News & Brews April 27, 2023
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Derailment to cost Norfolk Southern nearly $400M
Yesterday, Norfolk Southern said the Feb. 3 train derailment outside East Palestine, Ohio will cost the company $387 million. However, “that total will likely increase over time and … doesn’t reflect how much the railroad’s insurance companies will eventually cover,” the AP reports.
Hearing today will focus on manufacturing in Pa.
This afternoon at 1:00 p.m., the House Republican Policy Committee will hold a hearing “to discuss Pennsylvania’s role in promoting cutting-edge manufacturing and how we prepare our workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.” The hearing, which will be held in Allison Park near Pittsburgh, will be live-streamed here.
Public defense would get $10M in Shapiro’s budget
Spotlight PA reports that currently, Pa. counties fund legal representation for individuals who cannot afford it, making Pa. the only state in the country that doesn’t allocate state funding for public defense. Gov. Shapiro’s budget would change this, as it proposes $10 million for this work.
GOP lawmaker who cozies with Dems doesn’t regret it
PennLive reports that GOP Rep. Tom Mehaffie (Dauphin County) has a new space to work in the Capitol, after losing his previous office space for “what he saw as punishment” for siding with Democrats on key issues. As we pointed out before, Mehaffie was the one who handed Democrats the House and blocked voter ID. The PennLive piece notes that Mehaffie has “no remorse” for his positions.
House Dems advance gun control measures
Seizing on their new, albeit slim, House majority, yesterday the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee advanced four gun-control bills to the full House. The bills would, among other things, expand background checks and impose a red flag law in Pa., meaning a judge could “order authorities to temporarily seize firearms from someone if asked by family members or police,” the AP reports.