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.
Oct. 27, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesThe Tree of Life synagogue massacre led to little action by the Pa. legislatureby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAAfter the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, state lawmakers enacted a grant program for nonprofit security. Five years later, bills on guns and hate crimes are still stalled.
Oct. 25, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAExplainer: The history behind Pennsylvania’s flat income taxby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAOne clause in the state’s constitution explains why Pennsylvania has a flat income tax
Oct. 25, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAThousands miss out on low-income tax forgiveness program due to outdated income limitsby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PANew legislation would raise the income limit for inflation and create a new state earned income tax credit
Oct. 20, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Josh Shapiro’s office agrees to pay $295K to settle sexual harassment allegation against top aideby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe settlement, paid for using taxpayer dollars, came after a top aide to Shapiro was accused of sexually harassing a female subordinate.
Oct. 20, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAPa. tax credits result in ‘mixed bag’ for job creationby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAA recent state analysis of 20 state tax credit programs found seven accomplished their legislative intent.
Oct. 17, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWhat’s on the table as Pa. lawmakers attempt to end the budget stalemateby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PADemocrats who control the state House and Republicans who control the state Senate have put forth vastly different proposals.
Oct. 13, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Josh Shapiro’s office quietly settled sexual harassment allegation against top aideby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe settlement included a confidentiality clause, Spotlight PA has learned, a practice that has garnered widespread scrutiny following the #MeToo movement.
Oct. 10, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesShapiro isn’t sold on a key climate program, and his working group isn’t either. What’s next for RGGI?by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAA group appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro believes a cap-and-trade program would help meet his ambitious climate goals, although the members lacked consensus on how best to move forward.
Oct. 6, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAWhat this year’s budget means for Pa.’s shrinking rural communitiesby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeRural Pennsylvania is expected to benefit from an expanded property tax rebate for older people and millions for agriculture.
Oct. 5, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAHouse approves bill to move Pa.’s 2024 primary but rejects voter ID expansion, other election reformsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Carter Walker of VotebeatThe state House has sent the upper chamber a bill to change the date of the 2024 presidential primary to April 2. It’s unclear how the state Senate will respond.
Sept. 28, 2023Courtesy Shapiro-Davis TransitionTop Shapiro staffer was accused of sexual harassment before resigningby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAMike Vereb, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s former secretary of legislative affairs, was accused months ago by a fellow staffer of sexual harassment.
Sept. 28, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPa. lawmakers are still trying to finish the budget 3 months after the deadlineby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAHundreds of millions of dollars for the poorest schools, student mental health grants, and more are in limbo.
Sept. 26, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. bills to respond to Swiftie ticket woes could have unintended consequences, advocates warnby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe bills would ban bots and restrict speculative ticketing, but consumer groups warn they could hurt concertgoers’ ability to buy and sell tickets on the secondary market.
Sept. 19, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PADemocrats again secure one-vote Pa. House majority after special election winby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe vacancy was created when progressive state Rep. Sara Innamorato resigned to focus on her run for Allegheny County executive.
Sept. 19, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAA bipartisan bill seeks to crack down on Harrisburg’s ‘revolving door’ of lobbyistsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PALawmakers and public officials can start lobbying their ex-colleagues within a year. A new bill would add another year to that ban.
Sept. 14, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PALawmakers grapple with fixing Pa.’s unconstitutional school funding systemby Stephen Caruso, Kate Huangpu, and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PALawmakers were told a fix will cost $6.2 billion, but there’s little consensus on that and other bedrock issues.
Sept. 7, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania removes email database of public employeesby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAThe public can no longer use an online search of public employee emails after the state removed it due to security concerns.
Sept. 1, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAInside Spotlight PA’s fight to unseal lobbyist communications with the legislatureby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe PA legislature says its communications with lobbyists should be secret. Spotlight PA is making a case that the state’s right-to-know law says otherwise.
Aug. 30, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPa. budget inches forward, but lawmakers still split on stalled education fundingby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe Pa. Senate has moved key code bills that would enable some budget spending, but Democrats say they don’t do enough. Meanwhile, spending for education, public defense, and more is still in limbo.
Aug. 29, 2023Georgianna Sutherland, Amanda Berg, and Hannah Yoon / For Spotlight PAScandals, power struggles and policy: 3 new state reps weather a wild 1st sessionby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAOne of the biggest-ever classes of new lawmakers joined the Pa. legislature this year. Spotlight PA followed 3 of them as they navigated a freshman year full of power struggle and scandal.
Aug. 23, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAFunding for home repairs, public defense on hold as Pa. lawmakers negotiate final budget piecesby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PARoughly $1.1 billion in spending is stuck in limbo as legislative leaders continue to negotiate budget-enabling code bills.
Aug. 18, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesWhy some of Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s cabinet picks still have ‘acting’ next to their titleby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAGov. Josh Shapiro’s pick for Pennsylvania health secretary didn’t have the vote to be confirmed by the state Senate, but she’s still leading the agency.
