News & Brews July 3, 2025
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‘Time for the Left to come to the school choice table’
As Pa. lawmakers and Gov. Shapiro hammer out a state budget—with Shapiro and other Democrats continuing to stand in the way of expanding educational opportunity—here’s one of the best pieces you’ll read on why the “political Left” should be in full-throated support of school choice. The piece, by Democrats for Education Reform, explains how school choice reflects progressive and core Democratic values. In Pennsylvania in particular, it notes, “support for private and public school choice is strong across the board. The vast gap between the support from voters and the lack of support from elected Democrats should be a deep concern for the party.”
Fracking is America’s (not so) secret weapon
Natural gas trade association leaders Jim Welty, Rob Brundrett, and Charlie Burd write in RealClear Energy, “When B-2 bombers took off from Missouri to attack targets across Iran, President Trump was leveraging more than America’s military might – America’s energy dominance was on full display.” Thanks to “oil from Texas and natural gas from Appalachia, Americans aren’t facing the energy supply shocks that were once guaranteed to follow rising Middle East tensions.” But there’s a problem: “While we produce more than enough clean-burning, affordable natural gas to meet our needs and support allies overseas, we can’t move enough of it to where it’s needed most.” The starkest example of this is New England. Although just a few hours away, the region is “forced to rely on expensive, unreliable foreign fuel because politics have clouded smart energy policies for decades.”
Philly schools continue to endanger children
It’s bad enough that Philadelphia lets criminally charged teachers stay in the classroom with students, or that some children wear diapers to school because Philadelphia school district teachers won’t give them sufficient restroom breaks. Now, we learn the Philly school district “knowingly” violated asbestos laws and has become the first school district in the country to face criminal charges over its asbestos management. Let’s call a spade a spade: The Philadelphia School District endangers children. Universal school choice that rescues kids from these terrible schools is the bare minimum these children deserve. Yet, Pa. House Democrat Leader Matt Bradford, who lives in posh Montgomery County, has long refused to lift a finger to rescue Philly kids from violent, dangerous schools.
Parker hires national law firm to lobby Trump
Axios reports that Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration has hired “a high-powered national law firm to lobby the Trump administration to support the mayor’s ‘safer, greener, cleaner’ agenda.” The Florida-based firm, Holland & Knight, “has secured a new one-year, $150,000 contract with the city,” Axios reports. “The contract description on the city’s website stressed the need to foster ‘positive relationships with members of Congress and the president’s administration, regardless of political affiliation.’
Here’s what lawmakers did this week (hint: no budget)
We still don’t have a state budget, and state lawmakers have recessed for the holiday. But while not passing a budget, they still managed to do some other stuff. From allowing Sunday hunting to expanding National Guard benefits, the Center Square provides a run-down of legislative action this past week. Now … about that budget.