A veteran delegate from Pennsylvania believes former President Donald Trump could win the state again come November – bigly. “I have believed even before the debate debacle, even before the shooting, Trump would probably win Pennsylvania and would win it handily,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican strategist, during an interview with The Center Square from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday. “Potentially, it’s a landslide in Pennsylvania. He’s going to do very, very well.”...
Jul 19, 2024•7 min•Ep. 269
A bloody former President Donald Trump shook his fist into the air to show his supporters he was only wounded in an attempted assassination targeting him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service, but authorities provided only limited details late Saturday night. The Republican candidate for president this November was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., when video of the event showed multiple loud shots and Trump grabbing at his right e...
Jul 18, 2024•6 min•Ep. 268
As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, American democracy suffers from a lack of trust and imagination. So declared NPR CEO and president Katherine Maher during a TED event on the future of modern American democracy at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on Tuesday. The event is the first in a series of “fireside chats” announced in May by Visit Philly and TED to, as Gov. Josh Shapiro said, “celebrate Philadelphia and to celebrate the inclusive society we have strived...
Jul 13, 2024•7 min•Ep. 267
A fight between Chester County and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources over a state park continued Tuesday — with state legislators forming a firing line. At issue is the future of Big Elk Creek State Park, a years-long controversy where DCNR created the park in 2022 for “low-impact recreation” but later announced plans to build campsites and RV facilities. After a public outcry, DCNR officials backed away from development plans, but local residents remain wary of the state’s fu...
Jul 12, 2024•7 min•Ep. 266
Legislation that partly dismantles "squatters rights" in Pennsylvania will head to the governor’s desk after a brief stumbling block. Under the soon-to-be law, squatters could face a defiant trespass charge if they don’t vacate a property after being told to do so by the owner. Doing so safeguards homes and investments quickly and effectively without wading through needless red tape, said prime sponsor Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-found...
Jul 11, 2024•4 min•Ep. 265
As Pennsylvania starts another fiscal year with a late budget, the public wants more decisive leadership from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Almost three-quarters of registered Pennsylvanian voters want Shapiro to “play a more active role in brokering a bipartisan deal to keep the state budget on track,” according to a new poll from the Commonwealth Foundation. Democratic voters wanted more action from Shapiro (79%) than Republicans or independents (both 71%). Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com...
Jul 06, 2024•6 min•Ep. 264
A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition. The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=x...
Jul 05, 2024•5 min•Ep. 263
Three days ahead of schedule, Pennsylvania Senate leadership confirmed the state’s annual spending plan will be turned in late. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Thursday before adjourning session that the upper chamber would not return to Harrisburg until Monday – one day after the budget is due on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. He struck an optimistic tone that negotiations had come far enough to suggest a deal would come together soon – just not before Sunday. Support this podcas...
Jul 04, 2024•4 min•Ep. 262
Insurance coverage for telemedicine will soon be the rule, not the exception, in Pennsylvania. A bill headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk requires insurers, both public and private, to cover services rendered virtually. Doing so, supporters say, means more people can access healthcare – even if they live hours from the nearest hospital, can’t drive to a doctor’s office or find child care. Senate Bill 739 makes good on a longtime commitment from state lawmakers to modernize telemedicine access aft...
Jun 29, 2024•6 min•Ep. 261
Regulatory framework for a carbon capture and storage network in Pennsylvania slid through a House committee on Tuesday without discussion or objection. The Senate-authored legislation would also act as a guidepost for two hydrogen hubs under development within the state in the coming decade as part of the Biden administration’s broader energy transition plan. The idea is to store future emissions to prevent their release into the atmosphere. However, the economic potential of doing so isn’t cle...
Jun 28, 2024•5 min•Ep. 260
Pennsylvania legislators pushing a bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana warn that, without action, neighboring states will supply the drug — and carry away the tax revenue. Reps. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, and Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, will soon introduce their legalization bill, written to closely overlap with a Senate proposal. They want to move fast. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Fu...
Jun 27, 2024•5 min•Ep. 259
Getting away from fossil fuels due to concerns about climate change has been a rallying cry for creating hydrogen hubs in Pennsylvania. But how to do it — and whether it’s possible — are open questions. “The concern with hydrogen production is it can be done the wrong way, which could serve to perpetuate fossil fuel use,” said Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Havertown, during a House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on Monday. “Or, happily, it could be done the right way, which will make...
Jun 22, 2024•5 min•Ep. 258
Announcing a manufacturing expansion in Beaver County, Gov. Josh Shapiro argued for his model of economic growth and made a call for compromise to pass the state budget. The governor came to Aliquippa to celebrate a $40 million investment by Versatex, a building materials supplier, to build a 97,000-square-foot facility — doubling its manufacturing capacity and creating 80 new jobs. On top of the $40 million, Versatex will receive about $3.3 million in state loans and grants. The governor has ar...
Jun 21, 2024•6 min•Ep. 257
Both legislative chambers left town this week after advancing sweeping educational reforms likely to wind up – in some form – woven into the state budget due June 30. While the plans don’t necessarily clash, Senate and House leaders do. The ideological strife will boil down to the estimated return on investment. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/...
Jun 20, 2024•6 min•Ep. 256
A bill altering the state’s public school funding formula passed the lower chamber Monday, spawning both fanfare and consternation among lawmakers. While supporters call the plan a victory for students held back by economic disparities, critics point out that 64 of the bill’s 87 pages focus on cutting financial support and tightening regulations for charter schools to save money. Dr. Anne Clark, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools, scoffed at a provision that caps tuitio...
Jun 14, 2024•7 min•Ep. 255
More than 50 religious leaders sent an open letter on Tuesday to Gov. Josh Shapiro asking him to support school choice and educational freedom. Black Pastors United for Education, the nonprofit group, urged Shapiro to “make education a non-partisan issue, boldly dismiss the politics that prevent progress, and comprehensively fund and secure educational freedom and opportunity.” The open letter comes as Jay-Z announced his support for school vouchers in Pennsylvania and House Democrats passed a b...
Jun 13, 2024•6 min•Ep. 254
When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness. So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, proposed the removal of zoning restrictions and Republican Reps. Jac...
Jun 07, 2024•8 min•Ep. 253
After months of criticism, House legislators grilled leaders of the Pennsylvania Game Commission over the independent agency’s internal processes, stewardship of its assets, and whether improvement has been made since an audit revealed a litany of issues in 2019. The Game Commission has faced weeks of criticism since former Executive Director Bryan Burhans resigned after his business relationships with several Game Commission employees came to light. Steve Smith, Game Commission executive direct...
Jun 06, 2024•6 min•Ep. 252
The number of Pennsylvanians receiving food stamps and Medicaid has ballooned compared to a generation ago. Some experts warn the result is a welfare system vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse — some of it “by design.” The responsibility has grown over time. In 2000, Pennsylvania had 760,000 residents getting food stamps. Now, almost 2 million receive them. Growth in Medicaid has been similar: The state spend $10.7 billion on 1.3 million residents in 2000, but now, the state spends almost $47 ...
May 31, 2024•7 min•Ep. 251
Artificially generated impersonations of political candidates may soon violate state law. Bills pending in both chambers of the Legislature would leave campaigns liable in civil court for unauthorized media content that negatively influences an election. Creators that disseminate deep fakes within 90 days of an election could be fined as much as $250,000 if caught impersonating presidential or congressional candidates. The penalties drop to $50,000 and $15,000 for state and local candidates, res...
May 30, 2024•5 min•Ep. 250
Though some politicians treat recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania as an inevitability, others remain skeptical. They warn that the social costs of drug use don’t disappear – and a legalized industry brings problems of its own. Still, elected officials consider reforms even if they oppose legalization. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Waynesboro, has been an opponent of recreational use, but has proposed a bill to change marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to a summary offense. The idea is aligning la...
May 24, 2024•7 min•Ep. 249
Pushing a dramatic funding expansion, Gov. Josh Shapiro embarked on a family RV trip on Monday to promote Pennsylvania’s new tourism brand. Speaking at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders baseball stadium in Moosic, the governor argued his $18 million proposed budget increase for tourism would help sell Pennsylvania as “The Great American Getaway.” The tourism push features a new video that highlights places across the commonwealth (with a voiceover from Pennsylvania native Abbi Jacobson, star ...
May 23, 2024•5 min•Ep. 248
Health care deserts are growing larger in Pennsylvania. The problems can range from workforce shortages, consolidations and higher costs for urban and rural Pennsylvania alike. Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, argued that a lack of health care centers means that residents face higher hospitalization rates that were otherwise preventable. Pennsylvania also struggles to provide comprehensive maternal care statewide, argued Tammy Torres, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton. Full story: https:...
May 17, 2024•6 min•Ep. 247
Pennsylvania may ban non-compete agreements for health care workers, ridding the commonwealth of most restrictions on where doctors and nurses can work. The legislation passed the House in May and awaits action in the Senate. House Bill 1633 , sponsored by Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, would make non-competes void and unenforceable for anyone authorized to practice in health care. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_ac72e274-1236-11ef-8933-2753c1fc86f3.html...
May 16, 2024•5 min•Ep. 246
A plan that cuts taxes in Pennsylvania by $13 billion over the next five years cleared the state Senate on Tuesday. The proposal repeals a 2004 personal income tax raise and eliminates the gross receipts tax charge on electricity bills. It also makes a $6 million annual recurring transfer to the Alternative Fuels Incentive Fund and creates a $500 tax credit for volunteer paramedics. Republican leaders say the proposal eases inflationary pressure for wage earners, business owners and “anyone who ...
May 11, 2024•8 min•Ep. 245
As Philadelphia and Pittsburgh see a drop in murders, public safety and crime remain high priorities across the state. To make communities safer, legislators want to figure out best practices for punishing crime and deploying policing. The House Judiciary Committee met on Wednesday and heard from testifiers that deterring crime comes down to the certainty of punishment, not the severity. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_b725af50-0d57-11ef-a3a7-0b8cad5c81c4.html Su...
May 10, 2024•6 min•Ep. 244
A plan for school vouchers in Pennsylvania emerged from hibernation on Tuesday. The legislation remains a top priority among Republican leaders in the Senate and a thorn in the side of Democratic leaders in the House. Between them, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro keeps one foot in each camp – billing himself as a supporter of school vouchers, and of the Senate’s plan, but not the ultimate closer on a legislative deal between the two chambers. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania...
May 09, 2024•8 min•Ep. 243
Pennsylvania's declining working age population foreshadows trouble ahead. Legislative Republicans, however, say they've developed a package of education bills to keep the state’s youth within its borders and boost the economy. The program, called GrowPA, was announced earlier this month as a way to deal with workforce shortages, high college costs and the struggle of lagging behind other states. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_8862ebbe-0646-11ef-a92c-3fa2c02b9a0...
May 03, 2024•6 min•Ep. 242
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has a new leader after its top official resigned due to moonlighting as a wellness coach — and engaging in a “business relationship” with several commission workers. Bryan Burhans, PGC executive director, stepped down on Monday after the Board of Game Commissioners raised concerns unrelated to his leadership capabilities.Foradora, who is also the board president, noted that they did not accuse Burhans of any ethical violations, but only questioned the “appropriat...
May 02, 2024•5 min•Ep. 241
Legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania has held legislative attention in recent years, but some problems still pester users in the medical marijuana program. Some clarity may soon come for the legal tensions between Second Amendment rights and state-approved marijuana use. Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, is proposing Senate Bill 1146 to clarify that Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearm Act does not consider a medical marijuana cardholder as an unlawful user. Current law does not exempt medical u...
Apr 26, 2024•5 min•Ep. 240
