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.
Dec. 5, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PANew Pa. House rules sought to strengthen bipartisanship. Insiders say it didn't work.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe state House is now passing more bills from the minority party. But insiders say the bipartisan productivity is because of a slim partisan divide, not because of new chamber rules.
Dec. 4, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesWe tracked Josh Shapiro’s 13 biggest campaign promises through his first year. See how he did.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPa. Gov. Josh Shapiro has gotten a slow start on key goals like a minimum wage increase and corporate tax cuts. The GOP-controlled state Senate has been his biggest roadblock.
Nov. 30, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPa. legislature paid $280K to settle harassment, other claims while requiring secrecy in many casesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PADemocratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office has come under fire for similarly agreeing to settle a claim of sexual harassment with a nondisclosure agreement.
Nov. 28, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAHow the ongoing Pa. budget impasse is hurting community colleges, librariesby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPennsylvania lawmakers have struggled to finish the code bills that direct some state spending. Amid this budget impasse, key nonprofits are missing funding.
Nov. 21, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Josh Shapiro appeals decisions that struck down key climate program to Pa.’s highest courtby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe governor has been noncommittal about keeping Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and his office said the appeal is not a pledge to do so.
Nov. 14, 2023Stephen Caruso / Spotlight PADemocrats continue advancing gun control as advocates call for Pa. Senate to take up billsby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA and Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PALegislative Democrats and gun control advocates are pushing the Pennsylvania Senate to take up bills, but a GOP leader said she has no plans to.
Nov. 13, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAAs partisan tensions thaw in Harrisburg, Pa. lawmakers eye unfunded housing, school prioritiesby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PADemocratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has recently signed several bills that chip away at Pennsylvania’s five-month-old budget impasse.
Nov. 2, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPa. Senate buy-in needed to send $642 million to Penn State, Temple, other state-related universitiesby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe Pennsylvania House has approved funding for Lincoln, Penn State, Pitt, and Temple universities with a mandate they freeze tuition. It’s unclear if the state Senate will get on board.
