Spotlight PA

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal includes $10 million for a Pennsylvania fund that assists financially distressed local governments.

Lobbyists say such donations can lead to access, but the state’s weak transparency laws make it nearly impossible to trace influence.

In a letter to the homeland security secretary, Al Schmidt cites critical help local election officials get from the U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA.

Spotlight PA’s independent, nonpartisan journalism rises above politics and partisanship to deliver the facts and get results.

Judicial retention elections in Pennsylvania are usually sleepy. But this year, Republicans say they’re going all in to unseat three Democratic Supreme Court justices.

The governor’s latest budget pitch would send an additional $290 million to the state’s public transit agencies, invest more in a new student-teacher stipend, and more.

A legalization bill needs to win majority support from an 11-person state Senate committee. Just 3 members are publicly on board.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to reuse ideas from his first two years in office that have yet to win enough support in the legislature.

The rules prevent a health system from pushing dismissed doctors out of town and keeping patients in the dark, but critics say it’s still too narrow.

Lawmakers are resuming their debate over legalizing recreational marijuana. To do it, they have to navigate industry interests, meet restorative justice goals, and more.

Lawmakers will again wade into a tricky debate over taxing skill games this session. The slot-like machines are currently unregulated.

As shopping malls nationwide see traditional retailers depart, businesses like the Drunken Smithy in Lebanon are making creative use of the vacancies.

Every legislative session starts with Pennsylvania lawmakers passing rules to govern the movement of bills and more. Here’s what’s on the table.

Legislative memos addressing paid leave, pre-K access, and child care costs preview how Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to approach caregiving issues in 2025.

Despite partisan challenges, lawmakers managed to pass some notable bills in 2023 and 2024 including a major education boost.