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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- New Voting Districts - Senate, House, Congressional

-- AP: PA Supreme Court Upholds Voting District Maps For Senate, House

-- Spotlight PA: PA Supreme Court Rejects Challenges To State House, Senate Voting District Maps

-- PA Cap-Star: PA’s New House, Senate Voting District Maps OK’d By PA Supreme Court

-- MCall: Court Rejects Challenges To Voting District Maps Triggering Launch Of short, Intense Campaign Season

--WITF/Spotlight PA: Fringe Theory Cited By Republicans In PA Redistricting Case Could Give Legislature Unchecked Election Power

-- TribLive: State Legislative Redistricting Causes Changes In Alle-Kiski Valley Communities

-- TribLive: Westmoreland’s Clout In Harrisburg Cut Through Redistricting

-- ScrantonT Editorial: No Man An Island, Except House Republican Leader Benninghoff After Unanimous PA Supreme Court Decision On Redistricting

 

-- Governor’s Race

-- AP: Big Republican Primary Field For Governor Has Party Leaders Worried

-- City & State PA: Survey: Most Gubernatorial Candidates Support PA Gift Ban Legislation

-- PennLive: Frontrunning Republican Candidate For Governor Sen. Mastriano Still Focused On Unproven Election Fraud Claims From 2020

-- PennLive - Letter: Religious Organizations Call On Republican Sen. Mastriano To Stop Using Jewish Symbols In His Gubernatorial Campaign

-- Inquirer: Aide To Fmr President Says PA Republicans Should Back Sen. Mastriano For Governor- But That’s Not An Endorsement

-- TribLive: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Corman Talks Energy, Gasoline Tax Holiday [There is no limit to what oil companies can charge us for gasoline]

-- PG: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Lou Barletta Says PA Could Lead The Way For U.S. Energy By Unleashing Natural Gas Industry [Tieing us even more closely to spiking natural gas prices and Russian despots]

-- Inquirer: Bill McSwain ‘Put Himself Front And Center’ As U.S. Attorney In Philly, Now He Wants To Be PA Governor

-- Politics PA: Republican Jason Richey Ends Campaign For Governor, Endorses McSwain

-- Inquirer: Democratic Dark Money Group Spending Over 41 Million To Boost Josh Shapiro’s Run For PA Governor

-- AP: Democrat Shapiro Rolls Out First Tax Relief Plan Of Governor’s Race

-- PG: In Pittsburgh, Democrat Shapiro Promises To Cut Costs For PA Families If He’s Elected Governor

-- City & State PA: Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Shapiro Unveils Plan To Cut Cell Phone Tax, Issues Gasoline Tax Refunds [There is no limit to shat oil companies can charge us for gasoline]

-- PG Guest Essay: To Offset Rising Costs, Let’s Cut Taxes And Give Money Back To Pennsylvanians - Josh Shapiro, Democratic Candidate For Governor

-- WHYY: Mariner East Pipeline Opponent Running For Governor On The Green Party To Advocate For Residents Affected By Industrial Pollution

 

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- WSJ: PA Primary Pushes Democrats To Choose Between Competing Styles Of U.S. Senate Candidates- Hoodie Or Blue Blazer? 

-- AP: Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Oz Would Renounce Turkish Citizenship If Elected 

-- NYT: Dr. Oz’s Heritage Is Targeted As Republican Rivals Vie For PA U.S. Senate Seat

-- Inquirer: Super PAC Hammering Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Oz As A RINO Is Getting Money From Longtime Democratic Donors

-- PG: Sean Parnell Stumps For Republican U.S. Candidate Dave McCormick At Rally In Pittsburgh

-- AP: Republican Ex-Hedge Fund CEO Running For U.S. Senate Aims To Be Hometown Boy

-- TribLive: Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Carla Sands Speaks To Hempfield Students As She Returns To Her Roots

-- Inquirer: Philly Democrats Back Lamb For U.S. Senate

 

-- May 2022 Primary Election

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

-- PA Cap-Star: Little Has Changed For PA Election Officials, Voters Heading Into 2022

-- PG Guest Essay: The Need For Greater Security For Election Workers Against An Increasing Number Of Threats - Al Schmidt, Fmr Republican Philadelphia Elections Commissioner

-- PA Cap-Star: Early Guide To PA’s Governor’s, U.S. Senate Primary Election

-- MCall - Ford Turner: House, Senate Candidates Prepare For 11-Day Signature-Seeking Frenzy

-- City & State PA: With Midterms Nearing, Republicans Look To Keep PA In Republican Hands

-- PG: Federal Judge, Among Others, Says She Never Signed Petition For Democratic Congressional Candidate Steve Irwin

 

-- November 2021 Election

-- MCall: Federal Judge Throws Out Lehigh County Voters’ Lawsuit Over Uncounted Mail-In Ballots

-- MCall: Lehigh County Voters Ask Court To Delay Final Tally In Judicial Race During Appeal Over Unsigned Mail-In Ballots

 

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- PA Cap-Star: Little Has Changed For PA Election Officials, Voters Heading Into 2022

-- PG Guest Essay: The Need For Greater Security For Election Workers Against An Increasing Number Of Threats - Al Schmidt, Fmr Republican Philadelphia Elections Commissioner

 

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

-- PG: Allegheny County Woman Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol Wants Leniency, But Feds Want Jail For Lies, Lack Of Remorse  

-- PG: Another Western PA Resident Surrenders To The FBI On Charges Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol 

-- TribLive: Butler County Man Charged In Connection With Assault On U.S. Capitol  

-- WHYY: Philly DA Says Man Accused Of Election Interference Has Violated Bail Again

-- AP: Cowboy Politician From New Mexico 2nd Person To Go On Trial On Criminal Charges Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol [PA Included]

 

-- State Constitutional Amendments

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- 6th Oil/Gas Shock: Listen To What Europe Says They Need - Not What The U.S. Oil/Gas Industry Wants 

--  Guest Essay: Pennsylvania And Virginia Face Fight Of Their Lives - [What The Coal, Natural Gas Industries Want In PA]  - By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)

-- PG - Salena Zito: ‘Shalennial’ Natural Gas CEO Busts Expectations [What The Natural Gas Industry Wants]

-- TribLive: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Corman Talks Energy, Gasoline Tax Holiday

-- PG: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Lou Barletta Says PA Could Lead The Way For U.S. Energy By Unleashing Natural Gas Industry 

-- City & State PA: Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Shapiro Unveils Plan To Cut Cell Phone Tax, Issues Gasoline Tax Refunds 

-- PennLive - John Baer: Now Is The Spring Of Our Discontent, Thank Gasoline Prices, The Pandemic And Russia’s War

-- ScrantonT: Support Growing For Proposed State, Federal Gasoline Tax Relief 

-- WHYY: Yes, Prices At The Gasoline Pump Are High, Republican Primary Candidates In PA Have Noticed Too

-- TribLive: Diesel Price Rise A Pain At Pump And Consumer’s Pockets 

-- TribLive: Are Western PA Gasoline Prices Headed Toward $5 A Gallon? 

-- TribLive Editorial: Why Not A State Gasoline Tax Holiday, Gov. Wolf? 

-- PG Editorial: Gasoline Tax Holiday A Vacation From Common Sense

 

-- Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

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

-- Inquirer: Progressives Scored Big In Philly Politics, Here Comes The Establishment Pushback

-- PennLive Guest Essay: True Leadership Is More Than Telling A Good Story - Mark Singel

-- LancasterOnline - Brad Busted: House Of Representatives Lags On Expenses Transparency

-- ScrantonT Editorial: State Needs Term Limits

-- PA Cap-Star: Conservative Group Targets House Republican Appropriations Chair Stan Saylor For Gasoline Tax, Budget Votes 

-- CourierT: Republican Sen. Tomlinson Set To Retire

-- CourierT: Republican Rep. Farry To Run For Tomlinson’s Senate Seat

-- MCall: Republican Sen. Scavello To Retire, Rep. Rosemary Brown To Run

-- Independent Sen. John Yudichak Not Seeking Reelection To State Senate

-- PennLive: Republican Rep. Andrew Lewis Will Not Seek Reelection [Famous for hiding his COVID infection]

--TribLive: Westmoreland Republican Rep. Brooks Won’t Seek Reelection

-- ScrantonT: Republican Rep. Boback Won’t Seek Reelection To House

-- WITF: Mixed Drinks To-Go Could Be Back On The Menu At PA Bars, Restaurants

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Senate Panel Exploring Recreational Marijuania Legalization Criticized For Not Hearing Both Sides

-- Inquirer: PA’s Sudden Move To Recall Marijuana Vapes Raises Questions Like Were These Products Harmful All Along?

-- Spotlight PA: Top PA Drug Official Denies Blame For Botched Medical Marijuana Guidance, But Her Claims Don’t Add Up

-- AP: Fmr PA Attorney General Kathleen Kane Charged With DUI After Crash

-- AP: Fmr Attorney General Kathleen Kane Charged With Drunken Driving After Crash

 

-- Budget 2022

-- Independent Fiscal Office Finds House Republican Proposals To ‘Reform’ Corporate Tax Laws Will Cost The State From $30 to $200 Million A Year 

-- PG: Lawmakers Push For $500 Million Trust Fund To Help Fix PA’s Decaying Bridges

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Budget Proposal Makes Good On Outstanding Commitments and Provides Taxpayers Relief - Gov. Wolf

-- ErieT Guest Essay: How To Make The State Budget Work For PA - Enact A 2-Year Budget - Sen. Augment (R-Lancaster) 

-- PA Cap-Star: Conservative Group Targets House Republican Appropriations Chair Stan Saylor For Gasoline Tax, Budget Votes 

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports February Gaming Revenue Of $375.6 Million

-- TribLive: March Madness Delivers At Western PA Casinos, Sportsbooks

-- TribLive: PA Sports Betting Slips, But March Madness May Bring Recovery

 

-- COVID Pandemic In PA

-- MCall: COVID Update: State Passes 44,000 Deaths With 203 This Week

-- WHYY: How Do We Get To The Pandemic’s ‘Next Normal’?

-- ErieT: Erie Hospital Reaches COVID Milestone: Erie County Sees More Flu

-- TribLive: What To Know About COVID Omicron BA.2 Subvariant

-- TribLive: Allegheny County To Rely More On Wastewater Surveillance To Calculate Spread Of COVID

-- WHYY: PA Health Care Leaders, Advocates Urge Congress To Approve More COVID Funding

-- MCall: The Pandemic Uprooted Health Care, Lehigh Valley Health Care Experts Say These Changes Will Likely Stay

-- Inquirer: Philly Hospitals, Key Insurers, City Plan Novel Effort To Improve Health Equity

-- PA Cap-Star: ‘The Stats Are Unacceptable:’ Philly Panel Explores Improving Black Community Health

-- TribLive: With Driver Shortages Because Of Vaccine Mandate, Pittsburgh Transit Offers Free Rides

-- PennLive: Dr. Rachel Levine Named Among Women Of The Year By USA Today 

 

-- COVID - Schools

-- PA Cap-Star: Staffing Shortage, COVID, Politics Taking Toll On PA Teachers

 

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- PA Cap-Star Guest Essay: The Trial Is Done. What’s Next For School Funding In PA?

-- MCall - Ford Turner: PA Teacher Certifications Drop 66%, Official Says Supply Of New Educators At ‘Breaking Point’

-- PA Cap-Star: Senate, House Republican Education Committee Members Urge Rejection Of Wolf Administration Private Charter School Accountability Regulations

-- City & State PA: Wolf’s Private Charter School Regulations Face Opposition From Republican Lawmakers

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Wolf’s Likely Last-Ditch Attempt To Fix ‘Broken’ Private Charter School Law Arrives Monday At IRRC

-- PA Cap-Star: Staffing Shortage, COVID, Politics Taking Toll On PA Teachers

-- CourierT: School Threats Are On The Rise, Is It Time To Change Our Response?

-- TribLive: Debate Continues On Racism, Critical Race Theory In Westmoreland School District

-- York Daily Record: Susquehannock Student Speaks Out Against Racial Bullying In The High School 

-- WESA: Some Sewickley Academy Students Say They No Longer Feel Welcome At School

-- PennLive: Juvenile Arrested After Shooting, Bomb Threats At Shippensburg Middle School

-- MCall: Sign In School Classroom- ‘You Belong. You Matter. We Are All Southern Lehigh’-- Sparked Complaints About Inappropriate Commentary

-- PennLive: Read Emails That Led To Harrisburg Teacher Being Charged With Terroristic Threats

-- TribLive: Book Challenges In Schools Are Becoming More Frequent, Driven In Part By Social Media

-- TribLive: Debate Goes On In Franklin School Board About Teaching Of A Novel About A Child Growing Up During The Iranian Revolution

-- ErieT: Erie Community College Board Hires Familiar Lobbyist

-- TribLive: BotsIQ Brings Manufacturing, Teamwork To Westmoreland Community College

-- Inquirer: Merger Of 6 State-Owned Universities Gets OK By Accrediting Body

 

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- WHYY/Billy Penn: Philly’s Plan To Treat Gun Violence As A Public Health Crisis Is Getting An Update With Ideas From The Community

-- PG: Pittsburgh Man’s Killing In Venango County Ruled Justified By County DA

-- AP: Playground Gunfire During Fight Kills 1, Hurts 3 On Playground, No Arrests

-- PA Cap-Star: Philly Council Delves Into Links Between Gun Violence And Domestic Violence

-- PennLive: Amid Recent Homicides, Harrisburg Residents Meet Again To Talk About Curbing Gun Violence

-- AltoonaM: Altoona City Council Passes Resolution On Prohibiting Spending Taxpayer Money To Enforce Newly Passed Gun Laws

-- WHYY: PA Faces ‘Historic Shortage Of Police;’ AG Shapiro, Philly Police Commissioner Call On Harrisburg For Help

-- AP: Philadelphia Police Officer Charged With Perjury After Arrest Audit

-- WHYY: Jury Trials Increase In Philadelphia To Help Eliminate 34,000 Case Backlog

-- PA Cap-Star: 13 Men Died After Going To Allegheny County Jail, Here Are Their Stories

-- AP: Attorney General’s Review Of How Local Police In York Handled Case That Ultimately Saw 2 Children Killed Finds ‘Major Concerns,’ But No Charges

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Lawmakers Unveil Bipartisan Plans For Juvenile Justice Reform, Standardized Practices

-- ErieT: Life Sentence Vacated For Erie ‘Juvenile Lifer’ Who Killed 5-Year-Old

-- PA Cap-Star: PA’s Pandemic Experiment In Virtual Courts Yielded Mixed Results

-- ErieT: Is Possession Of Fake Drugs Illegal?  Erie County Judge Offers Answer [Spoiler - No]

-- PA Economy

-- Wolf Administration Highlights Equal Pay Day, Calls For Pay Equity For Pennsylvanians

-- WITF: PA Commission On Women: Fair Pay Is A Woman’s Right, The Wage Gap Must End

-- WHYY: What’s Fueling The Great Resignation? More Money, More Meaning, Less Burnout

-- PG: Amazon Withdraws Plans For Controversial Distribution Warehouse In Churchill

-- ScrantonT: Lackawanna County Forced To Return $2 Million In Rental Assistance Because It Didn’t Distribute The Money By The Required Deadline

-- Inquirer: Philly’s Rental Assistance Program Marks $250 Million Milestone

-- TribLive Editorial: Rental Assistance Needs Better Messaging

-- PG: Congressional Lawmakers From SW PA Bring Home $51.5 Million Under New Earmark Reforms

 

-- Other

-- PA Cap-Star: U.S. Interior Dept. Research Into History Of Abusive Native American Boarding Schools Should Be Released In Coming Weeks [Including Carlisle ‘Indian School’]

-- Spotlight PA: Joins 4 State Newsrooms In Fighting Alleged First Amendment Violations In Reviewing York County Court Records

[Posted: March 20, 2022]