Pennsylvania category, Page 26

Elections 101 from Spotlight PA protects you against election misinformation and empowers you to make informed decisions. HARRISBURG — As the 2024 election heats up, voters in Pennsylvania may hear candidates talk about poll watchers. Appointed by candidates or political parties, poll watchers are permitted to observe polling place setup,...

A new statewide effort to get Pennsylvania Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in protest of President Joe Biden has garnered support from the Pittsburgh chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, a left-wing political group. The group voted Wednesday evening to support the Uncommitted PA campaign, which is encouraging Democratic voters...

If you’ve ever been pulled over by a law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania and needed to test your breath or your reflexes, you may be wondering if you’re within your rights to refuse those requests — whether you had been drinking or not. Pennsylvanians may sometimes choose not to comply...

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House is advancing modest campaign finance reforms during an election year that will likely see a torrent of hard-to-trace political spending...

HARRISBURG — A requirement for Pennsylvania voters to put accurate handwritten dates on the outside envelopes of their mail-in ballots does not run afoul of a civil rights law, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling. A divided 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled...

Legislation that would help to ease state inmates’ transition into society and give them an opportunity to get out sooner won passage in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday. One bill would require the state to assist inmates in obtaining identification before leaving prison, and another would allow inmates...

HARRISBURG — A proposal to ban the purchase, sale and production of untraceable gun parts passed the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives on Wednesday, with Democrats in the House using their majority to propel gun control after years of stagnation in a divided state government. The legislation passed the House...

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a case brought by conservative legislators seeking to throw out Governor Josh Shapiro’s voter registration policy, along with related initiatives from former Gov. Tom Wolf and President Joe Biden. The order by Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for the Middle District, finds that the plaintiffs...

A large suburban Philadelphia county has joined dozens of other local governments around the country in suing the oil industry, asserting that major oil producers systematically deceived the public about their role in accelerating global warming. Bucks County’s lawsuit against a half dozen oil companies blames the oil industry for...

HARRISBURG — Police investigating the killing a pregnant Amish woman in rural Pennsylvania seized six guns, a variety of ammunition and a pair of sneakers that may match tread marks left at the crime scene during searches of the suspect’s home and vehicle, documents show. Search warrant documents released over...

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and the Bahamas. New York, Greenwich, and London. The de la Torre Design Studio in New York City has,...

Taking in the total solar eclipse on April 8 at Pymatuning State Park is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and visitors are expected to flock to the Crawford County attraction for a chance to share in the excitement. “Nobody that’s alive today is going to be alive for the next one, so...

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — As part of what his administration is calling a “new era” of energy policy, Gov. Josh Shapiro...

LANCASTER — A scheduled “Drag Queen Story Hour” at a Pennsylvania library that had drawn opposition was canceled Saturday after a suspicious package was found in the building and two blocks were evacuated after threats were reported, authorities said. Police evacuated Lancaster Public Library after the package was found. A...

HARRISBURG — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick will be the only eligible names on ballots for the office in Pennsylvania’s April primary after a ruling Friday by the state’s highest court. The ruling completed the third of three successful court challenges to the paperwork of three...

HARRISBURG — Republican state lawmakers are pushing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to do more to investigate the deaths of older adults who are the subject of an abuse or neglect complaint after Pennsylvania recorded a steep increase in such deaths starting in 2019. Shapiro’s Department of Aging has balked at...

In the five years that Alex Busato has been keeping his eyes peeled for local birds, he’s seen perhaps two bobwhite quails. State game commission officials are hoping to change that. Once found in all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties in the mid-1800s, the little 10-inch-tall bird has been pushed out...

Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn’t regularly reassess its properties for tax purposes. A Pittsburgh state legislator wants to change that. Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, told TribLive that he is drafting legislation that would call for regular reassessments statewide. “It is absolutely time to talk about this,” Fontana said...

Union and management negotiators have a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract covering athletics coaches across Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities, officials said Thursday. If ratified by the parties, the pact between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Facilities and State System of Higher Education would run through...

The Biden administration on Thursday announced $5.8 billion in additional student loan relief for those working as firefighters, nurses and various other public service jobs in Pennsylvania and across the nation. The latest batch of canceled debt applies to 77,700 borrowers. It stems from fixes made by the administration to...

This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. STATE COLLEGE — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed creating a predictable funding formula and boosting state support by 5% for the state-related universities —...

There aren’t many universities in their infancy that also are comprised of institutions dating to the Civil War era. In its presidential search, Pennsylvania Western University has walked that fine line between future and past. Now, the university with merged campuses in California, Clarion and Edinboro has posted to its...

Five thousand state university faculty will vote next month on a tentative four-year labor pact between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and the State System of Higher Education. The statewide balloting dates announced Tuesday come three months after union and management announced an agreement in principle...

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House speaker said Monday that qualified residents should be able to register to vote at polling places on the day of elections, and that early voting centers should be open for two weeks beforehand. Speaker Joanna McClinton had proposed these measures as part of a wider...