Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Voters May Never Again Get to Choose Pa.’s Lieutenant Governor Candidates

Voters May Never Again Get to Choose Pa.’s Lieutenant Governor Candidates

February 24, 2021 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Senate is advancing a measure that would give the state’s political parties final say over candidates for lieutenant governor, taking power away from voters.
The $1 Billion Plan To Close the Gap Between Growing and Shrinking PA. School Districts

The $1 Billion Plan To Close the Gap Between Growing and Shrinking PA. School Districts

February 18, 2021 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — When Pennsylvania passed a new formula to distribute money for public schools in 2016, it was hailed as a major step toward equity and away from an arbitrary system built on decades-old enrollment data.
Pa. Voters Will Get the Last Word in Struggle Between Wolf and Lawmakers. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Pa. Voters Will Get the Last Word in Struggle Between Wolf and Lawmakers. Here’s What You Need to Know.

February 6, 2021 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — This spring, Pennsylvania voters will be asked to weigh in on one of the most contentious battles between Gov. Tom Wolf and the GOP-controlled legislature.
Wolf Asks for Tax Increase on Pa.’s Top Earners Amid Pandemic, GOP Pans Proposal as ‘Irresponsible’

Wolf Asks for Tax Increase on Pa.’s Top Earners Amid Pandemic, GOP Pans Proposal as ‘Irresponsible’

February 4, 2021 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — In one of his boldest budget proposals since taking office, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is asking the legislature to significantly boost funding for public schools, legalize recreational cannabis, and approve the first major tax increase in nearly two decades.
Pa. GOP Lawmakers Want Voters to Give Them the Power to End Governor’s Emergency Orders

Pa. GOP Lawmakers Want Voters to Give Them the Power to End Governor’s Emergency Orders

January 14, 2021 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House are advancing a measure that would give the legislature more power over the executive branch, the result of long-festering resentment against Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf over his actions to control the coronavirus pandemic.
Top Pa. Lawmakers Who Rejected Election Results Denounce U.S. Capitol Mob

Top Pa. Lawmakers Who Rejected Election Results Denounce U.S. Capitol Mob

January 7, 2021 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — State lawmakers in Pennsylvania denounced violence in Washington on Wednesday after a mob of Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol to impede the official count of Electoral College votes.
In Rare Move, Bipartisan Panel Rejects Pa. House Request to Audit 2020 Election

In Rare Move, Bipartisan Panel Rejects Pa. House Request to Audit 2020 Election

November 24, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — An attempt by Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled legislature to audit the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election failed Monday when a bipartisan panel rejected it, citing its redundancy.
Pa. Lawmaker Claims Capitol Unsafe After Fifth Member Tests Positive for COVID-19

Pa. Lawmaker Claims Capitol Unsafe After Fifth Member Tests Positive for COVID-19

November 21, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A state lawmaker has filed a formal complaint against the Pennsylvania House alleging unsafe working conditions, citing potential exposure risks after another member tested positive for the coronavirus.
Two Women Just Made History in the Pa. Legislature. Will That Be the Last Thing They Have in Common?

Two Women Just Made History in the Pa. Legislature. Will That Be the Last Thing They Have in Common?

November 19, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — One is a former health-care worker and political veteran from Westmoreland County. The other is an ex-public defender and relative newcomer from Philadelphia. Two different women, two different parties, two different sides of the state.
Pa. GOP Advances Audit of 2020 Election, Says It’s Not About Fraud

Pa. GOP Advances Audit of 2020 Election, Says It’s Not About Fraud

November 19, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — State House Republicans on Wednesday moved a step closer to launching a review of the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania, though the process would not be completed until after the state’s vote is officially certified.
The Months-Long Political Saga That Guaranteed a Long Vote Count in Pennsylvania

The Months-Long Political Saga That Guaranteed a Long Vote Count in Pennsylvania

November 5, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — It didn’t have to be this way in Pennsylvania.
Pa. Republicans Drop Effort to Create ‘Election Integrity’ Panel With Subpoena Power

Pa. Republicans Drop Effort to Create ‘Election Integrity’ Panel With Subpoena Power

October 11, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Republicans have dropped their plan to create an “election integrity” panel with subpoena power, an effort Democrats feared would lead to a “stealth attack” on voting.
House GOP Leadership Calls on Lawmaker to Resign Over Vulgar Videos

House GOP Leadership Calls on Lawmaker to Resign Over Vulgar Videos

October 9, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — House Republican leaders are calling on a member of their caucus to resign after videos of a Lawrence County lawmaker encouraging his young son to smoke and curse emerged this week.
Lawmakers Mount New Push to Give Pa. Counties More Flexibility in Counting Mail-in Ballots

Lawmakers Mount New Push to Give Pa. Counties More Flexibility in Counting Mail-in Ballots

October 9, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With a partisan logjam holding up election reforms in the Pennsylvania legislature, lawmakers are making one final push to fix what county officials across the state say is the number one issue standing in the way of a timely counting of votes.
Lawmakers’ Power to Redraw Pa.’s Political Maps Could Be More Limited in 2021

Lawmakers’ Power to Redraw Pa.’s Political Maps Could Be More Limited in 2021

September 23, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Lawmakers are still in charge of drawing Pennsylvania’s political maps, but good-government advocates say a bill making its way through the state Senate would check the most egregious gerrymandering practices and boost public transparency when the process begins again next year.
Voting Victories for Democrats in Pa. Might Have Closed the Door on More Election Reform

Voting Victories for Democrats in Pa. Might Have Closed the Door on More Election Reform

September 21, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With less than seven weeks to go, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has significantly altered how the state’s election will run on Nov. 3, allowing ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted and giving voters the option to use satellite drop boxes.
Pa. GOP Advances Election Bill That Would Ban Drop Boxes, Get Mail-In Ballots to Voters Earlier

Pa. GOP Advances Election Bill That Would Ban Drop Boxes, Get Mail-In Ballots to Voters Earlier

September 2, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With just two months to go until Nov. 3, the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday advanced a voting reform bill championed by Republicans as an effort to ensure a secure election, and decried by Democrats as an attack on ballot access.
Surge in Mail-In Ballots Could Delay Election Results, So Wolf Wants to Change the Rules

Surge in Mail-In Ballots Could Delay Election Results, So Wolf Wants to Change the Rules

August 29, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday unveiled a wishlist of election reforms to address logistical concerns that some county and state officials fear could turn nightmarish on Nov. 3.
Thwarted at Every Turn, Pa. GOP Lawmakers Hatch New Plan to Undermine Wolf’s Emergency Powers

Thwarted at Every Turn, Pa. GOP Lawmakers Hatch New Plan to Undermine Wolf’s Emergency Powers

August 26, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Thwarted by court rulings and vetoes, Republicans in the legislature unhappy with Gov. Tom Wolf’s response to the coronavirus pandemic are plotting two new efforts to curtail his emergency powers.
Pa. Lawmakers Concerned ‘Guidance’ for Schools Could Open the Door to COVID-19 Lawsuits

Pa. Lawmakers Concerned ‘Guidance’ for Schools Could Open the Door to COVID-19 Lawsuits

August 21, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — As students prepare to begin a highly unusual school year, Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday told Wolf administration officials they’re concerned the state’s COVID-19 guidance could open districts to lawsuits.
How Arguments in Washington Are Holding Up Coronavirus Relief in Pennsylvania

How Arguments in Washington Are Holding Up Coronavirus Relief in Pennsylvania

August 8, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — There’s roughly $1 billion in unspent federal aid sitting in Pennsylvania’s coffers. Yet key players in the Capitol say they won’t make any decisions about how to spend the cash until Washington makes up its mind on a second coronavirus relief package.
Pa. Education Secretary Will Step Down in October to Lead Lancaster Technical College

Pa. Education Secretary Will Step Down in October to Lead Lancaster Technical College

August 4, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s top education official will leave his post this fall to lead a technical college, just weeks into what promises to be an extraordinarily challenging school year for districts statewide as they grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Tom Wolf Cited His Emergency Powers to Withhold Millions From a Pa. County. Now It’s Suing.

Gov. Tom Wolf Cited His Emergency Powers to Withhold Millions From a Pa. County. Now It’s Suing.

July 23, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Central Pennsylvania county is suing Gov. Tom Wolf for nearly $13 million in coronavirus relief funding, claiming the governor overstepped his authority by withholding the money after local commissioners defied his state shutdown.
More Financial Assistance May Be on the Way for Pennsylvanians Struggling to Pay Utility Bills

More Financial Assistance May Be on the Way for Pennsylvanians Struggling to Pay Utility Bills

July 22, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — As regulators struggle to decide when to end Pennsylvania’s moratorium on utility shutoffs, a Republican lawmaker is seeking support to offer financial assistance to households and small businesses behind on their bills because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pa. Lawmakers Want Voters to Weaken Governor’s Emergency Powers, Boost Their Own

Pa. Lawmakers Want Voters to Weaken Governor’s Emergency Powers, Boost Their Own

July 16, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Having lost battle after battle to wrest control of Pennsylvania’s coronavirus response from Gov. Tom Wolf, the GOP-controlled legislature now wants voters to permanently weaken a governor’s emergency powers while boosting their own.
Lawmakers Will Rule Again Over Redrawing of Pa. Political Boundaries, but Critics Aren’t Giving Up

Lawmakers Will Rule Again Over Redrawing of Pa. Political Boundaries, but Critics Aren’t Giving Up

July 9, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — For a moment, anti-gerrymandering advocates in Pennsylvania had a victory in sight.
In Pa.’s Growing Fireworks War, It’s Fed-Up Residents Versus Cold, Hard Cash

In Pa.’s Growing Fireworks War, It’s Fed-Up Residents Versus Cold, Hard Cash

July 4, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — In July 1939, Pennsylvania Gov. Arthur James declared victory in the war on fireworks.
Pennsylvania Mandates Masks for Anyone Who Leaves Their Home Amid Coronavirus Increases

Pennsylvania Mandates Masks for Anyone Who Leaves Their Home Amid Coronavirus Increases

July 2, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvanians are now required to wear masks whenever they leave their homes — rather than simply when they enter businesses — under a new order issued by the Wolf administration in response to the recent increase in coronavirus cases.
Effort to Track Police Use of Force in Pa. Would Lack Racial Data, Public Transparency

Effort to Track Police Use of Force in Pa. Would Lack Racial Data, Public Transparency

June 26, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania may take a major step toward overseeing the greatest authority afforded police officers — the legal right to harm another person — by requiring that all instances of use of force be tracked and reported.
‘Clear as Mud’: How Pa.’s Chaotic Coronavirus Waiver Program Hurt Small Businesses

‘Clear as Mud’: How Pa.’s Chaotic Coronavirus Waiver Program Hurt Small Businesses

June 25, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — On a Saturday in March, after Gov. Tom Wolf urged nonessential businesses to close, Cameron Peters turned off the lights in her flower shop on Phoenixville’s main street, pulled the candy-pink door closed, and started sobbing.
Despite Landmark Ruling, Pa. GOP Leaders in No Hurry to Extend LGBTQ Protections Under State Law

Despite Landmark Ruling, Pa. GOP Leaders in No Hurry to Extend LGBTQ Protections Under State Law

June 22, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — For more than a decade, state Sen. Pat Browne has introduced the same bill over and over and over again, with the same result. The Lehigh County lawmaker is the prime sponsor of a measure that would enshrine anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people into Pennsylvania law.
Pa. Advances Reforms to Create Confidential Police Disciplinary Database, as NY, NJ Take Steps to Make Records Public

Pa. Advances Reforms to Create Confidential Police Disciplinary Database, as NY, NJ Take Steps to Make Records Public

June 16, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With bipartisan support, Pennsylvania lawmakers advanced two long-awaited police oversight reforms Monday, including a bill that would create a confidential misconduct database for officer background checks.
Top Republican Mike Turzai Will Resign From the Pa. House on June 15

Top Republican Mike Turzai Will Resign From the Pa. House on June 15

June 10, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — House Speaker Mike Turzai, one of the most powerful Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature, announced Wednesday he will resign his seat just months before he was set to retire.
The Pa. Legislature Approved a Resolution Ending Wolf’s Coronavirus Emergency Declaration. What Happens Now?

The Pa. Legislature Approved a Resolution Ending Wolf’s Coronavirus Emergency Declaration. What Happens Now?

June 10, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — What was once considered a nuclear option detonated in the Pennsylvania legislature this week, as Republican lawmakers — and a handful of Democrats — gave final approval to a resolution terminating Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus emergency declaration.
Pa. House Democrats Block Start of Voting Session to Demand Police Reforms From GOP

Pa. House Democrats Block Start of Voting Session to Demand Police Reforms From GOP

June 9, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — State House Democrats on Monday took control of the chamber in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and refused to allow a voting session to begin, imploring Republicans to consider a host of police reform bills in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and widespread protests.
Wolf Will Appoint Misconduct Watchdog, Establish Commission to Oversee Pa. State Troopers, Correctional Officers

Wolf Will Appoint Misconduct Watchdog, Establish Commission to Oversee Pa. State Troopers, Correctional Officers

June 5, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf will appoint a watchdog and create a commission to investigate alleged misconduct by the Pennsylvania State Police and other law enforcement agencies under his purview, he announced Thursday.
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf Marches with George Floyd Demonstrators in Harrisburg

Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf Marches with George Floyd Demonstrators in Harrisburg

June 4, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday joined hundreds of demonstrators as they marched through Harrisburg to protest the police killing of George Floyd, a black man from Minnesota.
Pennsylvania Is Sitting on Billions in Coronavirus Relief Money. That Will Soon Change.

Pennsylvania Is Sitting on Billions in Coronavirus Relief Money. That Will Soon Change.

June 1, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — After enduring more than two months of the coronavirus pandemic, and with state revenues continuing to tank, Pennsylvania has yet to spend a dime of $3.9 billion in discretionary federal stimulus dollars intended to aid in the relief effort.
Pa. Legislature Sends $26 Billion Short-Term Budget to Gov. Tom Wolf

Pa. Legislature Sends $26 Billion Short-Term Budget to Gov. Tom Wolf

May 29, 2020 | Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania legislature has sent a short-term budget with no tax increases to Gov. Tom Wolf, an unusual measure made necessary by the strain put on the state’s finances by the coronavirus.

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