📖 Today’s PolitykiPA Guide. Avoiding another budget impasse. Special Election Day at the AP House. The PA paid Trump $4 billion in tariffs. The return of the iPod?
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. Even the flow. Pearl Jam
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️ Erie | Partly radiant, 30
☀️ State Higher School | Mostly radiant, 30
☀️ Allentown | Mostly radiant, 30
Sports PA
🏀 Sixes (31-26) | Tuesday in Indiana
🏒 Flyers (25/20/11) | Thu in Washington
🏒 Penguins (29/15/12) | Friday vs. New Jersey
🗓️What’s happening today. Special elections in HD-22 (Allentown) and HD-42 (South Hills), as well as the State of the Union address.
💭 Thought Bubble. Does it really matter who you “invite” as a guest to SOTU?
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The most critical story
1. Pennsylvania leaders want to avoid another long-term budget impasse. But can they?
“Pennsylvania’s top leaders want to avoid another ugly, months-long budget impasse by showing a determination this year to start negotiations much earlier in hopes of passing a spending agreement before the June 30 deadline.
But that doesn’t change the state’s tough financial situation: Pennsylvania is once again on track to spend more than it brings in this fiscal year. Governor Josh Shapiro budgeted to spend at least $4.3 billion more than the state is projected to collect in next fiscal year, part of the $53.2 billion budget proposal.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
Stacy Garrity will be a guest at Trump’s SOTU speech. Here’s who else from PA will (and won’t) be there. “A campaign spokesman said Garrity would attend this speech in her official capacity as state treasurer, not as a candidate, but the Republican lawmaker bringing her to the event specifically cited her campaign for governor in announcing her as his guest.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Summer Lee will deliver a State of the Union response to the Progressive Working Families Party. “Lee is a Democrat who aligns herself with the progressive politics of the Working Families Party. The Working Families Party endorsed Lee in her 2022 primary.” | TribLive
DCCC Adds Cognetti and Stelson to ‘Red To Blue’ Program.. “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced that it has selected 12 candidates, including Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson, for the highly competitive Red to Blue program.” | PoliticsPA
Before the speech, most say the State of the Union is not sturdy. “When (and if) President Donald Trump tells a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night that the State of the Union is strong, those who disagree will have the polls to back up their case.” | PoliticsPA
Country
2. HD-42: Mazzocco and Leckenby are competing for the Allegheny County open seat
“In the 42nd Legislative District, a Democrat Jen Mazzocco and republican Joseph Leckenby Jr. meet to fill the remaining date Dan Millerwho resigned and became judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
There will be two separate elections for the 2027-2028 term – primary elections on May 17 and general elections on November 5.” | PolitykaPA
Elsewhere
What you need to know about Tuesday’s special election for the PA House of Representatives in Lehigh County that could affect control of the chamber. “Two candidates will face off Tuesday in a highly consequential special election in the heart of Allentown. Democrat Ana Tiburcio and Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. are seeking to fill former state Rep. Josh Siegel’s remaining term in the 22nd District. Here’s what you need to know about the race.” | Morning talk in Allentown
Any changes to the state’s gaming tax structure must take casino jobs into account. “The opinion from the former deputy secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development details the importance of both stabilizing employment in the industry and taxing skill games.” | City and state
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Pennsylvania paid $4 billion in rescinded Trump tariffs
“Billions of dollars could be up for grabs after the Supreme Court struck down some of President Trump’s tariffs on Friday.
Why it matters: The tariffs have likely driven up prices on many products as companies pass on higher costs to ordinary Americans, and the current ruling could lead to a confused refund process — but it’s unclear who will pocket that cash.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court left the issue to the Trump administration in its ruling. Analysts urge companies to start collecting proceeds Axios Pittsburgh
Elsewhere
ICE officer training is ‘inadequate’ and ‘broken,’ a former agency lawyer tells Congress. “A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorney who was responsible for training new deportation officers warned Monday that the agency’s training program for new recruits is ‘imperfect, flawed and broken.'” | AP
Snowmaggedon 2.0 puts Philly’s response to the storm to the test. “Philly is slowly moving away from Snowmaggedon 2.0, but city officials say they are better prepared this time to meet the challenges of a day-long cleanup.” | Axios Philadelphia
The bill would block immigration enforcement at Pennsylvania houses of worship. “Specifically, the legislation would not regulate federal agents in the state. The co-sponsoring memo states that this is not within the state’s authority. Instead, it prevents state and local agencies, officers and employees from assisting in enforcing civil immigration laws near the property. ” | abc27
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. Why people are buying iPods again
“Grab your wired headphones: People are turning to Apple’s discontinued MP3 players for a sense of nostalgia and a break from their smartphones.
The large picture: Especially for younger generations, the return is part of a broader return to offline devices and hobbies, fueled by digital burnout.
How it works: Older technologies tend to have “one purpose,” he says Cal Newportprofessor of computer science and author of the book “Digital Minimalism”. “For example, an iPod can only listen to music.” | Axles
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