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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Governor’s Race

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Governor’s Race Personifies America’s New Path On Abortion - Let States Decide

-- TribLive: U.S. Supreme Court Abortion Decision Places Higher Stakes On PA Election, Experts Say

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Has Strong Fundraising Advantage Over Mastriano

-- WITF/AP: Unlikely Duo - Shapiro, Fetterman - PA Democrats Aim For United Front

-- Inquirer: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Seeks To Mend Republican Rifts, Raise Money To Compete With Shapiro

-- City & State PA: Democratic Governors Assn. Calls On PA Republican Candidate For Governor Mastriano To Release Photos, Video He Took During Jan. 6 Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Christian Nationalists Like Republican Candidate For Governor Mastriano Are Throwing Away Constitutional Values

-- Inquirer: Did Federal Donuts Drop Martin’s Potato Rolls Over CEO’s Donation To Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano?  They Won’t Say 

-- Energy Wire: PA Governor’s Race Portends Energy Future In Fossil-Fuel Heavy PA 

-- Politics PA: Fetterman, Shapiro Top New AARP Poll

-- New AARP PA Poll: Voters 60+ Could Tip The Scales In 2022

-- PennLive - John Baer: Q&A With The Answer Man On PA’s U.S. Senate, Governor Races

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Will U.S. House Committee Investigation Of Assault On U.S. Capitol Turn The Tide Against Dr. Oz, Mastriano In PA?

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- TribLive: U.S. Supreme Court Abortion Decision Places Higher Stakes On PA Election, Experts Say

-- PA Capital-Star: As U.S. Senate Race Heats Up, Is Dr. Oz Distancing Himself From Ex-President?

-- WITF/AP: Unlikely Duo - Shapiro, Fetterman - PA Democrats Aim For United Front

-- Politics PA: Fetterman, Shapiro Top New AARP Poll

-- New AARP PA Poll: Voters 60+ Could Tip The Scales In 2022

-- TribLive Guest Essay: 10 Years Of DACA Success, But Work Still Remains - Gisele Fetterman

-- Inquirer: Dr. Oz Moved To PA To Run For U.S. Senate, He Won The State, But Lost His New Home County

-- PennLive: Did Endorsement By Ex-President Help Dr. Oz In PA Primary?

-- PennLive - John Baer: Q&A With The Answer Man On PA’s U.S. Senate, Governor Races

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Will U.S. House Committee Investigation Of Assault On U.S. Capitol Turn The Tide Against Dr. Oz, Mastriano In PA?

-- May 2022 Primary Election

-- Inquirer: PA Primary Election Set Voter Turnout Records, Here’s What Else The Data Show

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Certifies Primary Election Results, With Undated Mail-In Ballots

 

-- November 2022 Election

-- TribLive: U.S. Supreme Court Abortion Decision Places Higher Stakes On PA Election, Experts Say

-- AP: Democrats Hope To Harness Outrage, Sadness After Abortion Ruling  [PA Included]

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Governor’s Race Personifies America’s New Path On Abortion - Let States Decide

-- Inquirer: Meet The Conservative PA Billionaire And Rising Republican Mega-Donor Who’s Gaming The Tax System

-- PennLive - John Baer: Q&A With The Answer Man On PA’s U.S. Senate, Governor Races

-- WESA: Shaffer Gets Stamp Of Approval From Top House Congressional Republican, House Republican Committee

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Top PA Lawmakers Have Tentative Deal To Ban Private Money, Increase Funding For County Election Offices

-- PA Capital-Star Editorial Cartoon: Debate Over Third-Party Election Funding, Explained

-- AP: Republican Bills On Poll Watchers, Earlier Presidential Primary Advance In House

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican-Backed Effort To Expand Poll Watcher Access Advances In PA House

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA Moves Closer To Having A Bigger Role In Deciding Winner In Presidential Primaries

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Make PA Presidential Primaries Consequential

-- TribLive Editorial: Does The PA Presidential Primary Really Have To Move?

-- MCall: Ritter Concedes In Lehigh County Judicial Race, Ending Monthslong Battle From 2021 Election

-- AP: U.S. Supreme Court Justices Seem Poised To Hear PA/NC Elections Case Pressed By Republicans

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

-- PA Capital-Star: U.S. House Lawmakers, Including PA’s Cong. Scanlon, Warned About Disinformation In Upcoming Campaigns

-- PA Capital-Star: U.S. House Committee Outlines How PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry Pushed To Restructure U.S. Justice Dept. To Overturn 2020 Election Results

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Fmr White House Staffer Names Republican PS Cong. Scott Perry As One Of Several Members Of Congress Who Asked About A Presidential Pardon

-- WPost: PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry Played Key Role In Promoting False Claims Of Election Fraud

-- York Daily Record: Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry Pushed Conspiracy Theory That Italian Satellites Changed Votes In Nov. 2020

-- WESA: Western PA Republicans Kelly, DeMarco Drawn Into ‘Fake Elector’ Controversies As Hearings On Efforts To Overturn 2020 Election Continue

-- Post-Gazette: Republican PA Cong. Kelly Denies Involvement In Transfer Of Fake Electors In 2020 Election

-- Inquirer: PA Republicans’ Role In Attempts To Overturn 2020 Election Draw Scrutiny In Congressional, FBI Probes

-- Post-Gazette: FBI Interviews Allegheny County Republican Chair About Attempt To Plant Fake Electors In Nov. 2020 Election 

-- City & State PA: Democratic Governors Assn. Calls On PA Republican Candidate For Governor Mastriano To Release Photos, Video He Took During Jan. 6 Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- PA Capital-Star - John Micek: We Can’t Ignore The Evidence The U.S. House Committee Investigating The Assault On The U.S. Capitol Is Laying Out

-- MCall - Bill White: U.S. House Hearings Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol Reveal True Patriots In The Republican Party

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Will U.S. House Committee Investigation Of Assault On U.S. Capitol Turn The Tide Against Dr. Oz, Mastriano In PA?

-- PennLive Guest Essay: There Is Clear And Present Danger Threatening The Republic [Jan. 6 Assault On U.S. Capitol] - By Mark Singel

-- Inquirer: Top PA Republicans Contacted Every Day By Ex-President’s Campaign During 2020 To Overturn Election Results

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Gets Another Starring Role In U.S. House Hearing Investigating The Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- WITF: How PA Played A Role In A Fake Elector Scheme During 2020 Election

-- WITF: Shippensburg Man Who Fought Police In Assault On U.S. Capitol Pleads Guilty 

-- Inquirer: Montgomery County Man Who Twice Entered U.S. Capitol During Jan. 6 Assault, Sentenced To 3 Weeks Behind Bars

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County Woman Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol Doesn’t Want Terms Like ‘Attack On Congress’ Mentioned In Trial

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Inquirer: How A Proposed Change To PA Constitution Could Reshape The Future Of Abortion

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

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- Sign On To The REAL Energy Freedom For Pennsylvania Petition To PA Lawmakers   [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Families Priced Out Of Making Vacation Memories [But PA State Parks Are There, Free, Close To Home For Recreation]

-- Inquirer: Philadelphia Gas Customers Get Hit With ‘Outrageous’ Natural Gas Bills Three Times Last Year’s Due To ‘Weather Normalization Adjustment’

-- TribLive: PA Average Gasoline Price Dips Below $5

-- PA Capital-Star: House Democrats Pitch Bills To Take On Price-Fixing, Price-Gouging At Gasoline Pump

-- PennLive: PA Senate Democrats Demand Republicans Pass Gasoline Tax Holiday: ‘It’s time To Free The Funds’

-- Post-Gazette: PA Democrats Push Gasoline Tax Holiday, Strengthening State Price Gouging Laws To Help Alleviate Impact Of Inflation

-- PennLive Guest Essay: End Corporate Greed And Price Gouging To Protect The People - PA House Democrats

-- Citizens Voice Editorial: Suspend Gasoline Tax If… The $1 Billion Lost Can Be Covered

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Diesel Fuel Outages, High Prices Could Direct Affect Farm Harvests; Lawmakers Discuss Options

-- TribLive - Mary Ann Thomas: Lower Burrell Service Station To Offer Gasoline For $2.38/Gallon For 2 Hours

-- WPost: Refineries Are Making A Windfall, Why Do They Keep Closing?  [Philly Refinery Explosion]

-- Reuters: Explainer: Why Is There A Worldwide Oil Refining Crunch?

-- TribLive Guest Essay: We Need Smart Policy To Bring Down Inflation, Reduce Energy Costs - House Republican Leader  [Refers To Energy Bills That Only Pretend To Increase Natural Gas Supplies, Do Not Address Gasoline/Diesel.  Read Them]

-- Inquirer Editorial: Don’t Blame Biden For Higher Gasoline Prices

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Southwestern Energy Plans $1 Billion Share Repurchase Giving Money Back To Investors [Part Of International Trend To Reward Investors First]

-- Chesapeake Energy Doubles Stock Buyback To $2 Billion [Rewarding Investors First Is Part Of International Trend] 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: America Can Achieve Energy Independence By Unleashing Oil, Natural Gas Production - By Dauphin County Commissioner Chad Saylor [And Make U.S. More Vulnerable To Energy Cost Spikes]

-- FOX29: Penn-America Energy Plans LNG Natural Gas Facility Between South Philadelphia, Marcus Hook

-- Fox Business: Why Restarting Pennsylvania’s Oil Production Is Dr. Oz’s ‘Top Priority’

-- University Of Pennsylvania Regulatory Review Guest Essay: Drilling Approvals Are Not The Reason For High Oil Prices

 

-- Roe v. Wade Decision

-- TribLive: U.S. Supreme Court Abortion Decision Places Higher Stakes On PA Election, Experts Say

-- AP: Democrats Hope To Harness Outrage, Sadness After Abortion Ruling  [PA Included]

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Governor’s Race Personifies America’s New Path On Abortion - Let States Decide

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA Politicians Ready To Respond To Roe Decision With Bills Protecting, Restricting Abortion Access

-- WESA: Abortion-Rights Advocates Say Voting Is Key To Preserving Abortion Access In PA

-- Gov. Wolf Reacts To Dismantling Of Roe V. Wade - ‘Elections Matter’

-- Inquirer: How A Proposed Change To PA Constitution Could Reshape The Future Of Abortion

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Overturning Roe Won’t Have Immediate Impact On Abortion Access In PA

-- Post-Gazette: Where PA Law Stands On Abortion, What Candidates For Governor, U.S. Senate Want For The Future

-- Post-Gazette: Less Than 1% Of PA Women Received Abortions [32,123] In 2020, According To Latest Data

-- TribLive: Dick’s Sporting Goods To Reimburse Travel Expenses For Employees Seeking Abortions

-- Wilkes-Barre Editorial: Court Decision On Roe Forces Discussion On Child Care

-- AP: With Roe Gone, Some Fear Rollback Of LGBTQ And Other Rights

-- Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- PA Capital-Star: Pushing For A Gift Ban To Lawmakers, Activists Tear Down ‘Wall Of Corruption’ Outside PA Capitol

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Banning Domestic Abusers From Public Office More Complicated Than Meets The Eye

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: State Reps, Keep Your Hands To Yourselves

-- Wilkes-Barre Editorial: Court Decision On Roe Forces Discussion On Child Care

-- PennLive: Senate Passes Bill To Ensure Dead People Don’t Receive Public Benefits

-- Post-Gazette: PA Senate Panel Moves PA Version Of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

-- MCall - Ford Turner: House Passes Bill Giving Dorney Park, Other Amusement Parks More Flexibility To Sell Alcohol

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Sen. Baker Working To Help Military Spouses Collect Unemployment

-- Post-Gazette: Safety Expert Says House Bill To Allow Expanded Testing Of Self-Driving Vehicles In PA Better, But Still Has Flaws

-- MCall: Senate Committee Advances Bill To Limit Sale, Use Of Fireworks

-- PennLive: Bill Cracking Down On Fireworks Use Advances In PA Senate

-- Budget 2022

-- AP: With Accounts Flush, State Budget Talks Come Down To School Aid

-- Erie Times: PA Has $10 Billion Burning A Hole In Its Pocket, Should It Be Spent Now, And If So, How?  [Growing Greener III Included]

-- Independent Fiscal Office: FY 2021-22 Revenue $48.15 Billion, $6.24 Billion Above Estimates; FY 2022-23 Revenue $42.32 Billion 

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Harrisburg Must Fund Disability Programs Fully

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Failure To Raise Dog License Fees Could Cost Taxpayers Millions

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- MCall: PA COVID Update - 12,326 Cases, 77 Deaths Last Week

-- TribLive: Monroeville Man Who Canceled Wedding Over Misread COVID Test Results Sues UPMC

-- MCall: PA Nurses Aide Candidates Wait Months, Drive Hundreds Of Miles, Only To Learn Tests Canceled, Lawmakers Told

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Health Care Providers, Employees Combat Staffing Shortages From Pandemic

-- Spotlight PA: Wolf Pushes $91 Million For Nursing Homes To Offset Costs Of Proposed New Staffing Regulations

-- Post-Gazette: Talks Underway To Address PA’s Nursing Home Funding Crisis

-- Post-Gazette: Butler County Nursing Home Operator Warns A Third Of Homes Could Close Due To Economic Crisis

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: PA Nursing Homes Looking To State For Help Amid Fears Of Mass Closures

-- Inquirer: PA Could See Surge Of 8,500 Abortion Patients From Other States If Roe v. Wade Overturned

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Harrisburg Must Fund Disability Programs Fully

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: We Need To Talk About Mental Health Impacts Of Full Liquor Privatization

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Help A Penn Professor Get The U.S. To Declare Racism A Public Health Crisis

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Coffin Nail For Smoking In Casinos

-- COVID - Schools

-- Erie Times: Anti-Masking Lawsuits Against Millcreek, NE School Districts Reach Next Stage

-- Scranton Times: Schools Focus On Overcoming Pandemic Learning Loss

-- Opioid Deaths

-- AP: House Approves Bill To Decriminalize Fentanyl Test Strips

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- Gov. Wolf: New Regulations Provide Private Charter School Transparency, Accountability To Take Effect

-- The Center Square: Private School Education Voucher Program Expansion Works Its Way Thru PA Senate

-- TribLive: PA Teacher Shortage Looms, Legislators Consider Bill To Smooth Out-Of-State Certification

-- TribLive Editorial: Easier Teacher Certification Isn’t The Problem

-- PennLive Editorial: Arming Teachers Isn’t The Solution To Mass Shootings In Schools

-- PennLive Guest Essay: After 2 Decades, Record Inflation, Retired School Employees Need A COLA

-- Citizens Voice: Luzerne County Community College Tuition Up 4%

-- Post-Gazette: Political Dance Between Pitt And Legislature On Funding Heads Down To The Wire - Environmental Law Clinic, Other Issues

-- PennLive: Republican Rep. Bernstine Wants Penn State To Report Location, Condition Of Joe Paterno  Statue In Exchange For State Funding  [He Also Encouraged His 5-Year Old Son To Smoke A Cigar On Video]

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PHEAA Student Loan Agency Offers New Round Of Incentives To Keep Employees Til Year’s End

-- Post-Gazette: Pitt Chancellor Says State Funding ‘Still Without A Certain Outcome’

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Pitt Should Prepare For Independence From Harrisburg

-- TribLive Guest Essay: State-Owned University System Continues System Redesign With Funding Update That Supports Students, Universities - PASSHE

-- TribLive Editorial: Funding Formula For State-Owned Universities A Pipe Dream

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Can Solve Worker Shortage By Investing In State-Owned Universities

-- Inquirer Editorial: As College Athletes Get A Piece Of The Pie, More Myths Shattered About Amateur Sports

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- TribLive/AP: PA Republican Lawmakers Block Assault-Style Gun Ban For Those Under 21

-- PennLive: Age Minimum Assault Gun Bill Gutted In Committee As PA Lawmakers Again Clash On Gun Laws

-- AP: Congress Sends Landmark Gun Violence Compromise To Biden

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: U.S. House Sends Bipartisan Gun Violence Bill To Biden, Republican PA Cong. Lloyd Smucker, Most Republicans Vote No

-- Inquirer: For PA’s Toomey, Bipartisan Gun Bill Caps Nearly A Decade Of Unlikely Work On The Issue

-- Gov. Wolf Applauds Signing Of First Bipartisan Federal Gun Violence Prevention Package In Decades

-- Gov. Wolf Statement On Federal Gun Law Passage; Urges Continued Momentum To Deal With Gun Violence At State Level

-- Post-Gazette: Toomey Hails U.S. Senate Passage Of Bipartisan Gun Bill As A ‘Significant Step’

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Behold Non-Gun, Gun Safety Law

-- Inquirer: As More People Get Guns And Carry Permits, Philly Sees Sharp Rise In Homicides Ruled Justified 

-- Inquirer: Shootings Continue At Record Pace In Philadelphia, Murders Down Slightly

-- Inquirer: ‘People Get Killed In Broad Daylight’: Teens Awaiting Curfew Change In Philly

-- AP: Philly Mayor Sorry For Slain Filipino Killed In Philadelphia

-- Axios: What Happened When [PA’s] Dick’s Sporting Goods Took A Stand On Guns

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: The Case For Impeaching Philly DA Over Gun Violence

-- Inquirer Editorial: End The Philly DA Impeachment Sideshow

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Ideological U.S. Supreme Court Shoots From The Hip On Gun Laws

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Restorative Justice Programs Can Supplant Criminal Cases

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Lawmakers Should Heed Those Calling For Commonsense Gun Safety Laws

-- PennLive Editorial: Arming Teachers Isn’t The Solution To Mass Shootings In Schools

-- PA Capital-Star: Hunger Strike To Protest Solitary Confinement At Southwest PA Prison

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Pittsburgh Serious About Helping The Recently Jailed Get Back To Work?

-- Spotlight PA: Statewide PA Police Hiring Database Hindered By Loopholes, Lack Of Enforcement

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Loophole Acts As Revolving Door For Cops With Disciplinary Problems

-- Scranton Times: Fmr Attorney General Kane Appeals Driver’s License DUI Suspension

-- TribLive: Scammers Steal $11,000 From Somerset County After Posing As A County Commissioner, Police Say

--NYT: Analysis Of Mass Shooting Events Shows ‘Direct, Indisputable, Empirical Evidence’ That ‘The Only Things That Stops A Bad Guy With The Gun Is A Good Guy With The Gun’ Is Wrong

-- PA Economy

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Back To Work On Unemployment Compensation Fraud

-- MCall - Ford Turner: House Passes Bill Giving Dorney Park, Other Amusement Parks More Flexibility To Sell Alcohol

-- PennLive: Group Calls On Lawmakers For More Funding To Address Child Care Worker Shortage

-- Post-Gazette: Safety Expert Says House Bill To Allow Expanded Testing Of Self-Driving Vehicles In PA Better, But Still Has Flaws

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Which Bridge Will Fall Next? Pittsburgh’s Negligence Leaves Citizens On Edge

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: I Was Shocked To Learn How Many PA Mail Carriers Are Bitten By Dogs [Spoiler - 281 Times In 2021]

-- Inquirer: Takeaways From One Of The Largest Surveys Of Philly Renters

-- WHYY: Philly Renters Survey Shows 20,000 Illegal Evictions Each Year

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny Technologies Moves HQ To Texas, Changes Name

-- Inquirer: Workers Commuting Into Philly Aren’t Coming Back, What Does That Mean For The City?

-- MCall Guest Essay: Are The Democrats Responsible For World-Wide Inflation? - By Lehigh University Professor [Spoiler - No]

Other

-- AP: U.S. Army - Disinterred Remains Do Not Match Native American Boy

[Posted: June 26, 2022]