Politics
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10 years after legalization, PA Rep says it’s time to modernize laws to reflect same-sex marriages
While same-sex marriages have been legal nationwide for 10 years, Pennsylvania laws still contain outdated wording that only recognizes marriages between a man and a woman. Lawmakers want to change that.
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Pa. Women’s Health Caucus push for maternal health care, childcare access as legislature reconvenes
Tuesday marked the beginning of negotiations for the upcoming 2025-26 state budget. The Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus laid out their priorities for the budget, which include funding for Black maternal health, expanding childcare access and expanding access to menstrual products for lower-income residents.
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PA medicaid abortion exclusion deemed “presumptively unconstitutional”
Though access to abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania, it is highly restricted for Medicaid recipients, prompting several reproductive healthcare centers in the state to file suit against the Department of Public Health in an effort to increase accessibility for people of all economic backgrounds. Last week, several abortion providers, including the Allegheny Reproductive Health…
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Local Republican DA tells reporter that she hopes their colleague “burns in a fire”
Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf told a Pennlive reporter last week that she hopes their co-worker “burns in a fire” over an investigation into the office’s handling of sex crimes. This comes when attacks on the press are on the rise.
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Pa. Republican accused of domestic violence tapped as Pentagon’s top spokesperson
Sean Parnell, a former US Senate candidate from Western Pennsylvania, was hired as the Pentagon’s top spokesperson earlier this week. Parnell received Donald Trump’s endorsement ahead of the 2022 primary, but had to suspend his campaign due to domestic abuse allegations.
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Social media fuels anti-Trump and Musk demonstration at Pennsylvania capitol
Over 400 demonstrators descended upon the Pennsylvania capitol to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Wednesday. The rally, mostly driven by social media, was part of the “50501” movement, which helped spur thousands of rallies across the country.
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Legal cannabis, raising wages, and skilled games: Top takeaways from Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal
Gov. Josh Shapiro highlighted his track record and called for legalizing adult-use cannabis, regulating skill games, and restoring housing rights for those who have past evictions.
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Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget continues to close education funding gap
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed state budget includes an additional $526 million to close the education funding gap between poorer and wealthier school districts. It also calls for capping cyber charter tuition at $8,000 per student.
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Pa. House Democrats share competing visions for legalizing adult-use cannabis
Pennsylvania House Democrats have begun circulating multiple cosponsor memos laying the groundwork for legalizing adult-use cannabis. Social equity, limits on potency and deciding who gets to sell it are still in the air.
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Pennsylvania elections chief touts progress in reducing mail ballot rejection rate
County elections officials in Pennsylvania rejected more than 11,000 mail-in ballots for technical reasons in the November election, including thousands that were determined to violate the much litigated requirement that voters provide accurate, handwritten dates on the return envelopes.
