News & Brews October 5, 2023
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Early poll: Casey leads McCormick in Pa.
In a Quinnipiac University Survey—the first poll taken of registered Pa. voters since David McCormick announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate—Sen. Bob Casey leads McCormick 50% to 44%. While the vast majority of Democrats back Casey and the vast majority of Republicans back McCormick, independents split 45% for McCormick and 44% for Casey. Not surprisingly, the economy topped the issues of importance among all voters, with 30% of respondents saying it’s the most urgent issue. Contrary to what media is implying, just 4% said abortion is the most urgent issue.
‘Unanswered questions’ remain regarding Shapiro’s handling of harassment scandal
The Inquirer reports that “Gov. Josh Shapiro met privately with all eight of Pennsylvania’s Democratic female state senators Wednesday, as questions continued to swirl about his silence on the sudden resignation last week of a top aide who had been accused of sexual harassment. The lawmakers — some of whom had questioned Shapiro’s handling of the allegations lodged against Mike Vereb, his top liaison to the General Assembly — declined to comment after the meeting. Some left the hour-long, closed-door meeting visibly frustrated, and one senator later said she still had ‘unanswered questions.’” The story notes, “A spokesperson for Shapiro declined to describe what was discussed or the tenor of the conversation.”
Supreme Court race is hot in final weeks
The AP reports on the ads airing in the critical race for Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Commonwealth Leaders Fund (a connected PAC of Commonwealth Partners) is educating voters on Democrat Dan McCaffery’s connection to the racy email scandal that led to his brother’s resignation from the high court. Meanwhile, trial lawyers and labor unions are spending heavily to attack Republican Carolyn Carluccio (whom Commonwealth Partners has endorsed). The election is November 7.
Suspended city manager facing additional charges
We shared a while back about the scandal with now-suspended DuBois City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio, who is accused of stealing more than $600,000 from taxpayers. Now, the state attorney general’s office has brought additional charges against Suplizio, bringing the total to 23 criminal counts. This includes 13 felonies. Spotlight PA reports, “In the updated charges … prosecutors unveiled new information about a bag of cash that had allegedly been stashed at a DuBois nonprofit organization that Suplizio ran. Court documents Wednesday also revealed previously undisclosed allegations that Suplizio had improperly tried to help the city’s former mayor escape shoplifting charges.”
Sen. Casey’s ‘mixed messages raise eyebrows’
Broad + Liberty’s Todd Shepherd reports that Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. “has been vocal in his support for the United Auto Workers on strike … But when Casey isn’t praising the picket line, he’s busy raking in donations from political action committees for the ‘Big Three’ automakers, according to Federal Election records.” On the one hand, Casey criticizes the automakers’ corporate executives, but his campaign has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from these automakers’ campaign committees and lobbyists.
Watch today’s Ed Funding Commission meeting
The Basic Education Funding Commission will continue its hearings today, with a 10:00 a.m. meeting at the Hazleton Area School District. Click here for the agenda, and click here to watch the live stream at 10:00 a.m.