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 State Employee Unions Begin Voting On Proposed Contracts; 20% Raise Over 4 Years

-- Budget 2023

-- PA Senate Republican Budget Update: Sen. Kim Ward: We’re Negotiating With Gov. Shapiro And Things Are Moving Forward [Still Not Recognizing House Democrats In Charge Of House]

-- PennLive: Senate Republican Leader Says Senate ‘Will Return’ In August To Clear Budget Impasse

-- Politics PA: Shapiro Administration Provides Budget Update To Stakeholders

-- The Center Square: State Budget Deal Teased In Pennsylvania

-- City & State PA: What State Leaders Are Saying About The Ongoing Budget Impasse

-- Erie Times: The Bipartisan Caucus Could Be Critical To Breaking Harrisburg Budget Gridlock

-- AP: Final PA Budget Doesn’t Include Adult Mental Health Funding, House Democrats Want It Added

-- PennLive: 12 House Members Won’t Take Pay Until PA Has A State Budget

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Republicans - Stop Sulking And Move The Budget Forward

-- TribLive Editorial: PA Lawmakers Need Training Camp [To Focus On Settling The State Budget]

-- TribLive Editorial: Private Cyber Charter Reform Needs To Be About Education, Not Politics

-- PA Capital-Star: How PA’s Budget Impasse Has Affected Tuition Rates At State-Related Universities

-- TribLive: University Of Pittsburgh To Raise In-State Tuition By 2% At Its Main Campus

-- TribLive Editorial: Require More Transparency, Less Politics By State-Related Universities

-- Spotlight PA: Many PA State, School Retirees Say They Can’t Afford Inflation On Their Stagnant Pensions

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Nonprofits, Still Reeling From Pandemic, Face Uncertainty As PA Budget Impasse Continues

-- PA Senate/House

-- Spotlight PA: Senate, House Must Show Why They Hired Private Lawyers Before They Can Redact Bills For Legal Services, Commonwealth Court Rules

-- Scranton Times Editorial: The Public Really Does Have A Right To Know How The House, Senate Spend Taxpayer Money

-- Politics PA: Republican House Member Calls For Pay Suspension During Budget Impasse

-- PennLive Editorial: Gambling In PA Needs Strong Oversight Only Casinos Can Guarantee

-- WITF: Bipartisan Legislation Sets Path For Recreational Marijuana In PA

-- Special PA House Election

-- Post-Gazette: Democrats Choose InnovatePGH Exec Lindsay Powell As Nominee To Rep. Innamorato In House

-- WESA: 5 Democrats Vying To Replace Rep. Innamorato Face Special Election Speedrun

-- U.S. Senate/House

-- MCall: Republican Rep. Mackenzie To Run Against Cong. Susan Wild In 2024

-- Post-Gazette: PA Republican Cong. Thompson Enjoying Surge Of PAC Donations Now That He Runs Agriculture Committee

-- National Politics

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Time’s Wasting To Change PA Presidential Primary Date

-- WESA: In Pittsburgh Top Congressional Democrat Urges Local Unions To Join Fight Against ‘Diabolical’ Republicans

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: It’s Time To Boycott Florida - By Solomon Jones

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Congressional Republican Racism Has Finally Weaponized Vice President Kamala Harris - By Jackie Calmes, LA Times Columnist

-- The Guardian: UFOs Back In Spotlight As ‘Surreal’ Washington Hearing Buoys Believers [Congressional Republicans Looking For UFOs]

-- Election Reforms

-- WESA: 2 PA State Senators Promote Having Primary Runoff System

-- Spotlight PA: How PA Counties Spend The First-Ever Election Grants From The State

-- Flooding

-- MCall: Search Ends For 9-Month-Old Swept Away In Bucks County Flash Flood: ‘We Have Exhausted All Means’

-- WHYY: Police Narrow Search For Infant Lost In Bucks County Flash Flood, After 2-Year-Old Sister’s Body Found 

-- Reading Eagle: Antietam Students To Stay On District Grounds For Core Classes After Flooding Damages Middle, High School Building

-- Reading Eagle: Berks Flood Victims Getting Some Helping Hands In Cleanup Efforts

-- KYW: Flooding Tuesday Prompts 16 Water Rescues In Chester County

-- KYW: Boil Water Advisory Issued For Parts Of Chester County

-- Republican Herald: Frustrated Property Owners Want End To Flooding In Downtown Pottsville

-- National Stream Restoration Conference Aug. 21-23 In Baltimore  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Climate Adaptation Carries $15 Billion Price Tag For PA Towns, Study Says

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA Municipalities Have Big Climate Tab Coming Due, Who Should Foot The Bill?

-- PA Capital-Star: Report Outlines Costs Of Climate Change On PA Communities, Taxpayers 

-- Train Derailments

-- TribLive: Norfolk Southern To Give Beaver County Town $660,000, Lawrence County $340,000 In Wake Of Ohio Train Derailment 

-- Gov. Shapiro: Darlington Twp, Beaver County, Lawrence County Receive $1 Million In Community Relief From Norfolk Southern For Impacts Related To Train Derailment

-- LancasterOnline: Listen: WITF Talks To Lancaster Online Reporter On Toxic Trains, Transparency

-- PennLive: Norfolk Southern Safety Train Rolls Into Harrisburg To Train First Responders

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Months After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment, EPA ‘Has Failed To Protect’ East Palestine, OH, Purdue University Professor

-- The Allegheny Front: Ohio Activists Join National Groups To Deliver Petition To EPA To Ban Vinyl Chloride, Chemical Burned At Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette/Religion News Service: East Palestine OH Church Hosts Chemical Exposure Study In Wake Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- WTAE: Norfolk Southern CEO On Choice To Vent And Burn Chemicals After Train Derailment: ‘The Right Decision At The Time’

-- AP: Norfolk Southern Says Cost Of Train Derailment Doubles To $803 Million As Cleanup Continues

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- TribLive: Jump In Oil Prices Driving Gasoline Price Hike In Pittsburgh Area

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: Pennsylvania $3.85, National $3.75, Ohio $3.49

-- KDKA: Heat And Production Cuts Causing Rise In Gasoline Prices At The Pump

-- Baker Hughes Pennsylvania Natural Gas Rig Count 22, Down 1 From Last Week

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: With Natural Gas Prices Down, Range Resources Will Continue Steady Drilling Pace

-- Reuters: Natural Gas Producer EQT Posts 2nd Quarter Loss On Lower Sales, Natural Gas Prices

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Slump As Storage, Renewables Offset Risks 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Slip As Shell Sees Healthy Winter Stockpiles 

-- Reuters: Shell CEO Says Europe Heading Into Next Winter In ‘A Good Place’

-- Bloomsberg: European Natural Gas Prices Fall With Sluggish Demand Keeping Lid On Prices

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Erase Gains As High Storage Offsets Risks  [Just 3 Hours Ago Prices Were Rising]

-- Bloomberg: LNG Natural Gas Stored In Ships At Sea Sign Of Weak Demand In Europe

-- Reuters: TC Energy’s 26-Inch Columbia Gas Natural Gas Pipeline Exploded In Western Virginia Near I-81, No Injuries Reported, Declares Force Majeure 

-- WSET: Video: Fire Erupts After Explosion At TC Energy Natural Gas Pipeline In Virginia

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- Inquirer: Republican State Sen. Mastriano Seems To Be Campaigning For Something, And Republicans Are Worried

-- WITF: Canadian University’s Deadline To Investigate Inaccuracies In Republican Sen. Mastriano’s Doctoral Thesis Has Passed

-- LancasterOnline: As Democrats Gain Ground In Southeast PA, Study Shows Republicans Maintaining Dominance In Lancaster County

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: 1,800+ Retired State Employees Have Pension Of $100,000+  How?  [Not Counting Senate, House Members]

-- LancasterOnline: Retired Political Reporter Brad Bumsted Digs Deep Into PA Political Corruption In New Podcast

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

-- City & State PA: Ever-Growing Number Of Pennsylvanians Charged, Convicted Of Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Centre County Man Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Financial Times: Rudy Giuliani Admits To Falsehoods In Georgia Election Fraud Claims

-- Education

-- AP: PA Schools Say Victory In Court Is Final With Decision By Republicans Not To Appeal, And Legislature Needs To Increase Funding

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Senators Spar Over Private School Choice At Hearing

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Republicans Wisely Let School Funding Court Ruling Stand

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Declining To Appeal Public School Funding Ruling Isn’t Compliance

-- TribLive Editorial: Private Cyber Charter Reform Needs To Be About Education, Not Politics

-- PA Capital-Star: How PA’s Budget Impasse Has Affected Tuition Rates At State-Related Universities

-- TribLive: Penn State Eliminates Funding For Well-Respected, Student-Run Newspaper

-- TribLive: University Of Pittsburgh To Raise In-State Tuition By 2% At Its Main Campus

-- TribLive Editorial: Require More Transparency, Less Politics By State-Related Universities

-- Spotlight PA: Many PA State, School Retirees Say They Can’t Afford Inflation On Their Stagnant Pensions

-- Post-Gazette: New Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Plan To Impact 30,000 In PA

-- Law Enforcement

-- Inquirer: Republican Lawmakers Want PA Supreme Court To Reconsider Case For Impeaching Philly DA

-- Inquirer: Advocates Say Latest Probation Reform Effort Does Not Go Far Enough To Stop Probation-To-Prison Pathway

-- WITF: Bipartisan Legislation Sets Path For Recreational Marijuana In PA

-- AP: Defense Presses Case That Mental Illness Spurred Pittsburgh Synagogue Killer

-- TribLive: Victim Testimony, Gunman’s Past Highlight 6th Week Of Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre Trial

-- The Economy

-- Post-Gazette: PA Liquor Control Board’s Grip On Liquor Sales Faces New Round Of Resistance

[Posted: July 30, 2023]