News: Along party lines, a Pennsylvania House panel passed four bills placing stricter rules on gun ownership, including extreme risk protection orders, a ban on self-assembled firearms, and expanding background checks to long guns. The proposals advance to the chamber floor.

SEPTA and PRT have a two year window of no service cuts or fare hikes. But small agencies across the state that connect rural communities or get seniors to medical appointments are already preparing for austerity. Via @katehuangpu.bsky.social www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...

Immigration advocates called for Gov. Josh Shapiro to restrict ICE's ability to use commonwealth resources, such as databases and state prisons, and to make immigration arrests in state facilities. whyy.org/articles/pen...

Gov. Josh Shapiro took transit off the table last week, saying it would ease the path to a full budget deal. That has not proven to be the case. @spotlightpa.org digs into why: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...

News: House Democrats have fast tracked yet another transportation funding bill, including accountability measures favored by Senate Republicans, as the deadline to avoid deep cuts to SEPTA and other transit agencies ticks down. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/08...

New: A @spotlightpa.org analysis has revealed 15% of the donors to Gov. Josh Shapiro's $5.4 million inaugural committee, which the admin has refused to divulge. The committee also gave $750k of it to Team PA, which has paid for Shapiro's sports tickets. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/08...

News: Pennsylvania's budget secretary warned in letters Tuesday that at least $2.5 billion in funding for school districts, child welfare offices, ambulance services and homeless shelters among others is at risk due to the state's almost month late budget. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/07...

Facing a budget crisis last decade, Pennsylvania's GOP-controlled state government made deep cuts to public mental health services. Those cuts have never been restored, leaving thousands of people without access to key care. Via @dtohl.bsky.social www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/07...

Both Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate Republicans have said they want more road funding as the state considers expanding aid for mass transit. But there are few specifics of how to pay for another expensive item on the budget table. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/07...

The latest on Pennsylvania's budget talks: Despite sunny public remarks, Democrats & Republicans remain far apart on spending as universities, school districts, counties and transit agencies all prepare to weather a coming fiscal storm. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/07...

Inbox: State Sen. Nikil Saval (D., Philly) says Trump's omnibus bill is effectively "a jobs program for fascists" due to it cutting public assistance to increase funding for immigration enforcement. "Hospitals will close, families will go hungry, and people will die."

News: Private citizens would be able to petition their local government, or private property owners, to evict encampments that "appear to have an indication of nuisance" under a bill passed by the Pennsylvania Senate today 34-16. It goes to the state House.

New: An "ugly" brawl has opened up between top Senate Republicans and skill game producer Pace-O-Matic amid budget talks, threatening one of the only viable proposals for new revenue as lawmakers try to hash out a tough budget deal. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/06...

Turned away from a clinic, a Lancaster woman bought her 17 year old daughter abortion pills at 20 weeks, outside the medication's range but within the legal timeline. Now they face criminal charges as the DA argues that the mother put her daughter at risk. open.substack.com/pub/jessica/...

Gov. Josh Shapiro on Trump's California National Guard deployment: "Should the Guard be needed [in PA] it would be deployed at my direction following a legal process, not the way it’s been done in California, which I think has been really dangerous." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

New weight loss drugs like Ozempic for Medicaid patients are projected to cost PA $1.3 billion this year. To cut costs, the Shapiro admin plans to limit access next month. But some House lawmakers have another idea -- negotiate with drug companies. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/06...

News: The Pennsylvania House added two provisions -- one doubling state transit funding starting in 2028 and another approving $500 million in bonds for new road projects -- to Gov. Josh Shapiro's transit proposal today with bipartisan support. The bill now awaits final passage.

News: The Pennsylvania House has passed a bill 102-101 to increase the state's $7.25 minimum wage to one of three wages, ranging from $12 to $15 an hour, depending on the county, along with future automatic hikes at pace with inflation. It goes to the state Senate.

For context: According to the state's executive budget, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and other subagencies or commissions that help respond to disasters big and small regularly receives half of its $1 billion+ budget from the federal government.

State Sen. Joe Picozzi (R., Philly) says he will introduce legislation "Stabilizing and Securing Mass Transit" in southeast PA, calling for public private partnerships such as naming rights, heavier enforcement of "quality of life crimes", and more state fiscal oversight.

Pennsylvania faces long term fiscal instability, short term wealth, a number of expensive problems and a huge federal question mark as budget season kicks off in the Capitol. A spending plan is due June 30. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/06...

A lot of Pittsburgh pizza shops are run by Turkish immigrants and their descendants, but only a select few lean into their roots and offer a Turkish-style pizza called pide (pee-deh). It's worth a try www.axios.com/local/pittsb...

A week long AIPAC-funded sojourn to Israrel. A bipartisan junket to Taiwan. Hot dogs and zoo tickets to hold shindigs for constituents. And, of course, Eagles seats. That's a taste of the $119k in trips & trinkets gifted to top state lawmakers last year. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/05...

News: Legislative Democrats introduced the bill to expand the AG's review of healthcare transactions. While mandating advance notice and banning transactions "against the public interest," it only applies to private equity or for-profit entities. Nonprofit systems are excluded.

Inside Penn State University's plan to close seven branch campuses across the commonwealth, amd the complicated internal board politics that the plan must clear. www.spotlightpa.org/statecollege...

ICYMI: A GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate panel rejecting the Democratic state House's proposal to legalize marijuana and sell it through state-run retailers. More on why, and what that means for the future of legalization, here: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/05...

The Pennsylvania House passed a election bill that includes more time for counties to process mail ballots and in-person early voting today. But it faces long odds in the GOP-controlled Senate and skepticism from the local officials who must implement it. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/05...

The Pennsylvania House passed a bill to make the Hershey Kiss the official state candy by a 150-53 vote. The bill, first proposed by a middle school social studies class in 2021, now goes to the state Senate.

New: Citing growing healthcare monopolies, Pa. policymakers want more oversight of hospital sales. But whether to only cover private equity, or also include nonprofit systems that are the biggest driver of consolidation, has emerged as a key divide. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/05...

After the brutal reality of dealing with student papers in the ChatGPT era finally hit me, here are a few tactics that I've found at least somewhat effective in getting students to do their own writing: 🧵

News: The Pennsylvania House has voted along party lines to legalize marijuana and sell it through state-owned retailers 102-101, with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed. The bill now goes to the state Senate, where it is unlikely to advance as is.

News: The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate has passed a ban on trans girls from K-12 and collegiate school sports 32-18. All Republicans and 5 Democrats backed it. It now goes to the Democratic-controlled state House.

Morning everyone. It's day two of what's shaping up to be one the busiest weeks of legislating outside of high June I've seen in a few years. Follow for updates on this ✨ dual session ✨ week.

State Sen. Dan Laughlin (R., Erie), who chairs the Senate committee charged with weed, on the House state store bill: "If a bill comes over that sells cannabis out of state stores it’s going in the trash."

Even bigger news for the PA voter ID proposal: The state ACLU says it is NEUTRAL on the Mehaffie voter ID bill, HB 771. But if any of three parts of the bill below change, the organization says it will switch and oppose.

NEWS: The House State Government Committee has added a GOP-authored voter ID bill and an omnibus election code bill from Speaker Joanna McClinton allowing for in-person early voting and a week of pre-canvassing mail ballots to a committee agenda for tomorrow morning.

News: A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania, and sell it out of state run stores ala wine and liquor, has passed out of a House committee along party lines. The proposal, heavily opposed by the cannabis industry, now goes to the chamber floor.

Good morning everyone. Harrisburg is overcast and muggy; the calendar has turned to May, and its a busy ✨ dual session ✨ week. On the calendar? 43 press events, 26 committee meetings, at least 20 political fundraisers, and (I'd wager) dozens of floor votes.

Update: Bresnahan introduced his own congressional stock trading ban last week. His would start next session and grandfather in disqualifying investments owned by a sitting member. He also began "the process of enacting a blind trust" for his assets. www.timesleader.com/news/1695841...

Pennsylvania Republicans have long supported voter ID. Some high-level Democrats have recently indicated they might be willing to as well. That may seem like a good start to fixing the state's rickety election code, but the truth is far more complicated. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/05...

ICYMI: Pennsylvania collected $6.2 billion in April tax revenue, 6.2% more than anticipated. The state's fiscal year to date revenues now stand at $39.4 billion, or .8% above estimate with the June 30 budget deadline now just two months away.

From the city of Harrisburg to rural counties' sheriff offices, a growing number of Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies are signed up to enforce federal immigration laws under the second Trump Administration. www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/l...

News: State Rep. Seth Grove (R., York) has announced he will not be running for reelection in 2026. The central Pennsylvania lawmaker was known for attempting to pass an election reform deal in 2021 and general conservative policy wonkery.

This is the kind of story that only gets published when a good journalist has trusted sources close to the subject and who feel motivated to speak up. Getting anecdotes like those below is hard! nymag.com/intelligence...

Two Pittsburgh Democrats -- state Reps. Aerion Abney and Jess Benham -- want to increase existing state fees on car rentals and leases and add a 6% tax on ride share trips to provide additional funding for Pennsylvania public transit agencies.

BREAKING: Police just surrounded Rev. William Barber, prominent activist and pastor, as he and others prayed in the U.S. Capitol Rontunda. Police then expelled everyone (including press!) from the Rotunda to (presumably) arrest them. I've covered protests here a lot. Never seen anything like it.

Citing political violence including the recent arson attack against the Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Rep. Josh Siegel (D., Lehigh) wants to allow courts to to impose life sentences without parole for those who attack, or plot to attack, public officials. www.palegis.us/house/co-spo...

Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick has put roughly $1 million into Bitcoin, the largest investment by any member of Congress, as he sits on the committee charged with crafting rules for digital currency. www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/...

A Palestinian entrepreneur sold bagels to Philadelphia's Jewish community for 25 years. But after the Oct. 7 attacks, some of his neighbors labeled him a "die hard extremist." Nothing's been the same since. Via @zoegberg.bsky.social www.inquirer.com/food/kosher-...

House Transportation Committee Chair Ed Neilson (D., Philadelphia) told me that the privatization of SEPTA or any other transit system in the commonwealth "won’t be done in my committee."