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
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… -
opinion
Pennsylvania Is Losing Businesses and Workers
RealClearWire—Sadly, one of the nation’s biggest employers is closing in Pennsylvania. Saks & Company recently announced plans to shut down its fulfillment center in Foster, laying off 435 employees as an unfortunate aftermath. This follows on other recent closures and layoffs by Saks in Bala Cynwyd and Wilkes-Barre, which also resulted in the loss of another 200 jobs. Business… -
opinion
America at 250: Miracle at Philadelphia
“It appears to me, then, little short of a miracle, that the Delegates from so many different States … should unite in forming a system of national Government…” –George Washington, Letter to the Marquis de Lafayette, February 7, 1788 After the Revolutionary War was settled, many colonists thought their nearly decade-long struggle might be over…. -
opinion
Dave McCormick Pens Inaugural Letter to Pennsylvania Voters
PITTSBURGH—In his inaugural letter to residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., said that after his first year in office, he believed it was important to hold himself accountable to the people he represents in the U.S. Senate for both his accomplishments and his shortcomings. In an interview with the Washington Examiner,… -
opinion
Trump Returns Pennsylvania Steel to the Backbone of America
WEST MIFFLIN, Pennsylvania—Flanked by a sea of steelworkers dressed in their orange safety jackets and hard hats, President Donald Trump was given a hero’s welcome at the Mon Valley Irvin Works to mark the signing of the U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel deal, the largest investment in state history. “With the help from patriots like you, we… -
news
Gov. Shapiro Silent on Women’s Sports Bill After It Passes Pennsylvania Senate with Bipartisan Support
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has declined to tell The Daily Signal whether he will sign or veto a measure to protect women from unfair competition in sports, after the bill passed the state Senate in a bipartisan vote Tuesday. The Daily Signal reached out multiple times and connected twice with a staffer, but Shapiro’s office…