IVF Debate on February 28

Good Morning. Halfway home on the workweek.

PA Weather


Donora | Showers, 62




Everett | Showers, 62


Factoryville | Showers, 60

PA Sports


Sixers (33-25) | Boston 99-117 | Fri vs. Charlotte


Flyers (31-22-7) | Tampa Bay 6-2 | Fri vs. Washington


Penguins (27-21-8) | Vancouver 4-3 (OT) | Thu vs. Seattle

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

What We’re Hearing
“The recent ruling out of Alabama underscores the immediate need for Congress to pass the Access to Family Building Act to ensure that no state law can infringe upon the right to undergo IVF treatment.” – Rep. Susan Wild

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Top Story

1. Rep. Wild, Democratic Senators Push For IVF Vote

“In a Tuesday press conference, Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) called for a vote on their bill to federally protect in-vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments — arguing that it is vital in light of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos should be protected as people.

Their bill, first introduced in 2022 and reintroduced last month with a House companion led by Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), would establish federal protections that override any state policy restricting IVF access.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

How PA Speaker Joanna McClinton Uses Her Historic Role Differently Than Her Predecessors. “McClinton, a Philadelphia Democrat, is the first woman and first Black woman to lead the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in its 244-year history.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Top PA Official Faces Hours Of Questions — And Some Accusations — Over The State’s Election Processes. “Secretary of State Al Schmidt, representing the Democratic administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro, pushed back on Republican charges that differences in county-to-county election operations violate the state constitution, and that he erred by deciding to cancel a new voter information system.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Dush Seeks To Add Mental Competency, Re-Registration to Voter Prerequisites. “In another attempt to enhance “integrity” in the electoral process in Pennsylvania, state Sen. Cris Dush hopes to introduce legislation that increases eligibility requirements for voter registration.” (PoliticsPA)

Lee Pulls Out of CAIR Fundraiser. “Facing criticism over her participation, Rep. Summer Lee has canceled her scheduled appearance at a fundraiser for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.” (PoliticsPA)

State

2. Shapiro Touts Proposed Higher Ed Overhaul For PA During CCAC Visit

“Gov. Josh Shapiro toured the Community College of Allegheny County on Tuesday and offered more details on his proposed plan to unite the 10 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities with the state’s 15 community colleges.

Under the governor’s plan, the schools would equally split a 15% funding increase Shapiro included in his state budget proposal, he explained Tuesday.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Related

Davis Pushes Proposed $100 Million In Funding To Combat An ‘Epidemic Of Gun Violence’ In PA. “Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined gun safety advocates and those affected by gun violence to highlight the investments in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget focused on dealing with the problem. ” (Penn Capital-Star)

Which 5 State Senate Seats Does The Pennsylvania GOP See As Flip Opportunities In 2024? “Republican strategists see at least five opportunities to increase the party’s 28-22 advantage in the Pennsylvania Legislature’s upper chamber this year.” (Erie Times-News)

Lots Of Outside Dollars Expected To Be Invested In PA House Campaigns. “Republicans got a taste earlier this month of how serious the Democrats are about retaining its party’s hold on control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after a dozen years of GOP dominance.” (PennLive)

PA Election 2024: The State House Races To Watch As Democrats Try To Keep The Majority. “When voters go to the polls this November, control of the Pennsylvania House could rest on the outcome of a single race.” (Spotlight PA)

PA Taxpayers Spent Nearly $1M Filling Legislative Vacancies Over The Past Year. “Nine special elections have cost Pennsylvania taxpayers nearly $1 million since the start of the two-year legislative session that began Jan. 1, 2023.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A Montco Official Ended Up At The White House To Advise On Voting Accessibility Ahead Of 2024

“Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija wants the county to set a national example in how to make voting more accessible.

On Tuesday, Makhija joined Vice President Kamala Harris for a voting rights roundtable at the White House with civil rights leaders and activists, a sign that the Montgomery County Democrat’s push on the issue has already gained national notice ahead of November’s election.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Fewer Black Men Are Voting And These Philly Council Members Want To Change That. “For the first time in several decades, four members of Philadelphia City Council are young Black men in their 30s. But young Black participation at the polls has noticeably declined, a trend those elected leaders fear could continue in the presidential election this November.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Kelly Primary Challenger Off Ballot After Failing To Submit Enough Valid Signatures. “Republican Tim Kramer, who had hoped to challenge U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly in the April 23 primary, has been removed from the ballot by a Pittsburgh judge for failing to file a sufficient number of valid signatures on his nomination petitions.” (Erie Times-News)

The Pennsylvania Society Names New Executive Director. “Heather Greenleaf of Willow Grove, Montgomery County, was selected by the organization’s leadership council on Tuesday to succeed executive director Julien Scranton, who held that position for the past seven years.” (PennLive)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• I.V.F. Is a Miracle. For Republicans, It Is a Land Mine. (Kristen Soltis Anderson)
• A Shameful Attack On Free Speech In Lower Merion. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
• The Mystery of White Rural Rage. (Paul Krugman)
• ‘Threat’ to Democracy in the Eye of the Beholder. (Lowman Henry)
• Republicans and Democrats Ignore the Growing Latino Vote. (Israel Ortega)
• Philadelphia Hopes Year-Round Schooling Can Catch Kids Up To Grade Level – Will It Make A Difference? (Daniel H. Robinson)
• Does Robert Morris University Need State Money For A Hockey Arena? (Tribune-Review)

1 Thing

5. TikTok Is Aging Quite A Bit

“It turns out that TikTok is kinda for the olds? Or, at least, the app is not as Gen Z-focused as most headlines would have you believe.

Journalist Ryan Broderick pointed out that nearly 40% of TikTok users are in their 30s and 40s – in other words, millennials (and some Gen Xers). For comparison, that age group accounted for just 20% of Instagram’s user base a decade ago.

Broderick identified another striking data point that might spook the teens in your life into declaring that TikTok is no longer cool: Users 35–49 are more likely to upload videos than users 18–34.”

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