C.: ‘You Have To Do The Work’: PA’s Rachel Levine Says

 

-- COVID - Schools

-- Courier: Central Bucks School District Parents Come Together To Donate Masks To Teachers, Staff

-- TribLive: New Kensington-Arnold Teachers To Highlight Educators’ Efforts During COVID

-- PG: For Western PA H.S. Seniors, Pandemic Was Ultimate Test Of Courage

-- Inquirer: Less Than One-Third Of PA Elementary Students Vaccinated Against COVID

-- ErieT: Warren County School District Paid $28,000 In Winner’s Legal Fees In Challenge To Its Mask Policy

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley’s St. Luke’s Hospital CEO: Network Will No Longer Provide Guidance To Southern Lehigh School District Because Of The School Board’s ‘Discourtesy And Disrespect’

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Health Care Providers Offering Incentives To Students To Fill Position, Including Paying Them To Go To School

 

-- Opioid Epidemic

-- AP: Allegheny, Philadelphia DAs Lose Round In Challenge To Opioid Settlement Lawsuit

-- WHYY: Philly Unveils First-Of-Its Kind Vending Machine For Opioid Overdose Drug Narcan

 

-- School Funding/Administration

-- PG: Private Christian School Leader First Witness For Republicans In Public School Funding Trial

-- WHYY: Republicans Make Case For School Choice, Not Money In PA School Funding Trial

-- CitizensV: Fair Funding Trial Exposing Inequities In PA Schools

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Senate Democrats Call For A $3.75 Billion Investment In Public Education

-- WHYY: PA Democrats Set Budget Priorities With ‘Historic’ Education Spending Proposal

-- PA Cap-Star: ‘This Is Not Sustainable’: PA Educators Detail Staffing Shortages, Urge Legislative Relief

-- PennLive: Labor Shortages Remain PA School Districts’ Biggest Concern, Report Says, While Democrats Propose Billions In New Aid

-- TribLive: Greensburg Diocese Excited By 20% Bump In Catholic School Enrollment

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Why Is PA’s Private Cyber Charter School Boom During Pandemic Crushing Taxpayers 

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Legislative Action On Private Charter School Reform Long Overdue - Fmr Rep. Bernie O’Neill (R) & Fmr Auditor General Eugene DePasquale (D)

-- PG Editorial: Private Cyber Charter School Taxpayer Funding Must Change

-- ErieT: How Unfounded Threats To Erie-Area Schools Add Stress, Work

-- Inquirer: Chester County School Board Member Blamed ‘Illegal Immigrants’ For Falling Test Scores, Thousands Called For Her Resignation

-- YorkD: 2 PA School Districts In Allegheny, Beaver Counties Disciplined After Hearing On Racial Allegations During Football Playoff Game 

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Parents: Urge Lancaster County School Boards To Resist Efforts To Ban Books

-- Spotlight PA: Report Says Fmr PA School Pension Fund CEO Withheld Information From Board

-- AP: Report Flags Consultant Error In PA School Pension Fund Data

-- Spotlight PA: Key Consultant Refused To Cooperate With Probe Into PA School Pension Fund

-- TribLive Editorial: Clerical Error Doesn’t Mean PA School Pension Fund Has No Responsibility

-- Inquirer: Penn State Students Want To Be Heard, So They’re Running Candidates For Board Of Trustees

-- Inquirer: PA State University System Launches First Diversity Survey

-- PG: As Wolf Readies Final Budget, State University System Waits To See If They Will Get More Funding

 

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- Gov. Wolf Vetoes Bill Preempting Local Gun Ordinances

-- AP: Wolf Vetoes Bill To Prevent Local Firearms Restrictions

-- PA Cap-Star: Vetoed Republican Gun Preemption Bill Part Of Larger Local Preemption Strategy

-- TribLive: Man Accused In Wilkinsburg Massacre With Handgun Sues Allegheny County Over ‘Malicious Prosecution’

-- WITF: NAACP Files Complaint Against Lebanon County DA Over Handling Of Shootings By State Police

-- WHYY: Philly DA: Murders Are Down Compared To This Time Last Year

-- Inquirer: Carjackings In Philly Are On A Record Pace, Officials Aren’t Sure Why

-- Inquirer: Philly DA Hoping New Unit Can Steer Young Adults To Rehabilitation Over Punishment

-- PG Guest Essay: Time For Criminal Justice Overhaul - Rep. Kinkead (D)

-- Inquirer Editorial: Domestic Violence Homicides Were Up 240% Last Year, Why Is Philly Taking Guns From So Few Accused Abusers?

-- Inquirer Editorial: Philly Officials Collaborated On Gun Violence Report, But Can They Implement Their Own Recommendations?

-- YorkDR: Teens Now Can’t Be Jailed Unless It’s In The Interest Of Justice, In PA There Are Issues

-- ErieT: How Unfounded Threats To Erie-Area Schools Add Stress, Work

-- CourierT: Bucks County Community Settles Lawsuit In Police Shooting Where Officer Confused Gun With Taser For $750,000

-- Inquirer: 650+ Philly Cops Say They’re Too Hurt To Work, But Some Are Holding Down 2nd Jobs

-- PG Editorial: Alma Speed Fox, A Matriarch Of The Civil Rights Movement, Inspired Pittsburgh

-- PG Editorial: Steelers Can Take Lead In NFL Racial Justice Controversy

 

-- PA Economy

-- MCall: PA To Launch List Of Employers That Violate State Labor And Workplace Safety Laws

-- Inquirer: Restaurant Workers Are Quitting In Droves, Here’s How They’re Being Lured Back

-- PG: PennDOT Can’t Stop Major State College-Area Construction Contractor In Theft Case From Bidding On Contracts

-- WHYY: Philly To Pilot A Guaranteed Income Experiment, Giving Cash To Some Needy Residents

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Rental Assistance Is A Lifeline For Philadelphia Families, Don’t Let It Disappear

-- WHYY: Philly To Guarantee Lawyers For Some Renters Facing Eviction

-- PG: Class Of 2022 Starting Salaries Could See Sizable Gains, But Some May Lose Ground

-- CitizensV: Report: NE PA Leads State In New Job Creation

-- ErieT: Unemployment Rates Improve In Erie County Falls From 6.2% To 5.9%

-- TribLive: Western PA Region’s Labor Force Shrinks Again, Jobless Rate Falls

-- CentreDT: Centre County Couple Made, Sold Moonshine For More Than 30 Years, Investigators Say

[Posted: February 6, 2022]