News & Brews May 5, 2023

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Pa. gov’t unions >triple political spending in 10 years

Behind the Democrat takeover of the Pa. House last year was record spending by government unions. Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow David Osborne writes, “For the first time in Pennsylvania history, government unions’ combined political action committee spending surpassed $20 million in one election cycle, more than triple what they spent a decade ago.” What’s more, although these unions “should be representing a diversity of teachers and government workers,” instead they “shamelessly fuel their one-sided political agenda.”

Op-Ed: House GOP offers Keystone Commitment

House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (Lancaster County) has an op-ed in the Delaware Valley Journal outlining his caucus’s newly announced Keystone Commitment. He writes that it “is a people-driven, future-focused platform that will be the foundation upon which we build on four cornerstones of a thriving economy, affordable living, safe communities, and a child-first, family-focused educational experience.”

Philly mayoral ad war is ‘getting nastier by the day’

As the May 16 primary election approaches, leading Democrat mayoral contenders in Philly are all over TV. And the ads are “getting more negative by the day,” the Inky reports. The story notes that “four candidates are the subject of attack ads, and cease-and-desist letters are flying.” According to AdImpact, which tracks ads, nearly $18 million has been spent on advertising, most of it on television.

The map you didn’t know you (maybe) wanted

This one is for all your court-lovers. The Pennsylvania Courts have released a new interactive magisterial district court map that “allows users to visualize the boundaries of all 509 magisterial district courts (MDC) in Pennsylvania.” Folks can “locate MDC office locations and pinpoint other key criminal justice stakeholder locations including police departments, prisons and county courthouse locations.” See the map here.

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