Articles by: Staff, Spotlight PA

Secrecy Still Pervades Pennsylvania State Government, but Spotlight PA is Fighting Back

Secrecy Still Pervades Pennsylvania State Government, but Spotlight PA is Fighting Back

Politicians in Harrisburg come and go, and political majorities shift over time. But one enduring constant no matter who’s in power is a reflexive inclination to shield information from the very people who pay the bills — we, the taxpayers. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 12, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Pennsylvania Treasurer Candidates Spar Over Unclaimed Property Issue

Pennsylvania Treasurer Candidates Spar Over Unclaimed Property Issue

HARRISBURG, Pa. — An obscure policy issue is getting new attention in this year’s race for Pennsylvania treasurer as Democratic state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro of Erie seeks to draw a contrast with Republican incumbent Stacy Garrity. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 11, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Elections 101: What to Know About Electronic Pollbooks, Which Pa. Counties Use Them, and More

Elections 101: What to Know About Electronic Pollbooks, Which Pa. Counties Use Them, and More

HARRISBURG, Pa. — As Pennsylvania prepares for the 2024 presidential election, voters may start hearing about a new piece of technology rolling out in more and more counties: electronic pollbooks. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 9, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Pa. Game Commission Won’t Renew Controversial Contract With Lobbying Firm Run by Former Top Lawmaker

Pa. Game Commission Won’t Renew Controversial Contract With Lobbying Firm Run by Former Top Lawmaker

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Facing scrutiny from state lawmakers, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said it will not renew a controversial contract it signed late last year with a politically connected lobbying firm. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 8, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
What to Know About Shapiro’s Proposed $10.3M Agriculture Innovation Program

What to Know About Shapiro’s Proposed $10.3M Agriculture Innovation Program

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — An open-ended pitch by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to give millions of dollars to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry to make it more innovative is stoking skepticism and hope among lawmakers and farmers. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 8, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Great Pa News Quiz: Gov’t Land Grabs, Trump Ruling, Derailed Trains, and Election Games

Great Pa News Quiz: Gov’t Land Grabs, Trump Ruling, Derailed Trains, and Election Games

In this week’s quiz: FULL ARTICLE
by · March 8, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Oversight Board Will Secretly Review How Pa. Counties Spent Millions of Dollars to Fight Opioid Crisis

Oversight Board Will Secretly Review How Pa. Counties Spent Millions of Dollars to Fight Opioid Crisis

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Counties will soon have to report how they spent millions of dollars they received from the first rounds of opioid settlement payments in Pennsylvania. But members of a trust that oversees county spending are preparing to first review the information in secret, despite a court order requiring the trust to follow the state's Sunshine Act. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 6, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Pa. Pays Property Owners for Land Lost to Eminent Domain, but Farmers Want More for Their Loss

Pa. Pays Property Owners for Land Lost to Eminent Domain, but Farmers Want More for Their Loss

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — A massive highway project in Centre County that will likely result in some farmers losing their properties has prompted calls to update how agricultural land is valued in Pennsylvania’s eminent domain process. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 5, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Pa. Was Deluged by Election Lawsuits in 2020. Experts Say 2024 Will Be Even More Intense.

Pa. Was Deluged by Election Lawsuits in 2020. Experts Say 2024 Will Be Even More Intense.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Earlier this year, a group of Republican state lawmakers filed suit in federal court to throw out executive actions aimed at expanding voter registration, claiming the legislature’s constitutional right to determine how presidential elections are run in Pennsylvania had been violated. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 4, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News
Great Pa News Quiz: Vetting 2024’s Voting Machines, Harrisburg Haggling, and the Beyoncé Effect

Great Pa News Quiz: Vetting 2024’s Voting Machines, Harrisburg Haggling, and the Beyoncé Effect

In this week’s quiz: State House control, behind the voting machines, costly cleanups, and the Beyoncé effect. FULL ARTICLE
by · March 1, 2024 · Local News, News, PA News