March 2, 2021Kent M. Wilhelm / For Spotlight PATop Pa. senator appoints colleague’s wife to lucrative Gaming Control Board seatby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PASenate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman named Frances Regan, the wife of Sen. Mike Regan, to serve a two-year term on the board, which comes with a $145,000 annual salary.
March 1, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesThe placeholder: Meet the man Wolf taps to (temporarily) hold key appointmentsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAIn less than four months, the top staffer in Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has been nominated to serve on 28 different state-appointed boards.
Feb. 24, 2021Robert Frank / For Spotlight PACounties will again be unable to process mail ballots early during Pa.’s primary electionby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAWhile a municipal primary typically sees low turnout, election officials said they can’t predict how many voters will take advantage of the state’s no-excuse mail voting law.
Feb. 23, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerVoters may never again get to choose Pa.’s lieutenant governor candidatesby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAA proposed constitutional amendment would allow a gubernatorial candidate to choose their running mate after the spring primary, much like the presidential race.
Feb. 22, 2021CLEM MURRAY / Philadelphia InquirerSpotlight PA sues to unseal records in ex-Democratic state lawmaker’s embezzlement caseby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThree news organizations asked a federal court to unseal records related to the conviction of former state Rep. Leslie Acosta of Philadelphia, arguing there is a high burden for restricting that access.
Feb. 19, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesPa.’s new auditor general says his election was fair, but he won’t talk about the othersby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PABecause Timothy DeFoor may be asked to investigate the 2020 election, his office said he "must maintain his independence."
Feb. 18, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerThe $1 billion plan to close the gap between growing and shrinking Pa. school districtsby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAGov. Tom Wolf’s idea relies on a hefty tax increase on high earners, which will be a nearly impossible sell to the legislature and many in the public.
Feb. 17, 2021CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerPennsylvania State Police will escape legislative scrutiny in 2021 budget processby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAThe decision comes after a year dominated by policy brutality protests, and amid concerns about illegal vehicle searches and alleged racial profiling of Latinos by troopers.
Feb. 15, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerDelay in census data could put transparency in Pa.’s redistricting process at riskby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PALawmakers will likely get half as much time to draw the state’s new legislative and congressional maps, worrying advocates who have long fought for a more open process.
Feb. 10, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerWolf administration refuses to release details after failure derails Pa. clergy sex abuse reliefby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe Department of State disclosed that it had no system in place to prevent such an error, which has devastated clergy sexual abuse survivors.
Feb. 8, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesHow some Pa. lawmakers score a ‘golden parachute’ to pad their pensionsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAEx-state legislators are frequently on the shortlist to join Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board, which boasts an annual salary of $145,000.
Feb. 5, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. voters will get the last word in struggle between Wolf and lawmakers. Here’s what you need to know.by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe legislature on Friday gave final approval to a proposed constitutional amendment that would give state lawmakers the power to unilaterally end a disaster declaration.
Feb. 4, 2021AARON RICKETTS / Philadelphia InquirerPa. House moves to get legal relief for clergy abuse victims back on spring ballotby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA"Human error" by the Department of State derailed a constitutional amendment on whether survivors of decades-old sexual abuse should be able to sue.
Feb. 4, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesWhat the exit of Pa.’s top election official means for the future of votingby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PASecretary Kathy Boockvar’s resignation has emboldened her fiercest GOP critics, even though it was not related to her handling of the closely watched vote in a battleground state.
Feb. 3, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerWolf asks for tax increase on Pa.’s top earners amid pandemic, GOP pans proposal as ‘irresponsible’by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe proposal is likely to be dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled legislature, whose leaders wasted little time shredding it with criticism, calling it unrealistic and hurtful to taxpayers.
Feb. 3, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerPa. enacted 140 laws last year. Only 27 of them addressed the coronavirus.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe nation’s largest full-time legislature — with some of the highest-paid lawmakers — emerged from 2020 having failed to address some of the public’s most pressing needs.
Feb. 1, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesThere’s another path for survivors of clergy sex abuse to get justice. It faces an uphill climb.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PASome survivors and advocates believe the quickest way to remedy a Department of State mistake is to abandon the time-consuming path of amending the state constitution.
Feb. 1, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerTop Pa. election official to resign after agency bungled requirement for constitutional amendmentby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe Department of State did not advertise, as required, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would open a two-year window for litigation by survivors of child sexual abuse.
Jan. 27, 2021Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAPa. could become a national outlier in how it elects appellate judges. Here’s why experts are worried.by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAThe measure, which could be before voters as soon as May, calls for abolishing statewide elections and replacing them with races in partisan districts determined by lawmakers.
Jan. 22, 2021Dan Gleiter / PennLiveActing Pa. victim advocate resigns after rejection by GOP-led Senateby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAJennifer Storm, who has held the position since 2013, called her decision to leave at the end of the month “gut-wrenching” and said the Senate’s move was politically motivated.
Jan. 21, 2021Sara Simon / Spotlight PAQ&A: Meet Pennsylvania’s new public records czarby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PALiz Wagenseller will lead an office that plays a critical role for journalists and citizens whose requests for these records are denied, they believe, unfairly.
Jan. 15, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerRedistricting will be the definitive political fight of 2021 in Pennsylvania. Here’s how it’ll work.by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAThe state is set to lose a congressional seat. The representation of millions of people is on the line. And Republicans will have to do what seems impossible — get along with Democrats.
Jan. 14, 2021Mark Pynes / PennLiveLaw enforcement in Pa. preparing for possible unrest despite ‘no specific threats’ to the Capitolby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PACapitol Police have increased security at the complex in Harrisburg and erected barriers near the main building.
Jan. 13, 2021ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerPa. GOP lawmakers want voters to give them the power to end governor’s emergency ordersby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe proposed constitutional amendment is the result of long-festering resentment against Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf over his actions to control the coronavirus pandemic.
Jan. 13, 2021Christopher Millette / PennLiveAngered by Pa. Supreme Court rulings, GOP moves to exert more control over judiciary branchby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAThe majority party has made overhauling the courts a priority after a slew of unsuccessful litigation involving the administration of the 2020 election as well as the coronavirus pandemic.
Jan. 12, 2021CHRISTINE BAKER / The Patriot-NewsNew Pa. GOP leader pushes transparency reforms despite party’s past reluctance, obstructionby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The CaucusSen. Jake Corman wants to enact new transparency measures to restore trust in the legislature. But skeptics counter that the GOP has for years allowed reform efforts to fail.
Jan. 6, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerRepublican leaders in Pa. Senate ask Congress to delay Electoral College countby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAPresident Pro Tempore Jake Corman and Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward said certain “inconsistencies” with how the election was run in Pennsylvania still need to be investigated.
Jan. 5, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerPa. GOP senators refuse to seat Democrat and remove Lt. Gov. Fetterman from presidingby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe new session of the Pennsylvania Senate got off to a chaotic start Tuesday, with Republicans refusing to seat a Democratic senator whose election victory has been certified by state officials.
Jan. 5, 2021KALIM BHATTI / The Philadelphia InquirerFrustrated by the Pa. legislature? How obscure rules kill reforms and fuel partisan gridlockby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe rules put much of the power in the hands of the majority party, which Democrats and good-government groups said effectively stifles the voices of many Pennsylvanians.
Jan. 4, 2021James Robinson / Pennsylvania Senate Democratic CaucusGOP leaders in Pa. Senate will refuse to seat Democrat certified by state as winnerby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe top Republican in the Senate said a decision in a legal challenge brought by Brewster’s GOP challenger is necessary before the chamber can swear in a winner.
