News & Brews April 11, 2022
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Pennsylvania gets ‘D’ in Covid response
Pennsylvania ranked in the bottom 10 states, earning a “D” on a recently released study of states’ Covid response. The study, authored by University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity’s Stephen Moore and Phil Kerpen, evaluated states on three variables: health outcomes, economic performance, and impact on education. Pennsylvania ranked 21st in mortality, 35th in education impact, and 45th in economic performance, placing us in 42nd place overall. See the study here, or the Wall Street Journal editorial on the results here.
PA gubernatorial candidates ‘spending millions’ as primary nears
The Inquirer looks at recent spending in the GOP gubernatorial primary, as candidates continue to jockey for position in the final stretch of the nomination battle. The story notes, “Five weeks before the primary election, no single Republican candidate for governor has taken command of the race. But campaign-finance reports filed this past week offer clues as to which contenders have a shot to win the party’s nomination on May 17.”
Wolf appeals court order blocking RGGI
After the Commonwealth Court last week blocked the publication of the regulation forcing Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Wolf administration has appealed the order to the state Supreme Court. It’s unclear when that court will act on the appeal.
Trump endorses Oz in GOP Senate primary
Ending months of speculation, former President Trump on Saturday endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz in the heated GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Trump had previously endorsed Sean Parnell, who dropped out of the race after losing primary custody of his children to his estranged wife.
PSERS racks up legal bills amid federal investigations
As the FBI and SEC continue investigating our state’s largest pension fund, PSERS’ legal bills are piling up. The Inquirer reports that the investigations “have cost the teachers’ pension plan $4.5 million in legal and adviser bills since March 2021, state records show. That’s enough to pay 170 retirees the average pension of $26,000 for a year.” Read more here.