Guide 12/2: PA keeps majority cards at home

😀 Hello Tuesday

🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. AP will lend a hand determine control of the US House of Representatives. Shapiro: Trump ‘has to be better’ Pennsylvania expects farm labor reform soon. The penny shortage is sparking a nationwide math crisis.

🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. Purple mist. Jimi Hendrix

Weather in Pennsylvania
❄️Clearfield | AM Śnieg, 36
🌧️Mercersburg | Rain/snow, 39
🌨️Scranton | Rain/snow, 35

Sports PA
🏀 Sixes (10-9) | Tuesday vs. Washington
🏒 Flyers (14-8-3) | Pittsburgh 1-5 | Wednesday vs. Buffalo
🏒 Penguins (13-7-5) | Philadelphia 5-1 | Thu and Tampa Bay
🏈 Eagles (8-4) | Mon. in the LA Chargers
🏈 Steelers (6-6) | Baltimore sun

👀 What we see. The Pennsylvania Society’s calendar of events for December 11-13 can be found here.

📰 PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here. Has this email been sent to you? Subscribe for free.

The most essential story

1. AP will lend a hand determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 elections

“With control of the U.S. House of Representatives expected to fall to a razor’s edge again next year, several of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts are becoming some of the most competitive in the nation. As a result, control of the U.S. House of Representatives could once again take control of Pennsylvania.

Democrats have identified four districts they believe could flip next year in Pennsylvania, more than in any state: the 1st congressional district, representing Bucks County; seventh in the Lehigh Valley; eighth in the Scranton area; and the tenth represents Harrisburg and York.

Three major, nonpartisan election forecasters – The Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections – ranked PA-7 and PA-10 among the most competitive House seats nationwide.’ | WHY

Elsewhere

How progressives take over swing states and spread fear among democratic elites. “From Detroit to Pennsylvania to Buffalo, New York, and here in Ohio, insurgent progressive Democrats are defeating their longtime colleagues in dozens of school board, city council and mayoral races, throwing an already divided national party into chaos even as polls show it will potentially make gains in next year’s midterm elections due to the Trump administration’s divisive policies.” | Guardian

Fox News faces critical test in second case over false claims about 2020 election. “The lawsuit is brought by Smartmatic, a London-based voting technology company that played a limited role in the 2020 race and yet was accused on Fox shows of taking votes from Trump and throwing them to Biden. Smartmatic is suing for $2.7 billion.” | NPR

The state budget was 135 days behind schedule, but AP lawmakers received their raise on schedule. “Pennsylvania legislators just received a 3.25% pay raise on December 1, bringing their base salary to $109,881. Only legislators in New York and California earn more.” | PennLive

Poll Shows Fetterman Still Outperforming Democrats While Republicans Give Him the Thumbs Up. “In a poll commissioned by RealClearPennsylvania and Emerson College, Fetterman received a 31% job approval rating from Democrats compared to 57% from Republicans and 30% from independents.” | PennLive

Country

2. Shapiro: Trump ‘has to be better’

“In answering questions after visiting the Riverview Children’s Center in Verona, Governor Josh Shapiro criticized President Donald Trump for his comments to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz where the president used a slur against people with intellectual disabilities to describe the governor.

Shapiro disagreed with those comments, citing his visit to the Riverview facility and the conclusions Trump would draw if the CEO ever did the same. | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania opted out of carbon market to appease Republicans. “Governor Josh Shapiro withdrew from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in exchange for budget. Critics say he ‘was fooled.'” | Milling

During a visit to Pittsburgh, Shapiro touts a state-funded raise for child care workers. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Pittsburgh on Monday to show off a provision in the 2026 budget that has received little attention, but which Shapiro calls a “really smart investment”: a fund to bolster the ranks of child care workers.” | WESA

Too much is still not enough: Pennsylvania’s budget problems. “One budget, two narratives. While Gov. Josh Shapiro spent his holiday weekend touting policy victories that contributed to the state’s long-overdue budget, his critics were crunching the numbers. ” | Central Square

Groups are pressuring Bradford to introduce bills to protect girls’ sports in return for votes. “Moms for Liberty, Keystone Town Hall and Conservative Voice are leading the full-court press to persuade Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Matt Bradford to allow bills protecting girls’ sports to be voted on by the full House.” | Wide + Freedom

Around the Republic of Poland

3. Pennsylvania expects farm labor reform soon

“Agricultural labor needs remain one of Pennsylvania’s most pressing agricultural problems, according to the state Agriculture Bureau. But officials are looking for relief in the form of House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson the farm labor bill introduced by the president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Chris Hoffman he said he expected to be released within the next two weeks.

“I think this very much meets the requirements that we are asking for in our strategy document, which will lead us to the next step, which is bringing in workers, not just seasonal workers, but year-round workers,” Hoffman told Morning Agriculture.

A year-round visa program, whether by reforming the H-2A program or creating a recent one, is a top priority for the Farm Bureau, as are changes to H-2A housing standards. | POLICY

Elsewhere

Hens-Greco will step down as Allegheny County Democratic leader in January. “Sam Hens-Greco has chaired the Allegheny County Democratic Committee through a period of generational change, the 2024 Democratic disaster and the party’s resurgence last month. Not to mention a slew of special elections in between. But local Democrats will face the 2026 midterm elections without his leadership. | WESA

Funding cuts and recent oversight rules have affected 14 Cyber ​​Charter schools in Pennsylvania. “One notable area of ​​bipartisan consensus in Pennsylvania’s recently completed four-month-late state budget is a group of new policies that increase cybersecurity oversight of charter schools and also give public school districts a break from paying tuition to charter schools.” | PA reflector

PA home care workers want to be included in the next state budget. “Pennsylvania Homecare Association Seeks to Raise Medicaid Rates by 23% and Invest More than $800 Million in Home Care to ‘Stabilize’ Industry, Citing Study.” | Penn Capital Star

Davis vetoed a tax boost, funding for minority and youth programs in the 2026 budget. “Erie County Executive Brenton Davis vetoed a 2026 budget worth more than $1 million for programs serving minority communities, young people and residents struggling with discrimination.” | Erie Times-News

Editorial

4. What do you think about it?

1 item

5. The penny shortage is causing a nationwide math crisis

“The nation’s penny supply is shrinking much faster than expected, forcing retailers to deal with rounding, cash register math problems and what some describe as a ‘legal minefield.’

Why it matters: The end of penny production was intended to facilitate cash payments. Instead, it collides with holiday rush and legions of math-averse Americans.

Customers don’t always understand what happens when $4.73 becomes $4.75. Stores are putting up signs, retraining cashiers, spending millions on technical fixes and – in many cases – rounding down to avoid disputes, thus eating into costs.” | Axles

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