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| Today: PSU purse strings, budget divide, speech spending, legislative action, Parker promise, chaplains in schools, and The Office 2.0. |
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Penn State is offering buyouts to Commonwealth Campus employees, a dramatic step for Pennsylvania’s flagship university as it looks to trim a multimillion-dollar deficit and balance its budget by 2025.
The university did not provide an estimate of the number of eligible employees or how many are likely to accept. A spokesperson said no Commonwealth Campus closures are planned, but “all options are on the table.”
Read Spotlight PA's full report: Penn State offers to pay Commonwealth Campus employees to resign amid budget cuts. |
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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
“I think what we have here is clear and reliable data."
—Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt on a drop in rejections of mail ballots in Pennsylvania's April primary following a ballot redesign; Spotlight PA and Votebeat reported some voters still ran into issues |
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| Lily of the valley in Northumberland County, via Penny W. Send us your photos by email, use #PAGems on IG, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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 TOP PRIORITY: Pennsylvania's new fiscal year starts in July, but while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to use cash reserves to boost spending by $3 billion in the next budget, the GOP-led state Senate has advanced a bill that would use the money to cut taxes instead. The AP reports the budget season salvo highlights dissonance on fundamentals and what to do with Pennsylvania's massive surplus.  CHANGE OF VENUE: Gov. Shapiro's latest budget address cost taxpayers nearly $500 a minute, PennLive (paywall) reports. The 86-minute February speech, delivered in the Capitol Rotunda for the first time ever, cost $41,500 to pull off. The usual venue, the state House chamber, was closed for repairs at the time, leading to the relocation. But some say other, cheaper options existed.  |
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STICKER SHOCK: Chester County's plan to spend opioid settlement funds on stickers warning against furnishing alcohol to minors has been disapproved by a state oversight board, Spotlight PA's Ed Mahon reports.
FAMILY FEUD: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publisher and editor-in-chief John Block allegedly wants to sell the paper and its parent company, but a lawsuit filed by his twin brother aims to stop him, TribLIVE reports.
STEPPING DOWN: Cumberland Valley School Board Director Brian Drapp is resigning following backlash over 30 Rock actor Maulik Pancholy's canceled and then uncanceled assembly appearance, per FOX 43.
SHAKE SHACK: Pittsburgh's first Shake Shack is set to open May 20 in the Strip District, Pittsburgh Magazine reports. The burger chain has 500 locations worldwide but none in Pennsylvania west of Lancaster.
REMOTE OFFICE: The Office is leaving Pennsylvania. A reboot of the Scranton-set NBC sitcom is coming to streaming service Peacock and will be set at a newspaper in the midwest, Variety reports. |
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NEW LOW PRICE! 'Now Serving the Truth' kitchen aprons!
Don't go another meal without letting people know you're serving the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. SHOP THE SALE NOW > |
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Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted. T E B A T D I E U
Yesterday's answer: Immanent
Congrats to our daily winners: Bob C., Alan B., Richard A., Jon W., Jane R., Barbara F., Lynne E., Don H., Kimberly D., Stacy S., Kimberly S., Beth H., Cynthia B., Jeffrey F., Wendy A., Susan N.-Z., John A., Leann T., William Z., Tom M., Karen W., and Stanley J.
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