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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- AP: PA Gov. Shapiro Says He Wants To ‘Get S--- Done,’ He’s Made It His Slogan, Profanity And All

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Shapiro’s Duck-And-Dodge First Year - By Commonwealth Partners

-- Gov. Shapiro: Unemployment Compensation System Back On Track With Enhanced Customer Service

-- Gov. Shapiro: Commonwealth Adops First Debt Management Policy

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Gov. Shapiro Wants To Double Funding For First-Responder Grant Program

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Pitches Plan To Restructure State’s Higher Education To Make It More Efficient, Affordable

-- TribLive: Shapiro’s Higher Education Overhaul Plan, $1,000 Tuition/Fee Cap Proposal For State Universities Draws Intrigue, Skepticism

-- TribLive Editorial: Shapiro’s Big Idea On Colleges Needs More Detail

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Criticizes Alabama Execution Of Inmate By Nitrogen Gas

-- Budget 2024

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Gov. Shapiro Wants To Double Funding For First-Responder Grant Program

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Pitches Plan To Restructure State’s Higher Education To Make It More Efficient, Affordable

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Private Fiscal Watchdogs Warn Of Medicaid-Induced State Budget Deficit

-- Scranton Times: Interactive Gambling On Rapid Rise In PA

-- PA House/Senate

-- Politics PA: House Speaker McClinton Talks About Goals, Accomplishments And School Choice

-- TribLive/PennLive: PA Republican Senate Leaders Back Texas Governor’s Immigration Fight, Blast Biden

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Committee Debate On Gun Bills Shows Gulf Between Democrats, Republicans

-- US Senate/House

-- AP: Republican PA US Senate Candidate McCormick Elevates Israel-Hamas War In Bid For Jewish Voters

-- Post-Gazette: Israel Remains Flashpoint In Critical PA US Senate Race

-- TribLive/Inquirer: Casey Acknowledges ‘Long, Tough Race,’ Ahead Of Him In Race With Republican Candidate McCormick

-- WESA: While All Eyes Are On Lee’s Congressional Race, Challengers Preparing To Take On Deluzio, Reschenthaler In Western PA

-- TribLive/PennLive: Cumberland County Republican To Announce Primary Challenge To PA Con. Scott Perry

-- LancasterOnline: Republican Challenger To Cong. Smucker Arrested On Parole Violations, Federal Court Says

-- 2024 Elections

-- PennLive - John Baer: Media’s Big Challenge In 2024 Election Season

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Tees Up Another Special Election For Control Of House Amid Gripes About Cost, Disruptiveness

-- Reading Eagle: Rep. Jozwiak Will Not Run For Reelection

-- House Members Not Running For Their Positions: Reps. Joe Adams (R-Wayne), George Dunbar (R-Westmoreland), Barry Jozwiak (R-Berks); Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne), Dawn Keefer (R-York) [running for Senate], Patty Kim (D-Dauphin) [running for Senate], Steve Kinsey (D-Philadelphia), Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), Jim Marshall (R-Beaver), Rob Mercuri (R-Allegheny), Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion), Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny), Mark Rozzi (D-Berks), and Paul Schemel (R-Franklin); 

--State Senators Not Running For Their Positions: Sens. Jim Brewser (D-Allegheny), John DiSanto (R-Dauphin), and Mike Regan (R-York).

-- ABC27: Political Activist Gene Stilp Announces Run For House Seat

-- Reps. Joe Adams (R-Wayne/Pike) and Steve Kinsey (D-Philadelphia) announced they will not be seeking re-election.

-- LancasterOnline: Republican Challenger To Cong. Smucker Arrested On Parole Violations, Federal Court Says

-- AP: PA Republicans Endorse York County DA For Attorney General

-- Election Reforms

-- AP: PA Republican Lawmakers Challenge State, Federal Actions To Boost Voter Registration

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA Republican Lawmakers File Federal Lawsuit Against Shapiro, Biden Over Their Use Of Executive Authority To Expand Voter Registration And Outreach

-- Post-Gazette: New Study Debunks Allegations Of Election Fraud In PA

-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Lancaster County: Postal Service Conducted Investigation On Late Mail-In Ballots And Found No Information

-- National Politics

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Susquehanna Polling Has Biden Holding 7.5% Lead Over Ex-President

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Purple Is The [Political] Color For 2024! - By Mark Singel

-- PennLive: Ex-President To Appear At NRA’s PA Great Outdoor Show Feb. 9 In Harrisburg

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- WITF: County Commissioners Detail Legislative Priorities For 2024

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Have Suburban PA Voters Finally Had Enough? - By Commonwealth Foundation

-- Spotlight PA: Proposed Update To State Gambling Rules Could Off Relief To PA’s Fire Companies, Nonprofits

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.34  National- $3.10  Ohio- $2.99

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 21

-- White House Announces Temporary Pause On Pending Approvals Of LNG Natural Gas Exports

-- AP: Liquefied Natural Gas: What To Know About LNG And Biden’s Decision To Delay Gas Export Proposals  [No Impact On LNG Now Going To Europe, Asia, DOE Can Allow Exemptions On Natural Security Grounds]

-- PA Marcellus Shale Coalition And Natural Gas Industry Partners Urge Biden Administration To Maximize US LNG Economic, Environmental And Security Benefits

-- Bloomberg: Biden’s Natural Gas Export Plan Coming Soon As Industry Mounts Lobbying Blitz

-- Reuters: Texas Freeport LNG Natural Gas Export Unit Faces Month-Long Outage After Winter Storm

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas-Addicted Europe Trades One Energy Risk [Russia] For Another [United States]

-- Oil & Gas Impacts

-- Senators Santarsiero, Comitta Introduce SB 581 Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Natural Gas Drilling Sites, Other Infrastructure, Based On Latest Science  [PaEN]

-- The Energy Age Blog: The Story Of Bryan & Ryan Latkanich In Washington County

-- DEP To Require Unconventional Shale Gas Operators To Disclose Chemicals Used In Drilling, Fracking Operations Earlier In Well Drilling Process Thru PPC Emergency Plan Changes  [PaEN]

-- The Energy Age Blog: Reality - ‘Proprietary’ Fracking Chemicals Remain Secrets, But What About The Bigger Picture? 

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 20 to 26 - 15 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Plugging Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; Revolution Pipeline Land Slip; Brief Compressor Fire; Crypto Mining?  What's That Pink Stuff?  [PaEN]

-- 66 Months Later, DEP Worked With Conventional Well Owner, But Multiple Spills At A Well  Site Have Still Not Been Cleaned Up; No Protections In Place For Operators Or Taxpayers  [PaEN]

-- 5 Months Later, Roulette Oil & Gas Still Has Not Resolved Violations For Abandoning A Shale Gas Well Without Plugging It In Potter County  [PaEN]

-- XTO Energy Begins Plugging First Of 4 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells At Butler County Well Pad [PaEN]

-- Train Derailments

-- PA House Passed Rail Safety Legislation In June 2023, Senate Hasn’t Taken Any Action

-- Beaver County Times: PA Farmers, Rescue Owners Reflect One Year After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- The Allegheny Front: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment: Leaving East Palestine, A Mother’s Story

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: A Year Later Officials Tell The People Impacted By Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Everything’s Okay, Is It?

-- WPXI: Norfolk Southern Gives Access To Train Derailment Remediation Site Nearly 1-Year After Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Leads To New Rule To Protect Train Crews

-- TribLive: US DOT Secretary Pushes For Rail Safety, Touts Federal Infrastructur Bill In Pittsburgh Visit

-- Reuters: Norfolk Southern Misses Profit Estimates, Says It Took $1.1 Billion Hit From Train Derailment In 2023

-- Education

-- Spotlight PA: Long-Sought Private Charter School Changes On The Table As Lawmakers Plot Education Funding Overhaul

-- TribLive: Despite Rising Salaries, There’s A Shortage Of Qualified School Superintendents

-- Inquirer: Coalition Launches Effort To Help School Boards Across The State Fight ‘Extremist’ Policies

-- AP: PA Law Shielding Teacher Misconduct Complaints Declared Unconstitutional

-- WESA: Nearly 50% Of Pittsburgh School Buildings Are Only Half Full

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Pitches Plan To Restructure State’s Higher Education To Make It More Efficient, Affordable

-- TribLive: Shapiro’s Higher Education Overhaul Plan, $1,000 Tuition/Fee Cap Proposal For State Universities Draws Intrigue, Skepticism

-- TribLive Editorial: Shapiro’s Big Idea On Colleges Needs More Detail

-- TribLive: Penn State Branch Campuses Face Large Share Of $94 Million In Proposed Budget Cuts

-- Health Care

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Counties Throw Darts To Find Best Use Of Opioid Settlement Funds

-- Inquirer: PA Judge Rules In Favor Of State In Opioid Settlement Dispute With Philly’s DA

-- PennLive: Philadelphia Has Highest STD Rates In US

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Committee Debate On Gun Bills Shows Gulf Between Democrats, Republicans

-- AP: PA Republicans Endorse York County DA For Attorney General

-- PennLive: PA Human Relations Commission Forms Civil Rights Division To Fight Hate, Racism; Enforce Laws

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy/Charles Thompson: Thousands of Records Mistakenly Deleted From State Govt. Computer Servers; Some PSERS, State Police Records Have Yet To Be Recovered

-- Inquirer: Bucks County Emergency Dispatch Computer System Downed By Cyberattack

-- Spotlight PA: Justice Department Expands Claims Against PA Courts In Opioid Addiction Treatment Case

-- The Economy

-- Gov. Shapiro: Unemployment Compensation System Back On Track With Enhanced Customer Service

-- KDKA: State Looking For 16,000 Pennsylvanians Owed $16.4 Million In Back Wages

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy/Charles Thompson: Thousands of Records Mistakenly Deleted From State Govt. Computer Servers; Some PSERS, State Police Records Have Yet To Be Recovered

-- AP: PA State Police, Pension Agency Lost Some Online Records, Officials Say

-- Observer-Reporter: Washington County Government Hit by Cyberattack

-- Post-Gazette: AI Is Transforming The Workplace, Are Pennsylvanians Ready To Adapt?

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Council Weighs Formally Opposing US Steel Acquisition

-- Other

-- WITF: Applications Open For PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

[Posted: January 28, 2024]