News & Brews April 25, 2025
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DNC weighs in on Pa. voting case
POLITICO reports that the Democratic National Committee is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a request by Republicans for that court to block a ruling from the Pa. Supreme Court that would count provisional ballots for voters who messed up their mail-in ballots. The GOP claims the Pa. court hijacked the role of the legislature in this case. The DNC’s argument? “[T]hat the high court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.” You’ll recall, of course, that Democrats had zero problem with Pa. Supreme Court assuming jurisdiction in imposing a gerrymandered congressional map that benefited Democrats in 2018. Democrats also love it when the court assumes jurisdiction to rewrite election law to benefit their candidates, as the liberal majority on the Pa. Supreme Court has previously done. So pardon us if we are amused by the Dems’ logical gymnastics here.
Nat’l Dems up their $$ to state parties
And speaking of the DNC, the progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports, “The Democratic National Committee will transfer more than $1 million per month to its state and territorial parties over the next four years in an effort to build state-level infrastructure and operations.” This will be “a minimum of $17,500 per month, a $5,000 increase from the current baseline.” Of course, this is a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of millions of dollars the national Left has funneled to Pa. in recent years.
Lawmaker proposes partial public-private partnership for SEPTA
As SEPTA continues to beg for a taxpayer bailout (despite at least a dozen reasons it doesn’t deserve one), Republican House Leader Jesse Topper (Bedford and Fulton counties) plans to introduce legislation “outlining a plan to address SEPTA’s chronic budget issues by privatizing the transportation authority’s busing operations.” Topper stated, “My legislation will offload, at a minimum, SEPTA’s busing operations to take the burden and expense of this function out of SEPTA’s budget and place it within the operation of a private company that can bring the skill and expertise needed to provide high-quality service at a lower price.” Clearly what SEPTA and lawmakers have been trying for years hasn’t been working. Still, some opponents were quick to cry foul as they want government to run everything, even when government does a lousy and costly job.
PGH police union not keen on negotiating contract with ‘defund the police’ official
Five years ago, former SEIU staffer and now-Pittsburgh Chief Operating and Administrative Officer Lisa Frank made clear she backed the Defund the Police movement. Now, the head of the city’s police union has told Mayor Ed Gainey he needs to appoint someone else to handle contract negotiations with the union. In classic political speak, Frank now says her “views have evolved.” (But, like Kamala Harris, would she say her values haven’t changed?) Frank helped negotiate the current contract, But union President Bob Swartzwelder “in his message to the mayor said the union will begin planning for arbitration if Frank isn’t removed from negotiations now,” the Tribune-Review reports.
Arson suspect moved to facility with psychiatric treatment
Cody Balmer, the suspect in the arson attack against the governor’s mansion, “has been moved to a state prison known for giving intensive psychiatric treatment to incarcerated people,” PennLive reports. “Balmer’s mental health will take center stage in his court proceedings. His attorneys with the Dauphin County Public Defender’s Office told PennLive last week they intend to push Balmer’s mental health to the forefront of the case.”