🌄 Good Tuesday morning. What a lovely day it’s going to be. Go outside and enjoy.
Pennsylvania Weather
☀️ Indiana | Mostly radiant, 75
☀️ New Freedom | Mostly Sunny, 78
☀️ Montrose | Mostly radiant, 73
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (69-49) | Tuesday-Wednesday vs. Miami
⚾ Pirates (56-62) | San Diego 1-2 | Tuesday-Wednesday vs. San Diego
⚽ Union (League Cup) | Tuesday vs. Cincinnati
👂 What do we hear“Anyone who does anything with their hands votes for the Republican Party,” he said. Sean Loguewho chairs the Washington County Republican Party.
🗞️ Pennsylvania Headlines >> Your InboxWhere can you find all the latest news about what’s happening in Keystone State politics? Sign up for the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8 a.m. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and sign up now.
The most vital story
1. Five Kinds of Places That Will Get You Pennsylvania
“The candidate position on the ticket has changed, but the significance of winning Pennsylvania for each party remains the same.
All eyes will be on the key battleground state in the coming months as polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump locked in a tight race. Previous voting trends in Pennsylvania provide a road map for the types of places that will decide who wins this year’s presidential election.
The Inquirer divided the state into five types of places, divided by population density, race and education, to understand how voting changed in the last presidential election. Each group offers insight into the electorate — and a small change in any one of them could affect the outcome this year.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Related
NYT/Siena Poll: Harris, Casey Gain Ground in Pennsylvania“The latest New York Times-Siena College poll offers good news for a pair of Democratic candidates.” (PoliticsPA)
Donald Trump’s Speech During Musk Interview Raises Health Concerns“Donald Trump had a long chat with Elon Musk at X on Monday, and one thing you couldn’t miss was the former president’s slurred speech. Trump often sounded like he spoke with a heavy lisp or slurred his words, which caused quite a stir on social media.” (PennLive)
- 5 takeaways from Trump and Musk’s conversation about X. (Hill)
- Trump’s interview with Musk turns into another X disaster. (POLITICIAN)
Will Kamala Harris’ Short Campaign End the “Permanent Campaign”? “The ambush on Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has raised a question that American politicians have long ignored in conversations with puzzled foreigners: What if our campaigns were much, much shorter?” (Traffic lights)
Why Investing in a Chinese Fentanyl Company Has Become an Issue in Pennsylvania’s Senate Race“The fentanyl overdose epidemic that killed about 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year has become a major issue in the closely watched U.S. Senate race, with both candidates accusing the other of helping to fuel the nation’s opioid crisis.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Country
2. Without cuts or up-to-date revenue, Pennsylvania’s budget surplus is on track to being exhausted
“Pennsylvania’s multibillion-dollar budget surplus will soon be cut in half, according to projections from the state budget commission. That’s the result of a long-standing structural deficit coupled with a growing list of liabilities competing for public money.
The state’s latest $47.6 billion budget increased spending by 6% and added more than $1 billion in new funding to public schools in response to a court ruling that Pennsylvania underfunds poor districts.
But the state brought in just $44 billion in net revenue last fiscal year. So to fund the spending plan, lawmakers are dipping into the state’s sizable cash reserves, which stood at about $13.6 billion as of June 30. (PA reflector)
Related
Grove: PA budget situation threatens ‘dire collapse’ “Now, Republicans in Harrisburg are warning that the state budget is at risk of a ‘pathetic collapse,’ according to the chief budget analyst for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives GOP.” (DV Journal)
Trump Shooting Inquiry Chairman Brings Personal Experience to Case“Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania was in the audience with his family, including three of his grandchildren, during the shooting.” (New York Times)
Trump plans rally in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday“Former President Donald Trump will make another trip to the Commonwealth on Saturday as he plans to deliver a speech in Wilkes-Barre.” (PoliticsPA)
Can a Minnesota teacher win in Pennsylvania? “Can Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz unite the Democratic Party base and win over vulnerable conservative and independent voters in battleground states?” (POLITICIAN)
These Pennsylvania voters illustrate Harris’ challenge to the suburbs. “Carol Carty is missing something from today’s Republican Party, and she’s looking for it in her musical choices.” (CNN)
Biden says he and Shapiro will campaign in Pennsylvania for Harris“Pennsylvania is almost a must-win state for Democrats this fall, because most of the path to the 270 electoral votes needed for victory involves winning the Keystone State.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. How the Pennsylvania Department of State is trying to clarify county rules
“When Republicans in the legislature urged Congress to reject Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, Joe Biden in 2020, they didn’t cite voter fraud or illegal activity. Instead, they pointed to something seemingly harmless: guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
The department regularly issues guidance and directives to clarify election procedures and state law, such as when a new court ruling emerges or an Election Day problem the agency hopes to avoid.” (Votebeat)
Related
Sturla drops out of state House race, Democrats seek new candidate. “Lancaster City, State Rep. Mike Sturla withdrew his candidacy for re-election Monday, leaving Democrats with less than two weeks to find a candidate to replace him on the ballot. Sturla has served in Harrisburg since first winning election in 1990, making him one of the longest-serving representatives in the state House.” (LNP | Lancaster Online)
Philadelphia man accused of voting in 2 states faces federal charges“A Huntingdon Valley man is accused of voting in both Florida and Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election and twice in Pennsylvania in the November 2022 election.” (AP)
The bill wants open primaries nationwide“The Let America Vote Act, sponsored by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., would affect 22 states where primary elections have remained closed to registered party members.” (Central Square)
Wait for Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling in Cabell/Walsh race“Now that all the legal briefs have been filed, all that remains is to wait for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to rule in the April 23 primary election for the Republican state representative seat in the 117th District between Jamie Walsh and incumbent Mike Cabell.” (Leader of the times)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- Josh Shapiro, Vice Presidential Elections and the Role of Faith in Presidential Politics. (Zev Eleff)
- Donald Trump is running a race in his head, and that’s a good way to lose. (Adriana E. Ramirez)
- What JD Vance and the progressive left don’t understand about America. (Bruce Ledewitz)
- Give voters a chance to correct mistakes made during postal voting. (Faith Genser)
- Deficits have consequences. (Representative Seth Grove)
- It’s strenuous to run as an independent, but it’s uncomplicated to challenge them when they try. (Tribune Review)
- We need more people like Tim Walz in politics. (York Dispatch)
- “Don’t Let Us Sleep” Black voters are agents of change. (Johnny C. Johnson)
1 thing
5. Meet Colonel Custard
“A marmot was rescued from the trapping machine next to the Meadows Original Frozen Custard mini golf course on Tuesday after it climbed up the prize slide and nestled inside with the stuffed animals.
Meadows doesn’t know why the groundhog climbed onto the machine with its claws, but he suspects it may have been attracted by sugary residue left on the controls by children who recently ate frozen custard.
They decided to name the marmot “Colonel Custard. (Altoona Mirror)
