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.
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news
Shapiro Walks Back Proposed Rule Already Rejected Twice by Voters
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday retracted a policy he recently proposed that would have allowed government health officials to access one’s property without a warrant and speak to students directly without parental consent. The move came after the governor received strong pushback from the state’s residents. “After our members raised serious concerns about the… -
news
Republicans Say Pennsylvania Disease Rule Proposals Allow for Warrantless Entry Into Homes
THE CENTER SQUARE—A proposal from the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro to overhaul disease regulations has unleashed a flood of public comments and irritated state Republicans, who claim it would allow for warrantless entry into homes and violate the public desire to limit a governor’s emergency powers. On Monday, Democrat state Rep. Arvind Venkat, a… -
news
Jared Golden Joins Growing List of Democrats Endorsing Republicans
A Democrat may have just secured a midterm win for Republicans with one unexpected endorsement. House Democrat Jared Golden of Maine endorsed House Republican Mike Lawler of New York for reelection in an op-ed published in a newspaper in Lawler’s district Monday morning. Golden published a glowing review of Lawler and their history of working… -
opinion
Federal Judge Refers Philly DA Krasner to DOJ for Prosecution
Larry Krasner won the Philadelphia district attorney’s race in 2017, thanks in no small part to a $1.7 million infusion of cash from George Soros-funded groups. On the night of his victory party, he told the assembled crowd that he felt like a “public defender with power,” and he has governed as such ever since…. -
opinion
‘Trump Power Plant’ Coming to Fayette County, the Largest Investment in Its History
UNIONTOWN, Pennsylvania—Scott Dunn did not get a call from Washington. Instead, he received calls from his constituents. The chairman of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners had watched the March announcement like everyone else: a $17 billion natural gas generation hub somewhere in southwestern Pennsylvania, with 4.3 gigawatts of capacity, financed through Japan’s investment commitment… -
news
The ‘All in on AI’ Governor Backtracks on His Own Policy
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a new round of sweeping restrictions on artificial intelligence data centers on Tuesday, marking a swift reversal of his original views on the issue. “Many politicians and political candidates, noticing growing public opposition to data centers (at least some of it resulting from dark money campaigns against these central features… -
opinion
A Win in Philadelphia for America’s Founders
RealClearWire—On July 15, the National Park Service hung new interpretive signs at the President’s House Site in Independence Park, where George Washington lived as president while Philadelphia was the nation’s capital. This is a major development in the battle between those who want to portray America’s history in a traditional manner and woke activists who depict… -
opinion
How Pittsburgh Became the Early Alarm Bell for the DSA’s Rise
PITTSBURGH—The rise of the Democrat Left in Pittsburgh did not happen overnight. It was built over years through patient organizing, disciplined recruiting, and a clear-eyed focus on the races that mattered most: low-turnout primaries where entrenched power was vulnerable. Mik Pappas’ 2017 race for Pennsylvania’s 31st Magisterial District judge offered an early hint that the… -
news
‘Absolute Criminal’: Aaron Rodgers Unloads on Fauci After Senate Hearing
Aaron Rodgers, NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sat in a comfy, rotating chair next to Pat McAfee, head down as he listened to McAfee’s next question on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show”: “Can you tell us about the mindset of coming into your last season? How do you view this year versus maybe the… -
opinion
Aaron Rodgers Says What Millions of Americans Think About Fauci
LATROBE, Pa.—I was standing a few feet behind Pat McAfee’s stage at Saint Vincent College on Monday afternoon when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers delivered one of the most candid and authentic interviews you’ll ever watch. The Steelers had just finished their first padded practice of training camp, and McAfee was welcoming coaches and players… -
opinion
High Electric Bills Are a Choice—and Pennsylvania Must Choose Wisely
Pennsylvania legislators have prioritized electricity affordability this year. First, they exited the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the multistate carbon-tax compact. Then, with the newly passed state budget, they defeated Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Lightning Plan, which would have layered an additional in-state carbon tax and expanded Pennsylvania’s clean-energy mandate. But Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard remains on the books, unexamined… -
opinion
From Lawsuits to Begrudging Admissions, a Crazy Week for Dems on Election Integrity
Last week brought several developments regarding Democrats on election integrity, demonstrating the party is falling into disarray over what is a widely supported issue for Americans. Some were not shocking, such as a lawsuit from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Others were a bit surprising, like strategist James Carville coming out in support of voter ID…. -
news
After DHS Release of Noncitizens on Voter Rolls, How Have States Responded?
A week after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote to top election officials in four states warning of hundreds of thousands of potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, only New Jersey has admitted to a problem. The other three states have been either noncommittal in responding or have pushed back on Mullin’s claims. The Department… -
news
Democrat Gov. Denied: Kids’ Educational Scholarships Are Saved
Pennsylvania’s Republican-led Legislature has successfully pushed back against Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to cut two scholarship programs from the 2026–27 budget. Shapiro’s original budget proposal, HB 2632, called for eliminating two programs: the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit. The Pennsylvania Legislature successfully amended the budget to maintain the original scholarships and… -
opinion
In the Cradle of Liberty, Educational Freedom Should Be the Default
RealClearWire—This summer, Philadelphia is celebrating its role as the birthplace of America. Tourists from around the world are descending on Independence Hall, where 250 years ago a group of colonists declared that governments exist to secure the rights of the people, not the other way around. It’s a fitting moment to ask whether Pennsylvania is… -
news
‘Far Left’ Dem Campaigns on Green Tax Policies With Obama Officials
The mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been campaigning with former officials from President Barack Obama’s administration to champion green tax policies. Earlier this month, Paige Cognetti, the congressional candidate for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, was seen alongside Jon Carson, a former Obama administration official involved in the federal Chesapeake Bay cleanup effort. Carson served as… -
news
Gov. Shapiro Abandoning 30,000 Children as PA Democrats Push to Strip School Choice
Pennsylvania Democrats rushed anti-school choice legislation Tuesday, bypassing regular order and sneaking up on Republicans. They aim to strip 30,000 children of educational scholarships, pocket the children’s scholarship money, and cut public charter school funding by $500 million. Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro was elected in part because of his promise to return educational choice to… -
opinion
RGGI Will Cost Virginia Billions—Just Like It Cost Pennsylvania
Virginians were promised affordability. Instead, they’re getting an energy agenda that risks making electricity more expensive and less reliable. Gov. Abigail Spanberger has consistently sided with the climate-policy wing of her party even when its proposals threaten higher energy costs for consumers. One such proposal is rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. In 2023, Virginia… -
news
Fetterman: ‘The Democratic Party Must Confront Its Own Rising Antisemitism Problem’
Sen. John Fetterman is once again sounding the alarm about “rising antisemitism” in the Democratic Party, insisting the party must confront the growing problem. The Pennsylvania Democrat was responding to the announcement by state Supreme Court Justice David Wecht that he was leaving the party over the “disturbingly common” acceptance of “Jew-hatred” even by elected… -
news
Pennsylvania Urged to Opt Into Federal Scholarship Tax Credit
School choice advocates and policymakers gathered at the Pennsylvania State Capitol on April 10 to call on Gov. Josh Shapiro to opt the commonwealth into the federal scholarship tax credit program before the January 2027 deadline. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon joined lawmakers and advocacy leaders, including Rep. Scott Perry and Andrew Lewis, to emphasize…