Spotlight PA

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Admin Blames ‘Human Error’ for Deletion of Pa. State Police Records

January 24, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Thousands of records, including evidence logs from the Pennsylvania State Police’s crime labs, were accidentally deleted from state servers at the start of the year — the result of “human error,” Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said.

Long-Sought Charter School Changes on the Table as Pa. Lawmakers Plot Education Funding Overhaul

January 24, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering significant changes to the way charter schools are funded as they undertake a monumental overhaul of public education mandated by a court ruling.

Proposed Update to State Gaming Rules Could Offer Relief to Pa.’s Fire Companies, Nonprofits

January 23, 2024 | Spotlight PA

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s volunteer fire companies rely on raffles and bingo to stay open, but state law prohibits them from accepting cashless payments for these small games of chance, a condition that limits their fundraising abilities and has some of them considering breaking the rules.

Pa.’s Broadband Authority Reverses Position on Key State Law Before New Federal Funding Arrives

January 22, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A state agency recently reversed its position on whether Pennsylvania law could cause problems for an unprecedented surge of federal investment for expanding access to high-speed internet.

Pa.’s Outdoor Recreation Office Identifies Early Priorities, but Some Specifics Remain Unclear

January 19, 2024 | Spotlight PA

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — A Pennsylvania office launched last year to support the state’s outdoor sector has announced its initial priorities in a new report that broadly details its mission but also includes gaps.

Great Pa News Quiz: Fetterman Memoir, Seriously Cold, Bidenomics, and Underfunded Schools

January 19, 2024 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: U.S. Sen. John Fetterman is writing a book; and the coldest temperature ever recorded in Pennsylvania.

Utility Shut-Off Protections in Pa. Would Be Expanded to Summer Months Under Bill

January 18, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers have until the end of 2024 to reauthorize a key area of state law that protects low-income utility customers from sudden shut-offs when behind on their bills, and some are taking advantage of the deadline to push for new consumer protections.

Relief for Abuse Survivors, Other Constitutional Amendments Halted in Pa.’s Split Legislature

January 17, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Divided control of the Pennsylvania legislature has raised the bar for advancing proposed constitutional amendments, as Democrats and Republicans must find common ground to send a measure to voters for consideration.

Pa. County Officials Say Lawmakers’ Increase to the 911 Phone Fee Isn’t Enough to Alleviate Taxpayer Burden

January 15, 2024 | Spotlight PA

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — An increase to the monthly phone fee users pay to support emergency services will help fill staff vacancies and upgrade infrastructure, but county officials say the 30-cent raise isn’t enough to prevent local tax increases to sustain the 911 system’s long-term needs.

New Law Aims to Make Guardianship a Last Resort in Pa., but Some Experts Say It Doesn’t Go Far Enough

January 12, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With little fanfare, Gov. Josh Shapiro in December signed into law a bill aimed at fixing long-standing problems within Pennsylvania’s vexing system for safeguarding adults—many of them seniors—whom courts deem incapable of making critical life, health, and financial decisions for themselves.

Pennsylvania Provides State Money for Public Defense for the First Time

January 11, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania will soon convene a committee to decide how to spend the state's first-ever funding for public defense, though experts cautioned the investment won't be enough to level the playing field.

Pa.’s Poorest School Districts Were Slated for a Funding Boost. State Aid Went to School Construction Instead.

January 10, 2024 | Spotlight PA

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s poorest districts won’t receive $100 million in new money to help fill vacancies and reduce funding deficits after lawmakers diverted those dollars to school construction projects.

A Group of Pa. Lawmakers Didn’t Take Pay During the Budget Impasse. A Bill Would Force All to Abstain.

January 9, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Twelve state House lawmakers didn’t cash at least one of their paychecks during Pennsylvania’s six-month budget impasse last year, as the legislature struggled to agree on the last pieces of the state’s $45.4 billion spending plan.

School Funding, Permitting at Top of Pa. Legislature’s 2024 Agenda

January 6, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In the new year, Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to put a lot of their energy into changing permitting processes, getting a long-sought constitutional amendment over the finish line, and figuring out how to overhaul the commonwealth’s education funding system.

Pa. Medical Marijuana Cards and Anxiety: What the Research Says

January 5, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Anxiety disorders are the leading reason doctors approve patients for a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania, even though the evidence that cannabis or its compounds are an effective treatment for them is limited and mixed.

DuBois Paid More Than $307,000 in Legal Fees Related to City Manager Corruption Investigation, Records Show

January 5, 2024 | Spotlight PA

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — DuBois has spent at least $274,00 in taxpayer money to cover the legal bills of former City Manager Herm Suplizio, who is accused of stealing roughly double that amount from the Pennsylvania city, its annual festival, and a local nonprofit over nearly a decade.

State Funding for Penn State, Pitt, and Temple Hasn’t Kept Pace With Inflation, Data Show

January 3, 2024 | Spotlight PA

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — For more than a decade, public funding for Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities has not kept pace with inflation, according to a Spotlight PA analysis.

Why the Pennsylvania Legislature Is Off to a Slow Start in 2024

January 1, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania House is about to enter an extended post-holiday hibernation.

Broken Program, Local Corruption, and Cannabis Data: Spotlight Pa’s Best Investigations of 2023

December 30, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In 2023, Spotlight PA reporters uncovered serious issues with Pennsylvania’s mortgage relief program, probed deep-seated problems with the competency system, won a court battle to reveal secret details about the state’s medical marijuana program, and more.

Great Pa News Quiz: Disputed Genealogy Records, Flexible Gift Ban, and Pa.’s Fave Christmas Flick

December 29, 2023 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: A genealogist clashes with Ancestry.com, Shapiro sporting tickets draw criticism, and Pennsylvanians crown their fave Christmas movie.

Pa. Lawmakers’ Base Salary Now Tops $106K. Here’s What You Need to Know About Their Automatic Pay Raises.

December 27, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers’ base salary recently rose to more than $106,000, prompting a fresh round of criticism about the annual automatic pay bump.

Inside the Pa. Court Case Pitting a Genealogist Against Ancestry.com

December 26, 2023 | Spotlight PA

What began in 2022 as a one-paragraph public records request has morphed into a full-blown court fight over who owns digital copies of Pennsylvania's historical records.

Great Pa News Quiz: a Pop Star’s Era, Tom Wolf’s New Home, and the End of the Budget Impasse

December 22, 2023 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: The Pa. House declares a new era, Tom Wolf leaves Mount Wolf, and what’s missing from the final budget deal.

Despite Ethics Concerns, Shapiro Will Keep Accepting Tickets From a Group That Gets State Money

December 22, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Josh Shapiro plans to continue accepting perks like tickets to sporting events from a nonprofit that receives state money despite concerns he may be violating his own gift ban.

Administrative Election Errors Rise as Pa. Counties Struggle to Keep Voting Officials

December 21, 2023 | Spotlight PA

In mid-October, Greene County, in southwest Pennsylvania, notified voters that some mail ballots for the November election listed two races for magisterial district judges, though voters were only supposed to be electing one.

GET THE DATA: Spotlight Pa Makes Info on Why Patients Qualify for Medical Marijuana Publicly Available

December 20, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — As part of an ongoing effort to increase transparency and accountability for the state’s medical marijuana program, Spotlight PA is making public data it obtained after an open records battle with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

A Long Budget Impasse and Partisan Standoffs Dominated the Pa. Legislature in 2023

December 20, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s divided legislature is reflecting on a 2023 dominated by deadlock and hoping the dynamic turns around when the second half of the two-year session begins in January.

A Mix of Reform-Minded and Tough-on-Crime Justice Bills are Now Law in Pa.

December 16, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law more than a dozen changes to Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system Thursday, including updates to the state’s notoriously burdensome probation laws and a long-sought bill expanding a record expungement program.

Great Pa News Quiz: Shapiro’s 1st Year, Capitol Leaks, ‘Zombie’ Deer, and Holiday Gift Returns

December 16, 2023 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s news quiz: Shapiro’s 1st year reviewed, Capitol water damage, & diseased deer.

Shapiro Administration Cancels $10.7 Million Contract for Pa. Voter Roll System Upgrade

December 16, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state has canceled a planned upgrade to Pennsylvania’s system for managing voter rolls, leaving officials stuck for the foreseeable future with a process and technology they say is outdated and inefficient.

Pennsylvania’s Budget Impasse Ends as Legislature Agrees to Boost Child Care Tax Credit, Fund Public Defense

December 15, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s budget impasse ended Wednesday after the divided state legislature agreed to send millions of dollars to community colleges and libraries, fund public legal defense, and create a student teacher stipend.

Pa. Introduces New Rules for Hunters to Limit the Spread of ‘Zombie Deer Disease.’ Here’s What to Know.

December 13, 2023 | Spotlight PA

BELLEFONTE — Pennsylvania this fall rolled out new regulations for hunters to mitigate the spread of a fatal disease that affects deer and elk, but the state still isn’t requiring testing before processing venison.

Gov. Josh Shapiro Rebuilt a Bridge, Weathered a Messy Budget, and Walked Fine Partisan Lines in 2023

December 13, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In his first year as Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro won praise as a literal bridge builder, signed a state spending plan that included long-sought Democratic priorities, and helped expand a relief program for older homeowners.

Demand for Pennsylvania’s New Whole-Home Repairs Program Has Been Overwhelming, but More Funding is on Hold

December 11, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Stephanie Fritsch is terrified to take a shower.

Great Pa News Quiz: Sworn in on Banned Books, Fetterman’s Troll Target, and an Amtrak Revival

December 9, 2023 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s news quiz: School official sworn in on a stack of banned books, Fetterman’s troll target, and an Amtrak revival update.

How Local Government Works: A Key Factor in Determining Property Taxes Varies Wildly Across Pennsylvania

December 8, 2023 | Spotlight PA

Property taxes are the lifeblood of municipal revenue and services in Pennsylvania, but depending on when a county last assessed its property values, local governments can overflow with cash or be strapped for it.

New Pa. House Rules Sought to Strengthen Bipartisanship. Insiders Say It Didn’t Work.

December 5, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — During the chaotic start to this year's legislative session, Pennsylvania House Democrats used their new majority to pass a high-profile set of changes to chamber rules that backers said would make the government more productive and bipartisan.

We Tracked Josh Shapiro’s 11 Biggest Campaign Promises Through His First Year. See How He Did.

December 4, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — During his run for governor, Josh Shapiro was boosted by his reputation as a deal-making coalition-builder.

Pa. Legislature Paid $280K to Settle Harassment, Other Claims While Requiring Secrecy in Many Cases

December 1, 2023 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania legislature has quietly paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past five years to settle sexual harassment and other claims against lawmakers and staffers, Spotlight PA has learned through open records requests.

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