Pennsylvania in Focus

(The Center Square) – America’s colleges are not faring well when it comes to their handling of free speech issues on campus – in fact, most deserve a grade of “F,” according to a newly released report. The results of a student survey at 257 schools nationwide reveal a poor free speech climate, less tolerance for controversial speakers, and more acceptance of aggressive tactics to silence campus free speech. The sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings, released on Tuesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, also shows a continued decline in support for free speech among all students.

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(The Center Square) - With no budget and no viable long-term transit solutions in sight, the Senate recessed till Oct. 20 on Wednesday. Majority Leader Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, issued a statement, however, saying that the Philadelphia mass transit band-aid approved by PennDOT might allow for movement in the coming days. Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed his budget to the legislature in early February of this year. The fiscal year for that budget began in July. Over two months past its deadline, some public institutions are beginning to falter.

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(The Center Square) – With a bit of a limp, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta made his way up the Capitol steps to cheers and applause. The Philadelphia Democrat had just completed a 105-mile walk to demand funding for mass transit. The journey from Philadelphia to Harrisburg took place over four days, spanning the Democratic National Committee Vice Chair’s entire Labor Day weekend and taking him through urban, suburban, and rural communities in southeastern and central Pennsylvania.

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(The Center Square) - U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick continue to build upon their reputation of bipartisan congeniality, particularly expressed in shared views about the state of antisemitism in the United States. The pair sent letters to the presidents of five of the commonwealth’s most prestigious universities “expressing concern about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses.” The schools - Penn State, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University - were notable to the senators for having the highest populations of Jewish students in the state.

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(The Center Square) – Ballots returned to county election offices with incorrect or missing dates still count as valid, according to a federal opinion issued Tuesday. A three-panel judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit said Pennsylvania’s mandate that mail-in votes with dating errors must be set aside violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The unanimous decision found that leaning on dates to “back stop” failures with the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, “betrays a misunderstanding of Pennsylvania’s election laws.”

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(The Center Square) - For Philadelphia leaders, security concerns are top of mind as the city approaches a banner year of sports and cultural events. But even as the world bets big on the city’s ability to host major events like America250 and FIFA World Cup games, frustrated Philadelphians are struggling with the state’s funding choices. The committee heard testimony just days before SEPTA’s major service cuts went into effect, and transit was highlighted as one of the biggest security concerns for planners. As the reality of SEPTA cuts sink in, officials are bracing themselves for what they say will be an even further diminished system by next summer.

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(The Center Square) – She earned the most votes of any statewide Republican candidate in the 2024 election, besting Gov. Josh Shapiro’s record set two years prior. Now, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity hopes that massive popularity will outshine him again in 2026. “And I’m giving you and your family my solemn oath that I will work hard every day to fix the problems that Josh Shapiro has created,” she said in a campaign announcement posted to social media Monday. The decorated military veteran, who served three tours in Iraq and rose to the rank of colonel, pointed to her commitment as a servicemember and the accountability reforms she’s made since taking over as treasurer in 2021 as proof of her devotion to protecting taxpayers.

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(The Center Square) – Reinstating work requirements for some welfare recipients found support across the aisle on Wednesday. It’s a notable change after the partisan nature of the debate in recent years: Republicans have long wanted waivers from the mandate, which have been used on and off for the last 20 years, to expire amid fears about prolonged government dependency and fraud. Democrats see the option as economically justified absent a stronger safety net.

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(The Center Square) – There’s no shortage of frustration when it comes to stalled negotiations over funding for public transit in Pennsylvania. Of the plans proffered – using sales taxes versus dipping into the transit trust fund – neither has bipartisan support. There’s a road not yet taken, however. In the days before both chambers convened to approve their respective solutions, Republican Sen. Gene Yaw, of Williamsport, and Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams, of Philadelphia, suggested solving two problems at once: collect a $500 monthly fee from unregulated skill game terminals and use it to pay for increased public transit support.

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(The Center Square) - Officials have urged the press and community not to speculate about the cause of a deadly explosion at a U.S. Steel plant in Clairton, near Pittsburgh, on Monday. Gov. Josh Shapiro joined county officials, union representatives, and U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt to discuss the incident in Allegheny County Tuesday. County Executive Sara Innamorato expressed gratitude to the dozens of local agencies who responded to the incident. 

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