News & Brews March 5, 2026
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PennDOT’s use of ‘opt-out’ on voter changes raises questions
Broad + Liberty reports that PennDOT is continuing to use a questionable “opt-out” form that automatically updates voter registration information unless an individual proactively opts out of doing so. “Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of State and Department of Transportation say there is no mechanism — automated, default, or backend — by which address data from vehicle registration transactions can be shared with election officials or the Department of State to update a citizen’s voter registration. But those claims are directly undercut by the DOT’s current vehicle registration form as well as by the agency’s own sworn court filings.” The state Supreme Court has called this practice “of questionable validity.”
McCormick, Fetterman back bipartisan housing plan
Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and Democrat U.S. Sen. John Fetterman have a joint op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer explaining their support for the ROAD to Housing Act, which, they write, “will help address Pennsylvania’s housing crisis by making it easier to build more homes, more affordably, while also preserving and repairing the housing stock we already have.” Specifically, the bill deploys “three commonsense approaches. First, it tackles affordability at the source — supply — by reducing delays and lowering construction costs. Second, it strengthens accountability and modernizes federal programs to ensure they work for the people they’re meant to serve. Third, it empowers Pennsylvanians to build what fits local needs.”
Pa.’s senators oppose effort to halt Trump’s Iran attack
The AP reports that yesterday by a 47-53 vote, the U.S. Senate defeated a war powers resolution aimed at stopping President Trump’s attacks in Iran. While the vote was mostly along party lines, Sen. John Fetterman joined almost all Republicans, including Sen. Dave McCormick, in opposing the measure. (On the flip side, Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul joined Dems in supporting it.) Fetterman said, however, that he would not support sending ground troops into the conflict
Most voters say teachers’ unions should stay out of politics
A new Harvard-Harris poll of registered voters found that a majority (60%) believe teachers’ unions should stay out of politics. Among Democrats, the split was 50%-50%, while 63% and 66% of Republicans and Independents, respectively, believe the unions should stay out of political issues. Meanwhile, overall, 63% believe teachers’ unions are more about educating kids than about a political agenda (umm, who wants to tell them?).
Takeaways from Senate hearing on Shapiro’s budget
Yesterday, the state Senate Appropriations Committee held a budget hearing with Gov. Shapiro’s budget office, at which lawmakers “raised concerns about the level of spending in … Shapiro’s proposed budget, inefficiencies in state government, and the potential consequences of irresponsible budgeting.” Among the concerns were Shapiro’s “history of underestimating the future growth of expenditures” and the “impact of [his] proposed new taxes.” Check out more takeaways here.