Pennsylvania in Focus

Announcing a manufacturing expansion in Beaver County, Gov. Josh Shapiro argued for his model of economic growth and made a call for compromise to pass the state budget. The governor came to Aliquippa to celebrate a $40 million investment by Versatex, a building materials supplier, to build a 97,000-square-foot facility — doubling its manufacturing capacity and creating 80 new jobs. On top of the $40 million, Versatex will receive about $3.3 million in state loans and grants. The governor has argued for investing in a handful of key economic sectors to grow the commonwealth and getting more sites prepared for major investments. 

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Both legislative chambers left town this week after advancing sweeping educational reforms likely to wind up – in some form – woven into the state budget due June 30. While the plans don’t necessarily clash, Senate and House leaders do. The ideological strife will boil down to the estimated return on investment.

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A bill altering the state’s public school funding formula passed the lower chamber Monday, spawning both fanfare and consternation among lawmakers. While supporters call the plan a victory for students held back by economic disparities, critics point out that 64 of the bill’s 87 pages focus on cutting financial support and tightening regulations for charter schools to save money. Dr. Anne Clark, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools, scoffed at a provision that caps tuition paid by districts to $8,000 per student and stringent regulations that she deems misleading and unnecessary.

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More than 50 religious leaders sent an open letter on Tuesday to Gov. Josh Shapiro asking him to support school choice and educational freedom. Black Pastors United for Education, the nonprofit group, urged Shapiro to “make education a non-partisan issue, boldly dismiss the politics that prevent progress, and comprehensively fund and secure educational freedom and opportunity.” The open letter comes as Jay-Z announced his support for school vouchers in Pennsylvania and House Democrats passed a bill to rework the student funding formula that would hit charter schools hard.

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When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness. So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, proposed the removal of zoning restrictions and Republican Reps. Jack Rader, R-Effort, and R. Lee James, R-Seneca, defended the power of zoning officials.

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After months of criticism, House legislators grilled leaders of the Pennsylvania Game Commission over the independent agency’s internal processes, stewardship of its assets, and whether improvement has been made since an audit revealed a litany of issues in 2019. The Game Commission has faced weeks of criticism since former Executive Director Bryan Burhans resigned after his business relationships with several Game Commission employees came to light. Steve Smith, Game Commission executive director since May, said better communication was his top priority.

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The number of Pennsylvanians receiving food stamps and Medicaid has ballooned compared to a generation ago. Some experts warn the result is a welfare system vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse — some of it “by design.” The responsibility has grown over time. In 2000, Pennsylvania had 760,000 residents getting food stamps. Now, almost 2 million receive them. Growth in Medicaid has been similar: The state spend $10.7 billion on 1.3 million residents in 2000, but now, the state spends almost $47 billion to provide Medicaid benefits to 3.3 million residents.

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Artificially generated impersonations of political candidates may soon violate state law. Bills pending in both chambers of the Legislature would leave campaigns liable in civil court for unauthorized media content that negatively influences an election. Creators that disseminate deep fakes within 90 days of an election could be fined as much as $250,000 if caught impersonating presidential or congressional candidates. The penalties drop to $50,000 and $15,000 for state and local candidates, respectively.

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Though some politicians treat recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania as an inevitability, others remain skeptical. They warn that the social costs of drug use don’t disappear – and a legalized industry brings problems of its own. Still, elected officials consider reforms even if they oppose legalization. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Waynesboro, has been an opponent of recreational use, but has proposed a bill to change marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to a summary offense. The idea is aligning law with reality: many district attorneys across Pennsylvania rarely prosecute possession charges unless someone is caught with significant amounts.

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Pushing a dramatic funding expansion, Gov. Josh Shapiro embarked on a family RV trip on Monday to promote Pennsylvania’s new tourism brand. Speaking at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders baseball stadium in Moosic, the governor argued his $18 million proposed budget increase for tourism would help sell Pennsylvania as “The Great American Getaway.” The tourism push features a new video that highlights places across the commonwealth (with a voiceover from Pennsylvania native Abbi Jacobson, star of the New York-focused sitcom Broad City), with the branding running across Pennsylvania and New York throughout the summer.

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