News & Brews November 3, 2025
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Left far outspends Right on judicial retention
The Inquirer reported over the weekend that “the Democrat-leaning groups supporting” three incumbent state Supreme Court justices “appear to have raised and spent exponentially more money than the Republican-backed groups working to oust them.” What’s more, the Left recently bragged in a fundraising email viewed by us that when they “sent out a desperate call to the Democratic movement” nationwide for support, Democrat groups across the country responded with support. National groups on the Right, meanwhile, have mostly remained unengaged in these races.
WSJ: Three ‘make-it-up-court’ justices on the ballot
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes, “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court doesn’t so much interpret the law as concoct it, and voters will get an opportunity to respond on [tomorrow’s] ballot.” The Journal notes, “In 2020, during the plague election, their judicial rewrite of Pennsylvania’s voting laws could have ended in a national nightmare.” And, “Once judges start making up the law, there’s no quitting.” Voters will get the chance to vote these justices out of office tomorrow. And while the WSJ admits that a successful Vote No effort “would be an upset,” even if retention wins, “the money now being spent suggests [the liberal justices are] concerned, which by itself is a message from the voting public.”
All major budget players (finally) meet in person
Spotlight PA reports, “Gov. Josh Shapiro and the leaders of all four legislative caucuses met in person several days [last] week” in what “were the first in-person [meetings] since June 30 to include Shapiro and the majority and minority leaders from the state House and Senate.” Gee, four months into the budget impasse and this was the first time they all met in person? A spokesperson for Gov. Shapiro “did not answer …. questions on the timing.” But we suppose it’s tough to be in Harrisburg for meetings when you’re gallivanting all over the country running for president.
Working-class voters: Dems are ‘woke & weak’
POLITICO reports on a new nine-month, 21-state research project that found that “working-class voters see Democrats as ‘woke, weak and out-of-touch’ and six in 10 have a negative view of the party.” The project was part of the massive post-mortem Dems are doing following their dramatic losses last year. The report noted that the Democrat brand “is suffering” and working-class voters think Dems are “too focused on social issues and not nearly focused enough on the economic issues that impact every one, every day.”
Pennycuick: RGGI raises energy prices
Have you noticed your electric bill going up? GOP state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (Berks & Montgomery counties) writes in Broad + Liberty that while “[s]everal factors contribute to the rise,” one factor that could be addressed right away is “Pennsylvania’s participation in the Governor’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).” This is the “multistate cap-and-trade program that would impose a new energy tax on Pennsylvania power producers, which in turn would increase the cost to heat your home and turn on your lights.” Gov. Shapiro is currently in court pushing for Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI. Pennycuick concludes, “It’s time to end this failed energy policy and stop looking for new ways to pick Pennsylvanians’ pockets.”