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The Capitol

Former employees of a Harrisburg lobbyist are now atop the official staff and political fundraising arm of the Pennsylvania Senate’s Republican majority, further deepening the influence and ties of the lobbyist’s firms with decision-makers in the Capitol.

Senate GOP leaders tap well-connected Pa. political operative to lead campaign arm

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted of The Caucus

The language of the bill is a carbon copy of a Pennsylvania law from the 1990s that makes it a felony for inmates to spit on another person if they are known to have a communicable disease.

How being sick could result in even stiffer penalties for spitting on Pa. police

by Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA

Amending the Pennsylvania Constitution is a lengthy process that ends at the ballot box, where voters are asked to make consequential decisions based on a few lines of text.

Ballot questions should be clear, but two written by the Wolf administration don’t pass the test

by Sarah Anne Hughes

Rep. Mark Rozzi (D., Berks) is seen here at a 2018 rally at the state Capitol advocating for a change in state law to allow lawsuits for child sex abuse.

Child sex abuse survivors in Pa. denied legal relief as emergency effort fails

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

“They have absolutely no courage to do the right thing,” said Rep. Mark Rozzi (D., Berks), a survivor of child sexual abuse who has been at the forefront of efforts to pass the two-year reprieve. “I don’t believe these politicians deserve to be in this building.”

Hopes dim that Pa. lawmakers will push through emergency relief for clergy abuse victims

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Democrats Rep. Mark Longietti (left) and Rep. Chris Sainato (center) topped the list of reimbursements in the House.

During height of coronavirus pandemic, Pa. lawmakers still cashed in big on meals, lodging

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

A room at Chateau LaFayette at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, where House and Senate Republicans will gather in the coming weeks for their retreats.

As pandemic continues, GOP lawmakers prepare for retreat at pricey ‘Bachelor’ resort

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

People hold up signs during a press conference and rally in 2019 calling for a $15 minimum wage.

5 things to know about the minimum wage debate in Pa.

by Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA

Kent M. Wilhelm / For Spotlight PA

Top Pa. senator appoints colleague’s wife to lucrative Gaming Control Board seat

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

In Pennsylvania, the governor has the power to appoint roughly 1,000 people to dozens of boards and positions across state government, including his own cabinet.

The placeholder: Meet the man Wolf taps to (temporarily) hold key appointments

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Local officials in Pennsylvania are facing another election without extra time to process mail ballots, likely leading to delayed results and putting increased pressure on counties reeling from the most expensive contest ever.

Counties will again be unable to process mail ballots early during Pa.’s primary election

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

The proposal was inspired by former Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, who had a "painfully distant" relationship with Gov. Tom Wolf.

Voters may never again get to choose Pa.’s lieutenant governor candidates

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Five years after quietly pleading guilty in an embezzlement scheme, much of the case against former state Rep. Leslie Acosta remains under a shroud of secrecy.

Spotlight PA sues to unseal records in ex-Democratic state lawmaker’s embezzlement case

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Timothy DeFoor (right) became the first Republican in more than two decades to win the row office, a major victory for the party.

Pa.’s new auditor general says his election was fair, but he won’t talk about the others

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

Only a fraction of state education funding actually goes through a far funding formula, designed to help poor and underfunded districts.

The $1 billion plan to close the gap between growing and shrinking Pa. school districts

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

The decision to exclude Pennsylvania State Police comes after a year dominated by police brutality protests and a harder look within law enforcement agencies across the country at how they interact with Black and brown communities.

Pennsylvania State Police will escape legislative scrutiny in 2021 budget process

by Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA

The U.S. Census Bureau announced Friday that it can’t release the population figures needed for redistricting until Sept. 30, citing setbacks in collecting responses to questionnaires during the coronavirus pandemic.

Delay in census data could put transparency in Pa.’s redistricting process at risk

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

The Wolf administration has provided few details of exactly what occurred, how it happened, who else was responsible for the error, and whether any other disciplinary action or terminations had occurred as a result of it.

Wolf administration refuses to release details after failure derails Pa. clergy sex abuse relief

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Frank Dermody, the top House Democrat who lost reelection in 2020 after 30 years in the legislature, was appointed to a two-year term on the Gaming Control Board.

How some Pa. lawmakers score a ‘golden parachute’ to pad their pensions

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Currently, Gov. Tom Wolf is the only person who can end a disaster declaration. That would change under the proposed constitutional amendment.

Pa. voters will get the last word in struggle between Wolf and lawmakers. Here’s what you need to know.

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Rep. Mark Rozzi (seen here in 2018) announced Thursday there was support in the House for an emergency constitutional amendment.

Pa. House moves to get legal relief for clergy abuse victims back on spring ballot

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar announced she would step down after it was revealed the Department of State failed to advertise a constitutional amendment to create a two-year window so adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse can sue the perpetrators and institutions that covered it up.

What the exit of Pa.’s top election official means for the future of voting

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

“No matter how great a parent you are, if your local school system lacks the resources it needs to provide your kids with a quality education, that’s a barrier to giving them a better life," Gov. Tom Wolf said in his budget address Wednesday.

Wolf asks for tax increase on Pa.’s top earners amid pandemic, GOP pans proposal as ‘irresponsible’

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Gov. Tom Wolf used his veto power to nix a record 19 bills passed by the legislature in 2020 — 15 more than he did in 2019.

Pa. enacted 140 laws last year. Only 27 of them addressed the coronavirus.

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Gov. Tom Wolf and others rallied in September 2018 at the state Capitol in favor of clergy abuse reforms. Wolf on Monday signaled he would support creating a two-year window for retroactive lawsuits through the legislative process.

There’s another path for survivors of clergy sex abuse to get justice. It faces an uphill climb.

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Kathy Boockvar has led the Department of State since 2019, and oversaw a tense and difficult presidential election in a battleground state last year.

Top Pa. election official to resign after agency bungled requirement for constitutional amendment

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Many Republicans contend electing appellate judges by districts rather than in statewide partisan contests — as is currently the process — will ensure that the state Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court reflect the state’s diverse geography.

Pa. could become a national outlier in how it elects appellate judges. Here’s why experts are worried.

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm said it would be a mistake to remain in the $133,000-a-year position after the GOP-controlled state Senate late last year blocked her from serving another six years.

Acting Pa. victim advocate resigns after rejection by GOP-led Senate

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

A file photo of campaign finance records

Q&A: Meet Pennsylvania’s new public records czar

by Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA

Every decade, states undergo a process called redistricting, in which the boundaries of state legislative and U.S. House of Representative districts are redrawn to account for shifts in population as accounted for in the decennial census count.

Redistricting will be the definitive political fight of 2021 in Pennsylvania. Here’s how it’ll work.

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

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