Pennsylvania category, Page 32
Bill taking Pennsylvania’s same-sex marriage ban off the books clears state House
A bill that would repeal Pennsylvania’s same-sex marriage ban passed the state House of Representatives Tuesday on a bipartisan vote, with proponents saying the change was necessary to protect marriage equality if federal case law was overturned. The measure passed 133-to-68 in the final vote, with all but one member...
Pa.’s health secretary wins Senate confirmation to the post on 2nd try
After 18 months as serving as the acting head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Health, Dr. Debra Bogen is now the state’s health secretary. Bogen, a pediatrician and former head of the Allegheny County Health Department, won Senate confirmation on Tuesday by a 42-8 bipartisan vote. “I look forward to continuing...
Union sues Philadelphia over requirement that city workers return to the office full time
A union that represents thousands of Philadelphia city employees asked a judge Tuesday to block Mayor Cherelle Parker’s requirement that they return to their offices full time as of July 15. The lawsuit, filed by District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, claims the...
School board organization could become subject to Pa.’s open records law
The organization that represents Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts would be required to live under the same transparency rules as most other governmental agencies under legislation that passed the Senate on Monday by a near party-line 28-22 vote. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, would subject the Pennsylvania School Boards...
Pa. House passes bill to reinstate ‘lunch shaming’ ban, wipe students’ school meal debts
The Pennsylvania House on Monday moved to create a program that would wipe away large amounts of student lunch debt and reinstate a ban on “lunch shaming,” which had been enacted and then repealed in the commonwealth several years ago. During Monday’s session, the House gave final approval to a...
Duquesne renames law library for Ken Gormley at major donor’s request
The law library at Duquesne University is being renamed for the university president and former dean of its law school, Ken Gormley. Campus officials on Monday said the name change was requested by renowned trial attorney and Duquesne law school alumnus Thomas R. Kline, who in September 2022 made a...
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey stands by Biden, says he’s competent to serve a second term as president
SCRANTON — Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey said Monday that President Joe Biden is able to run a strong race and serve a second term in the Oval Office, standing by his close ally in the critical battleground state following a disastrous debate performance that’s prompting some national Democrats to question...
Pa. Senate bill could limit citizens’ ability to make Right-to-Know requests
Six state senators are seeking to place a limit on the number of Right-to-Know requests that citizens can file with government agencies in Pennsylvania. “Numerous entities such as state agencies, municipalities and school boards frequently report that they are overwhelmed by burdensome Right-to-Know Law requests,” said state Sen. Cris Dush,...
Penn State reaches tentative deal with union days after Teamsters OK strike
Union members will vote in the coming weeks on a tentative contract agreement with management covering 2,500 employees on Penn State University branches statewide and the main University Park campus. The deal, if ratified, could offer a measure of labor peace at a time of heightened workplace anxiety across Penn...
Lawmakers advance proposal to greatly expand Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Hunting on Sundays in Pennsylvania would be greatly expanded under a proposal that passed the state House on Thursday over objections about trespassing provisions and new restrictions on hunting in state parks. Lawmakers voted 129-73 to send the bill to the state Senate. “Sunday is an opportunity to...
School vouchers may make it into Pa.’s budget, but what would they really do?
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Few arguments in Harrisburg are as fraught as the one happening now over school choice vouchers, and it features a lot of spin from lawmakers...
Regulations on pharmacy benefit managers pass in state House, head to Senate
Regulations on pharmacy benefit managers — third-party intermediaries who work with drug manufacturers, pharmacies and insurance providers — took a leap forward Friday at the state level. House Bill 1993 would put pharmacy benefit managers under more intense state scrutiny and limit certain practices that pose some of the greatest...
Biden, Trump campaigns amplify Pa. presence ahead of first debate
In the run-up to Thursday night’s first debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the rivals’ campaigns have boosted their presence in Pennsylvania by holding rallies, ramping up ad buys and opening campaign offices. So far, the Biden campaign efforts are outpacing those of the Trump camp....
A big education fight stands in the way of a Pa. budget deal
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — How much money to spend on Pennsylvania’s public education system has become a key barrier to a budget deal as lawmakers launch a...
Penn State technical service union members authorize strike — if needed
Members of a union representing about 2,500 employees at Penn State University campuses statewide — including Western Pennsylvania branches — voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike if needed, the union’s leader said Wednesday. Talks aimed at reaching a deal before the current pact expires Sunday are...
Pa. Senate committee advances bill to expand DNA collection by law enforcement
A bill moving in the Pennsylvania Senate would allow the state to collect and archive DNA samples from people when they are arrested, even if they are never convicted of a crime — a proposal that has generated pushback from both ends of the political spectrum. The Senate Judiciary Committee...
Fetterman taunts Menendez with nickname in hallways of Capitol
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman reportedly taunts New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez with the nickname “Gold Bar Bob” whenever the two senators cross paths in Washington, D.C. He’ll presumably continue to do so if Menendez doesn’t step down amid his ongoing legal troubles. Menendez was hit with corruption charges in September...
Bill to ensure access to contraception advances in Pennsylvania, aided by dozens of GOP House votes
HARRISBURG — A proposal to ensure access to contraceptives cleared the Democratic majority Pennsylvania House on Tuesday, drawing dozens of Republican votes but facing an uncertain future in the GOP-controlled state Senate. The bill was approved 133-69, with 14 women among the 32 Republicans voting yes. A spokeswoman for the...
Pennsylvania man charged with threatening state Sen. Mastriano
Federal agents arrested a Central Pennsylvania man on charges of threatening to kill state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Franklin Republican, in a series of violent posts to Facebook earlier this month, authorities said Tuesday. Among the threatening messages from Richard Little was a post Friday in which he tagged the...
Jill Biden to Philadelphia donors: ‘Let’s talk about age’
PHILADELPHIA — First lady Jill Biden told a room of Philadelphia donors she knew what they were thinking. “I know what’s on your mind, so let’s talk about age this election,” Biden said to about 100 guests at a private fundraiser in Chestnut Hill on Monday night. “This election’s not...
Bill allows for stuffed toys made and/or sold in Pennsylvania to be more eco-friendly
Teddy bears and other stuffed animals sold in Pennsylvania may soon go green. The state House of Representatives on Monday voted 154-48 to send a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro for enactment that would end a 63-year-old prohibition on the distribution and sale of stuffed toys made with recycled materials...
Conservancy that oversees SS United States seeks $500K to help relocate historic ship
The conservancy that oversees the SS United States has launched an urgent $500,000 fundraising campaign to help cover relocation expenses for the historic ship amid its uncertain future. The 1,000-foot ocean liner, which still holds the transatlantic speed record it set more than 70 years ago, must leave its berth...
Pennsylvania woman drowns after being swept over waterfall in Glacier National Park
WEST GLACIER, Mont. — A 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman drowned after being swept over a waterfall on the east side of Glacier National Park, park officials said. The woman fell into the water above St. Mary Falls at around 5:20 p.m. Sunday. She was washed over the 35-foot (11-meter) tall waterfall...
FAFSA delays continue to disrupt admissions at some colleges
For years, Slippery Rock University has held its own in a slumping student market, and its leaders anticipate another strong fall aided by a third consecutive increase in first-year students. But as that cautiously optimistic forecast was conveyed to school trustees in recent days, one unsettling statistic stood out. With...
RFK Jr.’s campaign files petitions to get on presidential ballot in swing-state Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed paperwork Thursday to get on the ballot for the November election in swing-state Pennsylvania, the state’s election office said. Kennedy’s filing comes six weeks before the Aug. 1 deadline, after which the paperwork can be challenged in court. The campaigns...
