MARCH 13, 2025
The House returns to Harrisburg for a three-day session Monday. The Senate is scheduled to return March 24.
Media counsel to testify on auto-delete messaging

Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky will be among the testifiers at a March 24 Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee hearing on government officials’ use of messaging apps that automatically delete communications within a day that could be subject to the Right-to-Know Law.
The committee wants to learn if a law change is needed to ensure appropriate transparency and accountability to the public. The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. in Hearing Room 1 of the North Office Building in the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg. It also will be livestreamed on the committee’s website.
Memo: Suspending pension, health benefits for ex-lawmakers-turned lobbyists

Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D-Montgomery) plans to offer legislation that aims to eliminate the “double-dipping” conflict of interest that arises when former state lawmakers engage in lobbying activity before the former legislative body in which they were a member.
Current law does not permit former representatives and senators to lobby before the chamber where they served for one year after leaving office. Her bill would impose the pension and health benefit restrictions once that time has passed, according to her memo.
Krupa wants to require Legislature buy-in for campus closure
Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) is proposing a package of bills targeted at giving lawmakers more say over potential closure of branch campuses of the state’s four state-related universities: Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple and Lincoln.
It would require legislative approval of a campus closure, mergers or significant downsizing. It also would require public hearings and an economic impact study of any campus closure under consideration. Other bills in the three-bill package would look at the educational and financial impact of a closure.
Lawmaker calls for transparency of legislator expenses
With the dollars legislators use to pay for their expenses coming out of taxpayers’ pockets, Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) proposes legislation that would require the House and Senate chief clerks’ offices to publicly post on an accessible website all expenses paid for out of legislators’ and caucuses’ accounts.
Some lawmakers individually post their expenses already but Williams’ memo said this would provide the public with “a full, transparent picture of how their taxpayer dollars are being spent.”
Memo: Asking Congress to stop the clock changes
Sen. Scott Martin (R-Berks/Lancaster) intends to offer a resolution calling on Congress to end the practice of changing the clocks twice a year. His memo says research links the time shifts to increased car accidents, workplace injuries, health problems and an estimated $400 million in lost productivity annually.
Lawmaker wants to establish elder-abuse registry
Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Columbia/Luzerne/Montour) plans to offer legislation requiring the Department of Aging to establish a statewide elder-abuse registry.
It would include the name, address and photo of a substantiated perpetrator of abuse, neglect and abandonment or exploitation of older adults along with a description of the abuse and the date and location where it occurred. It also would prohibit individuals on the registry from working as a caregiver of a care-dependent individual.
Bill would require filing campaign expense reports online
While many candidates and political action committees already file their campaign finance reports electronically, Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery) wants to make this a requirement.
His memo said electronic filing improves government transparency and accountability while reducing the cost to the commonwealth. His proposed bill also expands the permitted ways money remaining in a campaign account of a candidate or political committee can be disbursed when the account is terminated.
Proposed amendment seeks to address officials’ absenteeism
Rep. Eric Davanzo (R-Westmoreland) intends to introduce a proposed constitutional amendment allowing the General Assembly to establish meeting attendance policies for local government officials to remedy concerns about absenteeism from meetings.
May I quote you?
“If we had enacted when we first proposed the skill games and adult-use cannabis and these changes, we would already have $850 million additional in the bank.”
— State Budget Secretary Uri Monson in his testimony during a House Appropriations Committee budget hearing in Harrisburg
MARCH 6, 2025
The General Assembly is on a break while appropriations committees hold departmental budget hearings. The House is scheduled to return to session March 17 and the Senate on March 24.
Reforming law to address commercial purpose records requests
Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer) reintroduced legislation to reform the Right-to-Know Law to allow, not require, a fee to be charged for a commercial purpose request. The fee would be calculated based on the hourly wage of the lowest-paid agency employee responding to the request.
“It takes taxpayer-paid time of agency employees to complete these requests, and it is only fair that if the request is for a commercial purpose, the agency be compensated for their time in completing the request,” her memo states.
SB 350 would carve out exclusions for record requests from a nonprofit educational or noncommercial scientific institution for scholarly or scientific research, or the use of a record by the news media, a journalist or an author for news gathering or dissemination in a newspaper, periodical, book, digital publication, or radio or television broadcast.
Memo: Expand Address Confidentiality Program to include deeds
Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) intends to reoffer legislation that adds property deeds of victims of stalking, domestic violence and human trafficking to the list of records protected by the state’s Address Confidentiality Program. The program is designed to provide an extra layer of protection for these crime victims and it covers such records as apartment addresses and voting records.
Bill seeks to drop public notice requirement for name changes
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks/Chester/Montgomery) plans to introduce legislation to remove the publication requirement and seal court records when a person changes their name.
Her memo states this change would make the legal name-change process more affordable by removing Title 54 requirements requiring an applicant to submit a petition to the court where it is publicly accessible online and publish a notice in two newspapers. The proposed legislation is offered as part of a package to remove barriers for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive Pennsylvanians that also includes a measure that would remove sex from birth certificates.
Legislation would allow emergency contacts on driver information
Rep. Shelby Labs (R-Bucks) plans to reintroduce legislation that would allow drivers to include emergency contact information and medical conditions on their PennDOT driving record. This could mitigate communication barriers between police and motorists that may occur from such conditions as autism spectrum disorder or deafness and create “safer conditions for all involved parties,” her memo states.
Lawmaker wants transparency in pricing
Rep. Darisha Parker (D-Philadelphia) plans to offer legislation to require businesses to post any surcharges or fees assessed when a debit or credit card is used for payment.
“People deserve fairness when buying goods and services,” her memo states. “We need these protections so seniors and our family members can make informed decisions and be assured of a fair purchase. This fix will also aid businesses in avoiding confusion and upset customers.”
Fayette legislator: Require monthly state spending posts
Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) proposes legislation requiring state agencies to post monthly their expenditures of taxpayer funds on their publicly accessible websites.
Further, it would require agencies to submit quarterly affirmations to the auditor general confirming that their financial records dealing with spending taxpayer funds were posted. It would give the auditor general the authority to conduct periodic audits to ensure accuracy and compliance.
“By making this information readily available, we can build greater trust in our state government and help safeguard against financial mismanagement,” her memo states.
May I quote you?
“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.”
‒ Politico’s Eugene Daniels, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, writing in an X post about the Trump Administration’s announcement that it will decide the makeup of press pools covering the president when the full press corps cannot be accommodated.
FEBRUARY 27, 2025
The General Assembly is on a break while appropriations committees hold departmental budget hearings. The House is scheduled to return to session March 17 and the Senate on March 24.
Memo: Move to a two-year state budget
Noting that the General Assembly passed a state budget on time only a handful of times over the past decade, Rep. Barb Gleim (R-Cumberland) proposes moving to a biennial (two-year) budget cycle.
In her memo, she said this “would greatly increase the efficiency and productivity of state government, while encouraging long-range planning among state agencies and other entities receiving state appropriations.” She said it also would avoid the harmful impacts that budget impasses can have on Pennsylvanians.
Demanding transparency from Team PA Foundation
Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) plans to offer legislation that would require public-private partnerships created under executive orders, such as Team PA Foundation, to comply with the Right-to-Know Law and file annual comprehensive financial reports with the General Assembly and governor.
Spotlight PA has reported on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s use of Team PA Foundation dollars to cover the cost of tickets and trips to high-profile sporting events, which have drawn criticism from government reform groups.
“The public should have a greater transparency on these entities,” Grove said.
Lawmaker wants early voting to increase participation
Rep. Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware) introduced legislation that would allow voters to begin casting their ballots 30 days before an election up through the day before Election Day.
HB 669 establishes the county board of elections office and designated polling places as venues where voters could cast early ballots.
Modernizing forgery law to address ‘deepfakes’
Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) wants to modernize the state’s forgery law to address the rise of “deepfakes” and other digital impersonation.
She proposes legislation to include “forged digital likeness” in the law. It would make creating a digital representation of a real person without their consent and distributing that image as genuine with the intent to defraud, injure or deceive subject to penalties.
“This measure takes great care to protect First Amendment rights and preserves valid expressions of parody, satire, and other forms of free speech,” her memo states. “It is imperative that we address harmful impersonations while safeguarding legitimate artistic, journalistic, and expressive works.”
Safeguarding public officials
Sen. David Argall (R-Carbon/Luzerne/Schuylkill) proposes a bill that would add “several’’ local officials to a list of public servants who, if assaulted while performing their duties, would see the offense committed against them elevated to aggravated assault.
In justifying the need for this change, he cites a National League of Cities survey that found 73% of mayors, city council and city managers said they experienced harassment as part of their work and 60% claim the level of harassment has worsened since entering office.
Permitting audio recording of zoning hearings
Municipalities could make audio recordings of zoning hearing board hearings as the official record of the proceeding under proposed legislation from Rep. Andrew Kuzma (R-Allegheny/Washington).
“Under current law, zoning hearing boards are required to keep a stenographic record of hearings, which can place a financial burden on municipalities and applicants,” his memo states. “This requirement often leads to increased costs and delays, particularly for smaller municipalities with limited resources.”
Letting voters determine fate of warehouse projects
With the growth in online shopping, particularly in the Lehigh Valley, and Pennsylvania’s prime geographic location for nationwide shipping, Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton) has introduced legislation to add a new requirement to the approval process for warehouse projects. HB 750 would require voter approval of any warehouse development located in the voters’ municipality before the decision is considered final.
May I quote you?
“I think the likelihood is that we’ll probably get skilled games before we get legalized recreational cannabis and … it’s a big mistake.”
– Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia), responding to a question at the Pennsylvania Press Club about which of these new revenue sources is likely to first win passage in the General Assembly.
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
The General Assembly is on a break while appropriations committees hold departmental budget hearings. The House is scheduled to return to session March 17 and the Senate on March 24.
Sunshine Week resolution
Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) introduced a resolution to designate the week of March 16 as “Sunshine Week” in Pennsylvania.
“There was a time in the not-so-distant past when many state and local government meetings were closed to the public and important decisions were made with no public input. Thankfully, that is no longer true,” his memo states.
Calling for more transparency
Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) proposes legislation requiring more transparency in the decision-making process of PJM Interconnection, a regional organization that oversees the electrical transmission infrastructure in 13 states, including Pennsylvania. He wants PJM to disclose to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission any recorded votes made by its members including electric generators and utility companies, and a brief description for how that vote is in the public interest.
Deaths in custody reporting
Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware/Montgomery) intends to reoffer legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to comply with the federal Death in Custody Reporting Act and make failing to report a misdemeanor subject to a fine.
“Comprehensive reporting of these deaths is intended to serve as a vital tool for public health and accountability,” her memo states. ”Accurate and consistent data provides officials with insight surrounding premature deaths in custody and to highlight practices and policies to create a safer criminal justice system.”
Avoiding conflicts for school directors
Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) plans to offer legislation prohibiting school directors from serving in a district where an immediate family member is employed. Not only does it avoid potential conflicts of interest, it helps provide a fair environment, according to her memo.
”The decisions of school directors need to be in the best interest of the students, staff, and the taxpayers of the school district, not persuaded by a conflict of interest,” her memo states.
AI copyright infringement
Rep. Kristine Howard (D-Chester) plans to reoffer a resolution calling on Congress to amend the copyright law to address the ramifications of AI-generated work. She wants Congress to clarify that only works made mostly by human hand can be copyrighted. Her resolution states that “scraping” copyrighted works for the purposes of training AI is not covered under Fair Use and the work’s creator must be compensated.
Creating a Pennsylvania DOGE
Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin/Adams) is proposing legislation to create a Pennsylvania Department of Government Efficiency to promote fiscal accountability and curb wasteful spending.
The proposed state DOGE would have the authority to audit any agency in the commonwealth, to temporarily withhold payments it deems unnecessary or inefficient, and to recommend dissolving agencies considered wasteful. It would be required to report its findings to a bipartisan oversight committee. His memo states, “This initiative is a vital step in ensuring that every dollar spent is a dollar well-invested in the future of our state.”
May I quote you?
“As news, magazine, and media publishers, we serve an important role in keeping society informed and supporting the free flow of information and ideas, but we cannot continue to do so if AI companies like Cohere are able to undercut our businesses while using our own content to compete with us.”
– Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of News/Media Alliance, explaining the copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit filed by a collection of alliance members against Cohere Inc. in the Southern District of New York.
FEBRUARY 13, 2025
The General Assembly is on a break while appropriations committees hold departmental budget hearings. The House is scheduled to return to session March 17 and the Senate on March 24.
Public notice modernization bill proposed
Legislation to be offered by House Local Government Committee Chairman Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) would modernize Pennsylvania’s public notice advertising requirements.
The proposed bill would require that public notices continue to be published in print newspapers of general circulation but would additionally require they be published on newspaper websites in front of paywalls. In an area where no print newspaper exists, the notice would meet state requirements if published in a digital newspaper of general circulation. If neither exists, the notice could be published in a free newspaper.
In all instances, public notices would be required to be posted on the statewide publicly accessible website at publicnoticepa.com that Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association maintains.
Questions regarding this proposed legislation can be directed to PNA Director of Government Affairs Jan Murphy at janm@pa-news.org or by calling 717-703-3031.
Using AI in campaign messaging
Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) introduced HB 486, which would prohibit the use of artificially generated voices in political campaigns and establish penalties for doing so.
In his memo, Heffley states, “The reality that we face today is that technology can create fake voices that are incredibly close to that of the original subject, and this technology can be used for negatively associated campaign purposes.”
Background clearances for school directors
Rep. Jeanne McNeill (D-Lehigh) introduced HB 477 requiring school board candidates to obtain child abuse and state and federal criminal background clearances to ensure their eligibility to run for school board.
Pointing out teachers, school administrators and school volunteers must have these clearances to work with children, the co-sponsor memo states, “It is time to hold school board members to the same standards as others who work closely with our children.”
Downsizing the House
Pennsylvania is home to the nation’s second-largest state legislature and Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) is reviving the idea of amending the constitution to reduce the size of the 203-member House of Representatives by 52 members.
In her memo, she points out more populated states including California, Texas, New York and Florida have fewer legislators and larger districts. Her proposal would reduce the size of the House to 151 members by 2040. Her measure is identical to a proposed constitutional change that passed both chambers a decade ago.
“Utilizing existing technology would make it possible to reduce the size of the legislature without sacrificing efficiency, communication with our constituents, or increasing expenses,” she said in the memo. “Furthermore, a smaller, more efficient legislature would allow for a more robust discussion and clearer debates, providing more time to each member to have his or her voice heard.”
RTKL’s reach
Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) is proposing legislation to expand the Right-to-Know Law’s definition of commonwealth agencies to include organizations like the Allegheny Schools Health Insurance Consortium of which nearly all of Allegheny County school districts and community colleges are members.
Her legislation grows out of an Office of Open Records decision in a case involving a records dispute between the consortium and Butler Area School District
Same-day voting
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) introduced HB 479 to give voters the convenience of registering to vote and casting a ballot on Election Day. His bill would address concerns about voter fraud by not allowing a ballot cast by a same-day registrant to be counted until the Department of State verifies the voter’s eligibility.
Throwing flowers to the Super Bowl champs
A flock of Philadelphia Democratic lawmakers plans to offer a resolution to recognize the Philadelphia Eagles for their rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Noting the historic and career achievements marked during the game by several players, the lawmakers’ memo offers their congratulations to the team for “this amazing Super Bowl victory.”
The Eagles demolished the Chiefs, 40-22.
May I quote you?
“Locker room access for journalists provide(s) opportunities for off-the-record, informal conversations with players that foster relationships between the players and journalists. These types of interviews and interactions allow journalists to gain better insights into the players and the team, and thereby better serve the interests of both the players and their fans.”
– News/Media Alliance, in a letter last month to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall that responded to the NFL Players Association Executive Committee’s call for limiting press access to players inside locker rooms. Other letter signatories were The Associated Press, The Society of Professional Journalists and the Online News, National Press Photographers, and Radio Television Digital News associations.
FEBRUARY 6, 2025
The General Assembly returned to Harrisburg for a three-day session week before taking a break while budget hearings are held. The House is scheduled to return March 17 and the Senate on March 24.
Memo calls for modernizing public notice
House Local Government Committee Chairman Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) plans to introduce legislation to modernize public notice advertising requirements in response to the evolving news industry.
The bill would require that public notices continue to be published in print newspapers of general circulation but would additionally require they be published on newspaper websites in front of paywalls. In an area where no print newspaper exists, the notice would meet state requirements if published in a digital newspaper of general circulation. If neither exists, the notice could be published in a free newspaper.
Both digital and free publications would be required to meet certain criteria. In all instances, public notices would be required to be posted on the statewide publicly accessible website at publicnoticepa.com that Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association has maintained for the past decade.
“The changes proposed in my bill are consistent with various recent public notice statutes adopted across the nation and will update our public notice law while ensuring Pennsylvanians can continue to find public notices in their trusted local newspapers, a disinterested, third-party whose constitutional role is to hold government accountable,” Freeman’s memo states.
The bill would be considered by the House Local Government Committee.
Governor delivers budget address
Photo of Gov. Shapiro by Commonwealth Media Services.
Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered his 2025-26 budget address calling for $51.5 billion in spending to a joint House-Senate session.
Throughout his hour-and-a-half-long speech, which PennLive reports is the longest documented budget address, he called for more spending on schools, subsidizing mass transit, accelerating the reduction of the corporate net income tax, closing two state prisons, legalizing recreational cannabis and creating the state’s first underground state park, among other initiatives.
He proposed dipping into the state’s Rainy Day Fund to help balance his plan, which was among the areas that drew criticism from Republican lawmakers. Here is a sampling of the news coverage the governor’s budget received:
Redistricting reform idea
L to R: Reps Samuelson and Gillen.
Reps. Steve Samuelson (D-Northampton) and Mark Gillen (R-Berks) are teaming up to offer a proposed constitutional amendment to establish an 11-member Independent Redistricting Commission. The commission would hold public hearings, share information about redistricting proposals, and provide access to data for redistricting state Senate and House and congressional districts.
Tightening up disclosure of personal financial data
Proposed legislation to clarify the Right-to-Know Law to exclude personal financial information has been reintroduced by Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster). Miller points out in his memo that the courts have ruled information such as W-2 data and employee deductions are private tax records and not subject to disclosure under the RTKL.
His legislation would put that provision into law as well as include credit, charge and debit cards and personal and agency bank account numbers and statements in the definition of “personal financial information” that is not subject to disclosure.
Separately, Miller indicated he plans to re-offer legislation requiring all statewide and local-level ballot referendum questions involving a bond or borrowing measure to include the fiscal impact on the commonwealth and taxpayers.
Making ID a requirement to vote
Voters would be required to provide valid identification to cast a vote in an election under a proposed constitutional amendment that Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) plans to offer.
Her proposal would allow voters to use the same forms of identification that are acceptable for first-time voters. In her memo, she said this measure “will enhance election security and increase voter confidence in our most fundamental democratic process.” Pennycuick points out 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls.
Warning label on alcoholic beverages
Citing the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory linking alcohol consumption with an increased cancer risk, Rep. Jose Giral (D-Philadelphia) introduced legislation requiring all alcoholic beverages sold in Pennsylvania to carry a warning label.
“By ensuring that all alcoholic beverages contain this warning label, we will equip all Pennsylvanians with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health when they drink and encourage responsible drinking overall,” his memo states.
Adding social media protections for minors
L to R: Sens. Hughes and Phillips-Hill.
Sens. Vincent Hughes (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) and Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) have re-introduced legislation to provide protections for minors on accessing social media platforms.
Citing data that finds social media to be a contributing factor to student mental health struggles, their legislation would require parental or guardian consent for children under age 16 to open a social media account. It would provide notification if a child under that age opens an account without parent/guardian consent. Among other controls, it would prohibit data mining for any user under age 18 and allow parents the ability to view a minor’s privacy settings and schedule time limits.
May I quote you?
“This bill was born from circumstances that happened in my municipality, where our local newspaper got hacked and couldn’t advertise and that put my one municipality in particular on the hook for two situations that could have resulted into legal trouble.”
– Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster) talking about his bill allowing redundant advertisement on a government website to meet the public notice advertising requirements if a newspaper is unable to timely publish a notice.
JANUARY 30, 2025
The General Assembly was in session this week and returns to Harrisburg on Feb. 3 for a three-day session that includes the delivery of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address to a joint gathering of the House and Senate on Feb. 4.
Pittsburgh mayor addresses Pennsylvania Press Club
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey spoke Monday to the Pennsylvania Press Club about the progress his administration has made since he took office three years ago. He highlighted the increase in the availability of affordable housing, the $600 million 10-year investment from the state to revitalize the city’s downtown, efforts to improve public safety and raising the city’s bond rating.
“I am incredibly optimistic about the future of our city. We are a city built on resilience, community and the unwavering commitment to one another,” he said. “We are doing what’s necessary to see a city grow.”
In responding to questions from the audience, Gainey said his administration will not work with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport immigrants who entered the country illegally. He also voiced support for major nonprofits in the city to make a payment in lieu of taxes to help cover the cost of city services.
“If we’re going to be a city for all, if we’re going to be a city that grows, then everybody must pay their part,” Gainey said. “There is no reason why the nonprofits, the major nonprofits, [are] not paying their fair share.”
Read more about Gainey’s comments in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
36th Senate District race is on
Pennsylvania State Capitol by Dwight Nadig
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons was selected by county GOP committee members to be the party’s nominee in the March 25 special election for the open 36th state Senate District seat vacated by Ryan Aument earlier this month, as reported by LNP | LancasterOnline. Parsons will face challenges from Democratic candidate James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg, and Libertarian candidate Zachary Moore of Mount Joy.
Legislative churn continues
Rep. Torren Ecker
Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) announced his candidacy for a judgeship in Adams County, according to the Hanover Evening Sun. Ecker, a four-term incumbent, joins Reps. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) and Lou Schmitt (R-Blair), who have announced their candidacies for the bench in their respective counties. Rep. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) is running for his county’s executive post.
Cameras in the courtroom
Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming/Union) plans to introduce legislation that would allow camera use in courtrooms to video and audio record most civil and criminal proceedings. The proposed legislation would bar the recording of a child witness or an alleged sexual assault victim to protect their privacy.
In a memo, he said, “Cameras in courtrooms allow the public to observe legal proceedings firsthand, thereby promoting transparency and accountability within Pennsylvania’s judicial system. The presence of video cameras can also act as a deterrent against unethical behavior by participants of the legal process. Indeed, knowing that their actions are being observed by the public-at-large will discourage judges, attorneys, and witnesses from engaging in misconduct or improper behavior.”
Shining a light on who is meeting with legislators
A proposed House rule change from Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) would require lawmakers to post on their state websites the names of non-constituents with whom they met either in-person or virtually as well as the date and time of that meeting.
His memo states, “This is a good government initiative that will show the people of Pennsylvania that their elected officials in the House of Representatives value transparency.”
Reforming constitutional amendment process
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) wants to change the process for amending Pennsylvania’s constitution. He proposes an amendment be approved by two-thirds of the members in the House and in the Senate in each of the two consecutive legislative sessions before going to the voters for ratification. Currently, the constitution requires approval by a simple majority in each chamber.
In his memo, he said, “Changes to the state constitution, while sometimes necessary, require serious forethought, debate and participation from more than just a simple majority of elected officials.”
Enhancing campaign advertising transparency
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) has introduced legislation that would require advertisements for or against a candidate or ballot question to identify clearly and conspicuously who authorized it. If an ad was paid for by a person or group not authorized by the candidate’s political committee or agent, the unauthorized individual or group must disclose the names of the five people making the largest contributions to their organization during the 12-month period before the date of the advertisement.
Drug testing state officials
All state-level candidates running for an elective office would be required to submit results of a drug screening when they file their paperwork to get their names on the ballot under proposed legislation that Rep. John Lawrence (R-Chester) intends to reintroduce. His bill would apply to those running for a state legislative post, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor general, treasurer and judges and justices running for the Superior, Commonwealth and Supreme courts.
May I quote you?
“He likes to peddle his influence under the radar, and so we wanted to bring to light his role in attempting to reshape our democracy.” — Pennsylvania Stands Up staffer Mary Collier, in an interview with The Keystone about the website, All Eyes on Yass, which launched to highlight the political influence of the state’s wealthiest man, Jeffrey Yass, in Pennsylvania.
JANUARY 23, 2025
The General Assembly returns to Harrisburg on Jan. 27 for a three-day session week.
Allegheny County legislator dies
Rep. Matthew Gergely
Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency over the holidays. He was 45 and is survived by his wife, Holly, and two sons, according to an AP story.
Gergely was first elected to the House in a 2023 special election and re-elected to a two-year term in 2024. Prior to serving in the House, he worked for many years in the McKeesport community, serving most recently as the city’s chief revenue officer.
His death leaves the lower chamber with a 101-101 partisan divide until a special election is held to fill the vacancy. House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) set March 25 as the date for a special election to be held to fill that vacancy.
Nominees named for open Senate seat
Pennsylvania Capitol
The race for the open 36th state Senate seat is taking shape with two parties naming their nominees and Republicans planning to select their candidate this week.
Lancaster County Democrats chose East Petersburg Mayor James Andrew Malone to be their nominee for the 36th state Senate seat in the March 25 special election, according to LNP | LancasterOnline. The seat was vacated earlier this month by Republican Ryan Aument, who resigned to join U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s staff.
Republicans will select their nominee Jan. 25, according to LNP.
Seeking the GOP nomination in the Republican-leaning district are Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, state Rep. Brett Miller, high school teacher Steven Heffner and retired truck driver Brad Witmer.
The Libertarian Party named Zachary Moore, a geographic information system analyst from Mount Joy, as its nominee for the seat, according to WHTM.
Automatic subscription renewal
Rep. Lisa Borowski
Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Delaware) has reintroduced legislation to require subscription service companies to provide for consumers to opt into extending a service rather than having to opt out of it.
Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) is proposing to offer another bill on this topic that is identical to a proposal Sen. Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny) intends to offer. Their proposals would require companies to provide notification before an automatic renewal and allow subscribers to cancel a subscription online if they initially subscribed online.
Higher education transparency
L to R: Reps. Tom Kutz and Justin Fleming
Reps. Tom Kutz (R-Cumberland) and Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) plan to reintroduce legislation requiring the Pennsylvania Department of Education to create a comprehensive higher education comparison tool. It is intended to make it easier for students to compare higher education institutions’ programs of study, enrollment, cost, graduation and retention rates as well as identify high-priority occupations in Pennsylvania and their earnings potential.
Shining more light on municipal authority members
Rep. Robert Merski
Legislation to require public authorities to make information about their board members accessible on a public website has been introduced by Rep. Robert Merski (D-Erie). It would require political subdivision authorities and all municipal authorities to post the name of each board member; length of his or her term, including start and expiration dates; the position each holds; and an email address for each member.
Meanwhile, Rep. David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster/Berks) plans to reintroduce legislation that would have voters elect members to a municipal authority with each member serving a six-year term.
Moving up swearing-in day for lawmakers
Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to change Swearing-in Day for the General Assembly from the first Tuesday in January to the first day of December. In a memo to his colleagues, he wrote: “With legislative base salaries now set at roughly $110,000 per year, an idle General Assembly during the month of December in even-numbered years costs taxpayers at least $2.3 million … in member salaries alone.” Re-elected and newly elected lawmakers begin to earn their salaries Dec. 1.
Having a person answer the phone
Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) wants state agencies to return to having state employees available to speak to individuals calling a commonwealth agency. He has introduced legislation that would require agencies not to use a computer system or automated answering system that would impede a caller from speaking to a commonwealth employee.
Removing unauthorized images from social media
Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) plans to introduce legislation requiring social media platforms and similar websites to remove nonconsensual and unauthorized intimate images within 48 hours of notification. It also would require these websites to provide a user-friendly webpage for victims of these images to submit a removal request.
May I quote you?
“Rep. Gergely dedicated his entire life to public service. I witnessed his service firsthand as McKeesport school official, city administrator and finally as a state representative. He was a tireless champion for the working families in the Mon Valley.”
– Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, remembering Matt Gergely, who succeeded Davis as the representative of the 35th state House District following Davis’ election as lieutenant governor. Gergely died Sunday.
JANUARY 16, 2025
The General Assembly returns to Harrisburg on Jan. 27 for a three-day session week.
Legislative churn
The House remains with a 101-101 partisan divide as Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) has not yet been sworn in due to a medical issue. It remains unclear when he will be able to take the oath. Meanwhile, House Republican Rep. Lou Schmitt (R-Blair) joined Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) in announcing his plans to run for a county judgeship in this year’s election. Rep. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) said he is running for county executive. Read the Altoona Mirror for more on Schmitt’s announcement.
The Senate has a 27-22 partisan divide with one vacancy from Republican Sen. Ryan Aument’s departure from the 36th District seat to be filled in a March 25 special election. Unofficial straw polls reported by LNP | LancasterOnline show Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons as the frontrunner over Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster) for the Republican nomination. According to WHTM reports, school librarian Matthew Good and East Petersburg Mayor James Andrew Malone will compete for the Democratic nomination.
Sunshine Week in Pennsylvania
Rep. Robert Matzie (D-Beaver) plans to offer a resolution recognizing March 16-22 as Sunshine Week in Pennsylvania. This week is meant to spark discussion about the importance of open government and access to public documents and meetings. This nonpartisan event coincides with James Madison’s birthday to promote openness and accountability in government.
‘Vexatious’ requesters
Sen. Cris Dush
Rep. Tim Brennan
Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) announced his intention to refile legislation addressing government agencies’ concerns about individuals who file “burdensome” requests for information. His bill would allow an agency to petition the Office of Open Records for relief from so-called “vexatious requesters” and allow OOR to allow agencies to place a ban for up to a year on responding to that individual’s Right-to-Know Law requests.
Rep. Tim Brennan (D-Bucks) plans to introduce a bill that takes aim at vague record requests that his co-sponsor memo states can “lead to massive burdens that shut down government operations, undermine timely access for other (requesters), and create massive unfunded costs for an agency.”
Policies for police body cameras usage
Rep. Amen Brown (D-Philadelphia) plans to reintroduce legislation that directs law enforcement agencies using body cameras to develop official policies governing their use, access to and retention of recordings, and redactions to recordings. The bill offered in the last session, which never advanced out of committee, allowed for those recordings to be made public under certain limited conditions.
Enhancing transparency of Fish and Boat Commission
Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) reintroduced legislation to require the records on noncriminal investigations by the Fish & Boat Commission to be publicly accessible. In a memo about his bill, he cited concerns about the commission having authority to levy “significant fines,” but the actions of its investigators are not subject to the Right-to-Know Law. He said in his co-sponsor memo that by making these noncriminal investigatory records “subject to public request we would help ensure that the commission is acting appropriately.”
Reforming state government
Interior of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building
Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices would run for re-election every four years under a proposed constitutional amendment that Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer) plans to introduce. Currently, justices serve a 10-year term and then run for retention every 10 years.
Another proposed constitutional change that Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R-Clinton/Union) wants on the table would return Pennsylvania’s General Assembly to a part-time legislature with a firm deadline for adjournment. In her co-sponsor memo, she said this would reduce costs, encourage more Pennsylvanians to run for office or advocate before the legislature.
In December, Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R-Perry/Juniata) announced his intention to offer legislation calling for a Legislative Budget and Finance study of this issue.
Adding transparency to utility rates
Sen. Michele Brooks is also proposing to reintroduce legislation that would require the Public Utility Commission to establish a centralized, searchable database of utility rates. She said the agency has the data now but requires users to look it up on a case-by-case basis. Making a one-stop database shop “only makes sense,” Brooks said in the co-sponsor memo.
Transparency of public-sector union operations
Proposed legislation Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin) intends to refile would require public-sector unions to provide quarterly reports to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board detailing union officers and employee salaries, salary increases, and travel expenses incurred in the quarter, as well as political-related expenditures. The agency would post those reports on a publicly accessible website.
Campaign finance transparency
Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) plans to offer legislation that would provide more transparency and accountability to corporate spending on elections through undisclosed sources referred to as “dark money.” It would require credit card statements to be filed with campaign finance reports; ban the purchase of gift cards with political-action committee money; place limits on donations and expenditures to and from candidates; and require funds left in terminated PACs to be donated to a nonprofit that has no affiliation with a candidate or PAC officer.
May I quote you?
“While we are cognizant of the (Department of Corrections’) concern for the personal security of its employees, we must also recognize that the (Right-to-Know Law) clearly imposes on the Department the duty to release records upon request or, alternatively, to prove that the records in question are ‘exempt from public access … by a preponderance of the evidence.’ Since the Department failed to produce any evidence in this case in spite of the factual question before (the Office of Open Records), we conclude that OOR erred in finding that the Department met its burden of proof.”
– Commonwealth Court Judge Matthew Wolf, as reported by Capitolwire.com regarding a ruling Monday that the DOC must release the full names of prison guards to an incarcerated man who said he wants to sue them.
JANUARY 9, 2025
The 2025-2026 session officially began Tuesday at the Capitol (see below). Both chambers return to Harrisburg on Jan. 27.
New session begins
Rep. Matthew Gergely
Speaker Joanna McClinton
House Republican Leader Jesse Topper
Tuesday was Swearing-in Day for the General Assembly, kicking off the 2025-26 legislative session. The House swore in 202 members, including 16 freshmen (five Democrats and 11 Republicans).
Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) wasn’t able to be sworn in, the lawmaker was absent due to a health issue that arose over the holidays that sent him to the hospital. That presented a temporary tie when the chamber went to elect a speaker with incumbent Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) and House Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) each receiving 101 votes. Topper then withdrew himself from consideration, clearing the way for McClinton via voice vote to be re-elected speaker.
The disruption that an absent member can have in a narrowly divided chamber may resurface again this session. Two House Democrats have announced their intention to seek a county office in this year’s elections. Rep. Dan Miller of Allegheny County and Rep. Josh Siegel of Lehigh County plan to run for a county judgeship and county executive position, respectively.
In the upper chamber, 25 senators including three new members (one Democrat and two Republicans) took the oath of office, joining 24 colleagues who are in the middle of four-year terms. Sen. Kim Ward was re-elected as Senate president pro tempore. One vacancy exists in the Senate due to Republican Ryan Aument’s recent resignation from the 36th District that leaves the chamber with a 27-22 Republican majority. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis has set March 25 as the date when the special election will be held to fill that seat.
Ban on destroying public documents
Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) plans to reintroduce a bill that would make the intentional destruction or alteration of documents subject to the Right-to-Know Law a third-degree felony. Currently, this is not a criminal offense. The bill passed out of the Senate State Government Committee, which Dush chaired, in the last session. Read his co-sponsor memo.
Lawmaker wants transparency in public notice advertising costs
Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) signaled her intention to reintroduce legislation to require all public notices posted in newspapers of general circulation to include the cost of the advertisement that government entities incurred. She introduced this measure last session but the bill never made it out of committee. Read her co-sponsor memo here.
Remote county commissioner meetings
Proposed legislation that Rep. Dan Williams (D-Philadelphia) intends to reintroduce would allow county commissioners to meet remotely under any circumstance without a requirement for commissioners to be physically present to establish a quorum. This bill didn’t advance out of the House Local Government Committee in the last legislative session.
Enhancing transparency on state-related universities
A co-sponsor memo from Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Lawrence/Butler) indicates his desire to impose more transparency and accountability requirements on the four state-related universities (Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple and Lincoln). His three-bill package would expand the financial information they are required to make publicly available; limit the number of trustees; and require trustees and other high-level university employees to be subject to the requirements of the state’s Ethics Act including annually filing Statements of Financial Interest.
Stiffening penalty on late campaign finance filers
Sen. Lisa Boscola
Sen. Devlin Robinson
Candidates running for public office who are late in filing their campaign finance reports would face a stiffer financial penalty under proposed legislation to be offered by Sens. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) and Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny). As stated in their memo, “These reports are the primary means by which the public sees how candidates are being funded” and by whom. Their proposal would raise the fine from its current maximum of $250 to setting that amount as the upfront penalty with an additional $20 for each day past the filing deadline.
Auditing cyber charter schools
Rep. Tarah Probst (D-Monroe/Pike) intends to reintroduce legislation that would require the state auditor general to audit all cyber charter schools, cyber management companies, and other entities that operate cyber charter schools to ensure that state funds are being used properly and fairly. This bill died in the House Education Committee last session.
May I quote you?
“Unambiguous Pennsylvania law, tenants of statutory construction, and the Coroner’s own past practice dictate that the at-issue decedents’ names must be disclosed.’’
Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright, ruling against the county coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, and his attempts to withhold the identities of minors whose deaths the coroner’s office has investigated. The judge said Diamantoni’s efforts to block access to such public information “defies law and logic.’’ Read more in LNP | LancasterOnline.
DECEMBER 19, 2024
The General Assembly is not in session during the holidays. The House and Senate are scheduled to return to Harrisburg on Jan. 7 for swearing-in ceremonies to officially start the 2025-2026 legislative session.
Kane seeks greater transparency for public works projects
Sen. John Kane (D-Chester/Delaware) said in a co-sponsor memo that he will introduce a bill that would create a publicly available database of certified payrolls for public works projects. The state Department of Labor and Industry would host the website.
Memo: No public money for personal settlements
Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) intends to file legislation that would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars in sexual harassment cases and other personal lawsuit settlements involving upper-level staff, advisers and officials when they are responsible for conduct occurring beyond the scope of employment by or for the state. Read the memo here.
Lawmakers seek protections for nonprofit members, donors
In a co-sponsor memo, Reps. Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) and Thomas Kutz (R-Cumberland) said they plan to introduce a bill that would protect the privacy of individuals who support 501(c) nonprofit organizations. The legislation, according to the memo, is designed to shield supporters of various causes from retaliation as it relates to issues such as employment or personal safety.
Stefano: More light on school hiring, collective bargaining, legislative meetings, campaign finance
Sen. Patrick Stefano (R-Bedford/Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland) said in a co-sponsor memo that he will reintroduce last session’s SB 128, legislation that would require school districts and intermediate units to publicly post the terms of job offers extended to a prospective superintendent, assistant/associate superintendent or principal. Postings on district websites would be required to include salary and contract length.
Stefano indicated he will also re-introduce last session’s SB 399, which would require public notice prior to signing collective bargaining agreements. Read the co-sponsor memo here. He said in another memo that he will refile the bipartisan SB 163 from last session. The legislation would require all House and Senate committee meetings and hearings to be streamed (when possible), recorded and publicly posted. Additionally, he will re-introduce SB 108 from the 2023-2024 session. As he notes in his co-sponsor memo, the legislation would require counties to submit campaign contribution reports to the Department of State for posting on its public website.
Refiled bill focuses on next-of-kin notification
Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh/Bucks) said in a co-sponsor memo he will refile legislation to amend the Crime Victims Act for next-of-kin notification by requiring law enforcement to make “reasonable efforts’’ to ensure a homicide victim’s family has been notified before publicly identifying the individual. SB 893 received bipartisan support last session. PNA has talked with the senator and his staff about newsroom procedures and the care news organizations routinely take in reporting crime information to the public.
Grove wants greater contract oversight
Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) said in a co-sponsor memo that he will file a bill requiring agencies to provide the Pennsylvania Treasury Department with a copy of any contract involving $10,000 or more along with a summary of the contract. The department may be empowered to delay or reject requests for payments from noncompliant agencies.
Legislator: More transparency for Fish and Boat Commission
In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) said he will reintroduce last session’s HB 80 to amend the Right-to-Know Law to allow the request of records created by Fish and Boat Commission noncriminal investigations.
May I quote you?
“This settlement vindicates the fundamental principle that government officials cannot declare themselves the arbiters of ‘truth,’ or pick and choose which news outlets cover their activities based on how favorable the reporting is. The First Amendment protects the right of journalists to gather and report news, even ‒ or especially ‒ when the coverage scrutinizes government officials and holds them accountable to the public.”
‒ Institute for Free Speech Senior Attorney Charles “Chip” Miller, in a news report of a lawsuit over the Oklahoma Department of Education banning a local TV station from its board meetings and news conferences.
DECEMBER 12, 2024
The General Assembly is not expected to be in session until after the holidays. Legislators are scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 7.
Aument to resign state Senate to join McCormick’s team
State Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) will leave the upper chamber at the beginning of the year to become state director for Republican Pennsylvania U.S. Sen.-elect Dave McCormick. Aument, majority whip, has served in the state Senate for nearly 10 years and before that for two terms in the state House. His resignation will prompt a special election to fill the remainder of his term, which continues through 2026. Read more about his departure from the General Assembly in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Increased protection for journalists
In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) announced plans to reintroduce legislation that would expand Pennsylvania’s media shield law to cover all records, information, and documents created or acquired by journalists in their professional duties. PNA is working with the legislator on this legislation.
Legislators want independent redistricting body
Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. Thomas Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) plan to sponsor a bill that would establish an independent congressional redistricting commission. Members would represent the Democratic and Republican parties as well as unaffiliated voters. Read the co-sponsor memo here.
Varying degrees of transparency
Sen. Lisa Baker
Rep. Milou Mackenzie
Sen. Tracy Pennycuick
L to R: Reps. Jared Solomon and Malcolm Kenyatta
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) said in a co-sponsor memo she will introduce a bill that would require individuals or groups making an independent expenditure for political advertising to disclose their top five contributors.
The lawmaker also plans to refile legislation from last session that would allow Pennsylvania Lottery prizewinners to remain anonymous. To protect winner privacy, Baker’s legislation would make a winner’s municipality and county of residence public information. An individual could choose whether to publicly disclose his or her name and other identifying information. Here is the co-sponsor memo.
Rep. Milou Mackenzie (R-Northampton/Lehigh/Montgomery) plans to reintroduce a bill that would require the state Department of Education to annually post online the endowments of state higher education institutions. Read the co-sponsor memo.
Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) indicated she will reintroduce last session’s SB 196, which would establish a searchable database, similar to PENNWATCH, providing detailed information on the revenues and expenses of school districts, charter and cyber charter schools, and vocational-technical schools. Here is the co-sponsor memo.
Philadelphia Democratic Reps. Jared Solomon and Malcolm Kenyatta said in a co-sponsor memo that they will introduce a House resolution to require the amount of money appropriated to members for expense reimbursements to be published on a publicly accessible website managed and maintained by the Office of the Chief Clerk. The postings would include expenses relating to travel and lodging, administrative services, office rent, food and beverages.
Lawmakers eye automatic contract renewals
Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) and Rep. Christopher Rabb (D-Philadelphia) said in a co-sponsor memo that they will file legislation that would require consumers to be notified of a seller’s automatic renewal clause before executing a contract and prior to an automatic renewal. A seller would also be required to notify consumers if the contract is sold and allow them to opt out of the automatic renewal provision.
Memo: Social media and minors
L to R: Sen. Vincent Hughes and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill
Rep. Stephenie Scialabba
Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) plan to reintroduce last session’s SB 22, legislation that would, among other things, require parental or legal guardian consent for anyone under age 16 to open a social media account, prohibit data mining for any user under age 18, and provide parents or legal guardians with the ability to initiate account supervision. Here is the co-sponsor memo.
In addition, Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) plans to introduce the Kids Online Safety Act. Among other things, the bill would establish procedures for online platforms to follow to prevent harm to minors, provide protections for privacy and other safeguards and controls for minors and parents, mandate that platforms establish the most protective control levels as a default setting for minors’ accounts, and include provisions for algorithmic transparency. Read the co-sponsor memo here.
Stambaugh wants study on part-time legislature
In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R-Perry/Juniata) said he will file legislation directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct or contract for a study to evaluate the issues on whether the state Constitution should be amended to return the General Assembly to part-time status (no more than 120 session days a year).
May I quote you?
“The government seizure of reporters’ records hurts the public and raises serious First Amendment concerns. … This investigation highlights the need for a reasonable, common-sense law to protect reporters and their sources. It’s time for Congress to pass the PRESS Act, which has overwhelming bipartisan support, to prevent government interference with the free flow of information to the public.”
– Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Executive Director Bruce D. Brown, commenting on findings released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding its inspector general investigation into the use of subpoenas and other legal authorities to obtain records of congressional members/staffers and journalists. Here is the full report and the key findings.
DECEMBER 5, 2024
The 2025-2026 legislative session began Sunday. The state House and Senate are not expected to return to Harrisburg until after the holidays. Legislators are scheduled to be sworn into office Jan. 7.
Baker advocates for victims of child sexual abuse
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) said in a co-sponsor memo that she will introduce legislation that would propose a constitutional amendment giving victims of childhood sexual assault a two-year window to pursue civil lawsuits against their abusers. In 2020 an effort regarding a ballot question on the issue was stopped after the Pennsylvania Department of State failed to advertise the proposed amendment properly.
Refiled bill would seal some eviction records
Several House Democrats announced plans to refile legislation that would seal eviction records. Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, of Lancaster County, and Elizabeth Fiedler, Jordan Harris and Rick Krajewski, all of Philadelphia County, announced in a co-sponsor memo that a statewide eviction record-sealing policy would protect tenants from discrimination and long-term housing insecurity. Read the co-sponsor memo here.
Automatic renewals are focus of lawmaker’s renewed efforts
In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) said he will reintroduce HB 116, a bill he sponsored last session that would have amended the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act by requiring companies to provide a notification before each automatic renewal, to be transparent about renewal terms, and to allow subscribers to cancel subscription services exclusively online if they initially subscribed over the internet. HB 116 passed the House unanimously.
Legislator: Run for one office at a time
Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) wants to ban candidates from seeking two public offices at the same time. Read his co-sponsor memo here. In another memo, Diamond said he will also introduce a joint resolution that would change the Legislature’s swearing-in day from the first Tuesday in January to the start of the new session, Dec. 1.
Legislator seeks seat on Allegheny County bench
Less than one week into the new legislative session, re-elected Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) announced Wednesday that he is a candidate for judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Miller, of Mount Lebanon, was first elected to the state House in 2013.
Senator to file public notice bill
Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin/Adams) announced in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to refile last session’s SB 231, public notice legislation sponsored by Dauphin County’s retired Sen. John DiSanto that did not advance in the upper chamber. The memo said Flexibility for Local Government and Advertising and Notice Requirements would allow counties, municipalities, and school districts to advertise public notices either electronically or in printed format by choosing from a menu of options. PNA opposes legislation that would remove public notice advertising from newspapers and its platforms.
Capitol tree-lighting is Tuesday
Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to lead the annual tree-lighting ceremony in the Main Capitol Rotunda at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The 22-foot Douglas fir is among trees throughout the Capitol Complex provided by Crystal Spring Tree Farm in East Lehighton, Carbon County. The tree will be decorated with LED lights, along with ornaments from Department of Aging senior centers and Pre-K for PA students.
May I quote you?
“The press is the best instrument for enlightening the mind of a man and improving him as a rational, moral, and social being.”
– President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
NOVEMBER 21, 2024
The 2023-2024 legislative session ends Nov. 30. Neither chamber is in session; both the Senate and the House are scheduled to return to Harrisburg on Jan. 7 for the start of the 2025-2026 session.
A ceremony for anti-SLAPP law
Last week at the state Capitol Gov. Josh Shapiro hosted a ceremonial signing of the anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) bill that passed the General Assembly this session and which he approved in July. PNA Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky represented our association at the ceremony, which was also attended by the legislation sponsor, Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie). Formerly HB 1466, Act 72 of 2024 is essential in the protection of all Pennsylvanians’ First Amendment freedoms. PNA has actively advocated for this law for more than a decade. For more information, visit speakfreepa.org.
Democrats announce Senate leadership for new session
The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus re-elected Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County as its leader for the 2025-2026 legislative session. Other members of the Democratic leadership team are Sens. Christine Tartaglione (Philadelphia), caucus whip; Vincent Hughes (Montgomery/Philadelphia), appropriations committee chair; Maria Collett (Montgomery), caucus chair; Steve Santarsiero (Bucks), caucus secretary; Nick Miller (Lehigh/Northampton), policy committee chair; and Judy Schwank (Berks), administrator.
May I quote you?
“Fewer Americans say they would ratify the First Amendment today if it were up to them, down five points from four years ago. Moreover, Americans are 15% less likely to be able to identify freedom of religion and the press as rights within the First Amendment, and the number that said the five freedoms are essential decreased from 41% to 34% in that time.’’
– The Freedom Forum 2024 survey, “The First Amendment: Where America Stands.”
NOVEMBER 14, 2024
Both the House and Senate returned for session this week after the Nov. 5 election. The House was in session Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Senate held session Wednesday. There are no further dates scheduled for either chamber this session, which ends Nov. 30. Both chambers are expected to return in January for the new session.
Bill containing confidentiality restrictions on emergency dispatch records passes General Assembly
HB 1304, which was originally filed by Rep. Jared G. Solomon (D-Philadelphia) and was amended in the Senate last month, has passed the full General Assembly with the House concurring in the Senate amendments. PNA worked with legislators to address concerns about possible new restrictions on public access to emergency response records, including some aspects of time response logs. Lawmakers provided assurance that the legislative intent does not support limiting access to currently public records, and there is language in the bill that seeks to protect access under the Right-to-Know Law. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.
Democrats hold onto one-seat majority in House
In the face of an election full of Republican gains in Pennsylvania and nationwide, Democrats have maintained their one-seat majority in the House. The House election came down to the 72nd House District race, where incumbent Rep. Frank Burns (D-Cambria) managed to keep his seat in a very red district. Read more about how the Democrats held their majority and Rep. Burns’ effect on the election from Spotlight PA.
House and Senate leadership established
Pennsylvania House Republicans elected Rep. Jesse Topper (R–Bedford/Fulton), photographed, as the minority leader for the upcoming 2025-26 legislative session. Rep. Topper is currently the ranking Republican member of the House Education Committee. Read more from PennLive. On the majority side, Pennsylvania House Democrats have elected to retain Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Phila./Delaware) and Rep. Matt Bradford (D–Montgomery) as speaker and majority leader respectively. House Democrats elected Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D–Lehigh) as House majority whip.
The Pennsylvania Senate also held leadership elections this week, with Sen. Kim Ward (R–Westmoreland) retaining her role as Senate president pro tempore. Sens. Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) and Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) retain their positions as Senate majority and minority leaders respectively. Sen. Ryan Aument (R–Lancaster) has been elected as Senate majority whip.
May I quote you?
“Freedom of the press is not just important, it is imperative for a functioning democracy.”
– President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
NOVEMBER 7, 2024
Both the House and Senate were in recess this week for the election. The House will return to session Nov. 12 while the Senate will return Nov. 13.
Republicans hold onto PA Senate; PA House majority still in question
All 203 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were up for election on Tuesday, with 110 of those elections being contested. Prior to Election Day, Democrats held a slim 102-101 majority in the House, and it is currently unclear which party will gain the majority after the election. All eyes are on three very close House races: HD-144 in Bucks County, HD-172 in Northeast Philadelphia, and HD-72 in Cambria County. Democrats declared victory in HD-144 and HD-172 on Wednesday. The Cambria County race, between the Democrat incumbent Frank Burns and Republican challenger Amy Bradley, will likely decide the House majority. As of early Thursday morning, Democrats are up by roughly 1,500 votes in the race. Regardless of which party wins the House, the majority will remain slim.
On the Senate side, it appears that Republicans have maintained their 28-22 majority. A Philadelphia-area seat (SD-5) flipped from Democrat to Republican, and a Harrisburg area seat (SD-15) flipped from Republican to Democrat.
For greater detail on the General Assembly’s election results, read more from Spotlight PA and from Philly Voice.
Companion House and Senate memos seek to cure issues with ‘on demand voting’
Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson (R-Bucks) and Sen. Frank Farry (R-Bucks), along with co-sponsors, have filed companion House and Senate co-sponsor memoranda, which would implement a fix for “on demand voting” backups. The identical memos define “on demand voting” as an early voting procedure where a voter can go to a county election office prior to Election Day, request a ballot, fill it out and file in then and there.
According to the memos, there have been lengthy lines for “on demand voting.” The proposed legislation would require counties which offer “on demand voting” to treat this form of voting the same as Election Day voting, such that if an individual is in line prior to the posted time of closing for the election office, you should get to submit your ballot.
May I quote you?
“The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic governments.”
–George Mason, Founding Father and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787
OCTOBER 31, 2024
Both the House and Senate are currently in recess for the election. The House will return to session on November 12, while the Senate will return on November 13.
AG candidate stresses prosecutorial experience at Press Club luncheon
York County District Attorney, Dave Sunday, the Republican candidate in the Pennsylvania attorney general election, was the speaker at Monday’s Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon in Harrisburg. In his speech, Sunday stressed his belief that the attorney general should be a prosecutor and highlighted his Democratic opponent, Eugene DePasquale’s experience in civil, rather than criminal, law practice (DePasquale is a former state representative and two-term Pennsylvania auditor general). Sunday also discussed his work in York County to reduce overdose deaths and gun crimes. Read more about District Attorney Sunday’s speech from PennLive.
Omnibus election bill seeks to minimize party involvement in elections
Rep. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) has filed HB 2700, a sweeping bill that would amend the Election Code to lessen party involvement in elections and ensure elections’ nonpartisan nature. This legislation would make many changes to the Code, including abolishing the requirement that any public notice required to be published under the Code be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation representing the majority party and one representing the minority party. Under the bill’s language, the current requirement that notices required to be published under the Election Code be published in at least two newspapers of general circulation would remain.
May I quote you?
“The liberty of the press is essential to the security of freedom.”
–President John Adams (1797-1801)
OCTOBER 24, 2024
Both the House and Senate were in session this week. Both chambers will be on recess over the election, and the House will return to session on November 12, while the Senate will return on November 13.
Automatic renewal legislation passes full House
Two bills that would regulate the automatic renewal of subscriptions and purchases passed the full House on Monday. HB 116, offered by Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery), would require that consumers be able to terminate automatic renewal subscriptions over the internet, and would also specify various details that would have to occur in order for such a subscription to be valid, such as parameters for required disclosures. HB 2557, filed by Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Delaware), would also provide for detailed disclosure requirements and would mandate cancelation parameters. HB 116 passed the House unanimously, but opinion was divided on HB 2557, with Democrats and a slight majority of Republicans supporting the legislation’s passage. The bills will now head to the Senate.
Bill containing confidentiality restrictions on emergency dispatch records continues path through Senate
HB 1304, which was originally filed by Rep. Jared G. Solomon (D-Phila.) and was amended in the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee earlier this month, nears the end of the legislative process. The amended bill could be read to impose confidentiality on emergency dispatch records that are currently public under the Right-to-Know Law, including time response logs. The bill passed favorably out of Senate Appropriations on Tuesday and awaits third consideration in the Senate.
May I quote you?
“To the press alone, checkered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression.”
– James Madison (1809-1817)
OCTOBER 17, 2024
The House and Senate were on recess this week. Both chambers will return for voting session this coming Monday, Oct. 21.
House bill seeks to provide information to the public regarding costs of health care for migrants
Rep. Ryan E. Mackenzie (R-Lehigh) has filed HB 2591 which would require the Department of Health (DOH) to annually post a report on their publicly accessible website with the total number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits made by “illegal migrants” during the previous calendar year. The report would also be required to include information relating to the costs of uncompensated care for migrants and the impact of this uncompensated care on the cost or ability of hospitals to provide services to the public and hospital funding needs, as well as other related information. The bill defines “illegal migrant” as someone who is present in the United States in violation of federal law.
Spotlight PA article highlights popularity of Democratic agenda in the fight for the Pa. House
Stephen Caruso, reporter for Spotlight PA, wrote an in-depth article on a recent poll that demonstrates that the Democrats’ policy agenda – particularly their stance on universal background checks for guns, outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour – is incredibly popular with Pennsylvania voters. However, Caruso notes that in the battle for the Pa. House, only a handful of districts truly matter as only about a dozen or so races are actually competitive. The article does a deep dive into which districts are likely to determine the composition of the House in the next legislative session and some of the issues that matter to voters.
May I quote you?
“A free press is not a privilege but an organic necessity in a great society.”
– Walter Lippmann, writer, reporter, political commentator
OCTOBER 10, 2024
Both the House and Senate were in session this week. Both chambers will return for voting session on Oct. 21.
Representative seeks to crack down employee misclassification
Rep. David M. Delloso (D-Delaware) has sponsored a bill, HB 2412, which would establish the Employee Misclassification Working Group and permit the Department of Revenue to share tax information with the Department of Labor & Industry for enforcement purposes. In his co-sponsor memorandum, Rep. Delloso stated that the bill is prompted by data showing 259,000 Pennsylvania workers are misclassified as independent contractors. The bill passed the full House on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate.
House bill amended in Senate committee to limit access to next gen 911 information
HB 1304, seeking changes to Title 35 and originally filed by Rep. Jared G. Solomon (D-Philadelphia), was amended in the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee on Tuesday to include provisions governing next generation 911 call systems. The amended bill would impose confidentiality on emergency dispatch records that are currently public under the Right-to-Know Law, including information found in time response logs.
May I quote you?
“Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom, and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.”
– Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father, statesman and diplomat
OCTOBER 3, 2024
Both the House and Senate were in session this week. They will return for session on Monday, Oct. 7.
Legislator seeks more transparent redistricting for elections
Rep. Anthony A. Bellmon (D-Phila.) has introduced HB 2601, which Rep. Bellmon referred to as “a vital step for strengthening our democratic process by enhancing transparency, encouraging public participation, and ensuring fairness in how we draw our legislative districts” during a House State Government Committee meeting on Tuesday. This bill would require five public hearings in different geographic regions after the filing of both preliminary and final redistricting plans. There would be public comment periods prior to the hearings, and the public would be permitted to testify at public hearings and submit testimony if unable or unwilling to attend. Newspaper publication of plans in each district would be required. The public would also be able to create their own plans utilizing software made available by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission on their website and submit those plans for consideration. Additionally, the legislation would require that incarcerated individuals be counted for redistricting purposes as residing at their place of residence prior to their incarceration. The bill was voted favorably out of committee.
Gov. Newsom vetoes California public notice bill
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed California bill AB-2095, which would have required newspapers to publish public notices not only in print newspapers but also on their websites and on California’s state press association’s statewide website. Gov. Newsom indicated that he felt these requirements would be too onerous on local newspapers in terms of funding and personnel, despite the fact that the bill contained an exemption for papers with five or fewer employees. Read more on the bill and the governor’s veto from the Public Notice Resource Center.
May I quote you?
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
– Hugo Black, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
The House convened for nonvoting session this week. Both chambers will return for regular voting session on Sept. 30.
Former Gov. Corbett speaks at September’s Press Club Luncheon
Former Gov. Tom Corbett (R) was the speaker at the Pennsylvania Press Club’s monthly luncheon on Monday. Corbett spoke of his work to rebuild confidence in elections and his efforts to combat conspiracy theories and general mistrust. He also discussed what he has been up to since leaving office, including serving as of counsel to a West Virginia law firm, teaching at Duquesne University’s law school, and spending time with his six grandchildren. Corbett also offered advice for Pennsylvania’s current governor, Josh Shapiro (D). Read more from PennLive.
House bill which would permit sealing of eviction records voted out of committee
HB 1769, sponsored by Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (D-Lancaster), advanced favorably out of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The bill was amended in committee and in its current form (which is not yet publicly available) would apparently require sealing of all eviction records after seven years. The legislation will now advance to the full House for further consideration.
May I quote you?
“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.”
– Walter Cronkite, American broadcast journalist
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
The Senate was in session this week. The House will return to Harrisburg for nonvoting session days beginning Sept. 23. Both chambers will return for regular voting session on Sept. 30.
House committee holds public hearing on automatic renewal legislation
The House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee held a public hearing on HB 116, offered by Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) and on HB 2557, filed by Rep. Lisa A. Borowski (D-Delaware), both of which would amend the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to regulate automatic renewals of subscriptions and purchases. HB 116 would require that consumers be able to terminate automatic renewal subscriptions over the internet, and would also specify various details that would have to occur in order for such a subscription to be valid, such as font size and other parameters for required disclosures. HB 2557 would also provide such detailed disclosure requirements and would mandate various cancelation availability parameters. Nick Smyth, Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General in the Bureau of Consumer Protection within the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, testified regarding the necessity for such legislation and requirements regarding the automatic renewal of subscriptions. Smyth raised examples of an intimate apparel company and an allegedly deceptive financial publications company with which the Attorney General’s Office settled in his testimony. Read Smyth’s written testimony here and watch the public hearing here.
House bill seeks to prohibit minors from using social media platforms
Rep. Robert W. Mercuri (R-Allegheny) has filed HB 2553, which would amend the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to prohibit minors under 14 from using social media platforms and put the onus on social media platforms in determining the ages of customers. The bill would require social media platforms, which term is undefined in the bill, to ensure that all users have an account and provide the social media platform with photo identification for age verification purposes. Social media platforms would also be required to delete the accounts of minors at a parent’s request. The Attorney General would enforce the bill’s requirements.
May I quote you?
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter.”
– President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
SEPTEMBER 12, 2024
The General Assembly remains on summer recess. The Senate will return to session next Monday, Sept. 16. The House will return to Harrisburg for nonvoting session days beginning Sept. 23.
Senate bill would require the price of each public notice to be displayed in the notice itself
Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) has filed a bill, SB 1309, that would require an advertisement, legal advertisement, official advertisement, or legal notice to be published in a newspaper under various statutes, including the municipal codes and the Sunshine Act, to have the dollar amount paid by the advertiser for the notice displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the ad. The publisher of the public notice would not be permitted to charge an additional fee for the inclusion of the dollar amount paid in the publication.
Legislator wants to amend Pennsylvania’s Shield Law
HB 2543, a bill filed by Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Phila.), would change the protections provided by Pennsylvania’s robust Shield Law. The bill would amend the current Shield Law by defining “journalist” in detail and applying the law’s protections solely to journalists, as well as adding an exception to when the protections would apply. The exception would not allow the law’s protections if a court finds that the disclosure of protected information or the source of the protected information is reasonably likely to prevent an imminent act of violence, bodily harm, or death.
Representative presses for continuing funds during budget impasses
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) has filed a co-sponsor memorandum seeking legislation which would provide continuing funding during periods in which no General Appropriations Act has been enacted by the General Assembly prior to the start of a new fiscal year. The memo was spurred by the budget delays of recent years and its intent is to help ensure that the impacts of a budget impasse are minimal for citizens and communities. Until a new budget act would be enacted, the State Treasurer would be permitted to disperse payments according to the previous Appropriations Act, and any payments made would be deducted once a new act was passed.
May I quote you?
“There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and shame the devil.”
– Walter Lippmann, writer, reporter and political commentator
SEPTEMBER 5, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate will return to session Sept. 16. The House will return to Harrisburg for nonvoting session days beginning Sept. 23.
Lawmaker seeks more detailed and up-to-date public information on voter registration
Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Lawrence/Butler) has filed a co-sponsor memo calling for a package of legislation making various election reforms. Included in this package would be a bill which would require that the Full Voter Export List, maintained by the Department of State and provided to requesters, be updated daily and include a break down of instances where an individual has made a change to their voter registration, including the date and time of such changes.
In case you missed it: Races to watch as Democrats seek to flip the state Senate in November
As the election approaches in two short months, questions arise as to which party will gain control in both legislative chambers. Democrats won the House in 2022 with a razor-thin majority and the majority of that chamber is slated to be another close one in November. Republicans hope to maintain control in the Senate as they have for quite some time, but Democrats are looking for opportunities to gain the majority in the upper chamber. In a Spotlight PA article originally from February, journalist Stephen Caruso takes a closer look at several potentially impactful races across the commonwealth.
May I quote you?
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
– President Thomas Jefferson (1801 – 1809)
AUGUST 29, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate will return to session Sept. 16. The House will return to Harrisburg for nonvoting session days beginning Sept. 23.
Lawmaker wants election returns transparency
Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie) introduced HB 2542, legislation that would mandate the restoration of election returns on the Department of State website to show the number of voting precincts, those that have been counted, and the percentage of precincts reporting information.
In case you missed it: AI-generated requests fuel new RTK policies
Artificial intelligence-generated Right-to-Know requests are prompting Pennsylvania counties to review and change RTK policies, The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown reported earlier this month. “The requests, which are essentially anonymous,’’ according to the newspaper, ”have pinged Somerset County’s Right-to-Know inbox by the dozens each day over the past several weeks, county officials said. They are being sent under the name ‘Frank Curry’ at an address related to FOIA Buddy, an AI web-based business that files open records requests on behalf of paying customers.” The state Office of Open Records has weighed in with guidance. Additionally, Sens. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) and Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne) have said in a co-sponsor memo that they will introduce legislation to address the issue and ensuing concerns raised by local governments.
May I quote you?
“Left to their own devices, government officials too often find that secrecy is easier than transparency, and have to be reminded just what state laws say.”
– A Wednesday LNP | LancasterOnline editorial calling on the Lancaster County Prison Advisory Committee to follow the state Sunshine Act and make its deliberations public.
AUGUST 22, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol on Sept. 16, the House on Sept. 23.
Lawmaker wants child abuse registry
Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Lawrence/Butler) said in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to introduce legislation to establish a registry of individuals who have been convicted of child abuse offenses such as aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of a minor and/or kidnapping. They would be required to register with the Pennsylvania State Police. Bernstine said in the memo that the registry would be similar to the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, better known as Megan’s Law.
Rivera will replace Sturla on ballot
Lancaster County Democrats tapped Manheim Township School Board President Nikki Rivera to run for the state House seat Rep. Mike Sturla has held since 1991. Sturla, who has represented the city/suburban 96th District since 1991, abruptly announced last week that he would not run for re-election. The GOP opponent is Eric Beezer.
For more information, visit LNP | LancasterOnline.
Candidate DePasquale visits Press Club
Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania attorney general, Eugene DePasquale, was the keynote speaker at the monthly meeting of the Pennsylvania Press Club held Monday at the Hilton Harrisburg. A former state auditor general, DePasquale is running against Republican candidate and York County District Attorney Dave Sunday. DePasquale discussed his record of public service, and emphasized health care, public safety and elections as his top three issues. For more, visit City & State Pennsylvania or watch the event on PCN.
Press Club President Francine Schertzer, PCN senior vice president and chief content officer, is shown with Eugene DePasquale.
May I quote you?
“Gag rules have become more popular in recent years, shutting down the ability of public employees in all sectors from sharing important knowledge and expertise — and dispelling misinformation. Journalists across the nation should push back against policies that shut the public out of the public sector.’’
– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial, calling on journalists to join the PG in fighting back against unconstitutional gag rules imposed by government agencies.
AUGUST 15, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol on Sept. 16, the House on Sept. 23.
Philly lawmaker wants expanded Shield Law
Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) announced in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to introduce legislation that would extend the Pennsylvania Shield Law to cover all records, information and documents created or acquired by journalists in their professional duties. It appears the legislation would go beyond the protection of confidential sources. For more on the state’s current Shield Law, which is an absolute privilege that precludes the compelled disclosure of confidential source information, visit Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Sturla withdraws from House race
Lancaster Democrats have less than two weeks to replace Rep. P. Michael Sturla, a 34-year lawmaker who announced Monday that he had withdrawn his candidacy for re-election to the 96th state House District. Democrats must come up with a nomination to fill the seat by Aug. 22. Sturla said he will serve through the remainder of his current term, which ends Nov. 30. The race for the city/suburban district takes on added significance this election season as the General Assembly remains almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The GOP now holds a 101-100 majority in the 203-member House due to the summer resignations of two Philadelphia Democrats, former Reps. Donna Bullock and Stephen Kinsey. Democrats still control the chamber because they won the most races in the 2022 election. Read more on the Sturla announcement in LNP | LancasterOnline.
Aument wants biennial budget
Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) announced in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to introduce legislation that would establish a two-year budget cycle in Pennsylvania through a constitutional amendment. He said in the memo that a biennial spending plan would be more efficient, productive and facilitate outcome-focused budgeting.
May I quote you?
“I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon.”
– Tom Stoppard, a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter
AUGUST 8, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol on Sept. 16, the House on Sept. 23.
Bill targets social media role
Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson (R-Bucks) has introduced HB 2529, one of four bills that is part of an anti-looting legislative package. This bill would create a new criminal offense for those who use social media to incite rioting, burglaries, thefts, or other dangerous criminal conduct; the legislation would impose a penalty.
May I quote you?
“In America, the president reigns for four years, and journalism governs forever and ever.”
– Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde
AUGUST 1, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate returns to the Capitol on Sept. 16, the House on Sept. 23.
Lawmaker seeks greater transparency in education
Rep. Milou Mackenzie (R-Northampton/Lehigh/Montgomery) has filed HB 2519, a bill that would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to annually post online the endowments of the state’s public colleges and universities.
Mackenzie has also introduced legislation that would require local school districts to provide residents with district financial information every fiscal year via first class mail. Read HB 2514 here.
Bill targets social media censorship
Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence) has filed legislation, HB 2523, which would prohibit social media platforms from censoring users and journalists. The bill would also restrict the state’s ability to censor user comments.
Memo: Restore voting information to website
Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie) said in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to introduce legislation that would mandate the restoration of election returns on the Department of State website that shows the number of voting precincts, those that had been counted and the percentage of precincts reporting information.
May I quote you?
“The county may deny access to a record if the requester has made repeated requests for the same record and the requested requests have placed an unreasonable burden on the agency.”
– A stipulation in the nine-page Right-to-Know policy newly adopted by Lawrence County commissioners as reported by the New Castle News. Inspired in part by the volume of RTK requests, the policy will address what the assistant solicitor said averages at least three requests weekly.
JULY 25, 2024
The General Assembly is on summer recess. The Senate returns to the Capitol on Sept. 16, the House on Sept. 23.
Costa talks presidential politics at Press Club
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) addressed the Pennsylvania Press Club at its monthly luncheon at the Hilton Harrisburg on Monday, less than 24 hours after President Joe Biden announced he had ended his re-election bid. A delegate to next month’s Democratic National Convention, Costa answered questions about a reshaped presidential race, the new presumptive Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, the prospects of Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate, and Pennsylvania’s recently approved $46.7 billion budget. For more, read PennLive/The Patriot-News.
May I quote you?
“These SLAPP suits weaponize the system to penalize protest and silence free speech.”
— Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie), quoted in Spotlight PA last week after the governor signed into law Bizzarro’s bill to protect journalists and other Pennsylvanians from strategic lawsuits against public participation.
JULY 17, 2024
The General Assembly was not in session this week. The Senate is in recess until Sept. 16; the House has adjourned until Sept. 23. The General Election is Nov. 5, and the last day of the current two-year legislative session is Nov. 30.
Governor signs anti-SLAPP bill into law
On Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro approved a landmark bill that protects public expression through anti-SLAPP reform. HB 1466 sponsored by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) won unanimous Senate approval after achieving full House support in October. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association has actively advocated for a comprehensive anti-SLAPP law for more than a decade.
$47.6 billion state budget approved
Late last week Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Pennsylvania’s $47.6 billion fiscal year 2024-2025 budget. Education funding was at the center of prolonged negotiations with the House and Senate. The spending plan was approved 11 days into the current fiscal year. Read more from Pennsylvania Capital-Star, PennLive/The Patriot-News and Spotlight PA.
Memos signal plans for more AI bills
Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) and Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne) announced plans to introduce legislation to prevent commercial interests from using artificial intelligence to generate Right-to-Know requests for data gathering. Here is the co-sponsor memo.
Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (D-Berks) indicated she plans to introduce a bill that would require water marks on all AI-related photos and videos. Read the co-sponsor memo here.
Two Philly Democrats resign from House
Former state Reps. Donna Bullock and Stephen Kinsey, both Philadelphia Democrats, resigned their House seats this week. Bullock represented the 195th state House District. A state legislator for nine years, she is the new CEO of Project HOME, which offers services to people who are homeless in Philadelphia. Kinsey, a six-term incumbent representing the 201st district, previously said he would not seek re-election, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The two resignations leave Republicans with one more seat than the 100 held by Democrats, who will keep the majority until special elections are held Sept. 17.
May I quote you?
“When transparency is lacking, there is minimal public knowledge of government operations, and the potential for undisclosed mismanagement or corruption is high.”
– Attorney Gary Stout, criticizing a pair of Washington County commissioners for eroding the public trust with closed-door policies, in an op-ed published by the Observer-Reporter on June 29.
JULY 11, 2024
The General Assembly is in session this week. Both chambers continue to seek a path to a state 2024-2025 fiscal year budget whose deadline passed June 30. It is not clear as of this writing whether both chambers will continue to meet into next week. Read more in the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Spotlight PA.
Anti-SLAPP bill advances to governor’s desk
Passage of bipartisan First Amendment legislation is huge victory for news media, all Pennsylvanians
This week the state Legislature passed a landmark bill that protects public expression through anti-SLAPP reform. HB 1466 sponsored by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) won unanimous Senate approval this week after achieving full House support in October. The legislation now moves to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk to be signed into law. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association has actively advocated for comprehensive anti-SLAPP legislation for more than a decade.
SLAPP ‒ strategic lawsuit against public participation ‒ suits are used to quiet journalists, organizations and citizens who speak out on issues of public interest or concern. Retaliatory SLAPP suits entangle people in expensive litigation to silence and intimidate them from exercising their rights to constitutionally protected activities.
Pennsylvania’s current anti-SLAPP law applies only to individuals petitioning the government about environmental issues. The Institute for Free Speech gave the law a “D-” in its anti-SLAPP report card last year.
Enter HB 1466, which protects all forms of First Amendment expression while making it easier for people to defend against frivolous lawsuits. Click here to read more about the bill.
New law: Website post is option for storage facility notice
HB 1818, a bill sponsored by Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freitiz (D-Berks) that amends the Self-Service Storage Facility Act, was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The law will provide storage facility owners seeking to sell the contents of a unit locked for nonpayment the option of posting a newspaper advertisement on a publicly accessible website at the same time the ad is set to be published in the newspaper. If the newspaper fails to publish, or if there are mistakes with the content of the newspaper ad, the online post will serve as proof of advertisement.
AI and copyright focus of planned bill
Rep. Kristine Howard (D-Chester) said she plans to introduce a resolution calling on Congress to amend the federal copyright law to clarify that: work generated by machine is not copyrightable, only work mostly created by humans can be copyrighted, and collecting large batches of public data online, or “scraping,” copyrighted work for artificial intelligence training is not covered under Fair Use, and that the creator of the work must be compensated. Read the co-sponsor memo here.
Memo: Prevent social media censorship
Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence) said in a co-sponsor memo she plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit social media platforms from “unfairly’’ censoring users and journalism organizations and restrict the state’s ability to censor user comments.
Seeking school district, university transparency
Rep. Milou Mackenzie (R-Northampton/Lehigh/Montgomery) said in a co-sponsor memo that she will introduce a bill, the School District Financial Transparency Act, which would require local school districts to provide residents with per-pupil spending, total reserve funds and other financial information. In another memo, Mackenzie indicated plans to file legislation that would require the state Department of Education to post the endowments of state higher education institutions online each year
May I quote you?
“The actor was notified the day of the (Columbia) borough council meeting that the agenda had not been posted but did not cancel the agency meeting. Rather, the actor proceeded with the meeting and later acknowledged that the required notice had not been properly posted.”
– Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Sean McBryan, referring to former borough official Mark Stivers who paid a $100 fine after pleading guilty June 27 to violating the state Sunshine Act as reported in LNP | LancasterOnline.
JUNE 27, 2024
The House and Senate are in session and scheduled through the weekend; state budget talks are ongoing. The commonwealth’s 2024-2025 budget deadline is Sunday. The new fiscal year begins Monday. Read more in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Spotlight PA.
Memo: Higher education transparency
Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. Robert Merski (D-Erie) said in a co-sponsor memo that they plan to file a bill that would require higher education institutions to provide annual financial information if they receive commonwealth funds or federal funds distributed by Pennsylvania. The legislation would outline sanctions and other remedies for noncompliance. The bill would also address the timing of a school closure notice, the retention of student records, and a process for students to continue studies at another school.
Philly mayor addresses Press Club
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, a former state House representative, discussed her city’s $6.37 billion budget and public safety concerns in remarks to the Pennsylvania Press Club at its monthly luncheon held Monday at the Hilton Harrisburg. “There is steady progress in our efforts to combat gun violence and we are finally, finally addressing and taking seriously quality-of-life issues in the City of Philadelphia,” Parker said, as reported in City & State Pennsylvania. “I’m happy to hear that data reflects that we have a 38% reduction in homicides and a 40% reduction in shootings. It is encouraging, but I will dare say to you, it’s not time to have a party. It’s not time to relax.” Read more at City & State.
May I quote you?
“Every party is going to have to compromise.”
– Gov. Josh Shapiro, who described ongoing state budget negotiations this week as “very productive’’ and “very honest’’ in reporting from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
JUNE 20, 2024
The House and Senate were not in session this week. On Monday, both chambers return to Harrisburg for a seven-day schedule fueled by budget negotiations. The commonwealth’s 2024-2025 state budget deadline is June 30. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
Online foreclosure sale bill would require newspaper publication
Rep. Joe McAndrew (D-Allegheny) has filed HB 2141, a bill dealing with online foreclosure sales that would limit out-of-state speculators from participating in the sale process. The legislation would limit the amount and types of fees charged against debtors by online private selling officers and require a PSO to be licensed by the state as both a real estate agent, broker or brokerage and an auctioneer or auction house. The bill would not change the foreclosure process until the time of proceeding with a sale. HB 2141 would require publication in newspapers for initial sales.
Lawmaker: Tuition transparency
Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton) said in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to file tuition increase transparency legislation. The bill would require institutions of higher education to notify enrolled students at least 45 days in advance of increases in tuition – both the dollar amount and the percentage of a cost hike – from the previous academic year.
May I quote you?
“While conversations are ongoing and conversations are quite cordial, I am concerned that the productivity of those conversations is not quite to the level that they need to be to effectuate a budget on time on June 30. I think there is still an opportunity for us to achieve a June 30 deadline or close to that, but I would say that the pace of conversation and the pace of movement really needs to pick up in short order if that’s going to be the case.”
– Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday.
JUNE 11, 2024
The House and Senate were in session this week. With the June 30 state budget deadline looming, both chambers will return to Harrisburg on June 24 for seven scheduled session days.
Bipartisan memo: Hospital price transparency
Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks/Lehigh) and Sen. Maria Collett (D-Montgomery) said in a co-sponsor memo that they plan to introduce a bill that would require hospitals to maintain a publicly accessible list of all standard charges for items and services on their websites. Hospitals failing to comply with this requirement would be prohibited from taking collection actions toward patients with outstanding debts. The legislation would be a companion to HB 2339
May I quote you?
“After a review of the statute, it is not clear to me that these working groups can legitimately meet in private.”
– State Sen. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland), expressing concern that meetings of the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust, of which he is a board member, are not complying with the state Sunshine Act. Rothman’s concern was cited in ongoing Spotlight PA coverage regarding transparency questions related to the actions of the trust.
JUNE 6, 2024
The House and Senate were in session this week. Both chambers return to Harrisburg on Monday.
New law bans handheld devices while driving, limits access to traffic stop data
Senate Bill 37 was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Josh Shapiro as Act No. 18 of 2024. The legislation sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne) prohibits the use of handheld cellphones or other communication devices while driving. The legislation includes a provision that makes data collected for self-initiated traffic stops nonpublic under the Right-to-Know Law, thereby restricting access to information that was previously public. PNA strongly opposed the latter change.
Lawmaker wants state IT office
Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) filed SB 1214, legislation that would establish a state Office of Information Technology and a chief information officer as a Cabinet-level position. One CIO duty would be to “establish and implement information technology protocols for security of data produced, collected, or maintained by agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor.”
Bills target AI-generated campaign ads
Senate Communications and Technology Committee Chair Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) has filed SB 1217, which would make it an offense to disseminate artificial intelligence-generated campaign ads. The legislation includes media exemptions. Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia) is sponsoring identical legislation, HB 2353, in the House.
Bill seeks to further greater transparency between universities and foreign entities
Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) said in a co-sponsor memo he will file legislation that would update the Higher Education Gift Disclosure Act. This is a critical step toward increasing transparency and accountability in the financial relationships between Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities and foreign entities. Among the anticipated provisions would be lowering the disclosure threshold for foreign gifts from $100,000 to $50,000
Bipartisan push for independent congressional redistricting
Democrat Rep. Jared Solomon, of Philadelphia County, and Republican Reps. Jim Gregory and Thomas Mehaffie of Blair/Huntingdon and Dauphin counties, respectively, said in a co-sponsor memo they plan to introduce legislation to establish an independent redistricting commission that would give Pennsylvanians a voice in how congressional district lines are drawn
May I quote you?
“(D)emocracy cannot function effectively in the absence of a free press that provides objective information to the citizenry about crucial events in government and in our communities.”
– Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in vetoing a bill last month that would have required county Registers of Wills offices to publish estate notices on government websites instead of in local newspapers. Moore noted a “vital public interest in ensuring the existence of thriving independent local media.”
MAY 30, 2024
The House and Senate were not in session this week. Both chambers return to Harrisburg on Monday.
Bill seeks hospital price transparency
Rep. Tarik Kahn (D-Philadelphia) has introduced HB 2339, a bill that would require state-level oversight based on federal requirements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding prices charged to patients by hospitals. The legislation would, among other things, require hospitals to maintain a list of all standard charges for hospital items or services in a prominent location (or link) on the home page of their publicly accessible websites.
Lawmaker: Website postings on Aging compliance
Rep. Lou Schmitt (R-Altoona) introduced legislation, HB 2319, which would amend the Administrative Code to require that Pennsylvania Department of Aging reports on local offices, Area Agencies on Aging along with their impact and effectiveness, be labeled as compliance reports and made publicly accessible on the department website.
May I quote you?
“Teaching a young journalist demands more than training them in traditional storytelling skills, and now must include, at minimum, a cursory understanding of the larger digital ecosystem, product management, audience engagement, user experiences, revenue streams, and more. If journalism schools want to succeed in their mission, they must teach students to succeed across the whole industry, not just as reporters.’’
– David Cohn, senior director at Advance Digital Alpha Group, on preparing graduates for media careers in Poynter.
MAY 23, 2024
The House was in session this week. Both legislative chambers return to Harrisburg on June 3.
Seating of new legislator creates a full House
On Tuesday, Rep. Jeff Olsommer (R-Pike/Wayne) was sworn into office to represent the139th Legislative District. The new state lawmaker will fill the remaining term of former Rep. Joe Adams, who resigned in February. Olsommer is expected to run for his first full term in November. In the meantime, he will serve on the Insurance, Children & Youth, Game & Fisheries, and Housing & Community Development committees. His addition to the House gives Democrats a razor-thin majority over Republicans at 102-101. However, Rep. Joe Kerwin (R-Dauphin) is currently on leave; his deployment with the Pennsylvania National Guard drops Republican voting numbers to 100. Read more from CNHINews.
Bill would require detailed disclosure of AI content
Sen. Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia) filed SB 1044, a bill that would prohibit “knowingly or recklessly creating, distributing or publishing any content generated by artificial intelligence without clear and conspicuous disclosure, including written text, images, audio and video content and other forms of media.’’ The disclosure would be required to “state that the content was generated using (AI), must be presented in a manner reasonably understandable and readily noticeable to the consumer and must be presented in the same medium as the content.’’
May I quote you?
“There are people who think they know the answers before they embark on the reporting, and I think that’s a problem for our profession. We need to go into stories with an open mind with a recognition that we don’t know everything. In fact, we don’t know all that much, and we may not even know what we think we know.’’
– Advocate for seeking truth over “moral clarity’’ Marty Baron, who led Pulitzer Prize-winning newsrooms at The Boston Globe and The Washington Post, as reported by The Harvard Gazette.
MAY 16, 2024
The General Assembly was not in session this week. The House will return to Harrisburg on Monday for non-voting session and will have regular session on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Senate will reconvene on June 3.
House adopts resolution requiring study on use of body-worn camera footage
Rep. Christopher Rabb’s (D-Phila.) resolution, HR 113, which sought a study conducted by the Joint State Government Commission on how body-worn camera footage can be more effectively used to provide positive and safe outcomes for both law enforcement officers and civilians, was adopted in the House last week. In his resolution, Rep. Rabb stated that “[i]t is vital that body-worn camera footage be available to the prosecution, defense, and public as necessary to aid in the speedy and just resolution of criminal cases.”
Memo on cameras in the courtroom has public support
Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming/Union) recently filed a co-sponsor memorandum seeking to authorize cameras in the courtroom. Rep. Flick, along with Rep. Mike Cabell (R-Luzerne), Rep. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne), Rep. Jonathan Fritz (R-Wayne/Susquehanna), and Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-Luzerne), has filed a new co-sponsor memorandum on the topic. This memo notes that Rep. Flick’s survey in Williamsport reported that 92% of his constituents believe that there should be cameras in the courtroom.
Representative seeks public input on state-related school funding
Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) has indicated in a co-sponsor memorandum that he intends to introduce legislation which would establish the Performance-based Funding Council in order to ensure that all funds invested in state-related schools provide the best possible outcome for students, families, and taxpayers. Under the contemplated legislation, the council would hold public hearings at each state-related university to receive input from experts, parents, and students to ensure that a new funding system to be developed by the council would be developed with transparency, considering the needs and concerns of key stakeholders.
May I quote you?
“I see journalism as a calling like teaching and view it as a critical part of our democracy. People rely on trusted reporters to provide accurate information about the world about them.”
– Dave Martens, immediate past chairman of the PNA Foundation Board of Trustees, speaking with PNA recently about what caused him to get into the news media industry.
MAY 9, 2024
Both the House and the Senate were in session this week. The House will return to Harrisburg on May 20, and the Senate will reconvene on June 3.
Bill to shield coroners’ records moves out of committee
HB 1926, which was filed by Rep. Carol Hill-Evans (D-York), was voted favorably out of the House State Government Committee on Tuesday despite PNA’s opposition. We will continue to oppose the bill in the House, and in the Senate, too, if necessary. The legislation was up for first consideration that same day but has not yet moved further. It would do away with public access to coroners’ records, permitting release of only name, cause, date, and manner of death, in accordance with the Right-to-Know Law, which is in the case of coroners records actually more restrictive than the current County Code provisions governing these records.
Handheld cell phone bill heads to governor
On Tuesday, the Senate concurred in the House’s amendments to SB 37, filed by Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne). The bill was also further amended by the Senate in the Senate Rules & Executive Nominations Committee on Monday to tweak the definition of “interactive mobile device.” The bill returned to the House, which concurred in the Senate’s further amendments on Wednesday. This legislation prohibits the use of handheld cell phones and similar devices while operating a motor vehicle, and it was amended in the House Transportation Committee in late March to add a provision which would require data collection for self-initiated traffic stops and an annual publication of aggregated data from these collections. That same amendment added language that makes the data collected nonpublic under the Right-to-Know Law. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.
Representative seeks more transparency on legislators’ financial interests
Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford and Erie) has filed HB 2262, which would expand legislators’ financial disclosure requirements. The bill would expand Title 65’s statement of financial interest requirements to include information regarding a public officer’s direct and indirect ownership interest in the stock of a business that has an official state designation. In his co-sponsor memorandum, Rep. Roae indicated that his motivation for the bill is the power that legislators have to benefit certain companies, pointing to a jump in the price of Hershey stock after the House voted to make the Hershey kiss the official state candy of Pennsylvania.
May I quote you?
“If left undisturbed, the decision will not only keep a gag on Mr. Kratovil, but also have a devastating effect on reporters and members of the public who rely upon them to hold public officials accountable. Without intervention from the Supreme Court, journalists and news organizations would be chilled from reporting on official misconduct and other issues of critical public importance.”
– Alexander Shalom, the ACLU-NJ’s director of Supreme Court advocacy, quoted in a New Jersey Monitor article regarding a New Jersey state appellate panel’s rejection of a constitutional challenge to a law shielding public officials’ addresses.
MAY 2, 2024
Both the House and the Senate were in session this week, and both will return to session on Monday.
DOE Secretary speaks at Press Club luncheon
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin spoke at the Pennsylvania Press Club’s monthly luncheon on Monday. Mumin spoke about education proposals in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget, and also addressed the controversial school voucher program, which was a focus of budget negotiations last summer, saying the idea was not entirely dead. For more on Mumin’s remarks, read PennLive’s coverage.
Vexatious requester bill moves out of committee
SB 525, introduced by Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Mckean), was voted favorably out of the Senate State Government committee on Tuesday. The bill would permit agencies to petition the Office of Open Records for relief from requests from what the agencies allege are “vexatious requesters,” a term that is not explicitly defined in the bill. The legislation requires that the petition to label an individual a “vexatious requester” include alleged conduct that might “demonstrate vexatiousness,” which could consist of: the number of requests filed; the total number of pending requests; the scope of the requests; the nature, content, language or subject matter of the requests; the nature, content, language or subject matter of other oral or written communications to the agency; conduct which allegedly places an unreasonable burden on the agency; and conduct that allegedly harasses the agency. The bill was up for first consideration on Tuesday and has not moved further at this time. PNA is working with legislators and staffers to protect our members’ interests with regard to this legislation.
Senate bill seeks to make PSBA subject to RTKL
Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) filed SB 1183 on Wednesday. The bill seeks to amend the Right-to-Know Law to add the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to the definition of “state-affiliated entity.” This addition would mean that PSBA would be subject to the RTKL and thus could receive records requests from the media and the public, subject to the law’s parameters. In her related co-sponsor memorandum, Sen. Phillips-Hill states PSBA renders assistance to school boards and “[t]he information the association possesses and shares with school boards helps to frame curriculums, budgets, and policies and should be transparently available to the public. They deserve to know where and how their tax dollars are spent.” The senator also points to the fact the PSBA is a member of PSERS, and the recent PA Supreme Court decision that found the PIAA to be subject to the RTKL.
House committee holds informational meeting on student journalism protections
The House Education Committee held an informational meeting on imagination libraries and student journalism protections on Monday. HB 1309, introduced by Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester), was discussed at great length during the meeting. This bill would protect student journalists’ constitutional right to speak as well as their audience’s right to receive information without undue government interference. Testifiers at the meeting included: Ben Shapiro, student journalist and editor-in-chief of The Spoke, Conestoga High School’s student newspaper; Cyndi Hyatt, PA state director of the Journalism Education Association; and Aaron Fitzpatrick, president, Pennsylvania School Press Association. PNA is supportive of this legislation. To watch the informational meeting in its entirety, visit the House Education Committee’s website.
May I quote you?
“Journalism is the bedrock of democracy, and student journalism is where it all begins.”
– Ben Shapiro, student journalist and editor-in-chief of The Spoke, Conestoga High School’s student newspaper, speaking during a House Education Committee informational meeting on student journalism protections.
APRIL 25, 2024
Both the House and the Senate will return to Harrisburg this coming Monday, April 29. The Pennsylvania primary election was held this Tuesday, April 23.
Republicans hold onto seat in the special election for the 139th district
Republican Jeff Olsommer has won the special election held on Tuesday for the 139th district of Pennsylvania, which covers portions of Wayne and Pike counties. Olsommer defeated Democrat Robin Skibber in the special election to determine who will finish out former Rep. Joe Adams (R)’s term. Adams resigned in February for medical reasons. This means that Democrats will not increase their razor-thin majority of 102-101 in the House. Olsommer also defeated Republican Matthew Contreras in the GOP primary election Tuesday, so he will go on to face Skibber again in the November general election for the 2025-26 legislative session. Read more regarding the 139th district here and regarding the primary election in general from PennLive.
Representative’s personal and legal woes may lead to another special election
Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Philadelphia) caused a maelstrom in the House last week when he was absent and seeking to vote by designation on the House floor while there was an active warrant for his arrest. The warrant has since been canceled, but Republicans are still calling for a change, via a House resolution that is not yet filed but will be HR 401 – introduced by Rep. Charity Krupa (R-Fayette), to the House rules so that a legislator in Boyle’s situation cannot vote by designation. Despite the warrant’s cancelation, it is possible that the situation will still lead to Boyle’s resignation, which would result in a special election, likely at the height of summer, with the Democratic majority in the House at stake again. Boyle was defeated in this week’s Democratic primary, which determines the candidates for the upcoming 2025-26 legislative session, by challenger Sean Dougherty, so it is certain that Boyle will not hold onto his seat in the long term. Read more on yesterday’s results from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Legislator seeks greater transparency for unemployment compensation program
SB 1177, introduced by Senator Cris Dush (R-Cameron, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Mckean, and Potter), would amend the Unemployment Compensation Law to require online posting of the annual report on the financial operations of the program. It would also require that the report include detailed information regarding the numbers and percentages of unemployed workers, job losers, discouraged workers, and marginally attached workers.
House resolution aims for greater transparency and accountability
Rep. Ryan Warner (R-Fayette) has filed HR 401, which urges the House of Representatives to restrict the times of day in which legislative votes may be cast and prohibit secret votes. The legislation’s stated goal is to create a more efficient and effective government through greater transparency and accountability. The bill was prompted by a last minute amendment to SB 224 (sponsored by Sen. David Argall (R-Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill)), a bill that would amend the Election Code, last October 4 at 11:00 p.m. The resolution calls for House business to take place during “practical hours of the day” and would prohibit committee votes after 11:00 p.m., as is already prohibited for the full House.
May I quote you?
“The Sunshine Act is there because the law recognizes that government functions best when it functions in an open, transparent manner with the public involved.”
– Melissa Melewsky, PNA Media Law Counsel, quoted in a TribLIVE article on the Pittsburgh City Council’s questionable Sunshine Act compliance. Read more from TribLIVE.
APRIL 18, 2024
The House and Senate were in session this week. Both chambers return to Harrisburg on April 29. Pennsylvania Primary elections are April 23.
US House subcommittee considers freedom of the press, federal shield law proposals
On Thursday, April 11, the federal House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, led by Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) and Mary Scanlon (D-PA-5), held a hearing “Fighting for a Free Press: Protecting Journalists and their Sources” to examine the federal government’s infringement on the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of the press, as well as federal shield law proposals. The members kept the focus on the need for a federal shield law and urged the Senate to take up the PRESS Act, which passed the House on a unanimous basis earlier this year. N/MA has let PNA know that they will continue to vigorously advocate for the passage of the PRESS Act in the US Senate.
House amends water/sewer project bill to include favorable newspaper notice language
HB 1903, introduced by Rep. Melissa Cerrato (D-Montgomery) and a bill which would amend Title 53 to add a chapter on water and sewer projects, was amended on second consideration on the House floor on Monday to require notice by newspaper publication. If a municipality determines that a particular supply utilized in the replacement or remediation of a water or sewer lateral is not American-made, or is not available in sufficient quantities, the municipality would be required to publish notice of that determination in at least two newspapers of general circulation within the municipality, as well as on their social media and publicly accessible internet website. This amended version passed the full House on Tuesday and now goes to the Senate.
House member wants cameras in the courtroom
Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming and Union) has filed a co-sponsor memorandum seeking legislation that would authorize video and audio recording of criminal and civil court proceedings in the Commonwealth. Recording child witnesses and alleged victims of sexual assault would be prohibited. Rep. Flick’s motivation is to promote transparency and accountability within Pennsylvania’s judicial system.
Lawmaker seeks transparency on all Commonwealth special funds
Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) has filed a co-sponsor memorandum contemplating legislation that would require that 7-year financial statements from all Commonwealth special funds be represented in the annual Governor’s Executive Budget proposals and materials. Currently, the memorandum states, these financial statements are provided only for three special funds: the General Fund, the Motor License Fund, and the Lottery Fund.
May I quote you?
“Let me be clear, these are the public’s records. They are not state secrets. Transparency delayed is transparency denied.”
– Former Dauphin County Chief Solicitor Justin McShane, telling commissioners at their April 10 workshop meeting that Dauphin County intentionally delays providing public records and information under the state Right-to-Know Law. To learn more about the practice McShane said has gone on for years, read the coverage in PennLive.
APRIL 11, 2024
The House and Senate were in session this week. The House returns to Harrisburg on Monday, the Senate on April 29. The Pennsylvania Primary elections are April 23.
Cellphone bill provision restricts public access
A bill that would prohibit the use of handheld cellphones and similar devices while operating a motor vehicle passed the House on Tuesday. SB 37, which is designed to strengthen traffic laws with stronger deterrents, is sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne). A House Transportation Committee amendment contains an added provision that would require data collection for self-initiated traffic stops and an annual publication of aggregated data from these collections. The requirements are positive except for the addition of language that makes the data collected nonpublic under the Right-to-Know Law. The provision is unnecessary and restricts access to information that is currently public. PNA is seeking a language change on the bill. The legislation now heads back to the Senate, and that chamber would have to concur in the House’s amendments in order for the bill to proceed to the governor.
Lawmaker wants reforms in automatic contract renewals
Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) has filed HB 2196, which would require consumers to be notified of the existence of an automatic renewal clause prior to executing a contract and prior to automatic renewal. Sellers would also be required to notify consumers if a contract is sold and allow consumers to opt out of the automatic renewal provision.
Bill focuses on township vacancies
Rep. Christina Sappey (D-Chester) has introduced HB 2160, a bill that would require a First Class Township vacancy board to meet to fill a vacancy within 15 days if township commissioners fail to do so after 30 days. The legislation would, among other provisions, call for a public meeting to explain why a vacancy is not filled by the appropriate deadlines.
May I quote you?
“An issue like what to name the football (field) is not an executive session subject matter and should not be discussed anywhere other than a public meeting. The Sunshine Act is a public access law, and the exceptions are narrowly written and should be narrowly applied.’’
– PNA Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky, commenting in Spotlight PA about what appears to be a “fundamental misunderstanding’’ of executive sessions by the Penn State Board of Trustees, this time over an initiative to name the university football field after Joe Paterno.
APRIL 4, 2024
The General Assembly was not in session this week. The House and Senate return to Harrisburg on Monday.
Lawmaker wants state symbol transparency
Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie) said in a co-sponsor memo he plans to file a bill requiring legislators to disclose whether they have stock in The Hershey Co. or any other company with ownership interest in state symbols similar to the way they must disclose financial interest in casino ownership. The memo follows the House passage last week of Rep. Thomas Mehaffie’s (R-Dauphin) HB 1030, which would make the Hershey Kiss the official state candy. Roae noted in the memo that Hershey stock jumped from $190.90 to $193.71 after the bill was approved by the lower chamber. HB 1030 moves the Senate for consideration.
Reps seek automatic contract renewal protection
Reps. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) and Christopher Rabb (D-Philadelphia) plan to file a bill that would require consumers to be notified by sellers of an automatic renewal clause before executing a contract and before an automatic renewal. Additionally, sellers would be required to alert consumers when contracts are sold and allow consumers to opt out of the automatic renewal provision. Read the co-sponsor memo.
Legislator: Transparency in PLAs
Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Lawrence) indicated in a co-sponsor memo his plans to refile legislation that would require a public body to post notice of a project labor agreement on its website at least 20 days before the solicitation of bids on a public project to which the PLA would apply. This legislation was HB 373 in the 2019-2020 legislative session.
May I quote you?
“You’re not going to drive the way I do business, sir. You’re not gonna do it.’’
– Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko, responding to resident Walter Woods’ ongoing questions about possible Sunshine Act violations by the board of county commissioners as reported by the Press Enterprise in Bloomsburg.