Sept. 21, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. state Democratic lawmaker quietly stripped of committee leadership, Capitol accessby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAState Rep. Kevin Boyle of Philadelphia has been sidelined over what he called “incorrect information” about him. Democratic leaders have not disclosed the reason for their move.
Sept. 15, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. Senate GOP moves to collect private voter information in controversial review of 2020 electionby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAWednesday's vote by a Senate panel allows it to demand information — including the name, address, driver's license, and partial social security number — for all registered Pennsylvania voters.
Sept. 14, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. GOP lawmakers to subpoena personal information on every voter in controversial 2020 election reviewby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAThe GOP lawmakers have crafted a sweeping subpoena, requesting among other information the name, address, and partial social security number of every voter registered as of November 2020.
Sept. 14, 2021Stephen Caruso / Pennsylvania Capital-StarGov. Wolf’s coronavirus business waiver program was flawed, secretive, Pa. auditor saysby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThough the program was well-intentioned — designed to provide relief to businesses during the early months of the pandemic shutdown — it was confusing and lacked transparency and accountability.
Sept. 13, 2021Fred Adams / For Spotlight PAExpiring COVID-19 waivers could make Pa. health-care staffing shortages worseby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAWith cases rising, health-care professionals are urging the legislature to extend the regulatory changes to maximize the number of workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Sept. 9, 2021Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAPa. school mask lawsuit backed by group that challenged 2020 election resultsby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PARudy Giuliani once described the Amistad Project as a “partner” in the Trump campaign’s legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election. But little else is known about the group or its donors.
Sept. 2, 2021MICHAEL BRYANT / Philadelphia InquirerThe Supreme Court’s decision on a Texas abortion ban raises the stakes for the Pa. governor’s raceby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PADemocratic Gov. Tom Wolf has vowed to veto any effort to curtail abortion access, but his term ends in January 2023. Republicans plan to aggressively pursue the office.
Sept. 1, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerFor the first time, Pa. Senate gives public online access to spending recordsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Mike Wereschagin, Brad Bumsted, and Sam Janesch of The CaucusThough a win for taxpayers, the information provided online is not searchable or easy to analyze.
Aug. 27, 2021Tim Tai / Philadelphia InquirerPa.’s legislative leaders wield extraordinary power, and the audit fight proves itby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe state Senate's top Republican recently stripped another lawmaker of his committee chairmanship and Capitol staff, a rare but not unprecedented move in Harrisburg.
Aug. 26, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesThe Pa. Senate leader resisted his pro-Trump wing for months. Now he wants a MAGA makeover.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Andrew Seidman of The Philadelphia InquirerFor months, Jake Corman walked a fine line as the movement to discredit the 2020 election results won support from some of his pro-Trump colleagues. Now the Pennsylvania Republican is all in.
Aug. 26, 2021Sue Dorfman / For VotebeatWhat we know about the renewed push for a ‘forensic audit’ of Pennsylvania’s 2020 electionby Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PAWe cut through the noise to revisit how this effort came about, what we know about it thus far, and what it might look like in the future.
Aug. 25, 2021HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerRepublican leaders reject Wolf’s call to pass school mask mandateby Jamie Martines and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAFew school districts are requiring masks inside classrooms, something Gov. Tom Wolf said is needed to ensure safety. GOP leaders countered that those decisions are best left to local communities.
Aug. 11, 2021Tim Tai / Philadelphia InquirerPennsylvania Senate plans first step to enhance public access to expense informationby Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The CaucusFollowing reporting by The Caucus and Spotlight PA, the Pennsylvania Senate said it will post expenses online, though it's unclear in what format.
Aug. 6, 2021ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerTheft charges brought down a state lawmaker. But Pa.’s taxpayer-funded system for perks was already ripe for abuse.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Sam Janesch, Mike Wereschagin, and Brad Bumsted of The CaucusPer diems allow legislators to collect flat-rate payments intended for food and lodging without turning over any receipts.
July 23, 2021Courtesy Charlie GerowPa. GOP strategist running for governor being investigated for fatal crash on Turnpikeby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAA spokesperson for Charlie Gerow said he was the driver and is now “cooperating fully with the investigation and will continue to do so.”
July 22, 2021ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerPa. state lawmaker from Delaware County charged with theft after years-long investigationby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Vinny Vella of The Philadelphia InquirerProsecutors said Democrat Margo Davidson allegedly requested overnight reimbursements for time she did not actually spend in Harrisburg.
July 21, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerPa. Republicans are bringing their election bill back after Gov. Tom Wolf said he’s open to voter ID changesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Jonathan Lai of The Philadelphia InquirerWolf had said changes to the state’s voter ID rules were a nonstarter. But he shifted that position this week after vetoing the Republican-passed bill.
July 20, 2021Leise Hook / For Spotlight PAWATCH: A live reader Q&A on how lawmakers spend millions of taxpayer dollars on perksby Spotlight PA StaffReporters from Spotlight PA and The Caucus discussed their investigation into how the legislature spends taxpayer dollars then obscures those expenses from the public.
July 19, 2021Dan Nott / For Spotlight PAPa. requested $340 million in emergency contracts in 2020 with little oversightby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAPennsylvania agencies turned to the emergency procurement process that avoids public scrutiny 483 times last year. In years prior, they made on average 135 requests annually.
July 12, 2021ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerPa. House GOP commits to public meetings, vows ‘most transparent’ congressional redistricting process everby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PARep. Seth Grove (R., York) said his committee will hold at least eight public meetings across the state and accept suggestions for the map through a new website.
July 9, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerQ&A: Meet this summer’s Capitol reporting internsby Colin Deppen of Spotlight PATwo Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association interns talk about the ups and down of political journalism and whether it's as glamorous as the movies make it look.
July 7, 2021Natalie Kolb / Commonwealth Media ServicesWhy a funding boost for the office that exposes Pa. puppy mills stalled againby Lindsay Weber for Spotlight PAThe legislature departed for the summer without voting on bills that would raise dog licensing fees, a proposal unpopular among House Republicans, according to a key committee chair.
July 6, 2021Dan Gleiter / PennLiveEthics panel closes investigation into former Pa. Victim Advocate Jennifer Stormby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAStorm agreed to two technical violations, closing out an inquiry she believes was instigated by political enemies as payback for her outspoken advocacy in high-profile cases.
July 5, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPa. lawmakers are on summer break. Here are 5 issues they’ll face this fall.by Lindsay Weber for Spotlight PADemocrats and Republicans recently recessed until September without resolving key issues including election reform, cocktails to-go, lobbying reform, and more.
June 30, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerPennsylvania governor vetoes GOP-led election overhaul citing voter ID restrictionsby Marie Albiges of Spotlight PARepublican lawmakers are likely to use the constitutional amendment process to take the issue to the voters.
Partisan primaries are fueling our political dysfunction but they can be fixed, new book saysAttendApr 19
![Get the top news from across Pennsylvania, plus some fun and a puzzle, all in one free daily email newsletter.](["https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01j9/9jza/19.png"] "Get the top news from across Pennsylvania, plus some fun and a puzzle, all in one free daily email newsletter.")