June 18, 2021Courtesy Sen. David Argall's officeKey Pennsylvania state senator backs Arizona-style election auditby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA and Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAState Sen. David Argall said he did not know why his constituents were so distrusting of the results, as former President Donald Trump and allies continue to falsely claim the election was stolen.
June 18, 2021TYGER WILLIAMS / Philadelphia InquirerMoney, power, scandal: The PSERS saga, explainedby Colin Deppen of Spotlight PAThe Public School Employees’ Retirement System, or PSERS, saga is sprawling and complicated. Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know — and why you should care.
June 15, 2021ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerWolf, Pa. Democrats again push for passage of LGBTQ discrimination protectionsby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA and Colin Deppen of Spotlight PASimilar legislation has failed to move out of Republican-controlled committees, and it's unclear if this year will be any different.
June 15, 2021JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia InquirerGOP’s major election overhaul advances in Pa. House as Democrats call it a ‘farce’by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA and Jonathan Lai of The Philadelphia InquirerThe bill — dubbed the Voting Rights Protection Act — includes stricter voter ID, signature verification requirements, and limits on drop boxes.
June 11, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesWolf again vows to veto any bills that limit abortion access in Pa.by Shaniece Holmes Brown for Spotlight PAHouse Republicans this week passed a bill that would ban abortions on the basis of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis as well as one on the handling of fetal remains.
June 10, 2021TOM GRALISH / Philadelphia InquirerPa. GOP proposes major election overhaul, including stricter voter ID and in-person early votingby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA and Jonathan Lai of The Philadelphia InquirerThe bill comes as Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country seek to tighten voting laws.
June 10, 2021CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerLegislature votes to immediately end Pa.’s coronavirus disaster declaration while keeping waivers in placeby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PARepublicans said terminating the emergency order was what Pennsylvanians demanded when they granted the legislative branch new powers during the May primary.
June 10, 2021Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerActivists target top Republican in Pa. Senate as they push for gift banby Shaniece Holmes Brown for Spotlight PAFour protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing during the peaceful demonstration at the Capitol.
June 9, 2021Kalim A. Bhatti / For The InquirerIn a revolt, dissidents on PSERS board lobby colleagues to fire the fund’s leaders and set a new investment strategyby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Craig R. McCoy and Joseph N. DiStefano of The Philadelphia InquirerA growing band of board dissidents says PSERS leaders must go immediately to fix “an irrevocable loss of trust and confidence that is a consequence of persistent underperformance."
June 9, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesWolf sticks by $1 billion plan to close Pa.’s education gap, minus his proposed tax increaseby Shaniece Holmes Brown for Spotlight PAWhile Democrats say the state should put some of its $3 billion revenue surplus into education, Republicans counter Pennsylvania's financial picture isn’t that rosy.
June 7, 2021Shaniece Holmes BrownWith $10,000,000,000 to spend, advocates press Wolf, Pa. lawmakers to prioritize poor peopleby Shaniece Holmes Brown for Spotlight PABuoyed by $3 billion in excess tax revenue and more than $7 billion in stimulus dollars, Democrats want the state to go big, while Republicans are wary of huge new spending.
June 3, 2021Leise Hook / For Spotlight PABill would force Pa. to post online how lawmakers spend millions in tax dollars each yearby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted, Sam Janesch, and Mike Wereschagin of The CaucusThe bipartisan measure comes in response to an ongoing investigation by Spotlight PA and The Caucus into how taxpayers shell out millions each year for perks but are largely unaware of that spending.
June 2, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerFive takeaways from a year-long investigation on lawmaker spendingby Colin Deppen of Spotlight PAThe Caucus and Spotlight PA wanted to find out how one of the largest and most expensive full-time legislatures in the country spends tax money on itself.
May 28, 2021Yong Kim / Philadelphia InquirerMark Zuckerberg helped some Pa. counties survive the 2020 election. Right-wing lawmakers say that was unfair.by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAMore than 20 Pennsylvania counties turned to private philanthropy when it became apparent the Republican-led General Assembly wasn’t going to help them cover COVID-related expenses.
May 26, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia Inquirer‘Internal systemic failures’ led to Wolf administration blunder that derailed child sex abuse amendmentby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe report by the state inspector general’s office concluded that there was no evidence that the administration’s mistake was deliberate or the result of “intentional malfeasance.”
May 25, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerNewly empowered, Pa. GOP lawmakers move to end parts of Wolf’s coronavirus disaster orderby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAGov. Tom Wolf called the vote “a discouraging development” following a “productive meeting with the legislature” after the May 18 primary, when voters backed curtailing his powers.
May 21, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesLawmakers report receiving fewer gifts during pandemic as push for ban continuesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe few gifts of note came largely before the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Pennsylvania in early March.
May 19, 2021Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAExperts say Pa.’s 2021 primary was typical, but GOP lawmakers are seizing on issuesby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PARoutine poll issues, some mail-ballot snafus, and low turnout were all par for the course of a normal election.
May 19, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesVoters back curtailing Wolf’s emergency powers in win for GOP lawmakersby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAThe votes represent a victory for Republican lawmakers in what is widely seen as a referendum on the Wolf administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
May 13, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerSome Pa. lawmakers tout expense transparency. Their websites tell a different story.by Sam Janesch of The CaucusJust 29 of the 253 full-time lawmakers in Pennsylvania post some information online about how they spend taxpayer dollars in their duties, despite many proclaiming, “It’s Your Money.”
May 12, 2021CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerInside the year-long fight to figure out how the Pa. legislature spends taxpayer money on itselfby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, and Sam Janesch Of The CaucusBy early 2021, reporters had filed more than two dozen records requests resulting in tens of thousands of pages of expense reports and, in some cases, actual receipts.
May 12, 2021Leise Hook / For Spotlight PATaxpayers foot huge bill to run Pa.’s full-time legislature, but are blocked from many detailsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, and Sam Janesch of The CaucusA web of expense accounts, few reporting requirements, and questionable claims of “legislative privilege” help keep lawmaker spending obscured — and the public in the dark.
May 11, 2021Fred Adams / Spotlight PAIndependents can vote on ballot questions, and more things to know about the May 18 primaryby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PASpotlight PA answers your questions about controversial constitutional amendments, judicial races, and more.
May 4, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesOne ritzy fundraiser shows how tough selling lobbying reform in Pa. will beby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The CaucusA campaign event for Jake Corman, the top Republican in the state Senate, is being organized by a company that has cornered the market on a political practice he wants to end.
May 3, 2021Charles Fox / Philadelphia InquirerAre Pa.’s state House and Senate maps gerrymandered? Depends on how you measure them.by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAWhile a court declared Pennsylvania's previous congressional map was drawn to benefit Republicans, the current legislative maps have not faced the same level of scrutiny.
Partisan primaries are fueling our political dysfunction but they can be fixed, new book saysAttendApr 19
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