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Spotlight PA
How a recent court ruling could put the brakes on water and sewer privatization in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court found a state commission should not have approved the sale of a municipal sewer system to a private company.
5 takeaways from Spotlight PA’s ‘Lost in Transition’ investigation about Pa.’s struggling mortgage assistance program
Thousands of homeowners are stuck in the middle as the state struggles to overhaul the troubled program.
Property tax and rent rebate program will soon serve more older Pennsylvanians
The rebate program had not seen a full update since 2006 despite repeated bipartisan efforts to stem enrollment declines.
Pa. budget impasse nears end as Senate sends main bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro
A $45.5 billion appropriations bill is on its way to the governor after a month-plus dispute over a private school voucher program.
Proposed relief for child sex abuse survivors won’t reach ballot in 2023
A measure that would give thousands of survivors a two-year window to seek monetary damages against their abusers is caught up in a politicized battle.
Pa. counties face uncertainty as they grapple with how to spend opioid settlement funds
A drug task force, a county detective, and body scanner at a county jail are some of the proposed uses that county officials across the state have sought clarity on.
Pa. begins to miss education, human services payments as budget impasse continues
A dispute over private school vouchers has left Pennsylvania’s budget undone. The consequences for schools and counties are starting to emerge.
‘It shouldn’t be this difficult:’ Pa. homeowners desperate as mortgage aid struggles drag on
Pennsylvania promised fixes for a troubled mortgage relief program. Months later, problems persist, new challenges have emerged, and thousands of homeowners are still waiting for help.
How Pa. counties spent the first-ever election grants from the state
Act 88 poured $45 million into shoring up counties’ election needs, with a few strings attached. Now some officials are designing their budgets based on another round.
Pa. is competing for billions to build hydrogen hubs. Will they really be green?
The Biden administration wants states to invest in hydrogen production to fight climate change, but regulating the industry is an emerging conflict in PA.
Pa.’s latest attempt to regulate cyber charter schools would lower tuition payments, increase transparency
Democrats and Republicans agree that PA’s rules for cyber charter schools are outdated, but they differ on what changes to make.
A Pa. House Democrat is resigning amid the budget impasse, costing the caucus its one-vote advantage
The PA state House will be tied 101 to 101 between Democrats and Republicans.
Dark money group puts pressure on Pa. lawmakers after Shapiro vows voucher veto
As Pennsylvania’s budget impasse drags on, a group that keeps its donors secret is pressuring key lawmakers to support publicly funded private school vouchers.
What’s Pa.’s past budget impasses can tell us about the current standoff
In the past 20 years, PA has passed 13 late budgets, including four impasses that went over 100 days.