A new lawsuit from the ACLU and Public Interest Law Center claims Pennsylvania’s mail ballot dating rule violates the state constitution’s free and equal elections clause. Some of the high court’s justices appear open to the argument.
Spotlight PA
Lifesaving or misguided? Funding Pa. coroners with opioid settlements criticized
An oversight board rejected Lawrence County’s use of settlement funds for its coroner’s office but is still considering whether to allow similar programs in Chester and Lehigh Counties.
Remote voting in Pennsylvania state House persists despite controversy
Democrats continued to vote on behalf of a lawmaker after police issued a warrant for his arrest, leading Republicans to again call for restrictions on the practice.
Costs for Pa. prison system are soaring despite facility closures, putting officials in the hot seat
State prison officials want $300 million in additional taxpayer money in next year’s budget despite a declining population of incarcerated people and the closure of two facilities.
Education funding boost, tax cuts on table as Pa. budget talks begin
Pennsylvania lawmakers are entering budget negotiations with a roughly $14 billion surplus. So far, they have different priorities for using it.
Pa. dairy farmers could see financial boost from Shapiro’s proposed subsidy program
The governor’s $48.3 billion budget proposal includes $5.6 million to incentivize participation in a federal dairy risk management program.
Pennsylvania child care centers struggle to survive amid staffing crisis
Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed increasing taxpayer money for child care, but advocates say the ultimate cost needs to be far higher.
Gov. Josh Shapiro uses Pennsylvania’s state plane much more than his predecessor
Pennsylvania taxpayers paid $410,000 for state flights last year, the most since 2011. Shapiro took most of those flights.
Pennsylvania state House advances bill to give counties more time to count mail ballots
A bill that would give counties seven additional days to process mail ballots has made it out of the Pennsylvania State House, but seems destined to fail if an agreement on voter ID cannot be reached.
Group that doesn’t disclose its donors paid $12K for Shapiro to attend Phillies games, other sporting events
The secrecy leaves taxpayers in the dark about who underwrites the outings and what interests they may have in state government policy.
Penn State Health halts liver transplants as national oversight body reviews program
Penn State voluntarily inactivated its liver transplant program after concerns about clinical processes and documentation were identified.
State advisory committee releases plan for historic public defense money
The committee announced the plan for how counties of all sizes will be able to request their portion of the historic $7.5 million investment of state money.
Some voters are failing to complete the year on Pa.’s newly redesigned mail ballot envelopes
Some voters are failing to complete the year on Pa.’s newly redesigned mail ballot envelopes
Higher internet costs could be on the way for low-income Pa. residents as federal subsidies run out
Despite a surge in federal investment for high-speed internet access and the approval of over $200 million in grants to internet service providers in Pennsylvania, the impending end of the ACP could hinder efforts to ensure affordable service for all residents.
What time do polls open and close Tuesday in Pa.? All the information you need for primary Election Day 2024
Pennsylvanians will head to the polls on April 23 to vote in statewide races including attorney general, U.S. Senate, and more. Here’s everything they need to know.