April 18, 2025Abby Drey / Centre Daily TimesThe people who represent you in D.C. and Harrisburg are allowed to keep their calendars secretby Min Xian of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania and federal open records laws don’t require elected officials to release their work calendars to the public.
April 8, 2025KENT M. WILHELM / For Spotlight PAEmails between Pa. lawmakers and lobbyists will remain hidden from the public after court rulingby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAAdvocates called the ruling a missed opportunity to create more transparency around the state legislature and multimillion-dollar lobbying industry.
April 7, 2025Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PACampaign cash flowed to key Pa. lawmakers as hunters launched an offensive to save pigeon shootsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe proposed pigeon shooting ban passed through a Pennsylvania House committee with bipartisan support. Then it stalled, and the lawmaker in charge won’t say why.
April 2, 2025Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAProposed $25M cut to bird flu aid for farmers could leave Pa. unprepared for surge, GOP lawmakers fearby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe Shapiro administration says Pennsylvania has enough in reserves to address avian influenza, but Republican lawmakers aren’t convinced that reallocating that funding is responsible.
April 1, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesLooser education rules floated as fix to Pa.’s troubled home care workforceby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAA bill would require direct care workers to pass a competency exam rather than have a diploma or GED. Advocates argue a more direct solution to the staffing shortfall would be to increase wages.
March 28, 2025Albert Lee / City of PhiladelphiaAdoption of red light cameras slow in Pa. even though they save livesby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPennsylvania only allows its biggest cities and a handful of other municipalities to use red light cameras. They still face challenges getting off the ground.
March 27, 2025Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAMedical marijuana oversight bill advances after Spotlight PA investigations reveal doctor concernsby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAA bipartisan bill to increase oversight of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program cleared the state House after Spotlight PA investigations revealed concerns about doctor practices and patient care.
March 27, 2025Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAFour ways Pa. could fix its campaign finance laws to reduce the power of money in politicsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAHow can lawmakers restore public trust and provide additional transparency? Other states have limited campaign donations and more.
March 24, 2025Emily Scherer / For Spotlight PAPowerful interests poured $18M into top Pa. lawmakers’ campaign coffersby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PALobbyists say such donations can lead to access, but the state's weak transparency laws make it nearly impossible to trace influence.
March 20, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesFederal money to plug Pa.’s dangerous wells is unfrozen, but Trump admin uncertainty plagues contractorsby Kate Huangpu and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPennsylvania has supercharged the number of abandoned wells it plugs thanks to federal money, but the future of that work is unclear as lawsuits play out.
March 17, 2025Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAMedical cannabis companies are spending big to have a say in Pa.’s legal weed futureby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAWeed companies spent $1.6 million last year pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to legalize recreational use of the drug.
March 13, 2025Kalliyan Winder / Next Generation NewsroomLottery pushes Pa. lawmakers to end profit rules for bigger jackpotsby Abigail Hakas of Next Generation NewsroomThe Pennsylvania Lottery wants to sell more big-prize tickets. Will it generate more revenue — or fuel gambling problems?
March 12, 2025Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAExtra funding for 100s of Pa. districts in question. See if yours could be affected.by Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAKey Republicans are questioning whether an “adequacy” supplement targeted at underfunded schools is inherently unfair.
March 10, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PA1000s waiting as Shapiro admin again tries to convince lawmakers to fund home repairs programby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PATwo previous efforts to pass a state-funded home repair program were casualties of the budget process.
March 4, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesNursing parents would gain right to pump in public under proposal to expand breastfeeding lawby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAA caucus in the Pennsylvania House focused on maternal health has introduced bills that would protect the right to public pumping and mandate a state agency study access to care.
March 4, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesCalls for cyber charter reform intensify after audit found ballooning revenue, surplusesby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe review was led by Republican Auditor General Tim DeFoor, who identified “uncommon” spending on gift cards and real estate.
Feb. 28, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesPublic will no longer be in the dark about Shapiro flights on taxpayer-funded State Police planesby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAUnlike a PennDOT-operated plane, State Police aircraft don’t have to publish public logs of who they carry or the cost.
Feb. 26, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesClergy abuse survivor battles time and deadlocked Pa. lawmakers as he seeks justiceby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAA priest assaulted him as a child. Over 60 years later, he’s still waiting for justice, and only the Pennsylvania legislature can help.
Feb. 20, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesIs Josh Shapiro keeping campaign promises? Test your politics knowledge with this quiz.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s split legislature makes it tricky for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to pass his priorities. Here’s a look at his progress.
Feb. 11, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesChild care workers could get a raise under Shapiro plan to address shortageby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PABusinesses and advocates for families say the Democrat’s $55 million proposal would make child care in Pennsylvania more available and keep parents in the workforce.
Feb. 7, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAEviction filings shouldn't doom Pa. residents to never get another rental, Shapiro saysby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAEviction filings can follow renters for decades and make it harder to find housing, even if a judge never upheld them. Shapiro wants to see lawmakers seal those records.
Feb. 5, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesLack of Senate support could again sink Shapiro’s call for Pa. to legalize weedby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAA legalization bill needs to win majority support from an 11-person state Senate committee. Just 3 members are publicly on board.
Feb. 4, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesShapiro renews calls for legal weed, regulated skill games in budget that would send $526M to poorest schoolsby Stephen Caruso, Kate Huangpu, and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe governor’s latest budget pitch would send an additional $290 million to the state’s public transit agencies, invest more in a new student-teacher stipend, and more.
Feb. 4, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PA13 states mandate paid family leave. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants Pa. to be next.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAGetting paid time off to care for a kid or recover from illness depends on where one lives and works in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers want to change that.
Feb. 3, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesLegal weed, more money for Pa.’s poorest schools will likely be in Shapiro’s budget pitchby Stephen Caruso, Kate Huangpu, and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAGov. Josh Shapiro is expected to reuse ideas from his first two years in office that have yet to win enough support in the legislature.
Jan. 31, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesFiery resignation by Pa.’s consumer advocate breeds fear office will lose independenceby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAPatrick Cicero’s resignation echoes the early years of the consumer advocate’s office, in which its first leader clashed with utilities and warned the office must remain independent.
Jan. 28, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWill a tied state House halt Harrisburg again? Pa. Democrats won’t say.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAState House Democrats have a vacancy after a member’s death, and leaders won’t say whether they’ll stop floor votes while they wait to restore their numerical majority.
Jan. 17, 2025Sarah Anne Hughes / Spotlight PANegotiations to tax skill games fell apart last year. GOP leaders are restarting the debate.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PALawmakers will again wade into a tricky debate over taxing skill games this session. The slot-like machines are currently unregulated.
Jan. 15, 2025Jared Wickerham / For Spotlight PAExpanded voter ID, mail ballot changes on the table as Pa. lawmakers begin new sessionby Carter Walker of VotebeatOne top lawmaker hopes Donald Trump’s election will open up space for more fruitful legislative talks during the two-year session.
Jan. 14, 2025Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAThe poorest schools in Pa. got an extra $500M last year. Is more money on the way?by Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe Pennsylvania legislature gave the state’s poorest schools an extra $500 million last year to close the “adequacy gap.” Now they have to decide what’s next.
