News & Brews September 10, 2024
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All eyes on Pa.
Today’s the day. All eyes will be on Pa. as former President Trump and VP Kamala Harris take the debate stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The debate begins at 9:00 p.m. ET and is slated to run for 90 minutes. And just to put its best foot forward, Philly will also offer up a dose of protestors, supporters, Mummers, and more. (More on that here).
Energy is not ‘theoretical debate’ for Pa.
As Trump and Harris prepare to face off, Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Callahan writes, “As the candidates take stage, they’d be wise to remember that energy is not a theoretical debate for Pennsylvanians. It’s personal.” He explains, “Nearly 20 percent of America’s natural gas is produced in the Keystone State, and with the industry supporting over 123,000 high-paying jobs, $40 billion in a year of economic activity and over $6 billion in royalties reinvigorating local economies, it’s no surprise that energy development is a uniting force on the issues that matter most: jobs, national security, prosperity, and the environment.”
Dem voter registration edge falls below 350K
The margin by which registered Democrats in Pennsylvania outnumber registered Republicans has fallen below 350,000. According to the latest voter registration data released yesterday by the Pa. Department of State, Dems outnumber Republicans by 347,789. This represents a trend that’s been ongoing for years and is a stunning change from the more than 1.2 million voter advantage Democrats enjoyed back in 2008.
Free speech watchdog condemns Shapiro order
Yesterday, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) issued a public condemnation of a recent order from Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with “a statewide call for plaintiffs to challenge it.” FIRE explains, “The order bars state workers from saying anything deemed ‘scandalous’ or ‘disgraceful’ — an impossibly vague restriction effectively prohibiting wide swaths of speech protected by the First Amendment.” Yesterday’s public condemnation and legal move came after “FIRE raised the constitutional concerns to the governor’s office in August in a good-faith effort to restore Pennsylvanians’ First Amendment rights without resorting to a lawsuit. The governor’s office declined to respond to FIRE’s letter….”
Assassination task force wants records from state police
The Post-Gazette reports that the House Task Force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Trump in July has “asked the state police to provide planning and operational documents, transcripts of interviews with officials and witnesses, state trooper body camera and squad car footage, and ‘any communications’ on the rally and shooting, both internal and with other agencies.” Per a press release from the task force, “This letter follows similar requests made by the Task Force to the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the Department of Homeland Security in August and requests to local law enforcement earlier this week.”
House committee hearing today on doing business in Pa.
This afternoon at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Pa. House Republican Policy Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the cost and benefits of doing business in the commonwealth. The purpose of the hearing is “to identify and understand the real-world challenges and opportunities within Pennsylvania’s business environment and to explore innovative solutions that can enhance the Commonwealth’s economic competitiveness, support local enterprises and attract new investment.” Among those scheduled to testify are Andy Williford of Volvo Construction Equipment, Darren Croxall and Justin Townley of Schreiber Food, and Joshua Simmons of International Paper. Watch the livestream at 1:00 p.m. here.