Pennsylvania - BlogFlock

PHOTO ESSAY: Hundreds Participate in Die-in at Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s Office to Highlight Deadly Stakes of GOP Budget - Bucks County Beacon

2025-07-02T23:55:30.000Z

After the Senate passed H.R. 1 and sent it back to the House of Representatives for another vote and possible modifications, hundreds of community members gathered at Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s office Wednesday to demonstrate the harm that this bill will do to families across Pennsylvania’s 1st congressional district and across the nation.

READ: Here’s Why 1,800 Protesters Demonstrated Outside of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s Langhorne Office for ‘No Kings Day’

President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is projected to kick nearly 12 million people off of Medicaid and cut over $260 billion in food aid for the hungry. Protesters laid down in front of the Congressman’s office holding tombstones with messages like “RIP – Lost SNAP – Died of Malnutrition” and “RIP – Lost Medicaid – Kicked out of My Nursing Home.” That action was followed by a much larger group of attendees “dying” in the grass in front of his office, to much acclaim from drivers passing by on Routes 413 and 332.

READ: Dr. Oz, Senator David McCormick, and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick Want My Son to Prove That He Matters Enough to Keep Access to Medicaid

Bucks County Beacon photojournalist David Iskra captured the event:

US House GOP struggles to advance megabill against Freedom Caucus resistance - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-02T23:32:43.000Z

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters before heading to the House chamber for a procedural vote on the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act" at the U.S. Capitol on July 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republican efforts to pass the “big, beautiful bill” hit a roadblock Wednesday, when leaders left the chamber in a holding pattern for hours before sending members back to their offices.

The House was scheduled to vote on a rule that would have set up floor debate and a final passage vote for the tax break and spending cut package. But that plan was delayed indefinitely after GOP leaders had to hold open another vote as they tried to secure the votes needed to move forward amid an especially thin 220-212 majority.

Far-right members of the House GOP objected strongly to the Senate version passed Tuesday, which reflected changes made during the past month compared to an earlier version passed in the House. Members of the House Freedom Caucus cited provisions dealing with immigration and the repeal of clean energy tax credits, as well as the measure’s increase in the deficit.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released analysis after the Senate voted, showing the bill would increase deficits by $3.4 trillion during the next decade compared to current law.

‘We can’t make everyone 100% happy’

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said just before walking onto the floor that he felt ”very positive about the progress” made during ongoing negotiations, but didn’t commit to having the necessary votes.

“The thing about it is, when you have a piece of legislation that is this comprehensive and with so many agenda items involved, you’re going to have lots of different priorities and preferences among people because they represent different districts and they have different interests,” Johnson said. “But we can’t make everyone 100% happy. It’s impossible.”

Johnson said he would never ask lawmakers to “compromise core principles, but preferences must be yielded for the greater good.”

South Dakota Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson told reporters before the delay that “the rule going down would be a very unfortunate development.”

But he expressed confidence in Speaker Johnson’s ability to bring holdouts on board eventually, potentially by making commitments tied to future bills.

“Speaker Johnson has not made any promises. He has been really good about talking about legislative vehicles that will exist in the months to come,” Dusty Johnson said. “Reconciliation is not the only tool in the Republican, or I should say in the congressional toolbox. Mike Johnson’s done a good job of making people understand there are other ways we can get things done.”

Trump presses House GOP

Several House GOP lawmakers traveled to the White House earlier in the day to meet with President Donald Trump, who was working to assuage concerns through several social media posts.

“THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL DEAL IS ALL ABOUT GROWTH. IF PASSED, AMERICA WILL HAVE AN ECONOMIC RENAISSANCE LIKE NEVER BEFORE,” Trump wrote. “IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING, JUST IN ANTICIPATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL BILL. DEFICIT CUT IN HALF, RECORD INVESTMENT — CASH, FACTORIES, JOBS POURING INTO THE USA. MAGA!!!”

Further complicating matters were a few absences, since the House was set to be out of session this week and lawmakers experienced weather-related travel delays trying to get back to Capitol Hill. Many opted to rent cars and drive instead of trying to rebook canceled flights.

But the bigger problem facing Speaker Johnson is that he cannot lose more than a handful of GOP votes and still pass the legislation.

House Rules Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., urged support for approving the rule during floor debate, arguing it was essential for GOP lawmakers to deliver on campaign promises.

“This legislation is the embodiment of the America First agenda and we would all do well to remember that,” Foxx said. “Failure at this critical juncture is not an option. This clock is ticking, the president and the American people are waiting. “

Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, ranking member on the panel, railed against the dozens of provisions Senate Republicans bundled together in the 870-page package, including some added just Tuesday.

“This process — an abomination, legislative malpractice,” McGovern said. “Final text of this bill came out less than 24 hours ago. We met in committee an hour after it was posted and now we’re here considering a rule that only allows for one hour of debate.

“This bill is within the jurisdiction of 12 different committees. One hour is ridiculous. And every minute we’re finding out new things that were snuck into the bill: a tax cut for whalers and now we’re learning about a gambling tax.”

Tax cuts favor higher incomes

The bill — which underwent weeks of revisions in the Senate after a prior version barely passed the House in May — will extend and expand the 2017 GOP tax law while overhauling several safety-net programs and slashing spending on Medicaid.

Those tax cuts skew toward wealthier income earners. The top 1% would receive a cut three times the size of those with incomes in the bottom 60% of after-tax income, according to analysis from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. It also makes permanent some tax breaks on business investments and research and development costs.

The package makes substantial changes to Medicaid, including requiring some people on the program to work, participate in community service, or attend an educational program for at least 80 hours a month.

It will block any Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood for one year, essentially requiring enrollees to find other health care options for routine appointments such as cancer screenings, birth control and sexually transmitted infections treatment and screening. Using federal taxpayer dollars for abortion coverage has been restricted for decades, with limited exceptions.

The legislation requires state governments to pay for a portion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the first time if they cannot get error payment rates under a certain percentage. SNAP is the primary federal nutrition program that feeds low-income people and roughly 42 million rely on it.

It bolsters spending on border security and defense by hundreds of billions of dollars, including line items for the “golden dome” missile defense system and additional barriers along the southern border.

The measure would provide a substantial funding increase to federal immigration enforcement for detention and removal of people without permanent legal status, aiding the president in carrying out his campaign promise of mass deportations.

The bill would raise the debt limit by $5 trillion, a figure designed to get Congress past next year’s midterm elections before the country would once again bump up against the borrowing limit.

Protesters milled about and held signs on street corners outside the U.S. Capitol as Republicans worked to pass the megabill. Several spoke out against cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, as well as rollbacks to clean energy tax credits contained in the budget reconciliation package.

Senate turmoil

The House voted 215-214 mostly along party lines to approve the first version of the package in late May.

Senate Republicans spent much of the last month reading through that, trying to determine what proposals their members supported and which elements would need to come out to comply with the strict rules that go along with writing a budget reconciliation bill.

The parliamentarian, that chamber’s referee, continued to issue rulings on whether various policies in the legislation were in bounds for days before the Senate officially began debating the measure and even after they launched into vote-a-rama Monday morning.

That “Byrd bath” process eventually wrapped up, allowing Senate GOP leaders to release updated text of the package shortly before the chamber took its final vote.

Even with near-constant negotiations among Senate Republicans, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was unable to get everyone on board.

3 Senate Republicans voted no

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis opposed the measure, which the Senate approved on Tuesday with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Collins wrote in a statement that while she supported “extending the tax relief for families and small businesses,” her opposition to the legislation “stems primarily from the harmful impact it will have on Medicaid, affecting low-income families and rural health care providers like our hospitals and nursing homes.”

Collins also cited “additional problems” with how the legislation addressed tax credits for certain forms of energy production, which she wrote “should have been gradually phased out so as not to waste the work that has already been put into these innovative new projects and prevent them from being completed.”

Tillis spoke about his opposition to the bill’s changes to Medicaid during a floor speech before the Senate’s vote, arguing its cuts to spending to the state-federal health program for low-income people and some people with disabilities weren’t in the best interest of GOP voters.

“I’m telling the president that you have been misinformed,” Tillis said. “You supporting the Senate mark will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid.”

Tillis said he supports a policy change in the bill that would require people on Medicaid to work, participate in community service, or attend an educational program. But he was critical of other changes implemented by his Senate colleagues, and announced he won’t seek reelection hours after voting against advancing the package.

“I love the work requirement. I love the other reforms in this bill. They are necessary and I appreciate the leadership of the House for putting it in there,” Tillis said. “In fact, I like the work of the House so much that I wouldn’t be having to do this speech if we simply started with the House mark.”

Paul said he decided to vote against the legislation because it will increase federal deficits during the next few years.

“To me the most pertinent question is, how will the bill affect the deficit in the next year?” Paul said. “Currently our deficit is estimated to be a little under $2 trillion this year. What will happen to the (deficit) in 2026 if this bill passes? Well, using the math most favorable to the supporters of the bill, referred to as the policy baseline, the deficit in 2026 will still be $270 billion more than this year.”

Paul added “that’s just not good if you profess to be fiscally conservative.”

Ashley Murray contributed to this story.

Trump administration withholds $230 million for Pennsylvania schools - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-02T23:14:03.000Z

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building pictured on Nov. 25, 2024. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)

Pennsylvania education leaders are scrambling after the Trump Administration said it would withhold more than $230 million in congressionally approved funding for after-school programs, teacher training, literacy, and education for migrant and non-English speaking students.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Education said the U.S. Department of Education informed officials Monday evening of a delay in the release of funding that was due to be available starting Tuesday.

The action is separate from the budget reconciliation bill pending final approval in the U.S. House.

Education advocates told the Capital-Star on Wednesday the failure to release the funds was reckless and unlawful and would affect the commonwealth’s most vulnerable students.

“These federal funds support key programs that expand learning for our most underserved students,” Maura McInerney, legal director of the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, said in a statement.

Federal Fallout: Your contribution helps us continue to report on how changes at the federal level are affecting people and organizations in the commonwealth.

State House Education Committee Chairperson Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) said the announcement caught state and local school officials off guard, which came days after the deadline for school districts to approve their budgets.

The uncertainty also arrived as the General Assembly continues negotiations over the state budget.

According to an analysis by Education Week, the $230 million due Pennsylvania is the sixth largest amount among the states after California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois.

Schweyer said he learned of the funding freeze from a school superintendent in his legislative district who had received a “terse” email from the state. He learned further details about the Trump administration’s decision from a New York Times article.

“To say we had no idea this is coming is absolutely accurate,” Schweyer said.

The federal Education Department referred questions to the White House Office of Management and Budget, which did not respond.

He said the funding freeze comes as many school districts and partner organizations are working to finalize agreements and hire staff for after school and summer programs. Rural communities where independent nonprofit organizations such as the YMCA and Jewish community centers are less common are likely to be hit harder, he said.

“The Trump administration is beyond reckless. This Congress is beyond impotent. They’re hurting the families we all collectively serve,” Schweyer said.

Funding for seven federal programs totaling nearly $7 billion nationwide is affected. Five of the programs support K-12 schools, while the other two help schools, community colleges and other organizations provide adult literacy and civics education.

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McInerney said the programs benefit children affected by poverty through summer school and after-school tutoring and enrichment programs; immigrant students and English learners, children of migrant workers; youth in the foster care system and juvenile justice system; and adults seeking basic education as a pathway to post-secondary education and employment.

The state Education Department provided estimates of the impact on commonwealth schools and other organizations that receive the funds:

Title I-C, Migrant Education, $11 million
Title II-A, Supporting Effective Instruction, $70 million
Title III-A, English Language Acquisition, $20 million
Title IV-B, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, $54 million
Adult Education Basic Grants to States, $20 million

“We are assessing the impact of this delay and will keep school leaders and local programs informed. We are also determining any next steps,” department spokesperson Erin James said. “PDE will continue to share updates as they become available and is committed to supporting Pennsylvania schools, educators, and learners throughout this process.”

McInerney said withholding the funds is a violation of the Impoundment Control Act, which regulates how the president can delay or rescind spending that has already been approved by Congress.

“The unilateral withholding of these congressionally appropriated funding streams without any justification or warning to Congress is outrageous and unlawful. The administration cannot unilaterally delay or cancel appropriations already enacted into law. Only Congress holds this constitutional power,” McInerney said.

Trump dealt loss as judge rejects executive order claiming ‘invasion’ at the border - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-02T22:42:04.000Z

Customs and Border Protection agents question families who have presented themselves at the Paso del Norte bridge to request asylum on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Source NM)

WASHINGTON — A federal judge Wednesday ruled as unlawful an executive order by President Donald Trump that barred asylum by claiming an “invasion” at the southern border and the need to protect states.

It’s the first major blow to the Trump administration in its attempt to end the ability for asylum seekers to make asylum claims.

“The President cannot adopt an alternative immigration system, which supplants the statutes that Congress has enacted,” District of Columbia U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss wrote in his opinion.

“Here, nothing in the (Immigration and Nationality Act) or the Constitution grants the President or his delegees the sweeping authority asserted in the Proclamation and implementing guidance,” continued Moss, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

The order from Moss also prevents the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from enforcing the executive order.

He also agreed to certify a class for potential asylum-seekers, which comes after last week’s Supreme Court ruling that curtailed nationwide injunctions from lower courts. Certifying a class was suggested by the court to give judges an avenue to make an order broader.

Moss put his order on hold for 14 days, to give the Trump administration time to appeal his ruling. If the order is upheld by an appeals court and the Supreme Court, it would require the Trump administration to begin processing asylum applicants for migrants.

“(The executive order) is unlawful insofar as it purports to suspend or to restrict access to asylum, withholding of removal, or the existing regulatory processes for obtaining (Convention Against Torture) protection,” Moss wrote in his order.

Inauguration Day

The asylum order was one of several immigration-related executive orders that Trump signed on the Inauguration Day of his second term. The order proclaimed that the “current situation at the southern border qualifies as an invasion” and barred asylum-seekers from being able to claim asylum.

Trump characterized asylum-seekers seeking entry at the U.S.-Mexico border as an “invasion” and said that the states need “protection,” so the White House would suspend physical entry until the president deemed the “invasion” over.

Encounters at the southern border have been the lowest in several years.

The section Trump cited in his proclamation, section 212(f), is part of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under that section, the president has the authority to “suspend the entry” of people who are not U.S. citizens under certain circumstances.

Complaint filed in February

The suit from the American Civil Liberties Union and other legal organizations, on behalf of Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, or RAICES, and other immigration legal service providers, argued the executive order unlawfully denies asylum and other humanitarian protections that are “expressly granted by Congress.”

“It is returning asylum seekers—not just single adults, but families too—to countries where they face persecution or torture, without allowing them to invoke the protections Congress has provided,” according to the initial complaint filed in February. “Indeed, the Proclamation does not even exempt unaccompanied children, despite the specific protections such children receive by statute.”

RAICES, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and the Florence Immigrant And Refugee Rights Project, which provide legal services to immigrants, argued that the proclamation harms the legal aid work of the individual plaintiffs.

Those individual plaintiffs in the suit include people who allege they fled persecution in Afghanistan, Ecuador, Cuba, Egypt, Brazil, Turkey and Peru. Some plaintiffs have either been removed to their home country, or to a third country such as Panama, according to the filing.

Protesters outside the US House make a last stand against the GOP megabill - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-02T22:38:54.000Z

Shelley Feist, 61, of Washington, D.C., who was raised in North Dakota, protests outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as House Republicans try to pass the "big beautiful bill." Feist said she's worried about effects on rural hospitals as a result of Medicaid cuts because her parents, in their 80s, depend on rural health care in Minot, North Dakota. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON — Protesters demonstrated against the “big beautiful bill” outside the U.S. Capitol Wednesday as House Republicans whipped votes to get the bill across the finish line and to President Donald Trump’s desk by a self-imposed July Fourth deadline.

Shelley Feist stood on Independence Avenue near the entrance to the House of Representatives holding signs above her head, one reading “Cruel Corrupt Cowards,” the other a Republican elephant with the word “Treason” written on it.

“I think they’re being cruel. I think cruelty is the point,” Feist, 61, of Washington, D.C., and originally from North Dakota, told States Newsroom. “It’s also extremely alarming that there’s such cowardice in the GOP.”

The massive budget reconciliation package, passed by Senate Republicans Tuesday with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance, extends and expands 2017 tax cuts at a cost of roughly $4.5 trillion over the next decade. It also yanks funding from federal food and health safety net programs.

Joanna Pratt, 74, of Washington, D.C., protests outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as House Republicans try to put together enough votes to pass the “big beautiful bill” and send it to President Donald Trump before a self-imposed July Fourth deadline. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

The bill aggressively rolls back clean energy tax credits, as well as raising the nation’s borrowing limit to $5 trillion.

Latest figures from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office show the package would add $3.4 trillion to the nation’s deficit over the next decade, when the country is mired in record-breaking debt. That office’s earlier analysis of the House-passed bill found the package would reduce resources for low-income families while padding higher earners.

Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, who chaired an hours-long final committee hearing about the bill overnight, said Wednesday the package is an “embodiment of the America First agenda and we would all do well to remember that.”

Medicaid cuts

Top of mind for Feist is the bill’s cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income individuals and some with disabilities. The Senate version of the package, passed Tuesday, included a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid over 10 years, according to the CBO.

“I have parents in North Dakota who are 85 and 86. They already have difficulty seeing their doctor. For every doctor that leaves, he takes on 14 times more burden. Rural health care is already extremely difficult. I would expect there will not be a hospital near where my parents live if this bill is signed into law,” said Feist, whose parents live near Minot.

Rural hospitals rely on Medicaid payments. In a last-minute move before Tuesday’s vote, Senate Republicans doubled a fund to $50 billion to subsidize hospitals that will lose funding. Critics say that amount is not enough to fill the gap.

GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted no after voicing concerns over Medicaid cuts.

Nadine Seiler, 60, of Waldorf, Maryland, stood near a press conference by the Congressional Hispanic Conference protesting the bill. Seiler held a large spray-painted sheet above her head with a message on each side: “Free America from Big Bad Bill” and “Coming Soon Freedom in Name Only.”

Nadine Seiler, 60, of Waldorf, Maryland, protested against the “big beautiful bill” outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as House Republicans were stalled in whipping enough votes for floor passage of the massive budget reconciliation bill. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

“I’m concerned about my fellow citizens who are going to be losing Medicaid, food stamps, human health services. People are going to die,” Seiler said.

“And I know Joni Ernst says that we all gonna die, but we gonna die faster and unnecessarily and I care about that.”

Seiler was referring to Sen. Ernst’s response to her Iowa constituents who expressed concern about Medicaid cuts at a town hall on May 30.

SNAP and ICE

Mark Starr sang a protest song he wrote about the “big beautiful bill” as he played guitar and harmonica outside the Longworth House Office Building Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico, native told States Newsroom he drove to the capital in late April to begin protesting the bill. He said he’s particularly focused on additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement contained in the package as well as cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food benefits to low-income households.

Mark Starr, 39, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, sang an original protest song he wrote about the “big beautiful bill” as he demonstrated near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as House Republicans whipped votes to pass the massive budget reconciliation package. (Video by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

“New Mexico is pretty poor, and so if these cuts to SNAP go, kids can go hungry in New Mexico,” Starr said. “It’s just, like, really gonna mess us up, and we’re just one of the many states that will be affected that way.”

New Mexico has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation.

A provision in the bill will shift food assistance costs to state governments for the first time in the federal program’s history. Critics worry that states could tighten eligibility requirements or drop the program because of the financial burden.

The left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates 55,000 teens age 14 and up, and adults up to age 64 could lose food assistance in New Mexico because of the bill’s cuts to state work requirement waivers. Children would remain eligible but households would overall see significantly decreased SNAP dollars.

The CBO found in late May that the House-passed bill would result in over 3 million people nationwide losing food assistance.

Starr said he’s also against additional funding provided for immigration enforcement.

“I think they have enough,” he said, pointing to Trump’s visit to a new detention facility in Florida that the White House is touting as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The Senate-approved version includes an additional $45 billion for ICE detention facilities and $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement and deportation, among billions more directed toward the Southern border.

Clean energy to take a hit

Tiernan Sittenfeld, of the League of Conservation Voters, huddled just outside the House with a group wearing t-shirts that read “Hands off our air, land and clean energy.”

Sittenfeld, the organization’s senior vice president of government affairs, argues the rollbacks of clean energy tax credits in the Senate version will “kill clean energy jobs.”

“It is bad for our economy. It’s bad for jobs. It’s going to raise people’s energy bills. And of course, it’s bad for the planet,” she said.

Senate Republicans accelerated the phase-out of some residential, manufacturing and production credits at a faster rate than the House bill. A last-minute change loosened the timeline on some tech-neutral energy credits though, and removed a previously added tax on wind and solar projects.

From left to right, Mahyar Sorour, Tiernan Sittenfeld, age 51, Anna Aurilio, 61, Davis Bates, 37, Elly Kosova, 29, Fransika Dale, 26, Francesca Governali, 30, and Craig Auster, 39, all based in Washington, D.C., protested the rollbacks to clean energy taxes contained in the “big beautiful bill,” outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as Republicans votes on the massive budget reconciliation package. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

Industry groups and energy companies small and large have warned early termination of the credits will have a major impact on growth.

The tax credits for solar, wind, batteries for energy storage, and electric vehicles, among others, were enacted under Democrats’ own 2022 budget reconciliation bill known as the “Inflation Reduction Act.”

The majority of investment in new clean energy manufacturing and production has been concentrated in rural states and states that elected Trump to his second term, according to data collected since 2022 by the Clean Investment Monitor, a joint project by the Rhodium Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.

“Any Republican who votes for this legislation is voting against the interest of their constituents, voting to kill jobs in their district, voting to kill clean energy projects, voting to make their constituents’ energy bills go up,” Sittenfeld said.

Far-right House members who as of Wednesday afternoon were withholding their votes maintain the rollbacks on the clean energy tax cuts, which they’ve dubbed the “green new scam,” do not go far enough.

Lawmakers loosen restrictions on Pa. Lottery payouts to boost sales - Spotlight PA

2025-07-02T18:54:47.000Z

NGN is a regional news service that focuses on government and enterprise reporting in southwestern Pennsylvania. Find out more information on foundation and corporate funders here.

The state Senate and House passed a bill allowing the Lottery to use more of its earnings on player payouts — boosting the number of games it sells with big-ticket prizes across Pennsylvania.

The bill, introduced by state Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D., Chester) and backed by Lottery officials and Gov. Josh Shapiro, has been touted as a way to bring in millions of additional dollars for programs benefiting senior citizens, such as low-cost prescriptions and rent rebates, that Lottery profits fund.

Shusterman said the move will help improve the quality of life of older Pennsylvanians.

“This change will allow the Pennsylvania Lottery to more effectively compete with other forms of entertainment, and put the Lottery on better financial footing,” Shusterman said in a statement.

Offering more of the higher payout traditional games — particularly the popular $30 and $50 scratch-offs — will attract more customers and rake in more profit, officials argued, although the likelihood of winning on any given ticket would remain the same.

But selling more tickets requires more cash for payouts, and the Lottery is required to make at least a 20% profit on traditional games for senior programs. That means it needs to be conservative about how much revenue it devotes to payouts, its biggest expense.

Now, the Lottery will only be required to make a 10% profit on traditional games if the bill is signed into law. Originally, the bill would eliminate the profit requirement entirely, but the Senate Aging & Youth Committee amended it.

Lowering the profit requirement gives the Lottery more flexibility with payouts, said Diana Dietz, deputy communications director for the Lottery.

“Reducing the profit margin requirement will allow us to modernize our games responsibly, stay competitive in today’s gaming market, and continue generating vital funding for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians,” Dietz said.

And it’s a step toward a change Lottery officials have wanted for years. Over a decade ago, officials suggested a reduction in the profit requirement. In recent years, they’ve asked for it to be eliminated entirely, which Shapiro supported in his preliminary budget proposal.

The bill passed the state Senate with 49 votes to pass and a single no from state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin). It’s now waiting to be signed into law by Shapiro.

It would take about six months from signing to begin implementing changes to games and around two fiscal years to fully implement, Dietz said.

A state House fiscal note estimates that reducing the requirement to 10% would bring in around $102 million from this fiscal year through fiscal year 2027-28. Eliminating it entirely would bring an increase of $1.24 billion over 10 years, according to the latest Lottery profit report.

“We will continue to evaluate whether fully eliminating the profit margin requirement could help modernize our products and keep the Pennsylvania Lottery competitive in today’s saturated gaming market,” Dietz said.

As of May, the Lottery had a profit margin of around 23.6% for the 2024-25 fiscal year, Dietz said.

Abigail Hakas is a reporter for Next Generation Newsroom, part of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. Reach her at abigail.hakas@pointpark.edu.

The Levers of Power - PoliticsPA

2025-07-02T18:47:30.000Z

As Congress goes back and forth over what used to be called the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ one thing becomes clear.

Elections have consequences.

Gov. Josh Shapiro often makes the case that he is one of the few state chief executives in the country that deals with a divided legislature. In the Keystone State, the House has a Democratic majority, while the Senate is GOP-controlled.

In the USA, not only do Republicans have the majority in both chambers of Congress, the GOP also has their man in the White House.

What does that mean?

Democrats have few options in legislative talks if Republicans don’t break ranks.

The Pennsylvania congressional delegation has 10 Republicans and seven Democrats. The GOP has a 220-212 (three vacancies) majority in the House.

Shapiro took to social media on Wednesday to make his case for why the PA Republican Congressional delegation should vote “no” on the megabill.

Every member of congress who votes for this reconciliation bill will be voting to cut Medicaid coverage and food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians.

The impact of this vote would be devastating — and it will be on them. pic.twitter.com/k7OHc6vusY
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) July 2, 2025

But it is clear that this will not be enough. What is clear is that Republican elected officials, much like Democrats when they held control of the executive branch, appear to want to fall in line behind their president on what is his ‘signature bill.’

They will hang wring. They will lament. They will scream from the highest mountaintop. But, in the end, it won’t be successful.

Although the ramifications of the final vote will have great impacts on Pennsylvanians, it is setting the stage for what will be a mammoth 2026 election cycle.

Well-paid campaign consultants are foaming at the mouth in anticipation of cutting ads for vulnerable Republicans that will vote in favor of the OBB. Think Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01). Think Rep. Scott Perry (R-10). Think freshmen Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (R-07) and Rob Bresnahan (R-08).

So watch the theatrics in D.C. with a grain of salt. Kudos to those in the minority for their cause. On the 162nd anniversary of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s last stand in Gettysburg, it may be considered a lost cause.

Street Makes It Official, Announces Candidacy For PA-03 Seat - PoliticsPA

2025-07-02T18:10:24.000Z

Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) has officially announced that he is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Congressional District seat.

The son of former Philly mayor John Street, the chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party will contend for the seat to be vacated by Rep. Dwight Evans (D-03). Evans announced Monday that he will not seek reelection when his term expires in 2026.

Street said in a recorded video on YouTube that Pennsylvanians need leadership that can only be found by understanding its communities.

“Listen, people are getting screwed bythe Republicans in Washington, who are more focused on helping their billionaire friends pay less taxes than delivering for the people they represent,” he said. “That’s not what leadership should be about. What’s missing is someone who knows our communities, and puts us first. Someone who understands what it means to live here and fight for real results.”

He continued by saying that he wants to ensure that the sixth-largest city in America has a seat at the table.

“In Congress, I’ll keep doing what I’ve always done, making sure Philadelphia has a seat at the table, and fighting for the investments we need for our schools, SEPTA, local hospitals, safe communities, and the issues that affect regular folks.”

Street, who represents northern Philly, was elected to the state senate in 2016, becoming the first Muslim person elected to the Keystone State’s chamber. He has been the chair of the Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party since 2022.

A graduate of Morehouse (Ga.) College, he received a B.A. in business administration and a concentration in Finance. After graduation, he earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 1999.

Street joins former city government employee Robin Toldens and physician Dave Oxman in the Democratic primary race.

HD-137: Warren Announces Candidacy for NorCo Seat - PoliticsPA

2025-07-02T16:08:48.000Z

Jeff Warren, a Northampton County councilman, has announced his candidacy for the State House of Representatives in the 137th Legislative District.

He works for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties (CASA SHaW), a nonprofit that assists foster children and their families as the Director of Community Outreach.

Warren served two terms with the Easton City Council and previously served 13 years as an aide and director of outreach to Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton).

“At a time with so much at stake here in Pennsylvania, I cannot simply sit by and watch our current State Representative continuously vote against our interests, buddy-up with warehouse developers, and side with the people causing chaos and uncertainty at the federal level,” said Warren in a statement. “Northampton County deserves a better advocate for working folks, families, children, and our local communities. I look forward to earning the support of voters in the 137th District.”

The seat is presently held by Republican Joe Emrick, who defeated Anna Thomas by four points last fall.

Born and raised in Easton, Warren received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Penn State in 1999 and his master’s in electronic media from Kutztown in 2010. He hosts The Philadelphia Sports Table Podcast Show, the longest running Philly sports podcast show in the world, as well as runs his own digital media business, PCS Digital.

He resides in Bethlehem Township with his wife, Michelle, and 14-year-old twin daughters, Addison and Abbigail.

The 137th Legislative District comprises “Part of NORTHAMPTON County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Bethlehem, Hanover (PART, District 05), Lower Nazareth, Palmer (PART, Districts Middle, Upper Eastern, Upper Western and Western [PART, Division 02]) and Upper Nazareth and the BOROUGHS of Nazareth and Tatamy.”

Trump Administration Withholds Over $6 Billion for After-school, Summer Programs and More - Bucks County Beacon

2025-07-02T14:40:58.000Z

WASHINGTON (AP) — Day camp providers and schools are warning that a Trump administration funding freeze could wreck summer for low-income American families and wipe out some after-school programming next year.

The administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as part of a review to ensure grants align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.

The move leaves states and schools in limbo as they budget for programs this summer and in the upcoming school year, introducing new uncertainty about when — or if — they will receive the money. It also sets the stage for a clash with Democrats, who say the administration is flouting the law by holding back money Congress appropriated.

Without the money, schools say they won’t be able to provide free or affordable after-school care for low-income kids while their parents work, and they may not be able to hire staff to teach children who are learning English. Even classes or camps underway this summer could be in jeopardy.

For instance, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America depend on some of the withheld money to run camps and other summer programming for low-income students. If funding isn’t restored soon, the programming may end mid-season, said Boys and Girls Club President Jim Clark.

After-school programming in the fall could also take a hit. “If these funds are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating,” Clark said. As many as 926 Boys and Girls Clubs could close, affecting more than 220,000 kids, the group said.

Programs that rely on the money were expecting it to be distributed July 1, but an Education Department notice issued Monday announced the money would not be released while the programs are under review. The department did not provide a timeline and warned that “decisions have not yet been made” on grants for the upcoming school year.

“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” Education Department officials wrote in the notice, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The department referred questions to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not respond to a request for comment.

After-school child care at risk

In Gadsden City Schools in Alabama, officials say they’ll have no choice but to shutter their after-school program serving more than 1,200 low-income students if federal funds aren’t released. There’s no other way to make up for the frozen federal money, said Janie Browning, who directs the program.

Families who rely on after-school programs would lose an important source of child care that keeps children safe and engaged while their parents work. The roughly 75 employees of the district’s after-school programs may lose their jobs.

“Those hours between after school and 6 o’clock really are the hours in the day when students are at the most risk for things that may not produce great outcomes,” Browning said. “It would be devastating if we lost the lifeline of afterschool for our students and our families.”

READ: Head Start in Bucks County Saved, Federal Funding Extended for Next 5 Years

Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, said withholding the money could cause lasting damage to the economy.

Some advocates fear the grants are being targeted for elimination, which could force schools to cut programs and teachers. Trump’s 2026 budget proposal called for Congress to zero out all of the programs under review, signaling the administration sees them as unnecessary.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., pressed the administration to spend the money as Congress intended.

“Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are forced to worry about whether they’ll have to cut back on afterschool programs or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed,” Murray said in a statement.

What the money funds

The six grant programs under review include one known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers. It’s the primary federal funding source for after-school and summer learning programs and supports more than 10,000 local programs nationwide, according to the Afterschool Alliance. Every state runs its own competition to distribute the grants, which totaled $1.3 billion this fiscal year.

Also under review are $2 billion in grants for teachers’ professional development and efforts to reduce class size; $1 billion for academic enrichment grants, often used for science and math education and accelerated learning; $890 million for students who are learning English; $376 million to educate the children of migrant workers; and $715 million to teach adults how to read.

These programs account for over 20% of the federal money the District of Columbia receives for K-12 education, according to an analysis by the Learning Policy Institute, a think tank. California alone has over $800,000 in limbo, while Texas has over $660,000.

“Trump is illegally impounding billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to serve students this fiscal year,” said Tony Thurmond, California’s state superintendent, in a statement. “The Administration is punishing children when states refuse to cater to Trump’s political ideology.”

READ: Cyber Charter School Reform Bill Passes Pennsylvania House, Would Save School Districts Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

The loss of funds could “put several more school districts in extreme financial distress,” said Chris Reykdal, superintendent of public instruction in Washington state. Districts have already adopted budgets, planned programming and hired staff, assuming they’d receive the money, Reykdal said.

If the funding freeze remains, children learning English and their parents would be especially affected. Some districts use the money to pay for summer programming designed for English learners, family engagement specialists who can communicate with parents and professional development training for staff. Rural districts would be hit the hardest.

“They’re trying to send a message,” said Amaya Garcia, who oversees education research at New America, a left-leaning think tank. “They don’t believe that taxpayer funding should be used for these children.”

Umatilla School District in rural eastern Oregon — with a sizable population of migrant families and students learning English — relies heavily on federal funding for its after-school and summer school programs. Superintendent Heidi Sipe says she is meeting with state officials soon to find out if the district will have to plan an early end to summer school, an option 20% of students are using. Come this fall, if federal money stays frozen, she’ll have to lay off staff and eliminate after-school programs attended by around half the district’s students.

“It’s an essential service in our community because we don’t have any licensed child care centers for school-age children,” she said.

Sipe said it’s particularly frustrating to deal with these funds being put into limbo because the school district was in the middle of a five-year grant period.

“It feels preventable,” she said, “and it feels as though we could have done a better job planning for America’s children.”

Trump administration tells Pa. and other states it’s freezing $6.8 billion for K-12 school programs - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-02T13:35:28.000Z

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing executive orders in the Oval Office on April 23, 2025. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon look on. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has put on hold $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 schools, according to an Education Department notice obtained by States Newsroom.

The agency informed states on Monday that it would be withholding funding for several programs, including before- and after-school programs, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives.

But the agency notified states just a day ahead of July 1 — the date these funds are typically sent out as educators plan for the coming school year.

The notice, which did not provide any timeline, said the funds are under review and “decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year.”

The affected programs, according to the Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee, include:

Title I-C, on migrant education
Title II-A, on improving the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders
Title III-A, on English language acquisition
Title IV-A, on STEM education, college and career counseling and other activities
Title IV-B, on before- and after-school programs and summer school programs
Grants geared toward adult education and literacy programs

States have been on the lookout for these funds. For instance, just last week, Oklahoma’s Department of Education reported that it had yet to get money from the federal government for migrant education, English language acquisition and other programs, according to Oklahoma Voice.

‘Winding down’ the department

Adding fuel to the fire, Trump is looking to eliminate all these programs as part of his fiscal 2026 budget request. That wish list, according to a department summary, calls for $12 billion in total spending cuts at the agency.

That proposed $12 billion cut “reflects an agency that is responsibly winding down,” the document notes.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 16 states is also suing the Trump administration over the cancellation earlier this year of roughly $1 billion in school mental health grants — a different piece of school funding — to try to restore that money.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle. The states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

Uncertainty created

In a Tuesday statement, Washington state U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate spending panel, urged the Trump administration to immediately release the frozen funds.

“President Trump himself signed this funding into law — but that isn’t stopping him from choking off resources to support before and after school programs, help students learn, support teachers in the classroom, and a lot more,” Murray said. “The uncertainty he has created has already forced districts to delay hiring and other initiatives to help students. The only question left now is how much more damage this administration wants to inflict on our public schools.”

“Local school districts can’t afford to wait out lengthy court proceedings to get the federal funding they’re owed — nor can they make up the shortfall, especially not at the drop of a pin,” Murray added.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, blasted the administration’s actions, saying this is “another illegal usurpation of the authority of the Congress” and “directly harms the children in our nation.”

“K-12 public school leaders across the country who should have been able to start planning months ago for the summer and the upcoming school year are instead left mired in financial uncertainty,” added Weingarten, who leads one of the largest teachers unions in the country.

Approved by Congress

Carissa Moffat Miller, CEO of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said “the administration must make the full extent of title funding available in a timely manner,” in a statement shared with States Newsroom on Tuesday.

“These funds were approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March,” Miller said. “Schools need these funds to hire key staff and educate students this summer and in the upcoming school year.”

In response to a request for comment on the frozen funds, the Education Department referred States Newsroom to the Office of Management and Budget, which is responsible for administering the federal budget and overseeing the performance of departments throughout the federal government.

OMB did not immediately respond to States Newsroom’s inquiry.

7/2: The Megabill Marches On - PoliticsPA

2025-07-02T12:17:02.000Z

Sliding Into Wednesday.

Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Whip It. Seems appropriate today.

PA Weather
Glenshaw | Sunny, 85
Scotland | Sunny, 86
Valley Forge | Becoming Mostly Sunny, 84

PA Money | Futures (as of 7:37 a.m.)
Dow +100.00 | NASDAQ +1.75 | S&P +8.00

What’s Happening Today. The House convenes at 11 a.m.

The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1. Senate Passes Trump’s Megabill

“Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote as Senate Republicans delivered a victory to President Donald Trump, passing his One Big Beautiful Bill on Tuesday by a 51-50 vote.

Pennsylvania’s Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, whose victory over Bob Casey last fall continues to pay dividends for Republicans, expressed pride in his support of the bill, saying Americans avoided the largest tax increase in American history.

Democrat Sen. John Fetterman, who voted against the bill, called the bill “a disaster.”” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Boyle to Fetterman: “If You Don’t Want To Be Here, Leave.” “Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-02) left no stone unturned about his feelings about Pennsylvania’s Democratic Sen. John Fetterman‘s “vacation” comments during an interview with The Bulwark on Tuesday.” (PoliticsPA)

Senate Passes Trump’s Medicaid Cuts, As Critics Fear Thousands in Pittsburgh Could Lose Coverage. “In Allegheny County, 1 in 5 residents rely on Medicaid for health coverage. County officials estimated that the cuts would cost nearly 26,000 people their health insurance.” (WESA)

Another Pennsylvania Hospital Closes Its Doors. “Heritage Valley Health System’s Kennedy Hospital, just outside Pittsburgh, closed Monday. The health system announced the plans to close the hospital earlier this year.” (Chief Healthcare Executive)

‘I Believe His Account 100 Percent’: Former Colleagues Vouch for DOJ Whistleblower. “When dealing with a potentially career-threatening political scandal, there is a standard playbook: Issue a broad denial. Attack the accuser. Then declare the controversy over and tell everyone to move on. That’s what Emil Bove — Donald Trump’s criminal defense lawyer-turned-senior Justice Department official — is going for as he tries to secure a lifetime appointment as a federal judge.” (Politico)

State

2. Some Good News About Political Polarization: It Can Change

“Voters in one of the most divided states in the country moved closer together on immigration, climate change and voter ID requirements after spending just a few days together.

A diverse set of nearly 200 Pennsylvanians from the state’s big cities, far-flung towns and upscale suburbs found common ground on those and a number of other hot-button topics after meeting in a hotel in downtown Philadelphia last month as part of an audacious experiment: If people got offline and actually talked face-to-face, would they become less polarized?” (Politico)

Elsewhere

State Sen. Sharif Street Launches Campaign For Congress, Vying to Replace Retiring Dwight Evans. “Street, the state party chairman, debuted a campaign website and “Sharif Street for Congress” social media account just a day after Evans announced his retirement.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas’ Records Revoked in UPenn Deal With Trump Admin. “The University of Pennsylvania will retroactively strip transgender swimmer Lia Thomas of her records and titles as part of a deal with the Education Department to abide by bans on transgender athletes in women’s sports.” (Axios)

PA House Passes Bill to Ban Sale, Use of Firefighting Foam With ‘Forever Chemicals’. “Pennsylvania would ban the sale of firefighting foam containing so-called forever chemicals that have polluted groundwater in dozens of sites across the state, under legislation passed unanimously Tuesday in the state House.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Shapiro, Lawmakers Push USDA to Restore $13M Food Purchasing Program Agreement. “After walking through the pig and goat stalls at Destiny Dairy Bar on Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Agriculture Committee lawmakers renewed their criticisms of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of federal funding toward a program that pays farmers who sell products to food banks.” (LNP)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Slashed Tires, Open Fire Hydrants, Picket Line Dust-Ups: Tensions Rise on First Day of Philly’s City Worker Strike

“The incidents highlighted the tensions of the first day of Philadelphia’s first major city workers strike since 1986, with union members attempting to grind the city to a halt in a bid for better wages while the Parker administration took emergency measures to preserve municipal services.

Residential trash pickup has stopped entirely, some city pools are closed, recreation center hours have been limited, and the 911 call center is operating but strained, officials said.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

County Council Delays Vote on Bill Putting Term Limits Question on Fall Ballot For Many County Elected Officials. “Allegheny County Council members have another week before deciding whether county voters should have a chance to vote on whether term limits should be imposed on elected county offices outside of the chief executive.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Norco Executive Candidates Giovanni, Zrinski Start Fall Campaign With Roughly Same Amount of Cash. “Republican Tom Giovanni has a slight edge in cash over his Democratic opponent, Tara Zrinski, $4,929 to $4,327, as of June 16, the end of the post-primary reporting period.” (Armchair Lehigh Valley)

Cyber School Facing Wrongful Death Suit Says It’s ‘Unreasonable’ For Teachers to See Students Weekly. “The law, passed as part of last year’s budget, says cyber charter schools must weekly “ensure that each enrolled student is able to be visibly seen and communicated with in real time.”” (Spotlight PA)

Editorial

4. Speak Your Mind

The Disaster That Just Passed The Senate. (Ezra Klein)
The Meh Tax Bill That Has to Pass. (Wall Street Journal)
John Fetterman’s Popular in PA, But Not With His Own Voters. (Jim Lee)
McCormick, Bresnahan, and Meuser Bow to ‘King Trump.’ (Chris Kelly)
Allegheny County’s Shifts Against Death Penalty Are Good Sign For Pennsylvania. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
No More Blank Checks For Broken Systems. (Andrew Lewis)
First Rule of Getting Out of a Hole: Stop Digging. (Carl Marrara)
Majority of Philly Area School Districts Are Out of Step With Title IX. (Beth Ann Rosica)

1 Thing

5. Meet Tugger

“The Philadelphia Phillies have a new service pup-in-training.

His name is Tugger, named after Phillies legend and Marine reservist Tug McGraw.

Tugger, a 10-week-old yellow lab, will embark on a mission to support a veteran with a disability, thanks to Conshohocken-based Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection.” (6abc)

Thanks for starting your Wednesday with us.
Make it a great day and we’ll see you again tomorrow.

Cyber school facing wrongful death suit says it’s ‘unreasonable’ for teachers to see students weekly - Spotlight PA

2025-07-02T08:00:00.000Z

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s largest cyber charter school says it is “unreasonable” to expect its staff to see and hear from all students weekly, despite the Shapiro administration’s contention that it must do so to comply with state law.

Now, state lawmakers are pushing to update the statute’s language to ensure these wellness checks happen.

The law, passed as part of last year’s budget, says cyber charter schools must weekly “ensure that each enrolled student is able to be visibly seen and communicated with in real time.”

The language had been inspired in part by a prominent case in which a 12-year-old cyber charter student died in May 2024 following alleged torture and starvation by her guardians, according to state Rep. Joe Ciresi (D., Montgomery), the lawmaker who sponsored the original bill. The girl had been attending Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), which now faces a wrongful death suit.

It’s also the school that is now resisting performing weekly wellness checks.

Free Newsletter: Sign up for a free roundup of the top news from across Pennsylvania, all in one daily or weekly email from Spotlight PA.

When the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requested documentation of the newly required checks from CCA, an attorney for the school said it had a different interpretation of the law and would not be performing them, according to October 2024 letters viewed by Spotlight PA.

“In a school with over 30,000 students and over 2,300 faculty, administrators, and support staff, and several opportunities for a student to be visibly seen each day, PDE’s mandate that all 30,000 students actually be seen and heard each week is unreasonable and impossible of execution,” the CCA lawyer wrote. “The General Assembly did not in fact mandate that.”

A spokesperson for CCA said the school received another letter the following month and requested a meeting to discuss the issue, but never heard back from the state — something they said “has been an unfortunate but constant theme from them for several years.”

A PDE spokesperson told Spotlight PA it sent letters to all 14 of Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools in October about the new law, and that it is confident that most “have made changes to policies and procedures in order to meet the wellness check requirement and ensure the well-being of each student on a weekly basis.”

Only one school, CCA, “has challenged PDE’s interpretation of Act 55,” the spokesperson said, adding that the agency plans to publish public data on cyber charter wellness checks in August.

State Rep. Pete Schweyer (D., Lehigh) heads his chamber’s Education Committee and has lately been focused on passing legislation that would update the decades-old law governing cyber charter schools. He told Spotlight PA he only recently became aware of CCA’s stance on student wellness checks.

The school’s October letter “was shocking to me,” he said.

“I'll speak for myself. I didn't have a full grasp on how brazen and how willing at least some cyber schools were to just disregard the health and well-being of their kids,” he told Spotlight PA. “In what world would anybody look at that as an exploitable loophole? Like, it's obnoxious.”

State Sen. Lindsey Williams (D., Allegheny), who has also been focused on cyber charter regulation, said she felt the original law “was clear: Cyber charter schools need to put eyes on kids at least once a week.”

“It’s absurd that we have to go through this exercise of changing the school code,” she said. “If CCA is unwilling to do the bare minimum to protect their students, then we should.”

Schweyer is now working on a bill that would create stricter reporting rules for cyber charters, as is a Republican member of the state Senate.

Malinda Hoagland’s half sisters are currently suing CCA, along with a public school district and a number of other Pennsylvania institutions, for wrongful death. During Hoagland’s time at the cyber charter school, their suit claims, she was actively being abused — including at least one incident in which her father forced her to abruptly end a Zoom session and proceeded to hit her.

CCA staff, the suit says, “observed obvious signs of abuse” including blackened and swollen eyes, a range of other bruises and abrasions, and mood changes.

CCA spokesperson Timothy Eller, whose title is chief branding and government relations officer, said Hoagland's death “was tragic and heartbreaking for the CCA school community.” He added that while the school can’t give specifics about pending litigation, the Chester County district attorney said in a news release last summer that there was “no indication that either [of the schools that Hoagland attended] failed to meet legal requirements to report abuse.”

Eller said Hoagland had been regularly visible on camera and actively participated as a CCA student, and that her previous school and county officials had not alerted CCA about their concerns.

Another shot at a legislative update

CCA’s argument about the 2024 student wellness check law centers on the statute’s phrasing.

The attorney for CCA, Philip Murren of Cumberland County firm Ball, Murren & Connell, wrote in his October letter that the phrase “able to be seen” seemed to mean only that employees must have “an opportunity” to do a real-time visual and verbal wellness check on a child, not that they “actually” see and hear their students.

Murren added that the state’s Child Protective Services Law already requires school employes to report suspected child abuse, and that it is CCA’s experience that Children and Youth departments would not accept reports of students simply not being seen or heard weekly in their “fully asynchronous online school programs” as possible evidence of abuse.

“Nevertheless,” he said, “CCA continues to file these reports when warranted.”

This year, the state House is trying two different approaches to tighten the law, at least one of which could be included in this year’s delayed state budget.

In June, the chamber passed a sweeping bill that would make changes to the cyber charter law, among them an update to the wellness check language.

It would also add a section on penalties, saying that failure to comply will be grounds for nonrenewal or revocation of a school’s charter. The chamber’s goal is to have the measure be part of ongoing state budget talks.

Late last month, Schweyer also circulated a memo proposing a standardized process for cyber charter schools to conduct wellness checks and establish a “crisis escalation process” for checks that reveal serious concerns.

Schweyer hasn’t introduced official language yet, and conceded it might not be ready in time to be included in the budget. But he said his goal is to lay out crisis triggers that mandate escalation, set schedules for communication with families and authorities, train staff, and create additional penalties for cyber charters that don’t follow these rules.

“We're trying to make this as comprehensive as possible,” he said. “It's going to take a little while to get this done.”

The broad cyber charter bill that passed the state House hasn’t moved in the GOP-controlled state Senate, but the upper chamber is also on board with updating the wellness check law.

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R., Montgomery) is circulating her own memo that explicitly references the conflict between the state and CCA, writing that her goal is to update last year’s law to “ensure that cyber charter school wellness checks are conducted as originally intended.”

“This is a simple fix to help ensure that students learning remotely are accounted for, supported, and safe,” she wrote.

In a statement, state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said the original wellness check language was a priority of many in his chamber, and that “Senator Pennycuick’s language seeking to offer greater clarity to the issue has my support and would take another meaningful step forward.”

Eller, of CCA, said the school was “not consulted or invited to provide input during the legislative process that led to the 2024 changes.”

Asked about the newly proposed updates to cyber charter law, Eller said the school also had not been invited to weigh in, but would be “more than willing to collaborate.”

While You’re Here: If you learned something from this report, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future.

Asynchronous education

CCA maintains that it does everything it can to make sure students are safe.

Eller told Spotlight PA in an email that the school’s internal wellness check policy requires that if a teacher or administrator is concerned about a student’s safety, they reach out to the family directly. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, they then “may request the involvement of the local authorities.”

Eller said the school also employs staff members whose primary job includes conducting home visits if there are concerns about a student’s attendance or engagement with school.

He said these staffers, known internally as attendance, communication, and engagement specialists, conducted more than 1,500 home visits in the 2024-25 school year and made more than 1,670 referrals to Children and Youth agencies across the state.

CCA gets particular attention from lawmakers and other elected officials because of its size and the number of students it educates. It has grown rapidly since the pandemic prompted many families to try cyber education.

Like most cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania, CCA has the ability to take on an unlimited number of students. However, the state Department of Education recently began requiring cyber charters to agree to new enrollment caps as a condition of their charter renewals if they are classified as comprehensive support and improvement schools, or CSI schools — a federal designation for a state’s lowest-performing tier.

All but one of the state’s established cyber charters, including CCA, are CSI schools. (One of the cyber charters was only approved for operation last year and isn’t yet ranked). CCA’s charter is expired, and it doesn’t currently have an enrollment cap in place.

CCA says it had more than 35,000 students enrolled by the end of the most recent school year. That makes it by far the largest cyber charter in the state, and also bigger than every Pennsylvania school district but Philadelphia.

Asked what makes it so difficult for CCA teachers and administrators to make sure they see and hear all students weekly, Eller told Spotlight PA that the school aims to make sure kids and families have “flexibility in how they engage in their education.” In practice, this means not all students participate in live Zoom “classrooms.”

While real-time instruction is available, he said, there is also an “asynchronous” option that offers “self-paced, student-led instruction, where students and families set their own schedule and complete schoolwork at their own pace.”

Students can also blend the two approaches, he said.

Aside from concerns about students’ well-being, pressure has been growing on cyber charter schools to show that their educational approaches are working and to account for the ways they spend the significant taxpayer dollars that they accrue.

During an April hearing on cyber charters’ educational outcomes, state House lawmakers heard testimony from the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators that these schools are performing poorly when it comes to test scores, attendance rates, and graduation rates.

Cyber charter proponents, meanwhile, said the children who are enrolled in these schools often are struggling in these areas anyway, and argued cyber charters play a crucial role by offering nontraditional education options.

And in a review of cyber charters’ finances released early this year, Auditor General Tim DeFoor, a Republican, reported that the schools were accruing big surpluses from taxpayer dollars and also spending that money in questionable ways, including on gift cards, staff bonuses, and vehicle payments.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are increasingly open to updating the commonwealth’s cyber charter law, though it’s unclear if the divided legislature will come to a consensus as part of this year’s budget deal.

Cyber charters and their advocates, which spend hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying state officials, argue the schools should be just as well-funded as traditional public schools, and say efforts to cut the state funding that flows to them will put schools out of business.

State Senator Steve Santarsiero: It’s Possible to Be an Advocate for the Homeless and Believe Encampments Are Not a Good Idea - Bucks County Beacon

2025-07-02T04:16:18.000Z

The Bucks County Beacon recently published what purported to be a news story on the passage of Senate Bill 780, a piece of legislation that addresses homeless encampments. I say purported, because in the second paragraph of the piece, its author abruptly veers from reporting to editorializing by alleging that state lawmakers were “joining in” on the cruel treatment of homeless people. The piece then goes on to present only the side of those people and organizations that are opposed to the bill. In fact, the reporter made no attempt to contact my office, or as far as I know, the offices of any of the other state senators who voted for the legislation let alone any organizations that might support it.

Needless to say, this is not the kind of journalism that I have come to expect from the Beacon. As such, I find it deeply disappointing.

Given the obvious bias behind the piece, I wanted to take this opportunity to explain my point of view on the issue, and why I voted for the bill.

First, much of the commentary against the bill is premised on the notion that somehow these encampments are good for homeless people. They are not. They frequently create unsafe and unsanitary environments both for the people that live in them and for surrounding communities. A case in point is the encampment that exists at various times in the woods surrounding the Bucks County Community College’s Lower Bucks Campus in Bristol Township. It poses a health and safety risk both to the people who periodically live there and to the students and staff of the college.

I have long supported increased funding for mental health and addiction services as well as expanded housing for homeless people. Yes, it’s possible to be an advocate for the homeless, and believe that these encampments are not a good idea for either them or our communities.

So, what does SB 780 do?

To begin, it is important to understand that SB 780 only applies in cases in which (i) the owner of the property in question has not authorized the encampment, and (ii) the encampment is a nuisance. The term nuisance is defined as a nuisance under common law and “[i]nsufficient facilities to meet sanitation needs. (2) Visible, dangerous or unsanitary accumulation of camping paraphernalia, abandoned belongings, garbage or human waste. (3) Open fires. (4) Open air drug markets, visible drug use or accumulation of drug paraphernalia.”

If both of those conditions are met, SB 780 provides municipalities with a humane, common-sense process to manage public safety issues related to encampments — those safety issues arise most notably when the encampments are near roadways, parks, and schools. It does not criminalize homelessness; there are no criminal sanctions in the bill. Instead, it establishes a structured process for local governments to act responsibly. The bill explicitly requires municipalities to make “good-faith efforts” to connect individuals to shelter, outreach, and services before any action is taken. The goal is not displacement—but a humane transition into housing and support networks whenever possible.

PHOTO ESSAY: Bucks County Code Blue Shelter Helps Protect Local Homeless from Life-Threatening Cold Temperatures

SB 780 does not impose new financial burdens on local governments. Instead, it clarifies existing authority under state law, encouraging municipalities to coordinate with nonprofit and county partners to assist individuals, and builds in reasonable timelines before any enforcement can occur. It also provides a framework for private property owners to act and gives residents impacted by an unauthorized encampment (again, defined as an encampment that the property owner has not permitted, and which constitutes a nuisance) to take action if no other party is doing so.

I share the concern about traumatic encampment sweeps. SB 780 includes clear protocols designed to minimize harm by requiring notice and coordination with outreach providers so that camps aren’t disrupted without advance warning and so that personal belongings can be safeguarded.

Encampments are not a solution to the problem of homelessness. They are the result of a social services system that has been underfunded for far too long. While the legislature should deal with the problem of encampments, it must also increase funding for mental health and addiction services and provide for safe, accessible housing for those experiencing homelessness. I will continue to be an advocate for all of those things.

20 States Sue After the Trump Administration Releases Private Medicaid Data to Deportation Officials - Bucks County Beacon

2025-07-02T03:17:48.000Z

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration violated federal privacy laws when it turned over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged on Tuesday, saying he and 19 other states’ attorneys general have sued over the move.

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisers ordered the release of a dataset that includes the private health information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., to the Department of Homeland Security last month, The Associated Press first reported last month. All of those states allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars.

The unusual data sharing of private health information, including addresses, names, social security numbers, immigration status, and claims data for enrollees in those states, was released to deportation officials as they accelerated enforcement efforts across the country. The data could be used to help the Department of Homeland Security locate migrants in its mass deportation campaign, experts said.

Bonta said the Trump administration’s data release violates federal health privacy protection laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

“This is about flouting seven decades of federal law policy and practice that have made it clear that personal healthcare data is confidential and can only be shared in certain narrow circumstances that benefit the public’s health or the Medicaid program,” Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday.

The Trump administration has sought to arm deportation officials with more data on immigrants. In May, for example, a federal judge refused to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help agents locate and detain people living without legal status in the U.S.

The move to shore up the federal government’s data on immigrant Medicaid enrollees appears to have been set in motion in May, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it would be reviewing some states rolls to ensure federal funds have not been used to pay for coverage for people with “unsatisfactory immigration status.”

As part of the review, CMS asked California, Washington and Illinois to share details about non-U.S. citizens who have enrolled in their state’s Medicaid program, according to a June 6 memo signed by Medicaid Deputy Director Sara Vitolo that was obtained by the AP. The memo was written by several CMS officials under Vitolo’s supervision, according to sources familiar with the process.

CMS officials attempted to fight the data sharing request from Homeland Security, saying that to do so would violate federal laws, including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, according to the memo.

READ: Republican Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran Calls Local Critics of ICE Agreement ‘Liars’, ACLU ‘Lunatics’

The legal arguments outlined in the memo were not persuasive to Trump appointees at HHS, which oversees the Medicaid agency.

Four days after the memo was sent, on June 10, HHS officials directed the transfer of “the data to DHS by 5:30 ET today,” according to email exchanges obtained by AP.

HHS is “aggressively cracking down on states that may be misusing federal Medicaid funds,” agency spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement. The agency has not provided details on DHS’ role in the effort. Nixon also defended the legality of releasing the data to DHS.

“HHS acted entirely within its legal authority – and in full compliance with all applicable laws – to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them,” he said in the statement.

Dozens of Democratic members of Congress — in both the House and Senate — have sent letters to the involved agencies, demanding that data sharing cease and that Homeland Security destroy the information it has received so far.

Republicans and Democrats agree: Federal funding of farm and food bank program should be restored - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-02T00:20:08.000Z

Cows at Destiny Dairy Bar in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on June 30, 2025. (John Cole/Capital-Star)

Amy Brickner, a third-generation dairy farmer and owner of Destiny Dairy Bar in Cumberland County, has been able to partner with the Safe Harbour shelter in Carlisle over the past two years to provide milk to people in need.

The effort is part of a federal initiative known as the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program or LFPA.

Brickner opened the Dairy Bar in 2022 and says it accounts for 10% of her farm’s market share. She looks at the initiative as a win-win.

Destiny Dairy Bar in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on June 30, 2025. (John Cole/Capital-Star)

“At the beginning, I was dumping a lot of milk, and then I started getting pigs. And so I was able to feed the milk to pigs. But it was still bottles and labels and labor that went to waste that didn’t get used,” she said. “So, I was approached by a friend of mine….(who) got me hooked up with Safe Harbor. They would come out here once a week, and any milk that was close dated, but it was still shelf stable for another week, it would go to that program, and they would give it to their residents.”

The program was established under President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 189 Pennsylvania farms, just like Brickner’s, are participants and provide products to 14 food banks across the state.

Last December, the Biden administration announced that its contract with the commonwealth was being renewed for three years and $13 million. LFPA has provided nearly $30 million in funding to participating Pennsylvania farms to provide fresh, locally grown products to food banks since 2022, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.

However, the Trump administration announced in March that they were ending the program, arguing it was created via executive authority under the previous administration and “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”

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As a result, Brickner says it’s been more difficult to make ends meet as well as contribute to the shelter and the Salvation Army.

“I’m very strapped from a cash flow standpoint, not having that extra 10% come in has been pretty tough,” Brickner told the Capital-Star. “It’s hard to pay my bills sometimes, and I’ve bootstrapped this all on my own.”

Brickner said she’s still donating milk to Safe Harbour every other week, despite the cancellation of the program, because the connection “has been so amazing.” She vows to continue to do so until she can’t make it work economically.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, and other lawmakers touring Destiny Dairy Bar in Carlisle, owned by Amy Brickner, on June 30, 2025. (John Cole/Capital-Star)

Shapiro, state Agriculture Sec. Russell Redding, and all four chairs of the General Assembly’s agriculture committees (two Republicans and two Democrats), visited Destiny Dairy Bar this week to tour the farm, tout the benefits of the program, and urge the Trump administration to reconsider cancelling it.

“I think it’s important to note that we are all here together,” Shapiro said. “We work together closely to support agriculture in Pennsylvania, and we have all stood together in supporting the LFPA program, which is incredibly important to support places like this and the food banks that they provide their product to.”

“This is an example of what should be occupying people’s attention, Republicans and Democrats working together to support one of the principal industries,” he added.

Since the cancellation of the program, Shapiro has been front and center at various locations throughout the commonwealth detailing his support for it. The LFPA initiative works as a reimbursement program and the state doesn’t get the federal funding until after it pays farmers and provides receipts.

Early last month, Shapiro announced that his administration filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg asking a judge to reverse the federal Department of Agriculture’s decision to cancel its contract with Pennsylvania.

“We had to pursue a legal remedy. I wish we didn’t, and we’re going to work through that process,” Shapiro told reporters on Monday.

A USDA spokesperson previously told the Capital-Star, shortly after the lawsuit was filed, that the agency does not “comment on pending litigation,” and directed inquiries to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Shapiro has said the LFPA funding represents between 10% and 15% of the annual market share for a lot of other participating farmers.

State Sen. Judy Schwank, a Democrat and minority chair of the chamber’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said that in her research, the Helping Harvest food bank serving Berks and Schuylkill counties has lost about 15% of the funds they were previously receiving as a result of the cancellation.

On June 18, Rep. Dan Moul, a Republican from Adams County and minority chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, penned a letter with the signatures of the other chairs of the Ag panels to the state’s congressional delegation. It urged them to push the federal government to reinstate the funds.

“Given the administration’s stated commitment to supporting small farmers and improving public health through better nutrition, we believe the LFPA program clearly aligns with national priorities and should be continued,” the letter reads.

The view looking out from Destiny Dairy Bar in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on June 30, 2025. (John Cole/Capital-Star)

Moul said that “this program should have been left intact.”

“We all need agriculture. We all need the help, and we need to put this funding back where it belongs,” he added.

Speaking to the Capital-Star following the tour, Moul stressed the chairs of the committees that were on hand are not part of the lawsuit filed by the Shapiro administration, but took part to discuss the benefits of LFPA.

“We’re here to say this is a vital program for Pennsylvania,” Moul said. “Pennsylvania agriculture and the food banks, and in the scheme of things, the money that was taken away is such a small speck in comparison to our federal budget.”

“Why take it away?” Moul added. “It’s agriculture. It’s food. It’s not money being wasted. This money goes to a good, good cause, and it helps people.”

Shapiro has previously said the state doesn’t have the money to backfill the federal cuts, if the lawsuit is unsuccessful.

Moul told the Capital-Star that the legislature could pass a resolution asking the federal government to restore the funding, noting the bipartisan support outlined in the letter should resonate with the state’s congressional delegation.

“I know when they got that letter, when their staff got that letter, they said, ‘Hey, all four chairman of agriculture here in Pennsylvania want this funding put back. Let’s fight for it,’” Moul said. “And that’s what we’re hoping for.”

Moul said that he’s good friends with U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-13th Distric), and that if he doesn’t see action soon, he will lobby on behalf of restoring the program.

“I will call him personally and say, ‘Hey, John, I want you to do me a favor. Would you go, would you go to D.C. and fight to get this funding restored?’”” Moul said. “I think that’s where a hatchet was used and when it should have been a scalpel.”

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Conversations around the reconciliation bill have dominated the discourse for members of the U.S. House and Senate over recent weeks. Noting that, along with the letter only being sent recently and the holiday weekend coming up, Moul said that federal lawmakers have other things on their mind.

“But as soon as that’s over, as soon as the holiday’s behind us, that’s when we’re going to have to pound on it a little bit more,” Moul said. “I’ll start making phone calls.”

Another influential member in regards to agricultural policy at the federal level is U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-15th District). The Centre County Republican serves as the House Chair on the Committee on Agriculture.

Moul said that he’s friends with Thompson as well and said he’d contact him.

“He has a lot of pull,” Moul said. “Getting the funding restored, I think we can make it happen.”

Other elected leaders are also optimistic that the program will return.

“I think you know my track record on these legal processes,” Shapiro said. “We win these, because the law is on our side.”

“They had a contract with the good people of Pennsylvania. This was a clear three-year contract,” he added. “They broke it four months in, and I feel confident that we’re going to get there at the end of the day.”

Brickner said she has faith in the lawmakers taking on the fight to ensure she can continue to assist those in her community who are in need, without her business suffering financially.

Pa. House passes bill to ban sale, use of firefighting foam with ‘forever chemicals’ - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-01T23:46:41.000Z

The exterior of the Pennsylvania state Capitol. (Photo by Amanda Mustard for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star).

Pennsylvania would ban the sale of firefighting foam containing so-called forever chemicals that have polluted groundwater in dozens of sites across the state, under legislation passed unanimously Tuesday in the state House.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Brian Munroe (D-Bucks), spoke on the floor about the illness and fear across his district as a result of drinking water polluted by firefighting chemicals used for decades at the former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster Township.

“Over those decades, Warminster and the surrounding communities grew. To provide water to these new communities … millions of dollars were spent on our public water system. As of 2015 the Warminster Municipal Authority served over 30,000 residents in Warminster alone.”

That’s when testing alerted officials and residents to the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in groundwater that was being drawn from municipal wells and used in the community’s public water system. Warminster had three of the most polluted wells in the nation, Munroe noted.

PFAS are human-made chemicals that have also been used since the 1940s in a wide range of products including nonstick and weather-resistant coatings. Because they are slow to break down in the environment, PFAS have been dubbed forever chemicals and are found in the blood of people and animals around the world.

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In addition to the cost of finding a new, safe source of drinking water, people were overcome by worry that the pollution was the cause of illness among neighbors throughout the community and that it could affect them in the future.

“I can tell you from the thousands of conversations with parents and residents in the township, everyone has a story of cancer clusters in my neighborhood,” Munroe said. “I have heard of nightmare stories of children diagnosed with rare cancers. I have shared hugs with more people than I can count who have been recently dealt with the blow of receiving a cancer diagnosis — the horrific fear that hangs over every single street in Warminster Township.”

Munroe has been diagnosed with cancer twice himself, he said. While his family underwent blood testing to detect levels of PFAS in their bodies, Munroe said he was not tested because he is a firefighter.

According to the National Institutes for Health, exposure to PFAS is an occupational hazard for firefighters. Sources include foam containing PFAS, but also turnout gear that contains the chemicals to make them more water and dirt resistant. Munroe’s bill would require manufacturers to label personal protective equipment that contains PFAS.

“We owe it to our fellow firefighters to allow them to make educated decisions about the PPE they use and the risk involving and being exposed to PFAs in firefighting gear,” Rep. Gregory Scott (D-Montgomery) said. “They deserve to know that the gear they’re using could potentially impact their health later in life.”

Because PFAS were flagged as cause for concern only in the last two decades, it’s still unclear how harmful these chemicals are, but scientific studies have repeatedly shown exposure imay be linked to harmful health effects including cancer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Also used in foaming agents used to fight fires involving aircraft and aviation fuels, PFAs contamination is commonly found in groundwater in the areas around military bases. That includes the Naval Air Warfare Center in Bucks County, where the U.S. Navy began testing new aircraft and systems in the 1940s through the 1990s.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PFAS have been found in at least one location in 19 counties. The EPA adopted drinking water regulations for six PFAS in 2024. It set the maximum contaminant level for two of the most common PFAS at 4 parts per trillion.

Munroe’s House Bill 1261 would ban the sale of firefighting foam containing PFAS, starting in 2026 and would ban the use of such products in 2027, with exceptions for federal requirements.

It would task the state fire commissioner with identifying alternative products and working with the DEP to dispose of leftover PFAS products after the ban takes effect. The bill would require the DEP to take and investigate complaints of violations and refer any offenses to the state Attorney General. Violations could carry civil penalties of $5,000 to $10,000, which would be used for fire company and emergency medical service grants.

H.B. 1261 now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

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Republicans rewrote the US Senate megabill in its last moments - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-07-01T23:05:52.000Z

The U.S. Capitol on June 30, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON — The final “big beautiful bill” approved by Senate Republicans Tuesday included some last-minute changes on hot-button issues such as safety net programs and clean energy tax credits.

Senate Republicans had wrangled for weeks to deliver legislative text to satisfy concerns from lawmakers who objected to cutting Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for low-income families and some individuals with disabilities.

Other sticking points included threats that the health cuts pose to rural hospitals, and tax revisions that hamper clean energy jobs and investment, most of which are in states that elected President Donald Trump to his second term.

The lawmakers debated amendments for more than 24 hours. Even with final changes, now under consideration in the House, three Republicans held out: Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie breaking vote.

Here are several rewrites that popped up in the bill’s final minutes and hours:

Rural hospital fund

Senate Republicans doubled the amount for a rural health “transformation program,” or money to compensate rural hospitals for the funds they would lose as a result of the proposed Medicaid cuts.

The latest proposal sets aside $50 billion, up from $25 billion, and moves up the distribution timeline to begin in 2026, up from 2028.

Collins had unsuccessfully introduced an amendment to bump the fund to $50 billion. Despite some support from GOP colleagues, the amendment was blunted by a technical budget point of order.

The Maine Republican still voted “no” Tuesday on the final bill.

SNAP

The lawmakers also made a late change to how and when states would begin to shoulder the responsibility for costs of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

According to the new version, if a state’s payment error rate in 2025 multiplied by 1.5 is equal or greater than 20%, then that state would be permitted to wait until 2029, rather than 2028, to begin footing a portion of the bill for food assistance. A state’s accuracy rate is the annual measurement of over- or underpayments to recipients.

Nine states would hover in the territory of meeting that threshold, according to the Department of Agriculture’s latest error rates published Monday. They are: Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Oregon.

Alaska had the highest payment error rate of all states in both 2023 and 2024. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s final decision on the bill was largely unknown until she cast a “yes” vote Tuesday.

A late amendment to strike the language offered by Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota failed 45-55.

Critics say the measure incentivizes states to keep the payment error rates high this year.

Solar energy

GOP senators late Friday added a clean energy excise tax into the bill, taking the industry by surprise. Then it vanished.

The tax that would have been imposed on new solar and wind projects was no longer in the legislation that senators voted on around noon Eastern Tuesday.

Other text loosened a squeeze on tech-neutral tax credits meant to incentivize the installation of energy systems that do not use fossil fuels. Senate Republicans added a year of leeway for new projects to break ground and avoid cutting short two of the tax credits.

Boyle to Fetterman: “If You Don’t Want To Be Here, Leave” - PoliticsPA

2025-07-01T20:09:12.000Z

Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-02) left no stone unturned about his feelings about Pennsylvania’s Democratic Sen. John Fetterman‘s “vacation” comments during an interview with The Bulwark on Tuesday.

Speaking with Sam Stein, Boyle was critical of the former state lieutenant governor for his comments about missing his family’s “entire trip to the beach” for the “vote-a-rama” on President Trump’s megabill.

Fetterman: I just want to go home. I've missed our entire trip to the beach… I’m going to vote no. There’s no drama… I don't think it's really helpful to put people here till some ungodly hour.
pic.twitter.com/ZJTAYBI74u
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 30, 2025

“The sacrifices that members of Congress make, especially those of us who have families with young children, I mean those are real,” said Boyle. “I left my wife and daughter even though I had long promised them that I would be with them this week. So I don’t minimize that.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be here,” he continued. “I explained that to my daughter last night. This week will determine whether or not millions and millions of Americans still get to keep their healthcare. She’s only 11, and she got that. I think this is one of the most important things will ever do. Full stop.

“There is no place I would rather be than right here, right now. And if I can make a difference and stop this bill from happening, I will do whatever it takes to stay up for 48 straight hours, 72 straight hours, do whatever it takes to block this bill from becoming law.

“That should be the attitude, frankly, of every Democratic member of the House and Senate. If you are here, you are damned lucky and you’re privileged to be here. You should want to be here, and if you don’t want to be here, leave.”

comments begin at 13:55 mark

Boyle, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said that in his opinion, the stakes are incredibly high.

“The health care of 17 million Americans is at stake,” he told Stein. “But it’s actually more than that because if we see hospitals close in rural America and urban America, it’ll actually be the rest of us who may not have Medicaid or may not be on the ACA exchanges who will also have our healthcare impacted. I think that second part of the story probably hasn’t gotten out as much as it should.”

He also spoke about the impact in his northeast Philadelphia district.

“We should believe these providers when they are openly telling us that they will close,” said Boyle. “I have hospitals in my district in Philadelphia – Einstein Hospital is a great example; Temple University Hospital. They have Medicaid populations over 80% so when Medicaid is cut by $1 trillion – the largest Medicaid cut in American history, four times larger than any previous Medicaid cut ever to happen – what do you think is going to happen? Hospitals will close and now suddenly my constituents, including myself, won’t have a hospital to go to. Those are the stakes.”

Fetterman, who voted no on the bill, wrote in a fundraising email that he is ready to fight and is calling on fellow Democrats to do so as well.

“I’m angry. I’m heartbroken,” he wrote. “And yeah, I’m fired up. Because we’ve been fighting like hell – and still, they sold out working folks just to line the pockets of the top 1%

“This bill will hurt people. Real people. Seniors, kids, folks just trying to catch a break. And for what? So Trump’s pals can buy another damn yacht? So here’s where I’m at: I’m ready to fight. And I hope you are too.”

Republican Sen. Dave McCormick said no bill is perfect, but he supported it and that Pennsylvanians will see benefits.

“I am proud to support this bill because it would deliver continued tax relief to millions of Pennsylvania families and prevent the largest tax increase in American history,” said McCormick in a statement. “This bill also delivers on many of the promises that both President Trump and I made – to secure our nation’s border and bolster our national defense to keep Americans safe, and to unleash American energy potential and lower costs for consumers.”

Harrisburg Must Lower Energy Costs, Invest in Transit and Parks in the Upcoming State Budget - Bucks County Beacon

2025-07-01T18:02:05.000Z

June has passed, and Governor Shapiro and lawmakers in Harrisburg are still locked in negotiations to finalize Pennsylvania’s spending plan for the next year.

A budget is a statement of priorities.

In Washington, Donald Trump and his corporate polluter cronies are trying to ram through a budget bill that would pay for massive tax cuts to billionaires by raising energy prices for working families.

In the face of these unprecedented headwinds, we’re proud to stand with Governor Shapiro and environmental champions in the legislature who are taking a different course. They’re fighting for a state budget that makes important investments to lower energy costs, create union jobs and protect the air we drink and the water we breathe.

Top among these priorities is a $25 million investment in the Solar for Schools program. This program passed last year with overwhelming bipartisan support and is already lowering costs for taxpayers by allowing schools across Pennsylvania to make the switch to cheaper and locally produced solar energy — creating union jobs at the same time.

This money would open this program up to even more schools, allowing districts across the state to lower their energy costs and put more resources into classrooms.

Supporting the solar industry in Pennsylvania is even more critical now as Trump’s “big, ugly bill” threatens to devastate the fast-growing industry, derail progress on making energy more affordable for families, and limit our power to fight climate change.

At the same time, the legislature should approve $50 million for the PA Home Preservation Program. This new initiative builds off the success of the Whole-Home Repairs Program and would provide working families with resources to make critically needed repairs that would save energy and allow them to stay in their homes.

Nearly 60% of all homes in Pennsylvania were built before 1970, and this program is designed to help working families meet the challenges of our aging housing stock by replacing leaky roofs, addressing critical health and safety issues and also taking measures to lower utility costs through energy efficiency measures.

This bipartisan initiative isn’t just a win for the environment, it will also help combat blight and improve the health of Pennsylvania families.

READ: Governor Josh Shapiro Stands Up for Pennsylvania’s Working Families While Trump’s Clean Energy Funding Freeze Pushes Higher Energy Prices

Finally, transportation is the sector that emits the most carbon pollution. And a centerpiece of ongoing budget negotiations is critically needed funding for mass transit.

The state House of Representatives, on a bipartisan basis, recently passed HB 1364, which would provide a $1.5 billion investment in Pennsylvania’s public transit systems over the next five years.

This funding is critically needed to avert devastating fare increases and service cuts that are on the horizon as federal COVID-19 relief money runs out. If Harrisburg fails to act, it will become much more difficult for workers to get to their jobs, seniors to get to their medical appointments and students to get to school in every corner of the state.

This issue is particularly important to Bucks County, where workers at health care institutions like Doylestown Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center rely on frequent bus service, and where historic downtowns are based around regional rail stations.

Funding transit will also help keep cars off the road, reducing congestion, curbing climate pollution and improving air quality.

READ: With Washington Stepping Back on Clean Energy, Harrisburg Must Step Up

And finally, with Trump administration attacks on our public lands ramping up, it’s even more important that Pennsylvania step up and invest in its own extensive system of state parks.

We’re asking that the legislature increase funding to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to allow the state to tackle deferred maintenance and ensure that our public open spaces meet the changing needs of Pennsylvania families.

In an era of divided government, it’s more important than ever that Pennsylvanians stand up and make their voices heard. In the coming days, we’re asking that you call your legislators and tell them that you support Governor Shapiro’s top environmental priorities.

By working together, we can help build a brighter future for our commonwealth and work to protect our families from the negative fallout of Trump’s Washington.