News & Brews October 4, 2022

After their respective opponents declined debate invitations from the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, Republican Mehmet Oz and Democrat Josh Shapiro each had the chance to share his message unchallenged at the annual chamber dinner last night. Answering questions from Chamber President Luke Bernstein, Oz touched on topics ranging from immigration and crime to abortion and the filibuster. Shapiro, meanwhile, focused on the theme of bringing people together while reiterating his (newfound) support for school choice and again refusing to give a straight answer on whether he would keep Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

As Democrat Josh Shapiro has already spent more than $18 million on TV ads since the May primary, Republican Doug Mastriano plans to launch his first broadcast ads this week. The Hill reports that the Mastriano campaign announced a $1 million ad buy yesterday, and the “ad campaign includes one 30-second ad and one 60-second one that will air on digital and TV platforms, touting the candidate’s military leadership commanding Alpha Company, 229th Military Intelligence Battalion. The ad includes interviews of Mastriano, his wife and and a fellow veteran who served under him, Lance Fraze.”

NBC Philadelphia reports that the Fetterman campaign is launching “Republicans for Fetterman,” “which will include both digital and television ads, with five weeks to go before Election Day and as polls have tightened in the race that could determine who controls the U.S. Senate.” According to Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, Fetterman is winning about 7% of the Republican vote right now, while Oz is capturing about 3% of the Democrat vote.

It’s hard to wrap your head around the web of nepotism and power plays that have been the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) over the years. But BillyPenn takes on the task, looking at the PPA’s evolution and explaining how the agency’s “history is even more convoluted than you probably thought.” Grab a second cup of coffee for this one.

Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Nathan Benefield writes in PennLive that in the wake of the landmark 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending forced union fees for public workers, “union executives have conducted aggressive campaigns to pressure individuals and use government powers to coerce workers into paying dues.” He writes that “[n]ationwide, government unions are fighting for new laws to increase their funding streams—pushing policies that undermine workers’ rights to preserve their power.” To protect workers, lawmakers should pass reforms aimed at “giving employees a choice in which union represents them, making contracts more transparent, and allowing government union members to resign at any time.” Read Nate’s piece here.