Author Archives: Spotlight PA

The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to require use-of-force tracking and reporting, but critics contend it falls short of broader efforts elsewhere.

As Pennsylvania reopens, the long-term consequences of inconsistency and a lack of enforcement are becoming evident in downtowns throughout the state.

A clash of deep-pocketed lobbying interests and concerns from some rank-and-file Republican lawmakers might stall the effort, though it will probably return in the fall.

Lancaster County Republican Bryan Cutler assumes control as new House speaker as the legislature faces mammoth challenges with the coronavirus, finances, and police reform.

While Pennsylvania takes its first steps on police reform, other states are far ahead in making misconduct data and records available to the public.

The maneuvering offers a window into the raw intersection between politics and policy-making in Pennsylvania, and how campaign dollars can drive the legislative agenda.

Advocates say action is necessary to close gaps in equality, but a House Republican committee chair said he’ll have “to see where this ranks” with other issues.

Democrats hailed the move as a long-awaited first step after seeing similar legislation languish. But transparency in officer discipline still lags behind New York and New Jersey.

Hailed as a tool to better protect people from violent police officers, their use and effectiveness have been limited. Gov. Tom Wolf says it’s time to revisit the issue.

The Wolf administration was repeatedly warned of dangerously low minimum staffing and weak and inconsistent inspections, all problems that could have made the outbreak worse.

The Department of Corrections has defended its response, saying it was a cautious approach that included all relevant parties to represent the public interest.

Turzai announced in January he would not seek reelection this fall and would instead pursue a job in the private sector.