July 24, 2023Leise Hook / For Spotlight PAPa. legislature must show proof before redacting legal bills, court findsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAIn response to a complaint from Spotlight PA, Commonwealth Court ruled the legislature cannot use a blanket reason to redact bills from private law firms.
July 21, 2023Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAPa.’s latest bid to regulate cyber charter schools would lower tuition payments, boost transparencyby DaniRae Renno for Spotlight PADemocrats and Republicans agree that Pennsylvania’s rules for cyber charter schools are outdated, but they differ on what changes to make.
July 19, 2023Screenshot via Commonwealth Action YouTube pageDark money group puts pressure on Pa. lawmakers after Shapiro vows voucher vetoby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe group running the attack ads, Commonwealth Action, is not required to disclose its donors.
July 19, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesA Pa. House Democrat is resigning amid the budget impasse, costing the caucus its one-vote advantageby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PADemocrats will maintain control of the chamber’s committees and voting agenda, but will lose their one-vote advantage as the legislature grapples with an unfinished budget.
July 17, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesWhat Pa.’s past budget impasses can tell us about the current standoffby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and DaniRae Renno for Spotlight PAIn the past 20 years, Pennsylvania has passed 13 late budgets, including four impasses that went over 100 days.
July 13, 2023Jose F. Moreno / Philadelphia InquirerHow Harrisburg Works: Higher bar, guns in the Capitol, and why the Pa. legislature is full-timeby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAIn the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, legislative leaders approved a change allowing additional officials to carry guns in the Capitol.
July 7, 2023TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerState funding for Temple, Penn State caught in Pa. budget impasseby Samuel O’Neal for Spotlight PAPa. House lawmakers have left Harrisburg after deadlocking over state funding for four universities, with a GOP faction raising concerns about puberty blockers and transparency.
July 7, 2023JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerBad blood, technicalities, and complicated code bills keep the Pa. budget in limboby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAAt the center of the impasse is a proposed school voucher measure that Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro initially backed before vowing a veto.
July 5, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerAfter Shapiro reverses position on school vouchers, Pa. House passes a budget and Senate cries foulby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA, Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA, and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPa. House Democrats have passed a budget plan, after Gov. Josh Shapiro promised to veto a contentious voucher proposal. Republicans say Shapiro double-crossed them.
July 5, 2023Jessica Griffin / Philadelphia InquirerPa. Gov. Shapiro says he will scrap school vouchers in end-run on Senate Republicansby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA, Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA, and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPa. Gov. Josh Shapiro says he has promised House Democrats that he will strip a contentious private school voucher program out of the budget in exchange for their support.
July 4, 2023Paul Vasiliades / FlickrSeveral years after Pennsylvania legalized fireworks, they're probably here to stayby Samuel O’Neal for Spotlight PAEver since Pennsylvania made recreational fireworks legal, there have been attempts to restrict them. They haven’t caught on.
July 3, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerPennsylvania’s budget is late. Here’s what you need to know about the impasse.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s budget is late and lawmakers are deadlocked. Here’s the conflict behind the impasse, and context on what it means for public services.
June 30, 2023TOM GRALISH / Philadelphia InquirerPa. legislature at budget impasse as House Democrats vow to oppose $100M for private school vouchersby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PADemocrats who control the Pa. House said they would leave Harrisburg for the weekend, indicating no budget will reach the governor by the deadline.
June 29, 2023MONICA HERNDON / Philadelphia InquirerWhat are Pa.'s lifeline scholarships? School choice, vouchers, and the budget debate, explainedby Samuel O’Neal for Spotlight PAA proposal to route taxpayer money into private school vouchers is at the center of Pennsylvania's budget negotiations. It's part of a much bigger, longstanding debate over school choice.
June 29, 2023TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerDebate over publicly funded private school vouchers could push Pa. budget past June 30 deadlineby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PARepublicans who control the Pa. Senate and Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, have backed a voucher proposal known as the lifeline scholarship program. State House Democratic leadership has balked.
June 27, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesTrump target Al Schmidt gets crucial approval as he moves closer to becoming Pa.’s top election officialby Carter Walker of VotebeatThe former Philadelphia city commissioner’s hearings featured contentious questions on voter roll accuracy from committee Republicans.
June 27, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerHow Pennsylvania has (and hasn’t) spent billions of COVID-19 stimulus dollars (FULL LIST)by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAPennsylvania received $7.3 billion in state and local pandemic relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and had spent more than $5.6 billion as of March.
June 26, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesDemand is set to swamp Pa.'s Whole-Home Repairs Program as some rural counties are left outby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAHomeowners in three rural Pa. counties can't receive funds from a new $125 million home repair grant program, after their county officials opted out of participating.
June 23, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerSafety, oversight concerns raised as Pa. lawmakers pursue billions for hydrogen hubsby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPennsylvania is trying to attract billions in federal dollars to build hydrogen hubs, but some lawmakers and environmentalists fear the state isn’t prepared to take on oversight responsibilities.
June 22, 2023TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPa. Gov. Josh Shapiro affirms support for funding private school vouchers amid budget pushby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PACiting potential decreases to public school funding, Democrats, education advocates, and unions oppose a bill that would create "lifeline scholarships."
June 21, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerTax credits for Pa. families worth billions of dollars are on the table this budget seasonby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe Pennsylvania legislature may expand the state’s child care tax credit and create a new program for working families based on the federal earned income tax credit.
June 15, 2023JAMES BLOCKER / Philadelphia InquirerPa. lawmakers ask for investigations after gaming regulators met privately with casino lobbyistsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PALobbyists for Parx Casino embarked on an intense, behind-the-scenes effort to get the Gaming Control Board to abandon its hands-off stance toward a major competitor.
June 14, 2023TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPa. budget 2023: How a landmark school funding lawsuit is shaping negotiationsby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAHow to fix Pennsylvania’s school funding system is front and center during this year’s budget negotiations in the wake of a landmark Commonwealth Court ruling.
June 13, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerWhy some lawmakers think this will be the year Pa. raises its minimum wageby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAAt the moment, Pennsylvania’s wage floor is $7.25 an hour — the same as the federal minimum. The legislature last increased the state’s minimum wage in 2006.
June 12, 2023Office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWineA train safety bill inspired by the East Palestine derailment faces tough odds in the Pa. legislatureby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PARail safety legislation in Pennsylvania faces quiet resistance from the industry and its allies, who have questioned the legality of the proposed measure.
June 9, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerDisputes over education spending, cash reserves emerge as Pa. budget deadline approachesby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe Democratic-controlled state House passed a budget plan this week that includes a major boost to education spending. It faced immediate opposition from Republicans who control the state Senate.
June 6, 2023TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPa. officials spent $12.6M on private lawyers to fight challenge to state’s education fundingby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe legal battle, two state officials privately acknowledged, carries one of the highest price tags for outside lawyers in decades.
June 5, 2023TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPa. budget 2023: Your guide to what’s on the table, what comes next, and how to follow alongby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe Pennsylvania legislature has a June 30 deadline to complete a multibillion-dollar budget. Here’s what you need to know.
May 31, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesShapiro won’t share daily calendar, a departure from previous Pa. governor’s transparencyby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe Democratic governor’s decision to withhold details about who he meets behind the scenes is legally sound, though experts said he could choose to reveal more.
May 25, 2023Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerHow Harrisburg Works: New caucuses, special election season, and the death of a billby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAState House lawmakers have formed a new Jewish caucus. One of the first acts of business: rejecting Doug Mastriano.
