June 5: D-Day and the Election

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What We’re Hearing. “Neither Biden nor Trump has a meaningful advantage in any of the three states (PA, MI, WI) at this time.” – Dukhong Kim, FAU PolCom Lab/Mainstreet Research poll

What’s Happening Today. Both the House and Senate are in session at 11 AM.

Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan.

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Top Story

1. How D-Day’s Roots Will Play Crucial Role In Trump-Biden Battle In 2024

“D-Day did more than pave the way for World War II victory in Europe: It solidified the international military alliances that have led the world for more than eight decades and have become politically contentious today.

As President Joe Biden and other world leaders head to Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day this week, they will also be defending alliances that guided the western world through World War II, the Cold War, the war on terror and, currently, Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to abandon NATO, saying the U.S. bears too much of the burden. But supporting – and attacking – international agreements can be traced back in part to the Trident Conference of 1943.” (USA Today)

Related

After Backing Him In 2020, A New Poll Shows Some Young Voters Are Biden’s to Lose. “Five months out from the presidential election, the state of the youth vote, in some ways, remains a question mark. It’s a regularly covered topic as President Biden continues to receive low marks from Gen Z and millennial voters, even as the same age group decidedly voted for him four years ago.” (WQLN)

Trump’s Campaign Reached Out To Black Voters In Philly With Cigars and Cognac. “Former President Donald Trump’s campaign held two events Tuesday in Philadelphia aimed at engaging Black Philly voters — but it’s unclear how many got the message.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

GOP Group Targets Philadelphia With Anti-Trump Billboards. “A group of anti-Trump Republicans is putting up “I Won’t Vote for a Convicted Felon” billboards around Philly this week. The billboards featuring former Trump supporters sprouted up Tuesday along major highways in and around Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.” (Axios Philadelphia)

Ex-US Capitol Officers Warn PA Voters Trump is Existential Threat: ‘This Is Not a Drill’. “Under this city’s arched memorial to the king of kindness, Fred Rogers, two former U.S. Capitol police officers warned Pennsylvania voters that former President Donald Trump is a threat to American democracy and law.” (PennLive)

State

2. Spurred By Court Ruling, PA House Democrats Advance Bill To Boost K-12 Spending By $1.1 Billion Next Year

“The quest to overhaul a Pennsylvania K-12 school funding system that has been deemed unconstitutional entered a new and potentially contentious phase Tuesday, when a committee vote to approve a proposed fix had all Democrats in support and all Republicans opposed.

The 14-11 vote by the House Education Committee was the first formal one on a bill shaped by a 2023 ruling in which a Commonwealth Court judge said students in low-income school districts “are deprived of the same opportunities and resources” as those in wealthier districts.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

PA Republicans Bring Historic Tax Cut Plan to House. “Pennsylvania Republicans are bringing their historic $13 billion tax cut to the House, hoping to pressure Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Democratic-controlled House to include tax cuts in negotiations.” (DV Journal)

Two Philly Democrats Want To Amend The PA Constitution To Force Elected Officials To Resign If Convicted of a Crime. “State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Jared Solomon want Pennsylvania to require any elected official convicted of a crime to resign, following former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

PA House Passes Bill To Provide Free Pads And Tampons For Students. “A Republican state lawmaker said Tuesday she opposed a bill that would make pads and tampons free for public school students because it could lead to communism.” (Penn Capital-Star)

PA Senate Committee Advances Bills Combating Child Porn, Including AI-Generated Fakes. “The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of three bills. Two of these replace the term “child pornography” in existing state statutes with the more current and applicable term “child sexual abuse material.”” (PennLive)

Paid Family Leave Draws Bipartisan Support As Good For The Economy, But Some Oppose Cost, Lost Control. “The legislation, which has backers from both major parties, would create a minimum paid leave floor for Pennsylvania, which lacks a statewide standard.” (Spotlight PA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. It’s Not an Accident That So Many GOP Senate Candidates Are Rich

“In a calculated risk, Republican officials and allies of Donald Trump have rallied behind Senate candidates who have never held elected office but can help fund a campaign through their own personal wealth. In addition to Montana’s Tim Sheehy, who received a key endorsement from Trump that helped clear his path to the nomination, national Republicans backed Senate candidates like Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania and Eric Hovde in Wisconsin, both of whom are rich and politically inexperienced.” (NOTUS)

Related

Steelton Plant Showcases How $1 Trillion Infrastructure Law Reaps Benefits For PA. “U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg walked into Cleveland Cliffs steel plant in Steelton with a desire to see for himself how President Biden’s once-in-a-generation bipartisan infrastructure investment is being spent to benefit Pennsylvania and the nation as a whole.” (PennLive)

Questions Remain As 20% Of Those Eligible Take Penn State’s Employee Buyout At Campuses. “Approximately 20% of Penn State employees who qualified for the university’s voluntary buyout plan took the offer, according to preliminary information reports, and faculty leaders are concerned about how that decrease in faculty and staff will be managed with fall classes starting in less than three months.” (WPSU)

In Rural Pennsylvania, Old Gas Wells Are Being Used For Bitcoin Mining—Even Though The Owners Are Breaking The Law. “Emails show Diversified largely kept the state in the dark as it fired up its bitcoin mining operation.” (Fast Company)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• The Sad History of Pennsylvania’s Inability To Pass a Budget. (Tribune-Review)
• Fracking Produces A Resource Needed To Wean Us Off Fossil Fuels. PA Should Embrace It. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• The Left’s “Sue-Till-Green” Strategy Comes to Pennsylvania. (André Béliveau)
• Pennsylvania Families Caring For People With Disabilities Need Legislators To Pass Gov. Shapiro’s Budget. (Gary Blumenthal)
• Is Biden Channeling Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Strategy? (David Winston)
• Lawmakers Can Ease Financial Worries of Pennsylvanians. (Stephen Bloom)
• School Choice Yields High Returns For Vulnerable Students. (Beth Ann Rosica)
• The Jury Has Spoken. What Happens Next Will Be a Great Test of American Democracy. (Lorraine Ali)
• It’s Within Our Power To Craft A More Civil Future For PA. (Elizabeth Preate Havey)

1 Thing

5. Roaming Bear Takes Dive in Camp Hill

“A young black bear took a dive from a tree Tuesday, landing in a giant tarp held aloft by a group of wildlife, public safety and rescue officials who tranquilized it after it roamed into a suburban Pennsylvania neighborhood.

The bruin showed up around lunchtime in a residential area of Camp Hill, outside the capital of Harrisburg. The sedated animal fell about 20 feet (6 meters) into a large blue tarp held up by several wildlife officials, police and firefighters.” (AP)

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