News & Brews April 24, 2025
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GOP lawmakers want to see security review of gov.’s mansion
Several Pa. House Republican leaders have sent a letter to Gov. Shapiro and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris, requesting to see the results of the third-party security review of the governor’s mansion. “[W]e are troubled that only the Pennsylvania State Police and the Governor’s Office will receive a detailed written report of … [the] findings.” They added that “the highest degree of transparency is required in this situation. … This is especially the case should additional funding or legislation be needed to ensure the safety and security of elected officials, public facilities, and other public spaces under control and responsibility of the Commonwealth.” Shapiro’s office did not commit to sharing the information.
Shapiro pens NYT op-ed on political violence
In an op-ed for the New York Times, Gov. Josh Shapiro recounts the arson attack on the governor’s mansion and then reiterates that “this type of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it. It doesn’t matter if it’s coming from one side or the other, directed at one party or another or one person or another. This level of violence has to stop. It is our shared responsibility to do better.” He adds, “As elected leaders, we have an additional responsibility to … not just call out what’s right and what’s wrong but also to do the hard work of bringing people together to find common ground in a world that’s constantly trying to divide us.”
2,651 jobs lost in Crozer closure
The closure of Crozer Health means “one of the largest layoffs in recent years in the Keystone State,” PennLive reports. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN), required by federal law with certain layoffs, 2,651 people will be laid off at eight facilities in Delaware and Chester counties. In response, “At least one county, two cities and a township have issued emergency declarations.” Crozer’s owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, filed for bankruptcy in January. The Inquirer reports that both Gov. Shapiro and Attorney General Dave Sunday said “that they would do what they can to hold Prospect accountable for the loss of Crozer.”
A peek inside Philly’s Democratic Party machine
The Inquirer reports that Philadelphia’s Democratic Ward Leaders have endorsed a candidate for municipal judge who “received a rare public reprimand from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s disciplinary board for mishandling a client’s case.” But here’s where the story gets more interesting. “City party leaders talk openly about how to get their endorsement: Do free legal work for ward leaders and other people connected to Democratic politics.” One party leader claims it’s “not just about favors.” But it’s that these favors also let party leaders learn more about how candidates work as attorneys. Um… yeah…that’s still favors.
Op-Ed: Why Medicaid needs reform
Beyond the fearmongering about Medicaid from Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself), the truth is, the system needs reform. Commonwealth Foundation Vice President of Policy Elizabeth Stelle writes in the Morning Call that Medicaid is “fundamentally broken.” And the problems are several. “The last thorough federal audit of Pennsylvania, conducted in 2019 by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, found $2.3 billion in improper payments, with $1.8 billion due to eligibility errors — about $800 in improper payments per recipient.” Additionally, “The program rewards states for enrolling healthy adults at the expense of those who most need Medicaid benefits.” Reform will require three things: “We can (1) refocus on the sick and disabled, (2) encourage work for able-bodied recipients, and (3) ensure states pay their fair share for Medicaid.”