News & Brews October 5, 2026
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Will 2026 be end of split legislature in Pa.?
Writing in The Conversation, Penn State Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration Daniel J. Mallinson notes that with “the wind … at the back of Democrats,” many “are contemplating the possibility of a Democratic trifecta in Pennsylvania for the first time since 1993.” He says that “voters should understand not just the positions of the individual candidates on the ballot, but what the legislative priorities will be for either party if they gain control of the General Assembly.”
Shapiro & Garrity on education
Spotlight PA gives its interpretation of where Gov. Josh Shapiro and challenger Stacy Garrity stand on education. Bottom line, Shapiro is with the teachers’ unions and Garrity is with students and parents. But of course that’s not what the story says. Instead, while noting that “Josh Shapiro has spent his governorship threading a needle on education,” the story claims “he’s supported a taxpayer-funded private school voucher program.” The truth, though, is that he hasn’t. He said he supported it, but then vetoed it. Garrity, meanwhile, strongly supports school choice and hasn’t done anything that negates her statements on this.
Where will $500M+ Meta settlement go?
Spotlight PA reports that Pennsylvania “is set to receive anywhere from $516 million to $729 million from Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, over the next ten years as part of a multistate lawsuit. The settlement directs the money to a fund controlled by the Office of Attorney General, led by Republican Dave Sunday, and allows it to be spent on youth crisis hotlines, after-school or summer programs, youth mental health programming, digital wellness education, other public health initiatives, or additional social media investigations.” However, Pennsylvania’s fiscal code directs that “money received by an agency as a result of a settlement, litigation or an enforcement action shall be deemed funds of the Commonwealth and shall, upon receipt, be deposited into the General Fund.” Let the debate begin….
McCormick talks AI, affordability, and more
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick joined Punchbowl News in a video interview released last week to “discuss affordability challenges, data centers in his home state, the midterms and much more.” You can watch the interview here.
A look at NEPA voter registration #s
The Scranton Times-Tribune reports on partisan voter registration numbers across northeast Pennsylvania, explaining which party has an advantage “in different congressional, state House and state Senate districts across the region.” Importantly, however, the story notes that “putting too much stock into registration advantages can be risky, especially in districts where the advantage for either party is relatively modest during an election cycle where proposed data center development, affordability concerns and other issues have galvanized voters of all political stripes and partisan affiliations. Independent, third-party or otherwise unaffiliated voters also often play a major role in local, state and federal elections.”
