🥶 20 degrees has never been better. Am I right?
🗞️ PoliticsPA guide is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Has this email been sent to you? Subscribe for free.
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌥️Tionesta | Rising clouds, 24
☀️ Cashtown | Sunny, 28
🌥️Orwigsburg | Gradual cleansing, 25
Sports PA
🏈 Eagles (16-3) | Sun vs. Washington
🏒 Penguins (20-21-8) | Thu vs. Anaheim
🏒 Flyers (22-20-6) | Thu vs. NY Rangers
🏀 Sixes (15-27) | Friday vs. Cleveland
🔊 What we hearG. “With a 4.9% increase in spending in the 2024-25 budget, lawmakers expect a deficit of $3.6 billion by the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year, rising to $6.7 billion in the 2029-2030 fiscal year.” – reports the Commonwealth Foundation.
🔊 What we hear II. “As part of its new multi-million dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign, Protect Our Care is launching novel ads in 10 key House districts, including PA-07 (Ryan Mackenzie) and PA-08 (Rob Bresnahan) to raise the alarm about Republican threats to Medicaid.
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for U.S. Representative Lloyd Smucker.
📱 Social media. PoliticsPA has a number of social media sites where you can get the latest political news from across the Commonwealth: Twitter | Blue | Facebook | LinkedIn
The most significant story
1. How Donald Trump changed the Pennsylvania electorate
“Analyst from Pennsylvania Nick Field (and PoliticsPA alum) has been tracking voter registration patterns in the Keystone State for years, so we asked him to look at overall changes in the state over Donald Trump’s term as president.
While Democrats maintain an overall voter registration advantage in Pennsylvania, Republicans have made tremendous progress in the state over the past decade, as Nick explains in his detailed county-by-county assessment.
Party registration can sometimes be a lagging indicator of political reality, but as Nick writes, changes can tell us something about political trends and turnout that other indicators may miss.” (UVA Policy Center)
Elsewhere
McCormick will chair the Senate subcommittee on the Middle East. “dream. Dave McCormick will become chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and counterterrorism. (PoliticsPA)
The problem of political violence in Pennsylvania. “Faced with an alarming increase in election and political violence, local leaders are stepping up efforts to deescalate tensions.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
This Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Charter proposal would replace teachers with artificial intelligence-based lessons. “Texas founders of an unconventional AI-powered learning model want to expand to Pennsylvania with a plan for a cyber school that would replace teachers with software and squeeze traditional academics into 2 hours of daily instruction.” (USA Today Network)
Country
2. The Commonwealth Foundation releases the “Agenda for a Better Pennsylvania” to address challenges in the state
“The Commonwealth Foundation has released an action plan to help Pennsylvania lawmakers deliver prosperity and opportunity to voters frustrated by leadership failures in Harrisburg and Washington.
The Better Pennsylvania Agenda offers 30 popular, bipartisan solutions and reforms to address the economic, educational, energy and budget challenges that are driving many Pennsylvanians to flee the state.
“After sending a clear message in the 2024 election, a majority of voters believe Pennsylvania has gone ‘quite seriously down the wrong path’” – Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Eric Telford he said.” (PolitykaPA)
Elsewhere
More governors support Shapiro’s energy complaint. “As soaring utility prices loom on the horizon, four more state leaders support Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s challenge to PJM’s management of the power grid.” (Central Square)
Can Pennsylvania Create the Perfect Cannabis Law? “Legislators, public polls, and even the governor support legalizing recreational marijuana. However, the legislation has proven complex.” (Penn Capital Star)
The legal weed debate is reigniting in Pennsylvania. Here’s what’s on the table. “No one at the Pennsylvania Capitol is ready to say whether this will be the year the state legalizes marijuana. However, this does not stop fans from presenting their visions.” (PA reflector)
McCormick Announces Inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit. “Senator Dave McCormick announced that he will host the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the first half of this year. The summit will bring together top leaders in energy and artificial intelligence.” (PoliticsPA)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Penn State’s current campus ecosystem is ‘unsustainable,’ says Commonwealth’s chancellor
“The current Penn State campus ecosystem is not sustainable, Penn State Commonwealth Campus Executive Chancellor Margo Dellicarpini he told faculty senators during Tuesday’s meeting.
Her comments come at a time when most of the Commonwealth’s 19 university campuses – as well as many other smaller, regional institutions in the North East – face financial problems and recruitment challenges that could worsen as the youth population declines people in the region.
During an hour-long Zoom meeting, faculty senators repeatedly questioned whether some branches might close soon. “Others expressed their comments assuming that campus closures were inevitable and would not be corrected by university administrators.” (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
Elsewhere
Philadelphia prosecutor Larry Krasner says he won’t break the law over Trump’s immigration crackdown. “Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said his office will not comply with any immigration orders issued by President Donald Trump’s administration that could cause his staff to break the law, and that his position will not be influenced by a Justice Department memo threatening consequences.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Commissioners appoint Cartwright as railroad director as work progresses on Scranton to New York train project. “As a member of Congress, former U.S. Republican Matt Cartwright was a key elected advocate for the long-awaited restoration of passenger rail service between Scranton and New York.” (Scranton Times Tribune)
Somerset County District Attorney Announces Campaign for Judge Position. “District Attorney Molly Metzgar announced Wednesday that she is running for Somerset County Common Pleas Court judge, making her the first candidate to launch a campaign for open judgeship.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
Erie Mayor Joe Schember, facing a primary challenge, begins his re-election campaign. “Fellow Democrat Daria Devlin, 47, social impact director of the Hamot Health Foundation and Erie school board member, is challenging Schember in the May municipal primary election.” (Erie Times-News)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 item
5. ‘Quit smoking revenge’: 28% of workers expect it at work in 2025.
“According to Gallup, U.S. employee engagement has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years. And the trend of “revenge quitting” is in vogue as workers fight huge business. This is due to the employee’s suppressed resentment at feeling trapped at work.
What are four signs that an employee may be on the verge of quitting? (Forbes)
