News & Brews April 4, 2023
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Lawmakers (and media) push for open primaries
Leaving no doubt as to where it stands on the issue, Spotlight PA has a piece in support of open primaries. The effort has gained momentum (and media advocacy) in recent years, but not everyone believes that internal Democrat and Republican party elections, where parties choose their respective nominees, should be open to non-party members. Of course, there is valid concern that taxpayers (even those who can’t participate) are required to fund these primary elections. An alternative solution would be to get the government out of running internal party elections and let parties run their own elections.
National Dems put Pa. on 2024 target list
In an announcement that’s not at all surprising, national Democrats plan to target the Pa. House and Senate in 2024. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which focuses on state legislatures, lists the Pa. House on its target list for “protecting” its “progress” (i.e., defending its majority). Meanwhile, the Pa. Senate is on the target list of chambers the DLCC hopes to flip. Also on the “flip” list are the Arizona House and Senate, the New Hampshire House and Senate, and the Virginia House.
ActBlue lays off employees, union cries foul
You know how the Left loves labor unions, and the affection is gushingly returned? Well, ActBlue, the Democrats’ behemoth online fundraising platform, is laying off 54 employees, including 32 union employees. And let’s just say, the union’s affection for ActBlue isn’t quite so gushing now. The union claimed the layoffs are “against our values, anti-labor, and weaken our ability to accomplish ActBlue’s mission.” Meanwhile, ActBlue called the layoffs “necessary to control costs and streamline operations ahead of the 2024 election cycle.”
Western Pa. U.S. rep signs onto anti-Israel letter
Democrat Socialist U.S. Rep. Summer Lee joined fellow Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and a handful of other House members in signing onto a letter to President Biden asking him to change U.S. policy toward Israel. A spokesperson for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) said, “Unfortunately, Representative Lee has confirmed our concerns about her anti-Israel bias by signing onto this one-sided and unbalanced letter against America’s ally. Rather than promoting peace and the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce tensions, this letter unfairly attacks Israel for defending its citizens against terrorism.”
Op-Ed: ‘Answer to our energy needs is under our feet’
Republican Rep. Josh Kail (Beaver and Washington counties) writes in the Center Square that the “benefits” of natural gas “will mean nothing if we can’t get the gas to market.” He continues, “Bureaucratic red tape and permitting delays, coupled with states having the unilateral authority to prohibit drilling within their borders, have blocked progress and put our national security at risk.” Yet, “The answer to our energy needs and security is right under our feet. It is time that we seize the opportunity before us when it comes to natural gas to achieve our full energy potential.”
New PAC will promote mail-in voting to Republicans
PennLive reports that a new political action committee “aims to sell mail-in voting to skeptical Republicans.” The Win Again PAC is led by two former Lehigh County commissioners. It aims “to build a grassroots network across the state championing mail-in voting to Republicans and undertaking outreach efforts, including going door-to-door, making phone calls, sending texts and mail, and running digital, radio and television ads.”