Republican state senators leading a contested review of Pennsylvania's 2020 election promised a transparent and public-facing process.

But Capital-Star reports the search for a private vendor to vet millions of commonwealth voters is happening behind closed doors, with state law allowing plenty of room for secrecy.

That's because unlike executive branch offices, the General Assembly has no obligation to broadcast engagements with third parties when it seeks services and supplies.

A spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R., Centre) called it standard practice and did not say whether any Democrats were privy to the negotiations.

THE CONTEXT: Republicans in the state Senate have already subpoenaed personal information on millions of registered Pennsylvania voters — information they plan to hand over for a third-party, taxpayer-funded exam.

Spotlight PA and Votebeat reported the state has already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a more secure version of the same analysis, something those behind the GOP-led probe have yet to acknowledge.

While their search for a vendor is now underway, Republican leaders say they're holding off on hiring one until a court weighs in on legal challenges.

State Sen. Cris Dush (R., Jefferson), the inquiry's leader, has in the past refused to rule out a vendor with ties to former President Donald Trump.

MEAL MONEY: With some families still waiting for relief money meant to offset the meal costs they incurred during pandemic-related school closures, Pennsylvania is launching a helpline at 484-363-2137, WESA reports.

HOME OFFICE: Philadelphia is converting more old buildings into apartments than any other U.S. city as pandemic-driven commercial vacancies lead to property pivots, The New York Times reports.

'HELLMAXXED': Bensalem's police department, already Twitter famous for a real and widely mocked Halloween warning, has now been dragged into a joke-hoax about a devilish new TikTok trend, Business Insider reports.

HOPE SPRINGS: York County rescue gator Hope is recovering after being hit by a car, York Daily Record reports. Owner Joie Henney — well known for his emotional support gator gang — is suspicious about how it happened. 

LIFESAVERS: A City of Pittsburgh employee thanked the colleagues who rushed to his rescue when he collapsed at work in May. "I wake up grateful every day," Matthew Meisenhelter said, Per TribLIVE.