News & Brews October 18, 2022
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GOP sues over mail-in ballots
The AP reports that the state and national Republican parties filed a lawsuit late Sunday in an effort to force Pennsylvania to abide by state law and the latest Supreme Court ruling, which vacated an appellate court ruling that undated mail-in ballots should be counted. The AP editorialized, “The effort by Republicans to ensure that improperly dated or undated ballot envelopes are thrown out could help their candidates in tight contests around the state,” prompting one person to note, “So by corollary, you are saying the Wolf’s administration’s guidance to accept ballots cast in violation of state law would help Democrats?” Valid question.
National liberal groups focusing on Pa. legislative races
The Inquirer ran a headline noting, “National groups are pouring million into Pa. to try to sway state legislative races in the home stretch.” The story mentions a couple groups with national ties, including Pa. Fund for Change, which the story says is backed by an “opaque, pro-Democratic group with a North Carolina address.” Gee, I think the Inky could do better than that. Pa. Fund for Change is actually funded by groups including unions, trial lawyers, the Sixteen Thirty Fund (part of the behemoth dark money organization Arabella Advisors), and an outfit called PA Alliance Action, which has raised millions collectively from SEIU, NEA, PSEA, AFSCME, and more.
Shapiro repeats support for school choice
In a meeting yesterday with reporters and editors for CNHI (which publishes several newspapers in Pa.), Democrat gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro repeated his support for school choice—support that made news several weeks ago for its sudden appearance. “This is not an either-or,” Shapiro said, “I think this is a both-and. I think we can invest in public education and empower parents to put their kids in the best opportunity for them to succeed, and I don’t think we have to harm public schools in the process.” He said, however, that any funding for school choice “would be additional funding than what’s in the state budget right now.” As Republican Rep. Jason Ortitay pointed out, this means traditional public schools would keep funding for students they no longer educate. The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat has more.
House committee hearing today on rising crime
This morning at 9:00 a.m., the House Majority Policy Committee will hold a hearing in Bucks County to look at “solutions to improve public safety” in Pennsylvania. Scheduled to testify are Matt Weintraub, Bucks County District Attorney; Dan Friel, Warrington Township Chief of Police; and Sergeant Michael Moore, Cheltenham Township Police Department and United States Police Canine Association Region 6 (Pennsylvania) president. The hearing will be live-streamed here.
Op-Ed: Dems are doing great; voters just don’t know it
This piece caught our eye. The former Pa. Senate Democrat spokesperson penned an op-ed in RealClear Pennsylvania arguing that Democrats have done a great job on the economy … if only voters would “remember the party’s actual record.” The piece notes, “The problem with the Democratic Party, and ultimately its undoing in elections, is that it spends too much time working through policy and too little time demonstrating its strength on the economy.” I think a slight edit is needed, and the sentence should actually read: “The problem with the Democratic Party, and ultimately its undoing in elections, is that it spends too much.”