Pennsylvania in Focus

Pennsylvania lawmakers sent two identical constitutional amendments back to the chamber floor on Tuesday for future consideration. The do-over comes six weeks after the chamber referred the amendments back to the Judiciary Committee for a public hearing, in adherence to new policies adopted after a months-long gridlock provoked a review of operating rules.

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Mass transit in Pennsylvania nears a financial crossroads in the coming year, and either way, residents will pay the price. After federal pandemic aid ends in 2024, SEPTA – one of the nation's largest public transportation systems that serves Philadelphia and its nearby suburbs – will face a $240 million deficit, leaving no option but to raise fares and cut services.

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Advocates say medication-assisted treatment best prevents overdoses, but awareness and support still lag. The situation means residents dealing with substance abuse disorders can’t access a “crucial” tool for recovery, said Fred Way, founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences. More than 5,300 people in Pennsylvania died from an overdose in 2021 – the third highest rate in the nation, as The Center Square previously reported.

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Research shows more than a third of college students drop out of school because they can’t afford food and don’t qualify for – or even know about – public assistance, leaving them stuck in a hunger “gap” that elected officials want to fill. State Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Braddock, told the Department of Human Services on Tuesday she hopes the governor’s administration will support policies that keep low-income college students fed – just as it does for public school children.

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Though one state agency has refused to greenlight natural gas development on its lands, another one has — and reaped a significant windfall from doing so. The Pennsylvania Game Commission – since approving natural gas development a dozen years ago on just one-eighth of the 1.6 million acres it manages – has collected nearly $900 million in revenue to support infrastructure upgrades, land preservation and outdoor recreation.

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More oversight for the gambling industry could be coming to Pennsylvania, this time focused on skill games. A proposed regulation would centralize a monitoring and control system and create a tax structure that could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to state coffers, advocates say. Skill games look like slot machines, but are games of skill where gamblers can affect the outcome, as opposed to games of chance like slot machines. They aren’t subject to the commonwealth’s gambling law nor taxes.

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Local officials have long complained of PennDOT ignoring their concerns. Now, a state lawmaker wants to create a database to track how quickly the Department of Transportation responds to municipal leaders, and how – or if – they resolved the problem.

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The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio was just the latest of a number of environmental disasters to hit Pennsylvania. Disasters, leaks, and pollution have damaged the natural landscape across the commonwealth, and Pennsylvania residents pay for the consequences through their health and tax dollars.

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Halfway through the state’s annual budget talks, the governor’s administration appears unified around a single strategy: spend money to make money.

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Proposed cuts to Pennsylvania’s support for several chronic diseases may not be all that they seem, budget records show. The Department of Health faced criticism Tuesday during a hearing with the House Appropriations Committee over a proposed 40% funding reduction for programs that serve ALS patients and their families. The department historically earmarks millions in support of diseases that include AIDS, ALS, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, Lyme disease, cystic fibrosis and leukemia, among others. Last year, the state spent more than $16 million supporting programs for these conditions.

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