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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Gov. Shapiro Launches Online Money-Back Guarantee System For Some State Permits, Licensing, Certification Processes

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro Mum On Whether He’ll Appeal RGGI Decision [Still Reviewing Court Decision]

-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes  [PaEN]

-- Budget 2023

-- ABC27: PA House Leaders Point Fingers As State Budget, School Funding Remains Unresolved

-- PA Capital-Star: House Democratic Leader Calls Private School Vouchers ‘Very Problematic’ But Adds Democrats Didn’t Say ‘Hell No’

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: PA Senate Agreement Needed To Send $642 Million To Penn State, Temple, Other State-Related Universities

-- TribLive: PA House Approves Funding For Pitt, Penn State, Others, But With A Stipulation

-- Post-Gazette: Penn State Cannot Support House Amendment Freezing Tuition Next Year

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Nearly 70,000 PA School, Government Retirees Have Had No COLA Increase In 21 Years

-- The Center Square: PA’s Rainy Day Budget Reserve Fund Rectified

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports October State Revenue $119.8 Million - 3.8%-- Over Their Estimates; Year-to-Date Up $47.5 Million Over Estimates

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports October State Revenue $116.7 Million - 3.7%-- Above IFO Estimates; Fiscal Year $18.6 Million Over Estimates

-- PA House/Senate

-- WHYY: PA Lawmakers Push Forward Significant Juvenile Justice Reforms

-- Post-Gazette: PA House Committee Votes To Abolish Death Penalty

--WTAE/AP: Bills To Combat Hate Crimes Gain PA House Approval

-- Post-Gazette: Antisemitic, Hateful Graffiti In Squirrel Hill Has Residents On Edge, Police Increasing Patrols

-- WITF: Community Rallies Around Lancaster County Restaurant Owner After Hate Message

-- PennLive: Bucknell President ‘Outraged’ By Swastika Found In Residence Hall

-- LancasterOnline: Man Charged With Vandalism For Drawing Swastikas At Millersville University Campus

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh FBI Warns Of Violent Online Groups Targeting Minors

-- Warren Times Editorial: Hate Acts Cannot Be Tolerated

-- US Senate/House

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman Sparks Backlash With Staunch Support For Israel: ‘It’s Outing Him As Not Being Progressive’

-- TribLive: Congressmember Summer Lee Among Dems Who Could Face Challenges Over Stance On Israel

-- Financial Times: Gaza War Opens Rift Among US Democrats [Pittsburgh Highlighted]

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Allegheny County Council Member Bethany Hallam’s Infamous Tweet On Hamas Terrorists Attacking Israel Meant More Than She Thought

-- Williamsport Sun: Casey, Fetterman Accepting Applications For Federal Judgeships In PA

-- November 2023 Election

-- Spotlight PA: Nov. 7 Election: How To Vote, Where To Vote And Everything You Need To Know

-- Spotlight PA: Election 2023: When To Expect Results, How Officials Are Preparing, And More

-- AP: What To Expect In Pennsylvania’s General Election

-- PA Capital-Star: Mail-In Ballot Returns Top 500,000 In General Election

-- AP: PA’s Election Headlined By Race For PA Supreme Court

-- Spotlight PA: Working At The Polls Cleared Up Jay Schneider’s 2020 Suspicions, Now He’s Taking Charge As A Judge Of Elections

-- AP: Spending Passes $17 Million In PA Supreme Court Race As Billionaires, Unions, Lawyers Dig In 

-- PA Capital-Star: Contributions To Commonwealth, Superior Court Candidates  Totals At Least $2.8 Million

-- Spotlight PA: New Democratic Group, One Libertarian Billionaire Flooding PA Supreme Court Race With Cash

-- Erie Times/York Daily Record: In PA, 2 Major Voter Groups Have Grown Since The Primary [Independents, 3rd Parties, Republicans]; One Has Shrunk Slightly [Democrats]

-- Election Reforms

-- Spotlight PA: PA’s Voting Law Is Filled With Obsolete Provisions, Troublesome Conflicts

-- National Politics

-- PennLive - John Baer: Former Vice President Out, Who Goes Next, And What’s It Mean For Ex-President?

-- PA’s Role In Assault On US Capitol

-- PennLive: York County Man Makes Plea Deal On Federal Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Must Return Truth To Politics In America - By Mark Singel

-- PA Capital-Star: Three Democrats Vying To Unseat State Treasurer Stacy Garrity

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: We Are The Majority - Why Are We Permitting The Minority To Role And Increase Dissention, Racism, Inequality, Violence And Chaos?

-- Post-Gazette: Fmr Executive At Top Republican Consulting Firm Accused Of Sexual Misconduct

-- Flooding

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Flood Grant Sessions Well Attended As Application Period Remains Open From Community Foundation

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Holding Flood Recovery Grant Outreach Sessions Thru Friday

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.67; National- $3.43; Ohio- $3.13

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Electric Customers Would Save With More Power Sharing Between Regions, Study Says

-- Meadville Tribune: Reliability Of Power Grid In PA Threatened As Energy Sources Dwindle: Industry Experts

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Gas Supply Costs For Typical Customers From $64.05 to $70.53

-- LancasterOnline: PPL Electric Utilities Set To Lower Residential Rates By 9%; Med-Ed To Increase Rates 10%

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Down 2 From Last Week- 20

-- Financial Times: PA-Based EQT Chief Says Natural Gas Pipeline Fights Endanger Industrial World 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Post 3rd Weekly Drop As Impact Of 2nd War Is Limited

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Rise As Risks Mount For Egypt LNG Flows

-- Reuters: Oil Price Settles Down, Posts Weekly Loss As Geopolitical Risk Premium Ebbs

-- The Intelligencer: Oil Prices Could Reach ‘Uncharted Waters’ If Israel-Hamas War Escalates, World Bank Says

-- Natural Gas Explosions

-- Attorney General Henry Announces Criminal Charges Against Equitrans For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County  [PaEN]

-- AP: PA Attorney Charges Equitrans With Crimes In 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Leveled Home, Hurt 3, Including 4-Year-Old Boy

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Criminal Charges Against Equitrans Should Be A Deterrent To Environmental Violators, Attorney General Says 

-- TribLive: Equitrans Faces Criminal Charges In Connection With 2018 Greene County Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans In 2018 Greene County Home Natural Gas Explosion Caused By Leaking Conventional Well At The Pratt Gas Storage Facility

-- WTAE: Criminal Charges Filed Against Equitrans After Natural Gas Explosion Destroyed Greene County Home In 2018 

-- Observer-Reporter: State AG Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans, Faults Company For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County

-- TribLive: Natural Gas Leak Forces Evacuation At New Store In Allegheny Twp., Westmoreland County

-- Reading Eagle: Lawmakers Propose Eliminating Pipe Linked To Natural Gas Explosion At Reading Factory

-- Train Derailments

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Notes From Times Beach Residents To Victims Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment: ‘Don’t Give Up’ and ‘Do It As A Community’

-- Education

-- PA Capital-Star: House Democratic Leader Calls Private School Vouchers ‘Very Problematic’ But Adds Democrats Didn’t Say ‘Hell No’

-- Post-Gazette: Declining Enrollments, Private School Choice Forcing Western PA Public School Districts To Ramp Up Marketing Strategies

-- Tribune-Democrat: Bill Repealing Ban On Teachers Wearing Religious Garb In Schools Clears General Assembly

-- AP: PA House Passes Bill To Increase Transparency Of PA’s Universities

-- Post-Gazette: Penn State Cannot Support House Amendment Freezing Tuition Next Year

-- TribLive Editorial: Facebook [Meta] Lawsuit Only Part Of Necessary Actions On Social Media

-- Health Care

-- TribLive: Nursing Home Rating System Needs Work, So Do Nursing Homes

-- Post-Gazette: PA’s Nursing Home Crisis Is Rapidly Worsening, New Report Shows; Staffing Issues Creating Long Waitlists

-- TribLive: Striking Allegheny General Hospital Nurses Win 3-Year Contract With 23% Raise

-- Law Enforcement

-- WHYY: PA Lawmakers Push Forward Significant Juvenile Justice Reforms

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Advocates, Lawmakers Renew Push To Relax Rule For Commuting Life Sentences

-- PA Capital-Star: Proposed Constitutional Amendment Would Change How Pardons Are Considered

-- Williamsport Sun: Casey, Fetterman Accepting Applications For Federal Judgeships In PA

-- WHYY: Cleaning Up Blood After Philadelphia Shootings Will Soon Be Handled By Professionals, Not By Residents 

-- The Economy

-- TribLive: Southwest PA Unemployment Rate Lowest In Nearly 50 Years

[Posted: November 5, 2023]