👋 Good morning! Have your friends already signed up for the PoliticsPA Guide? Send them this link if they haven’t already.
🗞️ Headlines. Pennsylvania’s billionaire class continues to grow. Garrity makes the case for wanting to be the next governor. Envelope combat explained. On the map: our Irish roots.
🍀 Your morning, pick me up. I’m shipping to Boston. After all, Dropkick Murphys is St. Patrick’s Day
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️ Ulster, Pennsylvania | Partly clear, 32
🌤️ Dunmore, Pennsylvania | Partly clear, breezy, 32
🌤️ Dublin, Pennsylvania | Partly clear, breezy, 37
Sports PA
🏀 Sixes (37-31) | Tuesday in Denver
🏒 Leaflets (31-23-12) | Wednesday in Anaheim
🏒 Penguins (34-18-15) | Colorado 7-2 | Wednesday in Carolina
⚽ Union (0-0-4) | Wednesday – Club América
🗓️What’s happening today. The AP Senate meets at 1 p.m
💬 Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s leading source of unbiased political news and analysis. Tips and press releases can be submitted [email protected].
📕 PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here.
The most crucial story
1. Pennsylvania’s billionaire class continues to grow
“A Republican megadonor with ties to Trump and TikTok, a candy bar and pet food heiress, the owner of 84 Lumber and principal owners of two Philadelphia sports teams are among Pennsylvania billionaires on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s richest people.
The US has the most billionaires – a record 989, including 20 Pennsylvanians, up from 18 last year.” | Key
Elsewhere
Fetterman: ‘My heart stopped’ during 2022 near-fatal stroke. “In an interview on the “Hang Out With Sean Hannity” podcast, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman spoke about his near-fatal stroke in 2022, telling the host, “my heart stopped.” PoliticsPA
The Trump Administration is accelerating the process of selecting PA detention center operators. “The Trump administration is using a secret, fast-track process, fueled by $45 billion in taxpayer money, to choose who will run new immigration detention centers in Pennsylvania and across the country.” | PA Berks County in Focus
Shapiro tests measured, pro-Israel message on Progressive Podcast Tour. “As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro plans to run for president in 2028, he is using a series of podcast interviews with celebrities to refine and test his message on Israel — while taking aim at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential rival.” | Jewish insider
How deregulation made electricity more pricey, not cheaper. “American families are feeling the pinch of rising electricity prices. In the last five years alone, Philadelphia’s portion of the standard household electricity bill has increased by 71%. In the Lehigh Valley, it has increased by 77%. ” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Mike Kelly talks about polarization, a up-to-date political era. “Much of the world has changed in the 15 years of service in Congress for 77-year-old Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16.” | Butler the Eagle
Country
2. Republican Stacy Garrity makes the case for wanting to be PA’s next governor
“Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity likes to give hugs. She smiles a lot and looks people in the eye.
Her decisiveness is seen when she speaks in front of a crowd: she talks to them, not to them.
She believes in herself. He wants to be the next Republican governor of Pennsylvania. | Somerset Daily American
Elsewhere
Treasurer Garrity bought Israel bonds. Candidate Garrity then participated in the campaign at a company gala. “Ethics experts raised concerns after State Treasurer Stacy Garrity attended a campaign gala hosted by the company from which she purchased multimillion-dollar bonds in her official state capacity.” | PA reflector
Pennsylvania senators are amending the cannabis regulation bill with up-to-date provisions banning most products containing THC from hemp. “A Pennsylvania Senate committee amended a previously member-approved cannabis regulation bill to add new provisions prohibiting the sale of most THC-containing cannabis products in order to bring state law in line with a pending federal policy change that is expected to go into effect in November.” | Marijuana moment
PA lawmakers are trying to leverage infrastructure to meet energy demands. “On Monday, members of the state House Energy Committee heard testimony on two proposals that would not require any new power plants or transmission lines that could take years to come online and could use existing infrastructure.” | Penn Capital Star
The future of fantasy sports in Pennsylvania is sparking debate on Capitol Hill. “The lawmaker who wrote Pennsylvania’s fantasy sports betting law believes the state gaming commission is not approving new fantasy contests that should be allowed, potentially depriving the state of much-needed revenue.” | PennLive
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Envelope fighting was explained before the PA basic class on May 19th
“Pennsylvania voters have less than two months to request an absentee ballot for the May 19 primary election.
We don’t know if the state Supreme Court will rule on the lawsuit by then, or if the ballot will need to be dated on the outer envelope when it returns.” | USA Today Network
Elsewhere
HD-79: McCoy and Verobish want to replace Schmitt in Blair County special election. In the 79th Legislative District, Democrat Caleb McCoy and Republican Andrea Verobish are meeting to fill the remaining term of Lou Schmitt, who resigned his seat to become a Blair County Common Pleas Court judge. | PoliticsPA
HD-193: Wallen, Crawley Vie will complete Ecker’s term in the PA House. In the 193rd Legislative District, Democrat Todd Crawley and Republican Catherine Wallen are meeting to fill the remaining term of Torren Ecker, who resigned his seat to become an Adams County Court of Common Pleas judge. | PoliticsPA
Delaware County Legislators Push for PA Family Leave Act. “We want to make Pennsylvania the 14th state to offer Paid Family Leave to our residents because we are tired of not providing this benefit to our workers,” said Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, lead sponsor of House Bill 200. | Delco Times
Lawsuit states Republican Party challenger for state representative Venkat does not meet District 30 residency requirements. “The lawsuit, filed Monday morning by a Republican voter in this district, argues that Ehab Akkary is ineligible to run for office because he has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the four years required by state law.” | WESA
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Mayor Scrappy Showing Democrats How It’s Done | Michelle Cottle
- True transparency means meeting people where they are David Sanko
- Meta during rehearsal: “We’re basically pushers.” Lawmakers must require social media platforms to prioritize children’s safety | AJ Ernst
- Trump’s tariffs hurt Pennsylvanians – up to $1,000 per household | Matt Colyar
- Don’t let Pennsylvania lawmakers turn the credit card swipe into a checkout nightmare | Duncan Campbell, Patrick Conway and Kevin Shivers
- You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist One hundred Bykofsky
- Governor Shapiro, ensure PA children have access to the up-to-date scholarship program | Andrew Lewis
- The NCAA doesn’t need the government to solve its problems John Hook
1 item
5. 🇮🇪 On the map: our Irish roots
“The Yinz are very Irish.
Why it matters: The Irish heritage in western Pennsylvania runs deep, from Scots-Irish settlers during the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s to the influx of Irish Catholics in the early and mid-1800s and the role of Irish immigrants in the early labor movement in the steel industry in the 1890s.
Enlarge: According to 2024 census data, over 413,000 people in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area claim Irish ancestry.
That’s almost 17% of the population.” | Axios Pittsburgh
Thank you for starting your day with us.
Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day and buy it from us!
