Pennsylvania in Focus

 As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, American democracy suffers from a lack of trust and imagination. So declared NPR CEO and president Katherine Maher during a TED event on the future of modern American democracy at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on Tuesday. The event is the first in a series of “fireside chats” announced in May by Visit Philly and TED to, as Gov. Josh Shapiro said, “celebrate Philadelphia and to celebrate the inclusive society we have strived to build.”

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 A fight between Chester County and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources over a state park continued Tuesday — with state legislators forming a firing line. At issue is the future of Big Elk Creek State Park, a years-long controversy where DCNR created the park in 2022 for “low-impact recreation” but later announced plans to build campsites and RV facilities. After a public outcry, DCNR officials backed away from development plans, but local residents remain wary of the state’s future plans. The 1,800-acre state park serves as a wildlife corridor and abuts the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in Maryland.

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Legislation that partly dismantles "squatters rights" in Pennsylvania will head to the governor’s desk after a brief stumbling block. Under the soon-to-be law, squatters could face a defiant trespass charge if they don’t vacate a property after being told to do so by the owner. Doing so safeguards homes and investments quickly and effectively without wading through needless red tape, said prime sponsor Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie.

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As Pennsylvania starts another fiscal year with a late budget, the public wants more decisive leadership from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Almost three-quarters of registered Pennsylvanian voters want Shapiro to “play a more active role in brokering a bipartisan deal to keep the state budget on track,” according to a new poll from the Commonwealth Foundation. Democratic voters wanted more action from Shapiro (79%) than Republicans or independents (both 71%).

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A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition. The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

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Three days ahead of schedule, Pennsylvania Senate leadership confirmed the state’s annual spending plan will be turned in late. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Thursday before adjourning session that the upper chamber would not return to Harrisburg until Monday – one day after the budget is due on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. He struck an optimistic tone that negotiations had come far enough to suggest a deal would come together soon – just not before Sunday.

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 Insurance coverage for telemedicine will soon be the rule, not the exception, in Pennsylvania. A bill headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk requires insurers, both public and private, to cover services rendered virtually. Doing so, supporters say, means more people can access healthcare – even if they live hours from the nearest hospital, can’t drive to a doctor’s office or find child care. Senate Bill 739 makes good on a longtime commitment from state lawmakers to modernize telemedicine access after the pandemic made it a routine form of care.

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Regulatory framework for a carbon capture and storage network in Pennsylvania slid through a House committee on Tuesday without discussion or objection. The Senate-authored legislation would also act as a guidepost for two hydrogen hubs under development within the state in the coming decade as part of the Biden administration’s broader energy transition plan. The idea is to store future emissions to prevent their release into the atmosphere. However, the economic potential of doing so isn’t clearly understood yet.

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 Pennsylvania legislators pushing a bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana warn that, without action, neighboring states will supply the drug — and carry away the tax revenue. Reps. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, and Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, will soon introduce their legalization bill, written to closely overlap with a Senate proposal. They want to move fast.

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Getting away from fossil fuels due to concerns about climate change has been a rallying cry for creating hydrogen hubs in Pennsylvania. But how to do it — and whether it’s possible — are open questions. “The concern with hydrogen production is it can be done the wrong way, which could serve to perpetuate fossil fuel use,” said Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Havertown, during a House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on Monday. “Or, happily, it could be done the right way, which will make it a legitimate tool to attack climate change.”

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