News & Brews August 4, 2022
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Republicans question Fetterman’s blue-collar image
Democrat U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman portrays a working-class image, but Republicans say the facts of his well-off upbringing—such as that he received financial support from his parents into his 40s—undercut this image. The Inquirer has more.
PennDOT will not appeal bridge-tolling plan
After the Commonwealth Court struck down PennDOT’s plan to toll up to nine bridges on interstates across the commonwealth, the agency did not file an appeal to the ruling by the court’s deadline. Republican Rep. Jason Ortitay (Washington and Allegheny counties), who fought against the plan, stated, “I’m relieved that PennDOT and the Wolf administration finally saw the light and stopped overstepping their authority….“
As Butler County reviews 2020 ballots, Dep’t of State calls it ‘waste of time’
The Post-Gazette reports that officials in Butler County are reviewing 2020 mail-in ballots in three precincts in “an effort to ensure election integrity and to determine the time it takes to conduct such a recount.” The story notes, “Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche said the state’s official audits are confusing for an average citizen to understand. By picking three random precincts to review, the county hopes to open the process to the public and to calculate how long a hand count would take.” The Department of State, meanwhile, called the effort a “waste of time and taxpayer resources.”
Dems want feds to investigate Oz’s financial disclosures
The Pa. Democratic Party is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Republican Mehmet Oz’s financial disclosures, alleging he failed to report certain required information. In response, Oz’s campaign spokesperson countered, “This complaint by the PA Democrats is full of errors and issues showing their complete lack of understanding of disclosure requirements – giving them ink on this is a disservice to Pennsylvanians. As you’ll see, every single one of their ‘claims’ is false and should be pointed out in any reporting.” PennLive has more, including a list of the complaints and the Oz campaign’s responses.
Op-Ed: Pa. ‘losing economically to other states’
The Commonwealth Foundation’s Charles Mitchell has an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looking at the exodus of both people and jobs from Pennsylvania. “The solutions,” he writes, “are right in front of us. We must enact policies that allow us to recruit businesses, to protect taxpayers, protect workers, and make our cities safer.“