News & Brews March 13, 2026
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Shapiro still dodging on federal school choice program
The Inquirer reports that Gov. Shapiro still won’t give a straight answer on whether he’ll opt Pennsylvania into the new federal tax credit scholarship program. Yesterday, student advocates held a press conference in Philadelphia urging Shapiro to join the program. “There is truly no reason why you wouldn’t want to do this,” said Jorge Elorza, president of Democrats for Education Reform. Yet as Shapiro delays and dodges, GOP state Rep. Martina White (Philadelphia) said that “families and scholarship organizations need clarity now.” Meanwhile, “School choice remains a contentious topic for Shapiro, who attended private school himself and whose children attend a private school in Montgomery County.”(Classic anti-school choice scenario: “School choice for me but not for thee.”)
Someone leaves Pa. every 24 minute
This is from late last year but I just saw it recently. A map of net interstate migration produced by the National Taxpayers Union shows how often each state is gaining or losing population. And get this: Someone new leaves Pennsylvania every 24 minutes and 25 seconds, ranking us an abysmal 44th in net out-migration. “The states gaining new residents most frequently are Florida (every 2 minutes and 9 seconds), Texas (2 minutes, 53 seconds), North Carolina (6 minutes, 21 seconds), South Carolina (7 minutes, 30 seconds), and Tennessee (8 minutes, 42 seconds). Meanwhile, the states folks are leaving? Not surprisingly California (1 minute, 44 seconds), New York (2 minutes, 23 seconds), Illinois (6 minutes, 4 seconds), Massachusetts (11 minutes, 38 seconds), and New Jersey (14 minutes, 14 seconds). See a political pattern here?
Budget hearings expose partisan divide
The Center Square reports that at yesterday’s state budget hearing with Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Secretary, “each side was already calling out the other for hypocrisy or alleged questionable practices.” Republican state Rep. Josh Kail (Beaver County) noted that Shapiro’s budget projections are “bad faith numbers,” and GOP lawmakers also called out the governor’s plan to raid the Rainy Day Fund to the tune of $4.5 billion. The Shapiro administration, meanwhile, claimed there was “about $3 billion off the table” because lawmakers didn’t legalize marijuana, regulate skill games, or up the minimum wage.
Parker proposes tax increases for Philly
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker delivered her budget address yesterday, and let’s just say taxes are in the mix in her proposed $7 billion budget. City and State PA reports that among them are a 2% increase in the hotel tax (from 15.5% to 17.5%), a 25-cent-per-order retail delivery tax, a 20-cent-per-ride tax on ride shares such as Uber and Lyft, and increased fees for zoning hearings, commercial trash, and cell tower occupancy.
Pittsburgh is in a budget mess
The Tribune-Review reports that “Pittsburgh could be facing a severe budget shortfall of up to $40 million this year, according to projections revealed Thursday by Mayor Corey O’Connor, who said, “The reality is much worse than we thought,” O’Connor blames “a lot of false assumptions” from the previous administration. The story notes that per O’Connor, the budget “grossly underestimated this year’s spending. Even the 20% tax hike council approved for this year won’t be enough to keep the city afloat without reopening the budget and trimming expenses.” What a mess.