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 Announces $266 Million In Property Tax/Rent Rebate Checks Will Go Out To Seniors, People With Disabilities Starting July 1

-- Budget 2024

-- New State Budget Is Due July 1

-- AP: Pennsylvania To Begin New Fiscal Year Without A Budget, As Shapiro, Lawmakers Express Optimism

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA’s Budget Deadline Passes, Optimism Runs High A Deal On Issues Is Close

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA To Start Another Fiscal Year Without A Budget

-- The Center Square: Pennsylvania Misses State Budget Deadline, Already

-- Beaver County Times: PA Budget Due July 1, These Issues Could Be Sticking Points

-- WITF: State Budget Deadline Looms - Here’s What’s At Stake

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Big Education Fight Stands In The Way Of PA Budget Deal

-- WHYY: Shapiro, State Legislators Seek Compromise On Public Education Funding

--  Spotlight PA: Private School Vouchers May Make It Into PA’s Budget, What Would They Really Do?

-- PennLive: PA House Puts Tax Forgiveness Expansion Back On Table As Budget Talks Continue

-- Observer-Reporter: ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Fill Financial Gaps For Small Businesses

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: State Police Protection For Small Towns ‘Unsustainable’

-- Statewide Races

-- Inquirer: PA’s Only Black Republican Elected To Statewide Office Didn’t Attend Ex-President’s Philly Rally

-- PA House/Senate

-- TribLive/Inquirer: PA Man Charged With Threatening Republican State Sen. Mastriano

-- US Senate/House

-- Post-Gazette: Netanyahu Praises Fetterman During Senator’s Trip To Israel

-- PennLive: Republican Con. Scott Perry Campaign Shares, Then Deletes, Antisemitic Meme On Social Media

-- November Election

-- WHYY: Federal Lawsuit By Ex-President’s Impeachment Lawyer Threatens To Unmine PA’s 2024 Election

-- The Center Square: Pennsylvania Progressives Resolution In Palestinian Support

-- TribLive Editorial: What RFK Jr. Really Means To The PA Ballot

-- Election Reforms

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA House Panel Advances Bills To Curtail ‘Dark Money’ And AI-Generated Political Impersonations In Campaigns

-- National Politics

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Comes To Biden’s Defense Following ‘Bad Debate’

-- TribLive: Western PA Democratic Delegates Stick With Biden, But Case Debate Performance As ‘Wake-up Call’

-- Inquirer: Panicked PA Democrats Launch Into Cleanup Mode After Biden’s Bad Debate Night

-- City & State PA: PA Pols’ Reax To The Presidential Debate

-- Post-Gazette: Concern, Not Panic, For Bob Casey In PA US Senate Race After Biden Debate Performance

-- PoliticsPA: PA US Senate Candidate Hints Cabinet Should Consider 25th Amendment For Biden

-- TribLive Editorial: Was Presidential Debate The Worst Ever?

-- WPost: Indiana County Coal Workers Feel Abandoned As Coal Plants Close In Pennsylvania; How Biden’s Promise To Coal Country Became A Warning For Democrats 

-- PA’s Role In Assault On US Capitol

-- PA Capital-Star: US Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Fmr PA Police Officer Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- AP: US Supreme Court Makes It Harder To Charge Participants In Assault On US Capitol With Obstruction Crimes

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.64  National- $3.50   Ohio- $3.56

-- Reuters: US Senate Committee Probes US Oil Producers On Price Collusion With OPEC

-- PA Natural Gas Prices Follow International Market Prices Which Have Caused 40% to 60%+ Increases To PA Ratepayers, And Will Again. Diversification Of Energy Sources Is The Key To Prevent Spikes, Lower Prices  Read more here.

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

-- Sen. Camera Bartolotta: PA Should Be Producing 4 Times The Gas We Are Now, Exporting It Around The World: ‘We Just Need To Get Government The Hell Out Of The Way’  [PaEN] 

-- PA Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Doubles-Down On Support For Exporting PA Natural Gas To China, Our Economic, Military Competitor  [PaEN]

-- Legislative Budget & Finance Committee Report Finds DEP Issued Shale Gas Well Drilling Permits In Less Than 40 Days Required By Law Over Last 5 Years; By 2022 It Was Down To 21 Days [Page 63]

-- DEP Permitting Efficiency: Since Nov. 2023, DEP Received 16,070 Applications, Decided 12,294; Pending 3,776; Missed Review Deadlines PAyback Eligible - 13  [6.28.24]

-- Financial Times: Battle Between Pipeline Companies- Williams, Energy Transfer- Shows How Legal Strife Is Clogging US Energy Development

-- Reuters: Rising US Labor Costs Threaten To Derail New LNG Gas Export Facility Projects

-- Bloomberg: Contractor For Massive Texas LNG Gas Export Plant Has Filed For Bankruptcy Says It Flagged Cost Concerns

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Spot Market Prices Turn Negative In Texas Due To Pipeline Maintenance Despite Heat Wave 

-- Reuters: FERC Approves Construction, Operation Of Calcasieu Pass 2 LNG Gas Export Facility In Louisiana Supplying 20 Million Metric Tons A Year Of LNG To Customers In China, Europe, Japan

-- Reuters: China’s LNG Gas Imports Set To Slow, Gas Storage Fills As They Take Advantage Of Lower Prices

-- Reuters: US Energy Production Exceeds Consumption By Widest-Recorded Margin; Oil, Gas Industry Thrives Under Biden Administration

-- Train Derailments

-- The Allegheny Front - Julie Grant: 5 Takeaways From NTSB Investigation Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment 

-- Post-Gazette: Decision Day Looms To Accept Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Settlement 

-- Post-Gazette: Group Rebuts EPA’s Claims About Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Response, Calls For ‘Thorough’ Investigation

-- Post-Gazette: NTSB: Failures And Miscommunication Plagued Response To Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Beaver County Times: NTSB Final Report: Norfolk Southern’s Actions Were ‘Unconscionable’

-- AP: NTSB Derailment Investigation Renews Concerns About Detectors, Tank Cars And Norfolk Southern

-- AP: NTSB Chair Says Norfolk Southern Interfered With Train Derailment Probe After Botching Vent And Burn Call

-- PA Capital-Star: NTSB: Norfolk Southern Burn Of Toxic Chemicals In Train Derailment Unnecessary

-- WESA/AP: NTSB: Norfolk Southern Botched Decision To Blow Open Vinyl Chloride Cars At Train Derailment

-- TribLive/AP: A Trackside Sensor Didn’t Catch Burning Rail Bearing Suspected In Norfolk Southern Train Derailment In Time, NTSB Says

-- Post-Gazette: NTSB Hosts Community Forum On Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- AP: Railroads Must Provide Details Of Hazardous Cargo Immediately After A Derailment Under New Rule

-- Flooding

-- Citizens Voice: Responders Find Deficient I-Beam In Wilkes-Barre Flood Gate Drill

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Residents Hear Details Of Meadow Brook Flood Protection Project

-- Education

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Big Education Fight Stands In The Way Of PA Budget Deal

-- WHYY: Shapiro, State Legislators Seek Compromise On Public Education Funding

--  Spotlight PA: Private School Vouchers May Make It Into PA’s Budget, What Would They Really Do?

-- PennLive: PA Senate Passes Bill Barring State, Higher Education Divestments From Israel

-- Post-Gazette: Arrested Pitt Protester Elected To Leadership Of Young Democrats Of Allegheny County

-- Health Care

-- Tribune-Democrat: Rural Hospitals Call For Fiscal Help As PA Budget Season Wears On

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Our Hospitals Are In Trouble - By Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny)

-- The Daily Item: Geisinger Medical: One Million+ Patients’ Data Possibly Accessed By Nuance Communications Employee

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Legislators Passed A Law To Regulate Pharmacy Middlement, But State Doesn’t Enforce It

-- TribLive: Regulations On Pharmacy Benefit Managers Pass PA House, Head To Senate

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA House Approves Bill For Contraceptive Care, Sends To Senate

-- Spotlight PA: PA Opioid Money: Coroners, Drug Testing Approved, Kensington [Philly] Residents Denied

-- Post-Gazette: 2 Big PA Nursing Home Owners Owe State $10.1 Million, Union Says

-- Post-Gazette: US Government Objects To Sale Of Pittsburgh-Area Nursing Homes

-- TribLive: 5 Things To Know About COVID This Summer

-- WITF/NPR: US Surgeon General Declared Gun Violence A Public Health Crisis, What Does That Do?

-- Law Enforcement

-- TribLive/PennLive: PA Senate Committee Advances Bill To Expand DNA Collection By Law Enforcement

-- TribLive Editorial: Should Police Collect DNA For Anyone Arrested, Even If They Aren’t Charged With A Crime?

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: State Police Protection For Small Towns ‘Unsustainable’

-- PennLive: Landlords And Employers Can Legally Discriminate Against LGBTQ People In PA

-- Attorney General Henry Releases ‘TeenTalk’ Report Highlighting Impacts Of Gun Violence On Students

-- Tribune-Democrat: Teens Tell PA Attorney General Of Gun Violence Fears

-- WITF/NPR: US Surgeon General Declared Gun Violence A Public Health Crisis, What Does That Do?

-- The Economy

-- Observer-Reporter: ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Fill Financial Gaps For Small Businesses

-- Spotlight PA: Property Taxes Are Lifeblood Of Local Government, But Officials, Residents Hate To Adjust Property Tax Assessments

-- MCall Guest Essay: House Democrats’ Proposed Education Fix Won’t Do Anything To Reduce Property Taxes - By Property Tax Elimination Working Group

-- Spotlight PA: Credit Card ‘Swipe Fees’ Could Decrease Under New PA Bill, But Banks Hate The Idea

-- WITF/WPSU: Sheetz Hopes To Gain National Recognition Through Brand Deal With Pittsburgh Pirates

-- Other

-- PennLive: Mark Holman, Longtime Aide To Gov. Tom Ridge, Announces Retirement From Lobbying Firm

[Posted: June 30, 2024]