Feb. 15, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesTreasurer Stacy Garrity’s decision to invest more Pa. money in Israel Bonds draws protest, Democratic oppositionby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is facing reelection this year, bought $20 million in Israel Bonds to show support. Her Democratic opponents question her motives.
Feb. 13, 2024Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PADemocrats maintain control of Pennsylvania House after Bucks County special electionby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PADemocrat Jim Prokopiak, a local school board member, won the special election to succeed former state Rep. John Galloway.
Feb. 13, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesJosh Shapiro accepted $1,650 in ‘event tickets’ from powerful Pa. lobbyistby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe tickets were reported as an in-kind contribution by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s campaign committee, rather than a gift.
Feb. 12, 2024Leise Hook / For Spotlight PA and VotebeatThis Pa. activist is the source of false and flawed election claims gaining traction across the countryby Carter Walker of VotebeatA Spotlight PA / Votebeat investigation found Heather Honey’s flawed claims have been cited by ex-President Donald Trump and fueled GOP backlash against a tool intended to keep voter rolls accurate.
Feb. 9, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. could wipe out up to $400M in medical debt under proposal from Gov. Josh Shapiroby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAGov. Josh Shapiro’s budget calls for Pennsylvania to use $4 million to buy medical debt. The proposal must win support from the GOP-controlled state Senate.
Feb. 8, 2024Colin Deppen / For Spotlight PAFormer top Pa. lawmaker's lobbying firm paid $41K by Game Commission in unusual arrangementby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAGood-government advocates and some Pennsylvania lawmakers have questioned whether taxpayers benefit when their money is used in this way, and other states have banned or restricted the practice.
Feb. 6, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesShapiro pitches legal cannabis, regulated skill games in budget that bumps education spending by $2.2Bby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAThe $48.3 billion plan represents a departure for first-term Gov. Josh Shapiro, who last year proposed to keep spending relatively flat.
Feb. 5, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PARaising taxes on the table as Pa. weighs how to pay for education court rulingby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAGov. Josh Shapiro is set to give his budget address, kicking off a debate over how Pennsylvania should pay for additional investments in education required by a court ruling.
Feb. 2, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesTransit, education expected to headline Shapiro’s 2024 Pa. budget addressby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAThe governor will have to get any budget plan through a Republican-controlled state Senate, a process that led to a long impasse last year.
Jan. 31, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Shapiro is pitching more funding for Pa.’s struggling transit systems. Will the state Senate agree?by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PATransit systems across Pennsylvania are struggling with inflation, even as ridership rebounds from the pandemic. State lawmakers are struggling to agree on funding to help.
Jan. 26, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesWhat’s the status of abortion access in Pennsylvania?by Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPennsylvanians can get abortions up to 24 weeks. But access advocates say there are still too many restrictions, like waiting periods, parental consent rules, and insufficient funding.
Jan. 24, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PALong-sought charter school changes on the table as Pa. lawmakers plot education funding overhaulby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPennsylvania lawmakers say a court mandate to overhaul public school funding has opened avenues for compromise on charter school reform.
Jan. 19, 2024Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWhat’s next for the Jan. 6th ethics complaint against Doug Mastrianoby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAIt is rare for a person to file an ethics complaint against a Pennsylvania state lawmaker. The process is cloaked in secrecy and seldom results in a public resolution.
Jan. 17, 2024Courtesy U.S. Department of Energy via FlickrUtility shut-off protections in Pa. would be expanded to summer months under billby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe legislature must reauthorize a law that shields people from winter utility shut-offs before the end of 2024. Consumer advocates and utilities are now debating additional protections.
Jan. 16, 2024Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PARelief for abuse survivors, other constitutional amendments halted in Pa.’s split legislatureby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PADeep partisan differences are keeping proposals with bipartisan support from voters, including one that would give survivors of childhood sexual abuse a chance to sue their abusers.
Jan. 12, 2024Leise Hook / For Spotlight PANew law aims to make guardianship a last resort in Pa., but some experts say it doesn’t go far enoughby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAA new Pennsylvania law makes changes to the process of assigning guardians to people who are considered incapacitated, but some experts fear it won’t solve the issues.
Jan. 11, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania needs to spend $5.4B to close gap between rich and poor schools, report advanced by Dems saysby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe report, issued in response to a landmark court ruling on public school funding in Pennsylvania and advanced by legislative Democrats, pitches a major funding increase for poor districts.
Jan. 9, 2024Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAA group of Pa. lawmakers didn’t take pay during the budget impasse. A bill would force all to abstain.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAA bill would make it mandatory for Pennsylvania lawmakers to forego pay during a budget impasse. At least one member says it could force votes for the wrong reason.
Jan. 8, 2024Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PASchool funding, permitting at top of Pa. legislature’s 2024 agendaby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PALooming over the legislature is a nearly year-old court ruling that declared the state’s education funding system to be unconstitutionally inequitable and ordered lawmakers to correct it.
Jan. 2, 2024Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAAs 2024 election approaches, voting officials worry Pa. isn’t prepared for misinformationby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAFour officials share the concrete changes they say would shore up Pennsylvania’s system against frivolous fraud allegations as the 2024 election approaches.
Jan. 1, 2024Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWhy the Pennsylvania legislature is off to a slow start in 2024by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe legislature will be temporarily unable to grapple with major issues such as a far-reaching court ruling on how the state funds public education or its outdated Election Code.
Dec. 27, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPa. lawmakers’ base salary now tops $106K. Here’s what you need to know about their automatic pay raises.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAWhat you need to know about Pennsylvania lawmakers’ salaries, the history of the increase, and why changes are unlikely.
Dec. 25, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesInside the Pa. court case pitting a genealogist against Ancestry.comby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAPennsylvania hired genealogy company Ancestry.com to digitize a sweeping list of historical documents. Now the company claims it owns those digital copies.
Dec. 19, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesA long budget impasse and partisan standoffs dominated the Pa. legislature in 2023by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAMembers of the divided Pa. legislature acknowledge that they had a slow start and deep divisions remain. But after finishing the budget and passing bipartisan bills, they predict a smoother 2024.
Dec. 15, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAA budget boost to payments for state-owned land will benefit rural Pa. countiesby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania makes payments in lieu of taxes for state forests, parks, and game lands. As part of the finished budget, counties will benefit from the first rate increase in years.
Dec. 15, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesA mix of reform-minded and tough-on-crime justice bills are now law in Pa.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAPa. Gov. Shapiro has signed a sweeping mix of criminal justice bills, which include probation changes and a measure cracking down on Philly transit crimes.
Dec. 14, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesPennsylvania’s budget impasse ends as legislature agrees to boost child care tax credit, fund public defenseby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAPennsylvania lawmakers, however, did not agree to spend more money on a popular home repair program or send additional money to poor schools despite a promise to do so earlier this year.
Dec. 12, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Josh Shapiro rebuilt a bridge, weathered a messy budget, and walked fine partisan lines in 2023by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe Democrat, who is believed to have higher political aspirations, struggled at times to advance priorities through Harrisburg’s ideologically divided legislature.
Dec. 11, 2023Courtesy JP Kurish / Pennsylvania Senate Democratic CaucusDemand for Pennsylvania's Whole-Home Repairs Program has been overwhelming, but more funding is on holdby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAThe Whole-Home Repairs Program is a victim of its own success. Additional funding is held up by the state’s budget impasse.
Dec. 8, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAA leaky roof is about to close the Pa. House for months. Can the legislature finish a budget first?by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAPa. lawmakers have a lot of work left before a state budget is finalized. They have only a week until construction closes the state House for the winter.
