The state House has overwhelmingly rejected a joint proposal to move the primary election date and implement sweeping voting changes that frustrated lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The chamber struck down Senate Bill 224 by a vote of 177-26. In total, all 101 Republicans and 76 Democrats, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, disapproved.

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Pennsylvania will have a new specialty license plate celebrating the state amphibian — the eastern hellbender, America’s largest salamander. Though most Pennsylvanians won’t encounter the reclusive and skittish creature in the wild, the hellbender became a state symbol in 2019. It can grow up to two feet and lives under rocks and boulders in clean, clear waters.

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Pennsylvania may soon criminalize possession of xylazine – except for veterinary uses – amid an influx of the animal tranquilizer into the illicit drug supply across the country. State Rep. Carl Metzgar, R-Somerset, said he introduced a proposal to give law enforcement another tool to get people into treatment and protect the agricultural supply chain. The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee voted 8-6 Wednesday to send the bill to the chamber floor for consideration.

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Successful recovery from drug addiction goes beyond overdose reversal drugs and rehab, advocates say, amid a statewide push to prioritize social and community support for former users. “People that use substances aren’t bad people and I think the realization is setting in that (addiction) can happen to anybody,” Breanne Pugh, a project coordinator with the Washington County Drug and Alcohol Commission, said.

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Many voters in Pennsylvania approve of Gov. Josh Shapiro, even if they don't know exactly why. The Commonwealth Foundation’s quarterly Common Ground in the Commonwealth poll saw the governor earn a 61% favorable rating compared to last season, but his disapproval rating rose in tandem by 5 points to 29%. Shapiro, data showed, had the only approval rating over 50% of any statewide official. Most respondents couldn’t name any of Shapiro’s major accomplishments, according to the poll, but still expect him to fix the budget impasse, now heading into month four. Earlier this summer, the governor placed the blame squarely on lawmakers in the House and Senate for “talking past each other” on school vouchers after he reneged on a deal with Republican leaders to fund the $100 million program.

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Residents receiving or renewing drivers licenses and state ID cards will be automatically registered to vote. Gov. Josh Shapiro made the announcement early Tuesday, joining Pennsylvania to a list of 23 other states — including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia — that automatically walk applicants through the process, unless they opt out.

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State lawmakers must act soon before a trio of authorizations expire for traffic cameras that capture drivers violating traffic laws. Provisions will soon kick in that would put an end to speed cameras in active work zones; camera-equipped school buses that ticket drivers who fail to yield to a stop sign; and speed cameras along Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Boulevard — one of the commonwealth’s most dangerous roads.

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The online shopping industry, and the multi-billion dollar logistics and distribution network at its core, depend on Pennsylvania’s roads, land and workers for its warehouses. And yet, environmental groups say that zoning ordinances for these facilities fall short, leaving the state’s land, air and water vulnerable to destruction.

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Though some have concerns, health care experts want to see the Drug Enforcement Administration preserve the pandemic-era expansion of telemedicine to address the opioid crisis. The Drug Enforcement Administration this week held a listening session for its telemedicine rules, and one Pennsylvania addiction treatment provider encouraged the federal agency to make its temporary rules permanent.

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As Pennsylvania’s divide over education funding continues, House Republicans once again championed their plan to give scholarships to students in low-performing schools to enroll elsewhere. The House Republican Policy Committee met Tuesday in Philadelphia to hear testimony from education professionals, private school students, and parents on how families would benefit from Lifeline Scholarships, which has been controversial with Democrats who worry about diverting funding from public schools.

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