Aug. 25, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Tom Wolf wants Pa. to legalize marijuana, provide more COVID-19 relief this fallby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAPennsylvania is still sitting on $1 billion provided through the federal CARES Act, as legislative leaders wait to see if Congress will pass another relief bill.
July 9, 2020KALIM BHATTI / The Philadelphia InquirerEverything you need to know about Pa. police reform efforts by the legislatureby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAGov. Tom Wolf plans to sign two reform measures, including one that would create a confidential police misconduct database.
July 8, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerLawmakers will rule again over redrawing of Pa. political boundaries, but critics aren’t giving upby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAWhile an effort to create an independent commission to draw the state’s congressional and legislative maps has run out of time, a new bill would increase transparency and ban the most egregious practices.
July 3, 2020Paul Vasiliades / FlickrIn Pa.’s growing fireworks war, it’s fed-up residents versus cold, hard cashby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAWith sales booming and complaints pouring in, some lawmakers want to reinstate a ban, but the state desperately needs the tax revenue.
June 24, 2020ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Philadelphia InquirerEffort to track police use of force in Pa. would lack racial data, public transparencyby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to require use-of-force tracking and reporting, but critics contend it falls short of broader efforts elsewhere.
June 23, 2020KALIM BHATTI / The Philadelphia InquirerProspects dimming for behind-the-scenes push to expand video gaming in Pa.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted of The CaucusA 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.
June 22, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesAfter sudden Turzai resignation, GOP elevates new leadership in Pa. Houseby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PALancaster County Republican Bryan Cutler assumes control as new House speaker as the legislature faces mammoth challenges with the coronavirus, finances, and police reform.
June 20, 2020Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerMother of Antwon Rose II applauds confidential police hiring database, but does it go far enough?by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAWhile Pennsylvania takes its first steps on police reform, other states are far ahead in making misconduct data and records available to the public.
June 19, 2020STEVEN M. FALK / PHILADELPHIA INQUIRERTop Pa. GOP lawmaker fast-tracking a lucrative gambling expansion that would benefit a major campaign donorby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The CaucusThe maneuvering offers a window into the raw intersection between politics and policy-making in Pennsylvania, and how campaign dollars can drive the legislative agenda.
June 18, 2020Office of Gov. Tom WolfDespite landmark ruling, Pa. GOP leaders in no hurry to extend LGBTQ protections under state lawby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAAdvocates 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.
June 15, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerRed tape, lack of funding limit public’s oversight of Pa. police through body camerasby Jordan Wolman for Spotlight PAHailed 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.
June 15, 2020MONICA HERNDON / Philadelphia InquirerPa. advances reforms to create confidential police disciplinary database, as NY, NJ take steps to make records publicby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PADemocrats 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.
June 10, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesTop Republican Mike Turzai will resign from the Pa. House on June 15by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PATurzai announced in January he would not seek reelection this fall and would instead pursue a job in the private sector.
June 9, 2020Joe Hermitt / The Patriot-NewsPa. House Speaker Mike Turzai expected to resign before the end of his term, sources sayby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA, and Jan Murphy and Charles Thompson of PennLive | The Patriot-NewsIt's not clear exactly when Turzai will depart, though he’s expected to outline a timetable Wednesday.
June 8, 2020Courtesy of PA House DemocratsPa. House Democrats block start of voting session to demand police reforms from GOPby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA"It’s the people’s house, and if we aren’t doing the people’s business, then we aren’t doing business," said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
June 4, 2020Office of Gov. Tom WolfWolf will appoint misconduct watchdog, establish commission to oversee Pa. state troopers, correctional officersby Staff of Spotlight PABut additional reform will need approval from the Republican-controlled legislature.
June 3, 2020Cynthia Fernandez / Spotlight PAPa. Gov. Tom Wolf marches with George Floyd demonstrators in Harrisburgby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAWolf spoke briefly to the crowd, telling them, “We need to stop racism now.”
June 3, 2020Michael M. Santiago / Post-GazettePolice reforms in Pa. languished after Antwon Rose’s killing. Will now be any different?by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe death of George Floyd has reignited a push by Democrats, but without Republicans the measures don’t stand a chance.
March 9, 2020Kalim A. Bhatti / Philadelphia InquirerHow the legislature gave itself special privileges when writing Pa.'s open records lawby Angela CouloumbisLawmakers largely exempted themselves from having to reveal many records that other government agencies routinely have to make public.
March 5, 2020Kalim A. Bhatti / Philadelphia InquirerPa. House drops ‘legislative privilege,’ will release lawmaker spending detailsby Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe announcement came more than a week after The Caucus and Spotlight PA revealed House lawyers had blacked out spending details in thousands of pages of records.
March 5, 2020JOSE F. MORENO / Staff PhotographerPa. Senate officials scrub details from financial records, raising alarm among open records advocatesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The CaucusIn documents turned over to The Caucus and Spotlight PA, Senate officials edited out spending information, making it appear as though it never existed.
Feb. 27, 2020Kalim A. Bhatti / Philadelphia InquirerPa. lawmakers black out details of why they spent tax dollars, claiming ‘legislative privilege’by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The CaucusRedactions in thousands of pages of financial records primarily concealed who legislators were meeting with and why.
Dec. 19, 2019Kalim A. Bhatti/Philadelphia InquirerCanceled meetings and finger-pointing plague top Pa. economic development agencyby Charlotte KeithSome say backroom disputes between board members of the Commonwealth Financing Authority are delaying funding for projects.
Sept. 13, 2019Courtesy of PennLivePa. state legislators among the highest paid in U.S., but they’re doing less and less actual lawmakingby Liz Navratil, Spotlight PA & Jonathan Lai, Philadelphia Inquirer
