News & Brews April 14, 2022
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Poll: Mastriano leads in GOP primary, but many undecided
According to a survey of 502 likely Republican primary voters, conducted between April 7 and 9 by Eagle Consulting Group, state Sen. Doug Mastriano leads the pack with 19% of the vote, followed by Bill McSwain with 12.7%, Lou Barletta with 11%, and Dave White with 7%. Notably, 44% of those polled are undecided, And the poll was conducted before this week’s shakeup with former President Trump anti-endorsing McSwain and Jake Corman moving to drop out of the race then changing his mind.
Poll: Fetterman leads in Senate Dem primary
Meanwhile, according to a new poll from Franklin & Marshall (which has a B/C rating in FiveThirtyEight’s pollster ratings), John Fetterman leads in the Democrat Senate primary at 41%, with Conor Lamb at 17%, Malcolm Kenyatta at 4%, and 26% undecided. The poll surveyed “registered voters,” which are not necessarily “likely voters.”
Senate passes bills banning drop boxes, private funding of elections
Yesterday, the Senate voted 37-12 in favor of legislation, sponsored by Republican Sen. Lisa Baker, preventing third-party funding of elections. The vote was bi-partisan, with multiple Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the bill. Separately, the Senate voted 29-20 on party lines for legislation, sponsored by Republican Sen. Cris Dush, that would eliminate drop boxes. Read more here.
Senate hearing on marijuana legalization shows other side of debate
Following a series of hearings by the Senate Law and Justice Committee that many criticized as one-sided in favor of recreational marijuana legalization, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, chaired by Sen. Judy Ward (Blair, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, and Huntingdon counties) heard testimony from those with concerns over the impacts of legalization. The Inquirer has more.
Senate committee votes to reduce corporate net income tax rate
Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee voted to advance legislation, sponsored by GOP Sen. Ryan Aument (Lancaster County) that “would incrementally reduce the CNI [corporate net income] tax from its current rate of 9.99% to 6.99% by 2024. The rate could then be further reduced only if it meets or exceeds the revenue projections for 2024 at the 9.99% rate.” Aument stated, “It is my hope that making Pennsylvania more economically competitive by lowering our CNI rate will benefit working class families, reverse our stagnant population growth, and ensure that Pennsylvania is an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family for generations to come.”