Pennsylvania Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers Pennsylvania politics with comprehensive reporting on state elections, voting laws, energy regulation, and the Keystone State’s critical role in presidential politics.
-
news
Pennsylvania Agrees to Exhume Dead From Its Voter Rolls
Pennsylvania, one of the top battlegrounds of the 2020 election, has agreed to remove the names of about 21,000 dead people from voter registration rolls before the general elections this year. The agreement was reached last week, according to the Public Interest Legal Foundation, an election-integrity watchdog group that first identified the names of 21,000… -
opinion
‘Zuckerbucks’ in Pennsylvania Reveal Impact of Corporate Influence in Elections
All eyes were on Pennsylvania during the days of ballot counting following the November presidential election, as allegations and rumors of voting irregularities spread like wildfire. While the results ultimately were upheld, distrust in our representative government remains as does a deep suspicion that elected leaders are legitimate. Before the next election, Pennsylvania needs to look into ways the state can protect… -
opinion
Pennsylvania, Georgia Republicans Eye Election Changes
Democrats may have manipulated state election laws in 2020, but they’ll have a much harder time doing it now—if Pennsylvania has anything to say about it. In some of the best news of year so far, Republicans from the Keystone State are vowing to completely overhaul the mail-in ballot system that may have wrongly handed… -
news
Pennsylvania Governor’s Climate Regulations Draw Bipartisan Opposition as Hearings Begin
Other elected officials in Pennsylvania continue to question the constitutionality of Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed carbon tax in the run-up to 10 public hearings that begin Tuesday on the disputed regulations to address climate change. The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board has approved a “cap and trade” plan to cap carbon dioxide emissions from power plants…. -
news
GOP State AGs Urge Supreme Court to Overrule Pennsylvania Court’s Election Law Changes
Republican state attorneys general say the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has jeopardized the nation’s constitutional balance of power by legislating from the bench and allowing late-arriving ballots to be counted. Now, they’re calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. Three of the state attorneys general—Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, and Mike Hunter… -
opinion
A Pro Bono Lawyer for Trump Campaign Shares What He Saw in Pennsylvania
Tom Ranieri is a lawyer who volunteered as a representative of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, working at an Election Day hotline. He was there from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 and joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share what he observed. “The Daily Signal Podcast” is available on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Pippa, Google Play,… -
news
Pennsylvania Lawsuit Alleges 21,000 Dead People Still on Voter Rolls
A legal group filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania alleging that the state has tens of thousands of deceased people on its voter rolls and that there is evidence of voting activity among the deceased. The Public Interest Legal Foundation, which is not associated with President Donald Trump’s campaign, filed the lawsuit Thursday arguing that Pennsylvania… -
news
GOP Lawmakers Call on Pennsylvania Secretary of State to Resign Over Election Guidance
Two Pennsylvania state Republican lawmakers have asked Kathy Boockvar, Pennsylvania’s secretary of state, to step down over her handling of the 2020 election. On Tuesday, state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and state Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman called for the secretary to resign. “Twice in the last two days, the Secretary of State… -
news
GOP Raises Concern About Voting Practices in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Republican Party has raised concerns over voting practices in the battleground state. “New picture from the field: an official ballot box being taken away by an unidentified civilian. What’s going on here?” Philly GOP tweeted Tuesday. Only two hours before polls closed, the Philly GOP account tweeted, “Unidentified civilians moving ballot boxes, Unlicensed poll… -
news
Military Mail-In Ballots Cast for Trump Discarded in Pennsylvania, Federal Investigation Finds
Nine military mail-in ballots cast for President Donald Trump were discarded at a local Pennsylvania board of elections office, a federal investigation concluded. The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police began an investigation Monday at the request of Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, U.S. Attorney David Freed said in a statement. Salavantis requested federal assistance following reports of… -
opinion
In COVID-19 Restrictions Ruling, Judge Holds Pennsylvania Governor to the Constitution
A federal district court judge ruled last week that several of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 restrictions were unconstitutional—and for good reason. Judge William Stickman IV’s development of the factual record, and his journeyman approach to the opinion, is a model for other judges to follow. >>> What’s the best way for America to reopen and return to… -
news
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Resist Governor’s Executive Actions on Climate Change
If Pennsylvania joins a multistate agreement that restricts carbon dioxide emissions, the commonwealth could jeopardize its position as an energy producer and exporter without achieving discernible environmental benefits, according to elected officials who are resisting executive actions to address climate change. The state Senate on Wednesday passed legislation to prohibit Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat,… -
news
School Choice Could Put Pennsylvania ‘Back on Track’
Some Pennsylvania homes suddenly are getting a little crowded with young students who are drawing from the same internet connection. That’s one reason why Najimah Roberson, a Harrisburg parent with three children pursuing online learning, is keen on the idea of getting some of her tax dollars back in the form of scholarship funds that… -
opinion
Pennsylvania Governor’s 11th-Hour Ballot Deadline Change Spurs Election Chaos
The protests and unrest in response to the tragic death of George Floyd, an African American man who died in police custody last week, and the COVID-19 public health crisis have greatly complicated the work of election officials attempting to conduct honest and fair voting. If that were not enough, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf unilaterally… -
opinion
In Pennsylvania, a War on Charter Schools
Charles Mitchell, who leads the Commonwealth Foundation in Pennsylvania, is worried about children’s access to charter schools in the Keystone State. “Our governor has declared war on opportunity for Pennsylvania families,” Mitchell says, referring to Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat. “He’s issued 11 executive orders, the plain intent of which is to put the kibosh… -
opinion
1 Year After Union Ruling, Pennsylvania Law Still Allows for Unconstitutional Fees
One year ago, the Supreme Court ruled that public-sector employees like me, who are not union members, don’t have to pay union fees in order to be employed. That ruling is already benefiting me and countless others. But unfortunately, Pennsylvania law hasn’t caught up with the times. For decades, teacher contracts often required even non-union… -
news
Pennsylvania Democrat Brian Sims Slammed for Non-Apology After Harassing Pro-Lifers
Democratic Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, who went viral for recording himself accosting pro-lifers praying outside a Planned Parenthood clinic, sparked backlash after posting a video addressing the controversy in which he again attacked pro-lifers. Sims revealed in a video he posted Tuesday to Twitter that he has “spent the last seven years serving as… -
news
Pennsylvania Democrat Offers Reward for Identifying Pro-Life Teens in His Video
Democratic Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims filmed himself hassling and wanting to dox several teens who were praying outside an abortion clinic in April before repeating this behavior in early May. Sims filmed himself in front of a southeastern Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood in a live Facebook video posted three weeks ago. The Pennsylvania state representative… -
news
Pennsylvania High School Students Demand Repeal of Campus ‘Bible Ban’
Students at Cumberland County High School are fighting against what they say is the local Pennsylvania school district’s unconstitutional ban on distributing Bibles on campus. The students allege that David Harris, the high school’s principal, told members of the Christians in Action student club that they were not allowed to pass out Bibles to their friends during… -
news
Gov. Tom Wolf Commits Pennsylvania to Climate Goals in Line With Paris Agreement
When then-candidate Donald Trump surprised many observers by winning Pennsylvania in the 2016 election, some ascribed the victory to his relentless campaigning in support of the state’s traditional energy sector, particularly coal and natural gas. In that campaign and his later decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, many saw the president…