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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- PA Senate/House

-- Inquirer: Philly Region Has A Lot More Power In Harrisburg Now That Democrats Control The House

-- AP: Democrats, Marchers Press Gun Violence Debate At PA Capitol

-- PA Capital-Star: Survivors’ Heartbreak Points To Gun Violence Solutions, Advocates Tell PA House Panel

-- PA Capital-Star: Lawmakers, Advocates, Survivors Rally Against ‘Toxin’ Of Gun Violence

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Neighborhood Improvement Zone Legislation Sponsored By Fmr Sen. Brown, Shapiro’s Revenue Chief, Faces Scrutiny

-- U.S. Senate/House

-- AP: Fetterman Expected Back ‘Soon,’ But No Certain Timeline Yet

-- May Primary Election

-- Spotlight PA: Guide To Candidates For PA Supreme Court

-- Election Reforms

-- Politics PA: Commonwealth Court Dismisses Republican Lawsuit On County Mail-In Ballot Curing Procedures

-- Citizens Voice: All 3 Luzerne County Officials Decline To Testify At U.S. House March 28 Hearing On County Ballot Paper Shortage

-- Citizens Voice Editorial: March 28 U.S. House Hearing On Voter Suppression Will Generate Little But Noise

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

-- WITF: Cumberland County Woman Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison For Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- State Constitutional Amendments

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

-- Ohio/PA Train Derailment

-- PA Senate Hearing: Norfolk Southern CEO - Ignition Of Rail Cars Following Ohio Trainwreck Was A 'Success' ?  [PaEN] 

-- PA Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee March 20 Hearing Video With Norfolk Southern CEO + Written Testimony

-- Shapiro Administration Announces Long-Term Presence In Beaver County To Assist Residents Affected By Norfolk Southern Train Derailment  [PaEN]

-- DEP Acting Secretary Negrin Wants To Encourage A Culture Of Being User-Friendly At DEP And Used The Train Derailment Response As An Example  [PaEN]

-- House Budget Hearing: Acting DEP Secretary Outlines His Views On Environmental Justice, Announces Fernando Treviño As Special Deputy For Environmental Justice  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Rebuilding Public Trust After The Train Derailment Starts From The Ground Up

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Western PA Residents Want More Testing- And Attention-- After Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: Beaver County School District Sues Norfolk Southern Over Train Derailment Chemical Plume

-- AP: Bipartisan Support Emerges For US Senate Railroad Safety Bill After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- PA Capital-Star: Norfolk Southern Will Be There ‘As Long As It Takes,’ CEO Tells PA Senate Panel; ‘Unified Command’ Made The Decision To Burn Chemicals Lead By Local Ohio Fire Chief

-- City & State PA: In PA Senate Hearing: Norfolk Southern CEO Said Local Fire Chief, OH Governor Had Final Say On Chemical Tanker Burn

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Grill Norfolk Southern CEO On Decision To Burn Chemicals After Train Derailment

-- The Center Square: Norfolk Southern CEO Reluctant To Say Who OK’d Chemical Burn After Derailment

-- PennLive: Legislators Frustrated With Norfolk Southern CEO’s Appearance Before PA Senate Committee

-- Politics PA: Norfolk Southern CEO To Appear Before PA Senate Committee Monday

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Government Should Extract Direct Compensation From Norfolk Southern For Train Derailment

-- PA Capital-Star: Jessica Conard Of East Palestine, OH Has Become A Reluctant Community Advocate After Train Derailment

-- AP: After Derailment, Toxic Burn Student Athletes Seek Normalcy In Ohio

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- PUC Strongly Encourages Customers To Explore Electric Shopping Options To Help Reduce Size Of Utility Bills  [PaEN]

-- WJAC: Peoples Natural Gas Files Request With PUC To Lower Cost Of Gas

-- PUC Sets April 11 Hearing On Proposed 8.9% UGI Electric Rate Increase

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - No Change From Last Week: 24

-- Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Prices Slump After Mild Winter Leaves Big Surplus

-- Bloomberg: EU Proposes Extending 15% Cut In Natural Gas Demand Thru Next Winter

-- Bloomberg: Oil Near 15-Month Lows, Key Gauge Sinks As Banking Jolt Spreads

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- Spotlight PA: Women Have More Power Than Ever In PA General Assembly, But Lawmaker Say Big Hurdles Remain

-- PennLive - John Baer: What If Ex-President, Mastriano Top PA’s 2024 Ballot?

-- Inquirer: Can Republicans Win Again In Montgomery County? New Chair Shares His Approach 

-- Budget 2023

-- The Center Square: Uncertain Revenue Expectations Cloud PA’s Financial Future

-- DEP Offers 10 Point Plan To Improve Permit Reviews; Climate/Energy Work Group Co-Chairs Announced; Work Group Formed To Prevent New Oil & Gas Well Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- WITF: PA State Budget Sticking Point: How Much To Give Colleges And Universities

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Neighborhood Improvement Zone Legislation Sponsored By Fmr Sen. Brown, Shapiro’s Revenue Chief, Faces Scrutiny

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- PennLive: ‘Tripledemic’ Leaves PA Largely Unscathed, As COVID Rates Fall To Near Lowest Level

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- PennLive: PA Human Relations Commission Investigating Incidents Of Racial Intimidation, Hostility In Lower Dauphin School District

-- WHYY: Central Bucks School District Spending $1 Million+ On Law Firm After LGBTQ Discrimination Allegations

-- WITF: PA State Budget Sticking Point: How Much To Give Colleges And Universities

-- Law Enforcement

-- Spotlight PA: Guide To Candidates For PA Supreme Court

-- TribLive Editorial: Shapiro Hears Gideon’s Trumpet [Legal Defense Of Indigent Criminal Defendants]

-- Inquirer: New Report Shows Antisemitic Incidents Are Rising In PA

-- Other

-- Spotlight PA: Thousands Of Homeowners Still At Risk As PA Alleges Improper Denials, Delays In Mortgage Relief

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry: February PA Unemployment Rate 4.4%, Up 0.1% From January

[Posted: March 26, 2023]