PA News

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA HARRISBURG — Former elected officials and government experts told a panel of state lawmakers that Pennsylvania’s primary system should be opened

By Tom Gantert | The Center Square (The Center Square) – There has been $6 billion in unemployment fraud in 2020 and 2021 in Pennsylvania from which about $1.1 billion of that money has been recouped by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. The fraud is spread among the traditional unemployment program and the temporary federal aid that

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Recent federal legislation has expanded health care benefits for veterans, but suicide and homelessness still remain issues of concern in Pennsylvania. The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, as The Center Square previously reported, expands and extends eligibility for health care through Veterans Affairs health centers.

(The Center Square) – The federal largesse that will fund broadband expansion in Pennsylvania has two major political concerns: the potential economic growth due to business and education using broadband more, and the threat of a missed opportunity from wasting federal funds. What’s key is connecting the unserved parts of Pennsylvania with the rest of

By Joe Mueller | The Center Square (The Center Square) – If you tip your server in Pennsylvania on Friday, she or he might get to keep more of it and the cumulative amount might affect hourly wages. A new law taking effect increases the amount of money an employee will receive when they get a

By Bruce Walker | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Allergan has agreed in principle to a proposed $2.37 billion settlement to participating states and local governments, including Iowa. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and a bipartisan group of attorneys general announced the settlement Friday. The news comes the same week as a $4.25 billion

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Recent data from the Census Bureau shows that Pennsylvania’s median age, 40.9, is higher than the national average of 38.8.  A higher median age doesn’t mean a state will struggle to grow economically or in population – Florida and New Hampshire are older yet growing – but it can

By Joe Mueller | The Center Square (The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Legislature is sending $1 million to college campuses for the upcoming school year to address student food insecurity at institutions of higher learning. The Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program will help colleges and universities create or expand campus food pantries and increase awareness of

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf is term-limited and not running for reelection, and it may be for the best. Only five governors in the country are less popular. That’s according to the latest Morning Consult survey, which looked at governors’ popularity across the nation. Wolf isn’t underwater, however.

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Pittsburgh has a 60% decrease in arrests over the past eight years, following similar trends in many major cities across the country.  From 2013 to 2021, the number of arrests made by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police dropped from 18,541 to 7,405. The latest audited report from the city

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Pennsylvania is well-known for its high gas tax and high corporate net income tax until a recent change, but residents get a break compared to other states in one area: sales tax. A new report from the Tax Foundation notes that Pennsylvania’s combined 6.34% sales tax rate

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania gaming industry has recovered from a pandemic dip as options for gambling have increased in recent years.  Not only is it a recovery, but strong growth. Total revenues for the industry hit $3.2 billion in 2018 and are projected to crack $5 billion

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — When Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-led legislature hammered out the $45.2 billion budget deal in early July, they delivered a historic windfall to

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Though pandemic restrictions have faded away, Pennsylvania’s economy is yet to bounce back. The commonwealth has lost 120,000 workers since 2019, according to a new report from the Independent Fiscal Office, and its 4.6% unemployment rate is higher than the national rate of 3.6%. The report, “Where Did

Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers have sent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf a $45.2 billion spending plan

(The Center Square) – The future of abortion in Pennsylvania is an open question, as current state law protects it but both parties would like to change the law. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The court ruled 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s

By Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The Wolf administration is preparing to enforce its long-awaited licensing system for addiction recovery homes, which have operated

By Anthony Hennen The high number of drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania have been rising, but state agencies provide data on them on a voluntary basis only. That might change with a new bill requiring law enforcement and emergency responders to update the state’s map of overdoses quickly. SB1152 would require adding information on drug overdoses

By Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — What makes a political map fair? It’s a question

By Ethan Edward Coston of Spotlight PA and Matt Vasilogambros of Stateline Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. This story is a collaboration with Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts that provides daily reporting and analysis

By Anthony Hennen A new report from the Commonwealth Foundation argues that Pennsylvania can increase economic growth and give workers more choice and freedom in their life – if the General Assembly reforms its government union like Wisconsin did a decade ago. “Government unions have enormous political power in Pennsylvania, due to a host of special legal privileges

By Spotlight PA Staff This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s new political maps may have been picked, but that doesn’t

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square (The Center Square) — The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections continues to deal with worker shortages as the effects of COVID-19 have changed how prisons in the commonwealth operate. A Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday heard testimony from the heads of the Department of Corrections and Board of

Upper Adams School District (UASD) school board approved moving forward with Questeq for district Information Technology (IT) management needs Tuesday. A Director of IT Services is essential to assist with duties the other administrators do not have time for, including recruiting IT specialists, Superintendent Wesley Doll said. Services provided also include product management, infrastructure support,

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed more than 50 bills as he begins his final year in office, a number that illustrates the institutionalized gridlock

By Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania voters could face at least five ballot questions about changing the state constitution next year after House

By Victor Skinner | The Center Square contributor A Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has denied a request by legislative Democrats and Attorney General Josh Shapiro to block the release of voters’ information to the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee investigating the 2020 general election and 2021 primary. The Senate committee subpoenaed the Pennsylvania Department of State in

By Victor Skinner | The Center Square contributor (The Center Square) – Adams County State Sen. Doug Mastriano introduced Senate Bill 996 this week to explicitly define parental rights as fundamental rights, a move designed to protect decisions on education, health care, mental health and other issues. “The liberty of a parent to direct the

By Spotlight PA Staff This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania redistricting panel wants to hear from the public about

By Victor Skinner (The Center Square) Pennsylvania’s highway system is among the worst in the nation, ranking 39th out of 50 states in the Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report. The annual report examines the cost-effectiveness and condition of each state’s highway system using 13 categories: total disbursements per mile, capital and bridge disbursements per mile,

By Victor Skinner (The Center Square) Gov. Tom Wolf signed nine bills into law this week, including legislation to reduce prescription drug costs for the elderly, expand broadband infrastructure, and allow virtual public meetings and instruction. Wolf signed House bills 291, 1255, 1260, 1837, and 2071, as well as Senate bills 208, 772, 729 and

By Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA and Juliette Rihl for PublicSource Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Before the pandemic, Lisa Stagon and her son Chris had their care routine figured out.

Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are rising, and hospital officials say Pennsylvania could be on course for another difficult winter