News & Brews June 10, 2022
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SCOTUS declines to hear Lehigh County mail-in ballot case
Fewer than two weeks after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay halting the counting of undated mail-in ballots in a 2021 Lehigh County judicial race until the court could further consider the matter, yesterday the justices lifted the stay and declined to hear the case, for now. Three of the justices (Justices Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch) dissented from the decision, predicting the same problem will arise again and noting, “It would be far better for us to address that [issue] before, rather than after, it has an effect.” The Inquirer has more (or, if you’re paywalled, the AP has a shorter story on the topic).
Lawmaker wants to give states power to regulate outside spending on federal elections
GOP Rep. Meghan Schroeder (Bucks County) plans “to introduce a resolution calling on Congress to enact the ‘For Our Freedom’ amendment to the United States Constitution, and return it to Pennsylvania and the states for ratification.” Such a constitutional amendment, Schroeder says, would give states the authority to regulate political spending by super PACs. Spotlight PA calls Schroeder’s effort an “uphill battle.”
Recap of House committee hearings on inflation
The House Majority Policy Committee held two hearings this week on the causes and impacts of the historic inflation facing Pennsylvanians. According to a press release summarizing the hearings and issued by committee Chair Rep. Martin Causer (Cameron, McKean, and Potter counties), priorities for addressing inflation’s impacts “include curbing state spending, investing in the Rainy Day Fund and stopping overregulation that is both driving up consumer costs and hindering economic opportunity.” Read more here.
Fetterman criticized for lack of transparency surrounding health
NBC News reports that Republicans and some Democrats are raising concerns that John Fetterman wasn’t as transparent as he could have been about his health. Fetterman’s wife, Gisele, countered that they were very transparent. Meanwhile, yesterday the National Republican Senatorial Committee released a web ad asking, “Has John Fetterman been telling the truth about his health?” The ad is a compilation of clips from liberal news organizations calling out a lack of transparency.