February 22: Going to Court

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Waterford | Showers, 46


Waynesboro | Afternoon Rain, 48


West Chester | Mostly Cloudy, 47

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Sixers (32-22) | Thu vs. New York


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What’s Happening
Senate Appropriations Committee hearings begin at 9:30 a.m., while the House Committee starts at 10 a.m.

What We’re Hearing
End Citizens United/Let America Vote (ECU/LAV) and EMILYs List have endorsed Ashley Ehasz for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Reps. Thomas Mehaffie and Joe Emrick.

Pennsylvania Political News Sent Directly to You
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Top Story

1. Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules That GOP Subpoena For Voter Information Cannot Be Enforced

“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Republicans’ subpoena of voter information after the 2020 election was unenforceable, overturning a previous court ruling.

The commonwealth’s highest court ruled in Wednesday’s brief order that the subpoena was unenforceable because the 2021-22 legislative session had already ended.

The move is the latest legal defeat for Republicans who took to courts nationwide over the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump promoted falsehoods about the election.” (NBC News)

Related

Senate Republicans Have Rich People Problems. “David McCormick, a businessman running for Senate in Pennsylvania, raised more money than Democratic Sen. Bob Casey last quarter. But his personal fortune is generating plenty of material for Democratic attacks.” (HuffPost)

Which Is The Better 2024 Predictor: Polls Or Special Elections? “In the past, special elections have been more predictive of the next election than early general-election polls. But there are reasons to think 2024 could be different.” (ABC News)

Trump Set For Coronation As Conservatives Descend On CPAC. “Many of the speakers attending CPAC are Trump’s most high-profile allies, some of whom are vying to join him on the ticket in November.” (The Hill)

Pennsylvania’s High Court Sides With Township Over Its Ban Of A Backyard Gun Range. “A township ordinance that limits firing guns to indoor and outdoor shooting ranges and zoning that significantly restricts where the ranges can be located do not violate the Second Amendment, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.” (AP)

State

2. What More Do PA Lawmakers Know After Hearings On Governor’s Higher-Ed Plan? Nothing

“Gov. Josh Shapiro’s higher education blueprint got its first legislative airing on Wednesday but it left lawmakers disappointed that they couldn’t learn more about this notable part of his 2024-25 budget proposal.

That’s because the person they were asking knew little more than they did about the governor’s proposed restructuring of the 10 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education with the 15 community colleges into a new combined system or any of the other elements in Shapiro’s plan.” (PennLive)

Related

PA Lawmakers Seeking Answers On Shapiro Higher Ed Proposal Frustrated By Lack Of Details And A Lot Of ‘I Don’t Know’s’. “State lawmakers on Wednesday fished for details on how Gov. Josh Shapiro plans to unify community colleges and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities, and they caught very few.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

What To Know About Shapiro’s Pitch To Legalize Marijuana, Its Chances In The PA Legislature, And More. “The state senator who controls a key committee supports legalization, and the lawmaker in charge of setting the chamber’s agenda has expressed a willingness to explore the topic despite his belief that Pennsylvania should wait for the federal government to act.” (Spotlight PA)

PA Auditor General Candidate Mark Pinsley Calls For ‘Swift And Decisive’ Action On Chester County Petition Signature Forgery Complaints. “Lehigh County Controller suggested in a telephone interview that the false signatures could have come from outside sources.” (West Chester Daily Local)

Around The Commonwealth

3. NTSB: Fern Hollow Should Have Been Shut Down Years Before Collapse. ‘It Was Failure After Failure After Failure,’ Chair Says

“The Fern Hollow Bridge should have been shut down years before widespread corrosion and section loss caused a spectacular collapse in 2022 that severely injured several commuters and thrust Pittsburgh’s infrastructure woes into the spotlight, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said in a hearing Wednesday.

For years, city officials failed repeatedly to address critical recommendations that were outlined in inspection reports from 2005 to 2021, which led to severe deterioration of the legs and the eventual failure of the bridge that carried 14,000 travelers each day, according to investigators.

Investigators also said the load rating — which indicates the amount of weight a bridge can safely handle — was far too high and should have been reduced.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

Pittsburgh Jews Prefer Mail Voting in 2024 Passover Primary Conflict. “With the Pennsylvania presidential primary slated for Tuesday, April 23 – the first day of Passover – the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle asked readers to let it know what method people planned to use to vote on one of the religion’s most important days.” (PoliticsPA)

Schultz Elected as Chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority. “James D. Schultz, an attorney, policy advisor, and corporate executive, was elected today as chairman of the 16-member board overseeing operations of the bi-state Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO).” (PoliticsPA)

Ken Lawrence Reflects On Legacy After Exiting Montgomery County’s Political Arena. “The two-term Democratic Montgomery County commissioner reflected on the political path taken over the last seven years, and initiatives related to transportation, infrastructure and employee advocacy were top of mind.” (Times-Herald)

State Supreme Court: PIAA Is A Public Agency, Subject To ‘Right To Know’ Law. “Based on a decision handed down Wednesday by the state Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) must produce thousands of documents, including financial statements from District 4, to a Bucks County man who requested them.” (Daily Item)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Biden Cannot Afford To Lose A Single Pennsylvania Voter. (Salena Zito)
• Poor and Low-Income Voters Are a Sleeping Giant. (Sarah Anderson)
• Biden’s Political Pandering Undermines Energy Jobs. (Carl Marrara)
• We Have A Duty To Keep Pennsylvania On A Solid Financial Path. (State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Sen. Scott Martin and Rep. Seth Grove)
• It’s Getting Harder For States To Find The Income-Tax Sweet Spot. (Megan McArdle)
• PennDOT’s Rejected Vanity License Plate List Is A Window Into Pennsylvanians’ Minds. (Stephanie Farr)
• When Will Politicians Stop Calling Themselves ‘Progressives’? (James Freeman)
• In Pennsylvania, I See Hope For Our Environmental Future. (Hilary Harp Falk)
• In Ho-Hum Primary Season, Voting By Mail May Boost Participation. (Steven Rosenfeld)

1 Thing

5. Miracle On Ice

“The United States men’s hockey team, mostly amateur college stars, shocked the fearsomely talented Soviet Union 4-3 in the Winter Olympics on this day in history, Feb. 22, 1980.

It’s gone down in sports lore — and entered wider American culture — as “the Miracle on Ice.”

The victory by American boys in Lake Placid, New York, over the invincible Soviets, winners of four straight Olympic gold medals, proved much more than a hockey game.” (Yahoo!)

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