News & Brews February 6, 2026
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Here’s what Democrats want for Pa
”Virginia Gov. Spanberger Enters Stage Left.” That’s the headline of a new Wall Street Journal editorial observing that Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s “first weeks in office belie her campaign pitch as a moderate.” Indeed, “As she settles into governing … she is breaking left on a variety of issues to please progressive constituencies.” Among these issues: Putting Virginia back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. What’s this have to do with Pa.? Well, in November, voters gave Democrats a trifecta in Virginia, meaning they control both chambers of the General Assembly as well as the governor’s office. This also means Spanberger has no one blocking her progressive agenda. In Pa., only the GOP state Senate is the firewall against the Left. Democrats are aiming to flip the Senate and gain a trifecta in Pa. this year. And if they succeed, any semblance of moderation will head out the window.
GOP ‘fights to keep Latino support’ in this Pa. city
The Wall Street Journal reports, “Allentown, a majority-Hispanic city in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, sits at the center of a diverse, working-class congressional district that Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie won by a single percentage point—about 4,000 votes—in 2024. Democrats view the district as a prime opportunity to pick up a seat and as a bellwether for the nation overall.” And, “The race will likely hinge on whether the GOP can maintain its gains with Hispanic voters … an increasingly challenging proposition.”
Commonwealth Court to rule on Pa.’s digitized history
Here’s an interesting case that I admit I didn’t know about until this morning. Spotlight PA reports that this week, the Commonwealth Court heard arguments in a case concerning whether digital copies of Pennsylvania’s historical records belong to the public or belong to Ancestry.com. The case stems from a genealogist, Alec Ferretti, who requested info that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) had given to Ancestry as part of an agreement. PHMC denied his request, saying it didn’t have the info. Ferretti appealed, saying the PHMC must get it from Ancestry. But Ancestry claims it owns the info.
Pa. House advances bill limiting Sunshine Act exceptions
WESA reports that this week, the Pa. House Local Government Committee advanced legislation “amending the Sunshine Act to limit the types of matters an agency could consider without notice.” The bipartisan bill came in response to the state Supreme Court ruling 4-3 in November “that school boards and other public agencies can take official action on items not included in an agenda before a public meeting, if a majority of members vote to do so…. The decision alarmed transparency watchdogs who argued it weakens the Sunshine Act’s requirement that government business be conducted publicly.” The bill now heads to the full House for consideration.
Pa. Senate passes school cell phone ban
This week, the state Senate voted 48-1 in favor of legislation banning cell phone use by students during the school day. The legislation has been in the works for a bit, and the Senate Education Committee approved it in December. Meanwhile, in January, Gov. Shapiro decided to broadly announce his support for the policy, and in his budget address this week, he called for it. So when the House passes it (as it will likely do), expect Shapiro to take credit for it even though he hardly spearheaded the effort