News & Brews July 29, 2024
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Shapiro’s ‘summer camp’ draws questions
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s secretive ‘Democracy Summer Camp’ is raising questions from GOP Rep. Seth Grove as to the use of taxpayer dollars to hold an election-focused invitation-only seminar for digital content creators including Democrat activists. “There should be a huge level of transparency around this,” Grove said. “You got a Democrat administration who is angling to be high ranking in the Democratic Party looking to be VP, asking national content creators to come to Pennsylvania and they give them what they think should be misinformation, disinformation and honest discussions about elections.” PennLive reports that Grove has “called on the administration to be transparent about the camp’s agenda and presenters; who the participants were and how they were picked; and what it cost and where the money was coming from in the budget to pay them, among other details.”
Court says gov’s office must provide more info on hiring private law firms
The Commonwealth Court has ruled that Gov. Shapiro’s office must provide more information on why the governor’s office spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars hiring private law firms between 2019 and 2021. The request from two media outlets dates back to 2022, but first Gov. Wolf’s office then Shapiro’s office have balked at being transparent. It’s unclear whether Shapiro’s office plans to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.
GOP continues to close Pa. voter registration gap
The progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports, “Back in April, the Democratic [voter] registration advantage statewide stood at D+397,241. Today that lead dwindles to D+360,982: as Dems lost 2,214 registrants, while Republicans gained 34,045 and Independents added 41,475.” A decade ago, Democrat registered voters in Pa. outnumbered Republican registered voters by more than 1,000,000. (You can download the latest data, from July 22, 2024, by scrolling to “Current Voter Registration Statistics” here.)
Probe into assassination attempt reveals lapses
The Post-Gazette reports, “A routine but crucial meeting between U.S. Secret Service agents and the Beaver County SWAT team assigned to help protect former President Donald Trump at a July 13 rally in Butler County never occurred, local law enforcement officers say.” This lapse appears to be “the latest example of a series of missteps in securing Trump’s safety at the Butler Farm Show grounds event.” A spokesman for the Secret Service said the agency “is committed to better understanding what happened before, during, and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure that never happens again. That includes complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI and other relevant investigations.”
New Pa. state budget is a lose-lose
Lest you be carried away by spin from either party saying the newly enacted state budget is a win, it’s not. The Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield explains how the $47.6 billion spending plan is actually a ‘lose’ for taxpayers and a ‘lose’ for students. For starters, the budget is “a 4.9 percent increase from last year” and “creates a $3.6 billion structural deficit, where spending exceeds annual revenue.” Not to mention it’s riddled with handouts to special interests. (Millions of dollars in corporate welfare? Check. Tens of millions of dollars to bail out mass transit? Check) Perhaps worst of all, kids who are forced to attend failing schools won’t get the Lifeline to escape that they need and deserve.