Pennsylvania’s Constitution grants the fundamental right to reproductive autonomy, a state court ruled Monday in a long running challenge to the commonwealth’s ban on Medicaid subsidies for abortion.
From @petehallpa.bsky.social
Lawmakers heard testimony from advocates and experts like Shepard about the impacts of potential legislation on those convicted of or serving time for cannabis-related charges.
From @iankarbal.bsky.social
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection tariff refund system is live, marking what small business advocates call a “complex” first step for entrepreneurs to recoup $166 billion in import taxes accrued under President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs.
From @statesnewsroom.com
Following in the footsteps of more than two dozen other states, Pennsylvania Republicans in the state Senate are again trying to push a bill that would ban transgender female athletes from playing for a team aligned with their gender.
From @wdownard.bsky.social
Landlords filed more than 1.23 million eviction cases in the 10 states and 38 cities where data was collected by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, a research center.
That’s slightly lower than the 1.25 million in 2024.
From @stateline.org
ICE took Daphy Michel Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian immigrant with an active asylum claim, from the Washington County jail, without notifying her family.
Three days later, she was found unresponsive inside a bus shelter and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
From @publicsource.org
A controversial rule enacted last year that denies federal Medicaid funding to abortion providers is likely to expire this summer, despite anti-abortion pressure on Republicans to renew it.
It primarily affects Planned Parenthood, as well as independent health care nonprofits.
From @stateline.org
Rep. Brian Rasel (R-Westmoreland) has offered a bill that would ensure local governments and organizations that provide services for the state can continue to receive funding through an impasse.
Lawmakers have missed the budget deadline six of the last ten years.
From @iankarbal.bsky.social
Some of the Trump administration’s controversial new warehouse immigration detention centers are getting scaled back and postponed as states and cities fight back and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reviews actions taken by his ousted predecessor, Kristi Noem.
From @stateline.org
In a “notice of supplemental authority,” lawyers for Pa.'s Sec. of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt and Gov. Josh Shapiro argued the ruling supports Pa.'s position the federal government has failed to make factual allegations the state failed to maintain its voter rolls.
From @rhodeislandcurrent.com
An audit of more than 200,000 transactions in Pennsylvania’s motor-voter registration process found only one instance when officials allowed a non-U.S. citizen to apply, state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor said Friday.
From @petehallpa.bsky.social
In a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations, Black women are two-to-three times more likely to die in childbirth than their peers.
Dozens of state Capitol advocates this week were clear-eyed about how they’d change those numbers.
From @wdownard.bsky.social
Congress’ move to allow mining in a national forest near a wilderness area may have broad ramifications across the country.
The U.S. Senate voted to overturn a mining ban in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest, the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
From @stateline.org
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s legal team is urging a federal appeals court to uphold a ruling that allows the former Navy captain to keep his retirement rank and pay while his First Amendment case against the Pentagon moves forward.
From @statesnewsroom.com
The National Guard’s top general told Congress on Friday that it would follow the Constitution and the law when he was asked about the possibility President Donald Trump would order troops to polling places for the midterm elections.
From @statesnewsroom.com
In the emails, obtained through a public records request, ICE officials notified the Sheriff’s Office of planned arrests, sharing the name, date and country of birth of each “target,” along with the expected time and location of their court procedure.
From @publicsource.org
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Superintendent Tony Watlington say they’ve found a way to save all the school-based staff the district is planning to cut.
But the proposal to preserve those jobs hinges on Parker’s proposed $1 per ride tax on rideshare companies.
From @chalkbeat.org
Many longtime foresters fear the closures will threaten vital research that has been the backbone of forest management.
Many of the research stations slated for closure study fire behavior, forecast smoke dispersal and help inform evacuation decisions.
From @stateline.org
The Week in Focus is a video recap of our top stories:
1. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lives to fight another day.
2. Advocates say lawmakers are stalling on dealing with the largest resentencing effort in state history.
The proposed USDA budget for fiscal 2027 would cut $4.9 billion, or nearly one-fifth of the department’s budget.
Already, due to the Republican spending and tax cuts law last year, 2.5 million people have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
From @statesnewsroom.com
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday joined 44 other attorneys general around the country to advocate for a proposed federal rule that would require transparency from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) around where they receive revenue.
From @iankarbal.bsky.social
Ten Republicans defected, including Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
He joined the commonwealth's seven Democratic representatives in voting in favor of the measure
From @statesnewsroom.com
Pennsylvania’s 17-member delegation voted along party lines with 10 Republicans opposed and 7 Democrats in favor.
From @statesnewsroom.com
Leaders in the Bhutanese refugee community in Pennsylvania say two fellow refugees are detained and facing deportation. It’s the latest in a series of cases where President Donald Trump’s administration is deporting the refugees back to a country that simply kicks them out again.
From WITF
As of March 31, 83 ballot measures have already qualified for the ballot in states across the country, though that number could rise.
Currently, 31 are democracy related, with another 87 democracy-related proposals in the works.
From @stateline.org
A federal judge limited further construction on a planned Maryland immigration detention center that would located about 16 miles south of the Pennsylvania border, saying the government’s plans for the facility and its impacts on the environment were unclear.
From @marylandmatters.org.web.brid.gy
BREAKING from @virginiamercury.com
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life early Thursday at the family’s home in Annandale, Fairfax County police said.
www.newsfromthestates.com/article/form...
We are proud that our own @wdownard.bsky.social will be a part of this year's class and are looking forward to bringing her project to you late this summer or early fall.
