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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Highlights PA Budget Priorities During County Commissioners Gathering

-- MCall Guest Essay: We Need To Support Victims Of Gun Violence, Here’s How - By Lt. Gov. Austin Davis

-- StateScoop: Why Is Everyone Texting Gov. Shapiro?

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro’s Money-Back Guarantee For PA Permits, Licenses Is Working [DEP Used As Example]

-- DEP Reports Progress On Permitting Reform; Reduces Permit Backlog By 41%  [PaEN]

-- Budget 2024

-- PA Capital-Star: Governor’s Budget Secretary Defends Shapiro Plan To Spend Part Of State Surplus

-- PennLive: PA Legislature Ends Budget Hearings In Similar Place To Where It Started

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Shapiro’s Education Proposals Stir More Praise, Frustration In Harrisburg

-- Tribune-Democrat: School Funding Gets Long Look In House As Budget Talks Continue

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports February Tax Collections 2.6% More Than Anticipated: Up $76.1 Million For Fiscal Year

-- PA House/Senate

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: What Fuels A Candidate’s Bid For A Seat In Legislature

-- Beaver County Times: PA Senate Transparent About Legislative Per Diems, Why Doesn’t The House Follow Suit?

-- US Senate/House

-- PennLive: Republican US Senate Candidate Endorses Ex-President After Super Tuesday Wins

-- Inquirer: Dave McCormick, Republican US Senate Candidate Might Live Part-Time In Connecticut, But He’s Campaigning All Over PA

-- Post-Gazette: MacDonald Withdraws As Democratic Cong. Summer Lee Opponent, Launches Republican Write-In

-- 2024 Elections

-- Spotlight PA: PA Was Deluged By Election Lawsuits In 2020; Experts Say 2024 Will Be Even More Intense 

-- PA Capital-Star: Election Threats Task Force, Redesigned Mail-In Ballots Among Changes For PA In 2024

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA’s Top Election Official Says The State’s Elections Have ‘Never Been More Secure’

-- Post-Gazette: Group With Fmr Gov. Corbett At Helm Wants To Strengthen Public Trust In Elections Ahead of November

-- CNHI News: PA Election Chief: Uniform Voter Outreach Needed In Presidential Cycle

-- Inquirer: Tens Of Thousands Of Pennsylvanians Don’t Realize They’re Eligible To Vote

-- Courier Times: Does PA Have 80,000 Duplicate Voter Registrations?  We Break Down Inflated Estimate

-- Spotlight PA: Electronic Pollbooks, Which PA Counties Use Them, And More

-- Politics PA: PA ACLU Files Lawsuit Against York County’s Refusal To Allow Nonpartisan Observers At Official Vote Canvass

-- MCall: What Northampton County Is Doing To Make Sure Election Problems Don’t Reoccur

-- PennLive: Could One Of PA’s Last Political Machines Save Biden [Lackawanna County]

-- TribLive: Voting Is Power Pittsburgh Coalition Launches In City’s Hill District

-- TribLive Editorial: Does The Presidential Primary Matter In PA?  [For Statewide Offices Yes]

-- Election Reforms

-- WHYY: PA Court Rules Electronic Voting Data Not Subject To Release Under Public Records Law

-- PennLive - John Baer: PA Legislature Plays Tug Of War With State Election Issues

-- National Politics

-- Spotlight PA: PA Was Deluged By Election Lawsuits In 2020; Experts Say 2024 Will Be Even More Intense 

-- Post-Gazette: Progressives Who Transformed PA Politics Are Set To Be A Decisive Force In 2024

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: At 18, I’m An Undecided Voters, Here’s Why

-- PennLive: Could One Of PA’s Last Political Machines Save Biden [Lackawanna County]

-- PennLive: Republican US Senate Candidate Endorses Ex-President After Super Tuesday Wins

-- Inquirer: Dave McCormick, Republican US Senate Candidate Might Live Part-Time In Connecticut, But He’s Campaigning All Over PA

-- Citizens Voice: Local Voters Dismayed By Rematch In Presidential Election

-- AP: Biden Visiting Battleground State, Expanding Staff As His Campaign Tries To Seize Offensive  [PA Included]

-- PA’s Role In Assault On US Capitol

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Senate Ethics Committee Will Not Investigate Republican Sen. Mastriano For Charges Related To Assault On US Capitol, Overturning 2020 Election 

-- PA Capital-Star: Report Classifies 97 PA State Lawmakers As ‘Election Deniers’

-- WITF: Dauphin County Woman Convicted Of Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol Wants Shorter Prison Sentence

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- Erie Times: PA Statewide Row Offices Stepping Stones To Other Positions

-- LancasterOnline: PA Latina Women Conference Set For March 27 In Lancaster

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices:  PA $3.53   National $3.40    Ohio $3.37

-- Warren Times: Company Confirms Malfunction At United Refinery Releases ‘Silica Material’ Coating Homes, Vehicles  

-- Erie News Now: United Refining Release Of Silica Dust Causes Concern In Warren [Video] 

-- LancasterOnline: Why UGI Gas Rates Going Down - Glut Of Gas, Mild Winter Lowering International Gas Prices

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Hearing Begin On Proposed Peoples Natural Gas Rate Increase Of Up To 21.4%

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Stay The Same This Week- 24

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Prices Jump As EQT Slashes Output To Fight Glut 

-- Reuters: Pittsburgh-based EQT To Reduce Gas Production Through March On Low Prices

-- US Senators Introduce Bill To Ban US LNG Gas Sales To Any Entity Under The Control Of Communist China To Protect US Jobs; Americans From Price Spikes; EQT Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Provide LNG Gas To China; Where Do AMERICAN Interests Lie?  [PaEN] 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: ‘Selling Oil And Natural Gas To China?’ ‘It Simply Should Not Happen, Period’  [PaEN] 

-- Stars and Stripes Guest Essay: Pause On Permits For New LNG Gas Export Facilities Right Move For National Security - Rivals Like China Are Using US LNG To Build Influence - By Steve Anderson, US Army Brigadier General - Retired  [PaEN] 

-- PA Utility Law Project March 15 Webinar On Impacts Of LNG Gas Exports On Energy Costs For Pennsylvania Families; LNG Export Capacity To Double, Even With Permit Pause  [PaEN] 

-- Reuters: Major European Energy Companies Ask US Regulators To Deny Permit Extension For Its Louisiana LNG Gas Export Plant

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: A Rescue Plan For American Energy And The Environment- Unleash Gas Production, Expand LNG Exports - By Dave McCormick, Republican US Senate Candidate  [No Support For Limiting LNG Exports To China ]

-- Reuters: Major European Energy Companies Ask US Regulators To Deny Permit Extension For Louisiana LNG Gas Export Plant

-- Bloomberg: Aramco In Talks For US LNG Gas Projects, Looks For Investment Opportunities In China

-- Reuters: Aramco Sees China Oil, LNG Gas Demand Growing, Eyes More Investments

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Needs To ‘Get Smarter’ About Natural Gas Production - PA Making Times Tougher On Natural Gas, Coal Industries - By Rep. Joe Hamm (R)     

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: State Legislators Need To Become Better Informed About All Energy Issues - By Ralph Kisberg, Responsible Drilling Alliance 

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Pipeline Accidents Pose Big, Unreported Climate Threat

-- Reuters: TC Energy’s Keystone Oil Pipeline Restarts After Going Offline, No Oil Released; Sent Oil Prices Higher; Pipeline Dogged By Problems

-- Oil & Gas Health Impacts

-- The Allegheny Front/PublicSource: Pittsburgh-Based EQT Gas Drilling Expansion In WV Sent 4 Families Reeling, While State Regulators Trusted The Company To Answer Their Complaints 

-- WTAE: Concerns Over Flaring, Fracking In Cecil Twp., Washington County 

-- The Energy Age Blog: What Flaring At A Shale Gas Well Pad Looks Like From Your Bedroom Window, Same As It Did 15 Years Ago  [Welcome To Washington County] 

-- New Reporting On The Uncontrolled Impacts Of Shale Gas Industry: The ‘Poisons Are Still Going Through My System;’ Roar, Fire From Gas Flares; Nothing Has Changed In 15 Years  [PaEN] 

-- New Reporting On The Uncontrolled Impacts Of Shale Gas Industry: The ‘Poisons Are Still Going Through My System;’ Roar, Fire From Gas Flares; Nothing Has Changed In 15 Years  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Plugging PA’s Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Is A Game Of Whac-A-Mole - By Rep. Greg Vitali, Majority Chair House Environmental Committee

-- DEP Declares 101 Medina Res Dev Co. LLC Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned, Not Plugged In Crawford, Erie Counties On March 5  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Imposed $422,365 In Penalties On 14 Conventional Oil & Gas Well Operators In 2023 For Abandoning Wells, Spills, Venting Gas; 93 Operators Cited For Abandoning 271 Wells  [PaEN]  

-- Warren Times: Company Confirms Malfunction At United Refinery Releases ‘Silica Material’ Coating Homes, Vehicles  

-- Erie News Now: United Refining Release Of Silica Dust Causes Concern In Warren [Video]

-- Train Derailments

-- AP: Train Crews Working On Cleanup, Track Repair After Train Derailment In Northampton County

--MCall: Lehigh Valley Officials To Update Hazard Plan After Train Derailment

-- MCall: Cleanup, Investigation Continue After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment In Northampton County 

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: How Many More Derailments Until Rail Safety Is A Priority? - By Natalie Bencivenga, KDKA Radio

-- Scranton Times: Norfolk Southern Repairing Rail Freight Bridge In Scranton

-- AP: NTSB Says After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment, Tank Cars Didn’t Need To Be Blown Open To Release Toxic Chemicals  

-- WESA/Ideastream Public Media: Residents Impacted By Norfolk Southern Derailment React To News That ‘Controlled’ Burn Was Unnecessary: ‘Really Messed Up’ 

-- PittsburghUnionProgress: Ohio US Sen. Vance: Did Norfolk Southern Sacrifice East Palestine So Rail Traffic could Quickly Resume?

-- AP: Judge Says Norfolk Southern Alone Should Pay For Cleanup Of Ohio Train Derailment

-- Gas Explosions

-- WTAE: Concerns Over Flaring, Fracking In Cecil Twp., Washington County 

-- The Energy Age Blog: What Flaring At A Shale Gas Well Pad Looks Like From Your Bedroom Window, Same As It Did 15 Years Ago  [Welcome To Washington County] 

-- WTAE: Concerns Mounting Over Gas Leaks In Cecil Twp. Columbia Gas System In Washington County 

-- Reading Eagle: Kutztown Post Office Evacuated After Gas Leak

-- Education

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Shapiro’s Education Proposals Stir More Praise, Frustration In Harrisburg

-- Tribune-Democrat: School Funding Gets Long Look In House As Budget Talks Continue

-- Health Care

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA’s Health Care Access ‘Still In The Dark Ages’

-- PennLive: Dept. Of Human Services ‘Extremely Worried’ About Cyberattack That Locked Up National Medical Billing System

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Opioids An ‘Overwhelming Issue For Families’ In PA

-- Spotlight PA: Oversight Board Will Secretly Review How PA Counties Spent Millions Of Dollars To Fight Opioid Crisis

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: PA State Police Expedite Body Camera Rollout After Philly Officials Excessive Force Claim

-- MCall Guest Essay: We Need To Support Victims Of Gun Violence, Here’s How - By Lt. Gov. Austin Davis

-- AP: Mental Health Concerns Prompt Lawsuit To End Indefinite Solitary Confinement In PA Prisons

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: New Lawsuit Points To Obvious Truth- Solitary Confinement Is Cruel And Must End

-- The Economy

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry Reports January Unemployment Unchanged At 3.4%; Total Nonfarm Jobs Set New Record High For 6th Straight Month

-- The Center Square: Debate Over Raising The Minimum Wage Persists In PA

-- LancasterOnline: PA Republican Lawmaker Hear From ChatGTP As They Consider Laws Addressing Artificial Intelligence

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Tops Liquor Control Board Sales In PA

-- Scranton Times: ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Company Sues To Overturn Old Forge Ban On The Machines

-- Scranton Times: Forty Fort Swindled Out Of Nearly $80,000 In Hacking Scheme

-- WNEP: Singer Brady Sutliff Releases Ode To Shickshinny Music Video 

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PennDOT Supports Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants

-- Williamsport Sun: Lycoming County Commissioners Push Back On False Claims About Illegal Immigrants

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Immigrants Make Pittsburgh Stronger

-- Other

-- TribLive: Jim Roddy, First Allegheny County Executive, Has Died; Officials Praise His Years Of Service

[Posted: March 10, 2024]