News & Brews May 10, 2022
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Poll: Mastriano widens lead in GOP gubernatorial primary
A Trafalgar Group poll released yesterday shows Doug Mastriano has widened his lead in the Republican primary for governor, polling at 27.6% among likely primary voters. Lou Barletta is in second place at 17.6%; Dave White garnered 15.1%, and Bill McSwain stands at 14.4%. No other candidate reached double-digits, and 11.3% of voters remain undecided.
Barnette gives Senate primary a ‘grassroots jolt’
PennLive dives into Republican Senate candidate Kathy Barnette’s rising poll numbers, looking at three factors that help explain why Barnette is in the mix with Mehmet Oz and David McCormick, despite not spending anywhere near the tens of millions of dollars Oz and McCormick are pouring into the race.
Op-Ed: Can Fetterman win PA suburbs in November?
Political writer and commentator Albert Hunt has an op-ed in The Hill asking if John Fetterman, who is the “heavy favorite” to win the Democrat primary for U.S. Senate next week, can carry suburban voters in southeastern PA who are “socially liberal and economically moderate.” The piece notes these voters “are not automatic Democratic voters — Bucks County has a Republican congressman — and there are questions as to how well Fetterman’s style and policies will play.” Read more here.
Union contract database now live
Our friends at Americans for Fair Treatment (AFFT) recently announced a new database of “all state and municipal collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in Pennsylvania.” The database, which includes nearly 2,900 collective bargaining agreements, “provides Pennsylvania public employees with copies of the CBAs that define the terms and conditions of their employment, giving them a vital tool to know and understand what unions and the government have agreed to on their behalf.” Thanks to AFFT for undertaking this huge project in transparency!
Wolf administration heads to court to hide information
Spotlight PA reports on why Gov. Wolf’s Department of Health is taking the news outlet to court this month in an attempt to hide information regarding the use of Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis program to treat addictions. Of course, secrecy isn’t anything new for this administration, which consistently hid Covid data while issuing mandate after mandate supposedly based on that data.
Hearings begin today in RGGI court challenge
Hearings are set to begin today in Commonwealth Court in a case challenging Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. StateImpact reports that “coal and labor groups and power plant owners are suing the Department of Environmental Protection, saying the rule will cause them irreparable harm.” These groups “are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement until the merits of their case can be heard.” Read more here.