News & Brews March 28, 2025
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Senate committee votes to require ICE notification for criminally charged illegal immigrants
The Pa. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 9-5 this week to advance legislation, sponsored by Sen. Dan Laughlin (Erie County) that would require prosecutors to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement if a person charged with a crime is in the United States illegally. USA Today Network reports, “Last session, the state Senate passed a similar bill, S.B. 1127, on a 34-16 bipartisan vote…. Six Democrats and all 28 Senate Republicans supported the bill at the time.” All Democrats on the committee voted against the current bill.
Pa. population changes 2020-2024
The Allentown Morning Call reports that according to the latest census estimates, “The Lehigh Valley added 7,000 new residents between 2023 and 2024, as more people moved into Lehigh and Northampton counties.” Despite the regional growth, however, estimates show about half of the commonwealth’s counties lost population over the same time period. (And, of course, if trends continue, we are still projected to lose one congressional seat after the 2030 census.)
Penn State football and taxpayer-funded lobbying
Broad + Liberty reports, “Being a lawmaker in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly comes with many perks. It’s a full-time job with six-figure pay. Gracious per-diems and mileage allowances make keeping up with the job easy. And, although far less advertised, it also comes with at least four free tickets to a Penn State football game once a year.” But is this taxpayer-funded lobbying, which uses “funds that come directly or indirectly from taxpayers for political lobbying purposes,” an appropriate use of Pennsylvanians tax dollars? (In a word, no.)
Planned Parenthood boots reporter from event
A Planned Parenthood’s LGBTQ “Rainbow Room” event that was supposedly “open to all” … actually wasn’t. The Delaware Valley Journal’s Linda Stein was kicked out of the “Know Your Rights in School” event, after an organizer told her the event was for “only LGBTQ supporters and immigrant rights supporters. You are not.” The Rainbow Rooms target children as young as 10. How very, um, tolerant of the pro-abortion giant.
Philly DA calls for violence against Republicans
It would be nice if progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Karsner would actually prosecute criminals. But instead, Krasner recently said Republicans “need to be punched in the face as hard as possible.” The statement came in an interview with City & State PA, after Krasner was asked his thoughts on “starting legal battles with the Trump administration.” In response to Krasner’s call for violence, Republican state Rep. Martina White (Philadelphia) issued a statement, which says in part, “It is deeply troubling that the city’s top law enforcement official would resort to language that encourages physical violence against people he disagrees with politically. This is not just inappropriate, it is reckless.“