Pennsylvania Archives - Tennessee Star

Grove Proposes Bill to Address Future Pennsylvania Election Complaints

May 17, 2022May 16, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

State Rep. Seth Grove (R-PA-York) told legislative colleagues on Monday that he will introduce a measure to ease the process by which Pennsylvanians can report voter fraud and other election-related problems.

The bill would require the Pennsylvania secretary of state to establish a 1-800 hotline that voters could call to note any alleged misconduct they encounter in the course of an election. The secretary would also need to host annual training sessions for county-level prosecutors on the commonwealth’s election rules.

Pennsylvania Activists Prioritize End of No-Excuse Absentee Voting

May 16, 2022May 17, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

A coalition of more than 70 grassroots organizations across Pennsylvania issued a declaration at the state’s Capitol Building in Harrisburg last week urging lawmakers to repeal no-excuse absentee voting.

The activists would end a provision of Act 77 of 2019, a law passed by the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly, which permits Keystone State residents to vote via absentee or mail-in ballot without stating an excuse. Formerly, valid reasons for voting away from the polls mainly included out-of-town travel and illness.

Surging ‘Ultra MAGA’ Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Kathy Barnette Answers Questions About Her Background

May 16, 2022May 15, 2022 Admin

In a series of interviews Thursday, “Ultra MAGA” Pennsylvania senatorial candidate Kathy Barnette attempted to clear the air after her campaign came under attack for not being transparent about her background.

After her highly praised debate performance on May 4, Barnette surged to a statistical three-way tie with Republicans David McCormick and the Trump-endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Republican primary race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senate Front-Runner John Fetterman Says He Suffered a Stroke, Will Fully Recover

May 16, 2022May 15, 2022 Admin

Pennsylvania Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic front-runner in the state’s U.S. Senate race, announced on Sunday he suffered a stroke over the weekend, but he is on his “way to a full recovery.”

Fetterman, 52, posted a video of himself with his wife, Gisele. He said he was not feeling well on Friday and at the urging of his wife, he went to the hospital.

Former President Trump Endorses Doug Mastriano for Governor of Pennsylvania

May 15, 2022May 14, 2022 Cooper Moran

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the GOP gubernatorial primary in Pennsylvania with only three days before the election, endorsing Doug Mastriano.

Mastriano, a state senator, has been leading the crowded field, according to the latest polls, and will likely be boosted by the Trump endorsement.

Pro-Life PAC Launches Digital Ad Campaign Supporting Kathy Barnette in Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senate Primary

May 14, 2022May 13, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

The national pro-life Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and its affiliate Women Speak Out PAC announced Friday the launch of a digital ad campaign to support Kathy Barnette in the Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senate primary race.

The campaign is part of an overall $2.3 million the pro-life groups will spend to defeat presumed Democrat nominee John Fetterman, who recently referred to abortion as a “sacred” right.

Guy Ciarrocchi’s Role in Fight Against Pennsylvania COVID Overreach

May 14, 2022May 13, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Pennsylvania Sixth Congressional District Republican candidate Guy Ciarrocchi spoke with The Pennsylvania Daily Star and discussed his role was one of the ringleaders of the #VoteYes campaign, the successful effort resulting in the passage of a constitutional amendment in the Keystone State that limits the powers of emergency declarations.

The candidate explained the process that led to the passing of ballot measures that ended the Pennsylvania governor’s ability to issue emergency declarations lasting more than 21 days.

Corman Withdraws from Pennsylvania Governor’s Race, Endorses Barletta; Santorum Adds His Support

May 13, 2022May 12, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Lou Barletta picked up two high-profile endorsements in his campaign for Pennsylvania governor on Thursday: newly withdrawn gubernatorial candidate Jake Corman and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA).

Corman, who serves as state Senate President Pro Tempore and represents a district that includes State College, polled consistently in the single digits throughout the Republican gubernatorial primary. Despite his ending his bid, his name will remain on the ballot as the deadline has passed for removing it.

Catholic Advocacy Organization Calls on Pennsylvania Catholics to Vote for Kathy Barnette in Republican U.S. Senate Primary Race

May 13, 2022May 12, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Faith advocacy group CatholicVote is urging Pennsylvania Catholics to vote for Kathy Barnette in the Republican U.S. Senate primary race, specifically citing Barnette’s strong pro-life views as “crucial” to the state’s reported three million Catholics, of which 537,000 are of voting age, the group states.

The largest grassroots Catholic organization in the country, Madison, Wisconsin-based CatholicVote announced Tuesday its endorsement of Barnette, a pro-life advocate who has shared her own personal story about having been conceived in rape.

Guy Ciarrocchi Blasts PA-6 Democrat Incumbent Chrissy Houlahan

May 13, 2022May 12, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Guy Ciarrocchi, a Republican candidate in Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District race, blasted incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), saying “She let us down.”

Ciarrocchi explained how Houlahan’s actions in the U.S. House have disappointed the PA-6 community and how she’s been a rubber stamp for the Biden agenda, which is in direct contradiction to what she promised the voters in the previous election.

National Pro-Life and Faith Organizations Endorse Kathy Barnette for Republican Nomination for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania

May 12, 2022May 11, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

The national pro-life organization the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and faith-based group CatholicVote have endorsed Kathy Barnette for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

“We are excited to endorse Kathy Barnette for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List, in a statement. “Kathy is a courageous advocate for life who exposes the human cost of abortion. Her deeply compelling personal story ought to stir consciences across our nation, as she is proof that every child has dignity and deserves a chance and every mother deserves our support to choose life.”

Club for Growth Backs Kathy Barnette in Senate Race, Drops Millions to Support Candidacy

May 12, 2022May 11, 2022 Cooper Moran

The Club for Growth on Wednesday endorsed Kathy Barnette, who is running in the GOP primary to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

The organization, which weighed in on the race with only one week to go, subsequently launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign to boost the candidate.

PA-6 Republican Candidate Guy Ciarrocchi Explains Why His Former Employer Endorsed Incumbent Democrat in 2020

May 12, 2022May 11, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Pennsylvania Sixth Congressional District Republican candidate Guy Ciarrocchi spoke with The Pennsylvania Daily Star and explained why he is running against incumbent Democrat Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) even though the board of directors of his previous employer, the Chester County Chamber, endorsed her for re-election in 2020.

Ciarrocchi served as Chester County Chamber CEO from January 2014 until September 18, 2021. In that role, he ran the day-to-day operations but did not have a vote in the endorsement process.

Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Barnette’s Wikipedia Article Pulled

May 12, 2022May 11, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, this week removed its entry for Kathy Barnette, a U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, on the basis that she hasn’t established sufficient “notability.”

A FOX News contributor, Barnette has over 140,500 Twitter followers as of Wednesday evening — a number that grew by about 2,000 throughout the day. She has over 40,000 Facebook followers and over 1,410 YouTube subscribers, numbers that are also both growing rapidly. She has been surging in the polls, coming within two percentage points of celebrity doctor and frontrunner Mehmet Oz in this week’s Trafalgar Group and Fox 29 surveys.

Jason Killmeyer Runs on ‘Dive Bar Republicanism,’ Not ‘Country Club Republicanism’

May 11, 2022May 10, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

When Jason Killmeyer announced in late winter that he would run for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional seat, which is currently held by Democrat Conor Lamb, he said he knew he couldn’t run a “paint-by-numbers” campaign.

That is, as a political newcomer, he couldn’t count on getting politicians’ and party organizations’ support across Beaver and Allegheny counties to build a reputation as an early favorite. Though he knows he will be outspent in the Republican primary race that will conclude on May 17, the counterterrorism analyst and nonprofit executive is dauntlessly pursuing an intensive ground campaign involving lots of door knocking and other grassroots activity.

Pittsburgh Metro Area Down 54,000 Jobs Since the Pandemic

May 11, 2022May 10, 2022 The Center Square

The Pittsburgh metro area’s economy has yet to recover from the pandemic, its effects still hurting job numbers.

The Pittsburgh area, which includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, is still missing 53,800 jobs that it had in March 2019, a 5.1% decline, according to an analysis from the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy.

New Trafalgar Poll: Barnette Reaches Second in Pennsylvania Senate Race

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

A new poll shows the GOP primary race for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania continues to be tight, but with Kathy Barnette now inching ahead of David McCormick to reach second place behind Mehmet Oz.

Barnette, an army veteran and political commentator, is polling at 23.2 percent. Oz, the celebrity surgeon, received 24.5 percent and former hedge-fund executive McCormick got 21.6 percent.

Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Mastriano Leads in GOP Primary, New Pennsylvania Poll Finds

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022 Cooper Moran

Gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and U.S. Senate contender Mehmet Oz are leading their respective GOP primary fields, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by the Trafalgar Group, spoke to 1,080 likely GOP voters in order to gauge each candidate’s support ahead of the May 17 primary election.

Rep. Grove Rebukes Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s ‘Voter Intimidation’ Claims

May 9, 2022May 8, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) castigated the state’s Democratic acting secretary of the commonwealth on Saturday for suggesting that stationing Lehigh County detectives at ballot drop boxes will amount to “voter intimidation.”

Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman last week said that tactics to intimidate voters have “a long history in this country” and that “the mere presence of police at a ballot drop box can deter voters from casting their ballot.” She also mentioned that she has been in conversation with her staff about attempting to dissuade Lehigh County from assigning law-enforcement professionals to watch drop boxes into which absentee voters may place their ballots.

One Year from Full Implementation, Nearly 7 Million Pennsylvanians Without REAL ID

May 9, 2022May 8, 2022 The Center Square

With a year before the federal government enforces its REAL ID requirements, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is encouraging state residents to update their driver’s licenses and photo ID.

When federal enforcement starts on May 3, 2023, only REAL ID-compliant documents will be accepted at airports, federal buildings, and for other federal purposes. If someone doesn’t update their driver’s license, they would need to use a passport, for example, to take a domestic flight.

‘Treating Him Very Unfairly:’ Trump Gives Full-Throated Defense of Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania

May 8, 2022May 7, 2022 Admin

Speaking at a rally in Greensburg, Pa., former President Donald Trump touted his endorsement of Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.

“I just think he’s gonna win. He’s a great gentleman. I’ve known him so long,” Trump said of Oz.

Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Oz Getting Criticism for 2018 Turkish Election Vote

May 6, 2022May 5, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Some security and foreign-policy experts are raising questions about a 2018 photograph showing Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz voting in that year’s Turkish presidential election.

Oz holds dual citizenship in in the United States and Turkey; his parents moved from the latter to the former in the 1960s. The celebrity doctor, who is running for Pennsylvania Senate with the support of former President Donald Trump, has promised that he will renounce his Turkish citizenship if he wins retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s seat in November.

J.D. Vance to Speak at Trump’s Pennsylvania Rally

May 6, 2022May 5, 2022 Cooper Moran

Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance will speak at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, according to a release from Trump’s Save America PAC.

The rally, which will take place on Friday, is located in Western Pennsylvania and will include multiple candidates that Trump endorsed, like Dr. Mehmet Oz and Rep. Alex Mooney.

Pennsylvania Moratorium Loophole Nets $45 Million in Oil and Gas Revenue

May 6, 2022May 5, 2022 The Center Square

Since 2015, when Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf issued a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on state forest and state park lands, the administration argued it was “striking the right balance” between economic and environmental concerns.

However, Wolf’s executive order didn’t stop all new leases on publicly owned acreage.

Former Prosecutor McSwain Running on Constitutional and Economic Conservatism

May 5, 2022May 4, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Bill McSwain, a Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, likes to emphasize his public-service experience — and his distinction as a relative political newcomer.

The 53-year old former federal prosecutor and Chester County native hasn’t held elected office, unlike other high-polling hopefuls state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg), former Congressman Lou Barletta (R-PA-11) and former County Commissioner Dave White (R-Delaware). That’s often among the first details McSwain and his supporters mention about him.

Governor Election Will Decide Pennsylvania’s Membership in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

May 5, 2022May 4, 2022 The Center Square

Action in the General Assembly was not enough to stop the publication of regulations to enter Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but legal action could stop it in the future.

If legal action doesn’t halt Pennsylvania’s entry into RGGI, the outcome of the gubernatorial election could determine whether the Commonwealth stays in the multi-state compact or leaves it by executive order.

Pennsylvania Governor Touts State’s Revenue Intake, Republicans Urge Caution

May 4, 2022May 3, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), amidst his push for a larger state budget, is welcoming reports of high revenue intake, but Republicans are urging caution in response to the new economic downturn.

Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue indicate the commonwealth’s General Fund took in $6.5 billion in April, an amount exceeding the department’s prediction by 38.7 percent. It is the largest sum of taxpayer dollars that the state has collected in one month. In Fiscal Year 2021-22 so far, the General Fund has received $40.7 billion, or 12.4 percent more than forecasted.

Proposed Pennsylvania Law Would Make Drunk Drivers Pay Support to Children of Those They Killed

May 3, 2022May 2, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

A newly proposed Pennsylvania law would require drunk drivers who cause deadly accidents to pay support to the children of those they killed.

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Pittsburgh) is currently seeking cosponsors in the House of Representatives for the legislation.

Affordable Housing a Growing Concern Statewide in Pennsylvania, Low Priority in the Statehouse

May 3, 2022May 2, 2022 Admin

Housing costs in Pennsylvania are rising, but the General Assembly has not prioritized the expansion of housing supply as an area of concern. As rents and housing prices rise across the Commonwealth, inaction now could cause pain in the near future.

Housing prices statewide rose by 14% from 2020 to 2021, as The Center Square previously reported, and in central Pennsylvania, apartment rents have increased 40% since 2017. Rents in Philadelphia increased almost 10% in 2021. The Lehigh Valley has had similar pressures, with one-third of households spending at least 30% of their income on rent or mortgages.

Pennsylvania House Republicans Hail Bipartisan Vote to Cut Corporate Tax

May 2, 2022May 1, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers voiced optimism last week that the commonwealth’s onerous Corporate Net Income Tax (CNIT) might finally soon get reduced, given a recent overwhelming state House vote to do so.

At 9.99 percent, the Keystone State’s CNIT is the second highest in the U.S. A bill by Rep. Joshua Kail (R-Monaca) would reduce the rate to 8.99 percent. His legislation passed the House of Representatives 195-8.

Bill to Expand Education Choice Passes in the Pennsylvania House

May 2, 2022May 1, 2022 The Center Square

A bill with some momentum in the General Assembly would expand school choice with public funding, but may struggle to become law despite public opinion that supports it.

The Pennsylvania House passed an education bill to give students in low-performing schools a scholarship to move districts. The bill, HB2169, was introduced by Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Wellsboro, to establish a Lifeline Scholarship for students to leave an underperforming local school and enroll elsewhere. It narrowly passed 104-98.

Boyle Proposes Public Financing of Pennsylvania Legislative Campaigns

May 1, 2022April 30, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Philadelphia) this week announced to colleagues his proposal for public funding of some state-legislative campaigns.

The measure would require a candidate to have raised at least $10,000 from “small-dollar donors,” meaning those who have contributed between $1 and $200. State Rep. Boyle would allocate payments to hopefuls amounting to six times the total small-dollar contributions they’ve amassed.

Surprise Home Reassessments Create a Tax Burden in Pennsylvania for New Owners

May 1, 2022April 30, 2022 The Center Square

Spot assessments can be used across Pennsylvania to reassess a property’s value, resulting in higher tax bills for homeowners. According to a new report, Allegheny County’s school districts have driven an increase in spot appeals, increasing assessed values by almost $462 million.

The result is that homeowners must pay more in taxes, incentivizing school districts to request a spot assessment.

Pennsylvania Lawmaker Proposes ‘Office of Election Crimes and Security’

April 30, 2022April 29, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) announced on Thursday he intends to draft legislation creating an Office of Election Crimes and Security.

The new division within the Pennsylvania Department of State would be charged with probing all alleged violations of voting laws. The proposed bill also targets “ballot harvesting,” the illegal practice of hand-delivering absentee ballots — usually by depositing them in election drop boxes — on behalf of voters other than oneself. Currently, state law treats ballot harvesting as a misdemeanor; Mastriano’s measure would make it a third-degree felony.

Hernandez-Mendez Sentenced for Hit-and-Run; Victim’s Family Suspects Political Influence

April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Gabriel Hernandez-Mendez, an ex-son-in-law of former Pennsylvania congressman and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta, received a 1-2 year sentence on Tuesday for a hit-and-run.

The incident, which occurred in June, left 15-year-old bicyclist Hector Padilla dead. Padilla’s father Pedro has said that he recognizes that what happened was an accident but that he also believes a much more severe sentence was warranted insofar as the 45-year-old Hernandez-Mendez drove away from the scene and kept quiet about it for 45 days.

Bill to Let State Attorneys Prosecute Philadelphia Gun Crimes Passes Pennsylvania House

April 28, 2022April 27, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives voted 151-49 Wednesday for legislation allowing state prosecutors to handle some of Philadelphia’s gun-related cases.

The bill would renew the state attorney general’s “concurrent jurisdiction” with the Philadelphia district attorney, letting the commonwealth shoulder part of the effort to prosecute firearm-related offenses in a city where many feel the job isn’t getting done.

Cambria County Prosecutor: Difficulty Recruiting Police Is Fueling Pennsylvania Crime

April 27, 2022April 26, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

FBI data currently indicate that Pennsylvania’s violent crime rate exceeds any other northeastern state’s, and a county prosecutor told state senators this week he attributes much of that reality to difficulty recruiting and retaining police officers.

Cambria County District Attorney Gregory Neugebauer testified before the Senate Republican Policy Committee alongside other law-enforcement professionals to illuminate what is driving up crime in the Keystone State and what can be done about it. The hearing, held at the Cambria County Courthouse in Ebensberg, was the first of several the panel is hosting this week to address crime prevention in conjunction with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

On Crime, Drugs, Mental Illness, Pennsylvania Local Authorities See a Resource Problem

April 27, 2022April 26, 2022 The Center Square

A Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing on crime and public safety dwelled on two issues: the need for more funding and officers to address crime, and the lack of mental health support for struggling people.

Two panels spoke to a number of Republican senators; one comprised local law enforcement officers and the other a state judge, public defender, and district attorney.

The Satanic Temple Sues Pennsylvania Elementary School over Rejection of ‘After School Satan Club’

April 26, 2022April 25, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

The Satanic Temple has filed a civil lawsuit against the Northern York County School Board in Pennsylvania, claiming the board discriminated against it by voting down its plan to begin an “after-school Satan Club,” while other groups’ clubs have been accepted.

“The First Amendment prohibits a government from considering the popularity of communicative activity when determining whether to facilitate that communicative activity on equal terms with other, similarly situated, groups,” said Mathew Kezhaya, general counsel for The Satanic Temple, according to CBS 21 News.

Longtime Conservative Campaign Strategist Gerow Persists in Bid for Pennsylvania Governorship

April 26, 2022April 25, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Charlie Gerow has worked with Republican public officials for over four decades. He hasn’t been among them, though he contends that augurs well for how he would perform if elected governor.

“I’m an outsider who knows what’s going on inside,” he told The Pennsylvania Daily Star. “And that’s what voters are looking for — somebody who’s not an officeholder, who’s not part of what’s going on right now but who knows what needs to be done and knows how to do it.”

Majority of Pennsylvania Voters Support Liberalizing Liquor Laws

April 26, 2022April 25, 2022 The Center Square

A push from the liquor lobby to end Pennsylvania’s monopoly on wine and spirits looks like it has majority support from the public, though the timeline of any deregulation is unclear.

A new poll released by the Distilled Spirits Council, conducted by the Tarrance Group, found that 64% of Pennsylvanians support a constitutional amendment to end the government retail sale of wine and spirits, allowing private businesses to sell them. The model of nearby states like Ohio and West Virginia, where the state still distributes wine and spirits but private businesses sell them, garnered the support of 61% of Pennsylvanians in the poll.

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Steps Down

April 25, 2022April 24, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) announced on Friday that his Secretary of Education Noe Ortega is stepping down and that Wolf’s Deputy Chief of Staff Eric Hagarty will replace him.

The administration said Ortega will be presently dedicating his free time to his family and mulling potential next career steps.

Pennsylvania Still Restricts Nurses’ Scope of Practice, Health Care Options

April 25, 2022April 24, 2022 The Center Square

Though a majority of states allow nurse practitioners full authority to deliver care, Pennsylvania still requires oversight from a physician. A bill in the legislature could change it though, but it’s unclear if it will advance through the General Assembly soon.

The legislation, SB25, sponsored by Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, would update state requirements for nurses and would remove a requirement for nurse practitioners to have a collaborative agreement with a physician for them to practice and write prescriptions.

Pennsylvania Has Lost 30,000 Nursing Home Workers Since Start of Pandemic

April 24, 2022April 23, 2022 The Center Square

Staff member at nursing home showing smartphone to elderly woman

Jobs in nursing and residential care facilities fell dramatically during the pandemic and have yet to recover. Due to economic factors and long-term aging trends in Pennsylvania, bouncing back won’t be easy.

About 202,000 workers were in long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania in March 2020 before the pandemic hit, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since then, the numbers have fallen to 172,300 as of February. The worker loss may have finally ended, as preliminary figures for March show 172,700 workers.

Sources: Internal Polling Shows Oz 10 Points Ahead of McCormick in Pennsylvania

April 23, 2022April 23, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Internal polling shows Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz surging past rival David McCormick by 10 points, according to sources close to the candidate’s campaign not authorized to talk to the press.

McCormick, a former hedge-fund executive and former undersecretary of the Treasury under George W. Bush, spent several weeks as the frontrunner in the Republican primary that will be decided on May 17, but recent public polls showed Oz quickly closing that gap.

John Fredericks Hosts Trump-Endorsed GOP Senate Hopeful Dr. OZ at Bristol, Pennsylvania Townhall

April 22, 2022April 26, 2022 Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, covered the April 20, 2022, Bristol, Pennsylvania., townhall, featuring GOP Senate hopeful Dr. Mehmet Oz and former Housing and Urban Development head Dr. Ben Carson, which was hosted by talk radio’s ‘Godzilla of Truth’ John Fredericks.

Corman to Bannon: Election Integrity Will Be Paramount in Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Administration

April 22, 2022April 21, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore and gubernatorial candidate Jake Corman (R-Bellefonte) appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room Thursday to discuss his proposed reforms to make elections more secure in his state.

Corman promised to call for a special legislative session on election-related legislation the day he takes office. Items he said he intends to address foremost are requiring identification of all voters, rescinding a state policy allowing people to vote by mail without submitting an excuse, banning absentee-ballot drop boxes and banning the use of private grants for election administration.

On ‘420 Day,’ Republican and Democratic Senators Push for Marijuana Legalization

April 21, 2022April 20, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Senate sponsors touted their proposal to permit its recreational use by adults on Wednesday, April 20, i.e. 4-20, the day marijuana users celebrate their indulgence and clamor for its legalization.

“Legalization must be done the right way, and my bill ensures a legalized Pennsylvania market is implemented safely and responsibly, with a thoughtful approach that provides opportunities to medical and recreational consumers, farmers and small, medium and minority-owned businesses,” State Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) said in a statement.

Pennsylvania Lawmaker Wants Education Department to Explain ‘Gender Unicorn’ Material

April 20, 2022April 19, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

A Republican lawmaker is pressing the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to explain the use of material featuring characters called “Genderbread Person” and “the Gender Unicorn.”

A week ago, State Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Ellwood City) sent a letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of Education (PDE) Noe Ortega asking about a diagram apparently distributed by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) that depicts the two figures.

O’Neal Proposes Tax Credit to Offset RGGI Compliance Costs in Pennsylvania

April 19, 2022April 18, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania state Rep. Timothy O’Neal (R-Washington) has indicated he’s drafting legislation to bestow tax credits on power plants to cover costs of complying with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Pennsylvania is among eleven northeastern and mid-Atlantic states to have joined RGGI, a compact to levy de facto taxes on electricity-generation facilities for emitting greenhouse gases — chiefly carbon dioxide and methane — which are associated with global warming. Because Keystone State legislators have balked at the program, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) announced in 2019 that he would enter the state into it using his own regulatory authority. Earlier this month, Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Commonwealth Court blocked the state’s entry into RGGI, insisting that Wolf breached the limits on his executive power, but the ruling is not ironclad as the Democrat-run state Supreme Court could reverse it.