News & Brews February 14, 2023
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Courtside ‘political meeting’ at Sixers game raises eyebrows
Spotlight PA reports that then-Gov.-Elect Josh Shapiro attended a Sixers game with a high-dollar donor in January. And according to his administration, which dubbed the event a “political meeting,” the tickets (which, per Spotlight, “conservatively cost $3,000 a pop”) will be reported as an in-kind donation. This is raising questions among some political operatives and campaign finance experts, who say usually such gifts are reported on annual statements of financial interest, which public officials are required to file.
Groups call Pa. House to expand sexual harassment policy
PennLive reports, “A coalition of 79 groups are [sic] calling on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to expand its sexual harassment policy to protect more than just employees who work for the chamber.” The full list of signers of the letter issuing the call (which you can see here) includes lots of labor unions, the state Democrat party, the state ACLU, and more.
Roundtable today on tax policy reform
This morning at 10:00 a.m., House Appropriations Committee Republican Chair Seth Grove (York County) will lead a roundtable discussion on tax policy reform. Among those scheduled to testify are representatives from the Tax Foundation, Pew, and the Commonwealth Foundation. The hearing will be live-streamed here.
Op-Ed: ‘Philly, don’t miss the big picture on LNG’
Republican Sen. Gene Yaw (Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties) writes that when the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a hearing on Philly’s “critical role in boosting liquefied natural gas exports … no reporters in the region bothered to show up.” Yet, “an LNG terminal in Philadelphia would connect Pennsylvania LNG to the world, fully unleashing the potential beneath our feet and restoring energy independence to this country.”
First Republican enters Philly mayoral race
Into an already crowded field of 10 Democrats running for Philly mayor, Republican David Oh has tossed his name. In accordance with the city’s “resign to run” law, Oh has resigned his seat as a city at-large council member. WHYY reports, “Oh said his campaign will focus on addressing crime, investing in public schools, re-examining property values and taxes, and promoting greater transparency and accountability on how taxpayer dollars are spent.” The Philly Republican Party has endorsed Oh.