BTW, since the start of 24 hour campaign finance reporting on Oct. 20, Garrity has received another (at least) $976,000 from skill games-aligned donors on top of the earlier $4.5 million.

Stephen Caruso@stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 2d ago

New: At least 80% of Stacy Garrity's recent fundraising haul came from the operators and distributors of skill games, including $2 million from an Pittsburgh man accused by a grand jury of running an illegal gambling ring with his father. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/10...

New: At least 80% of Stacy Garrity's recent fundraising haul came from the operators and distributors of skill games, including $2 million from an Pittsburgh man accused by a grand jury of running an illegal gambling ring with his father. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/10...

Stacy Garrity's campaign gets millions from skill game industry

One donor to the Pennsylvania Governor candidate's campaign is a skill games businessman who was accused of running an “illegal gambling enterprise.”

spotlightpa.org

New: I went to Joe Torsella's one man show about a fictional one term state treasurer. It features ~32 characters, a full recital of the Declaration of Independence, some Catholic guilt, and pointed critiques about money in politics.

Inside how one powerful moneylender uses his clout (including a friendship with David Ortiz) to convince the families of prospects as young as 10 to sign predatory deals in the accountability vacuum that is Dominican baseball. www.propublica.org/article/how-...

How the Dominican Baseball Factory Traps Young Players and Their Families With False Promises

Teams make handshake deals with players as young as 11 while moneylenders prey on their families. The industry is corrupt, but Major League Baseball and the players union have done little about it.

propublica.org

New: Pennsylvania legislators have introduced at least nine bills to restrict or outright ban automated license plate readers like Flock. Gov. Josh Shapiro says he supports the latter; his admin is also removing Flock from a state contracting databse. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09...

PA lawmakers eye ban, limits on Flock cameras

PA Gov. Josh Shapiro is working with lawmakers “on what piece of legislation could make it to” his desk that protects people’s privacy.

spotlightpa.org

At least 48 former state lawmakers are now registered lobbyists in Pa. Many lobby on issues they once helped shape, and represent industries they previously worked to regulate — or deregulate. @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social and I dug into the revolving door. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09...

48 former PA legislators are now registered lobbyists

Critics warn that PA’s lax revolving-door law allows ex-lawmakers to profit from relationships formed while in office.

spotlightpa.org

New: At least 48 former Pennsylvania legislators are now registered lobbyists, using the knowledge and connections they built in public service for private gain. Advocates argue the potential of such offers can disincentivize legislators from action. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09...

48 former PA legislators are now registered lobbyists

Critics warn that PA’s lax revolving-door law allows ex-lawmakers to profit from relationships formed while in office.

spotlightpa.org

ICYMI: Gov. Josh Shapiro has now backed a ban on Flock Cameras and other such automated surveillance technology, per @johnlcole.bsky.social www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania...

Shapiro backs Flock camera ban

(The Center Square) – Regulating Flock cameras and other automated license plate reading systems, or ALPRs, has drawn the attention of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

thecentersquare.com

"The public is entitled to know about measles-associated deaths, but in this case the information provided would have better served a fractured ecosystem had it been more complete, honest and clear." www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/o...

Opinion | How Not to Announce a Measles Death

Josh Shapiro announced two measles deaths. Things went downhill fast.

nytimes.com

and lest you think I am only being mad in the newspaper with Republicans spreading disinfo and playing politics, I am being mad at Democrats too because what the absolute [redacted] is this

Danielle Ohl@dtohl.bsky.social · 3mo ago

So, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling on felony murder is now in effect. Find out if it means that bloodthirsty murders now prowl the streets, as implied by many a legislator over the past couple weeks. (Spoiler: It does not!)

So, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling on felony murder is now in effect. Find out if it means that bloodthirsty murders now prowl the streets, as implied by many a legislator over the past couple weeks. (Spoiler: It does not!)

No fix for PA's second-degree murder sentencing. What’s next?

State lawmakers are no closer to reaching a compromise on PA’s unconstitutional sentencing for second-degree murders. Here's what it means for current cases.

spotlightpa.org

I'll be in Scranton for an in-person event hosted by Spotlight PA! We'll be discussing my reporting on the mental health system, and hearing from people directly affected. Please join us!

State Reps. David Rowe (R., Union) and Josh Bashline (R., Clarion) want to "establish reasonable safeguards" for automated surveillance tech, including requiring warrants to search for an individual, limit data retention, and require signage for some automated systems.

Gov. Josh Shapiro wields 100+ years of American liberal rhetoric to retell an old story: That government can be a force for good. But as he offers himself as a leading party voice, what does his record show? W/ @angelasink.bsky.social www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/07...

Josh Shapiro's rise to power reveals wins, losses, and broken promises

As voters nationwide get to know Josh Shapiro, Spotlight PA examines where he has succeeded as governor but also where he has arguably fallen short.

spotlightpa.org

In the state budget before lawmakers as of Saturday night: -$900 million+ in new ed spending. -Pension boosts for public workers retired for 25+ years -No use of rainy day fund Not in: -Tax policy changes -Minimum wage hike -Skill games W/ @jaxonwhite.bsky.social

PA poised to adopt $50.8B budget

The plan also preserves the state’s nearly $8 billion rainy day fund — a key priority for Republicans, who control the state Senate.

spotlightpa.org

The latest on where budget talks stand, from @jaxonwhite.bsky.social and I. Details on a final deal are sparse, but the potential inclusion of either an elimination of the data center sales tax exemption or the state's GRT on electricity are key debates. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/07...

PA’s 2026 budget could be finished this weekend

Two unresolved issues in PA’s 2026 budget talks are whether to cut a data center sales exemption and lower an electric utilities tax.

spotlightpa.org

Happy July 1st. For the fifth straight year, Pennsylvania's budget is late. Not all late budgets are created equal, and it's weeks until there is an impact. Still, partisan tensions boiled over yesterday as Democrats blamed the GOP for the delay. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/07...

PA’s budget is late for the 5th year in a row

Senate Republicans say a deal is close on a PA budget, but House Democrats are accusing them of “not finishing the job.”

spotlightpa.org

News: A three year statewide moratorium on data center development in Pennsylvania failed in a Senate committee procedural vote 2-9, earning support from one Republican and one Democrat.

News: A bill to end a multi-billion sales tax exemption for the data center industry in Pennsylvania has passed the state House 197-5, capping a week in which the chamber approved a raft of bills restricting an industry facing wide grassroots blowback.

New: Pennsylvania lawmakers will, in all liklihood, have to pull from the state's almost $8 billion rainy day fund to balance this year's budget. That fact will undergird closed door talks as the commonwealth creeps toward the June 30 deadline. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/06...

PA lawmakers may tap rainy day fund to balance the budget

Pennsylvania may need to tap its $8 billion rainy day fund as lawmakers confront a growing budget deficit and limited new revenue options.

spotlightpa.org

The fact that Peregrine falcons roost on the state office building named for a woman who dedicated her career to saving birds and locals turn out every year to rescue the fledglings if they fall will never not be a favorite Harrisburg fact.

New: @jaxonwhite.bsky.social and I look at what's next for skill games. With potentially billions in revenue up for grabs, few talk about upholding an outright ban. But how to regulate the devices and what to do with the money (say, funding public transit) will define coming talks.

Skill games are illegal, PA court says. Now what?

Skill game taxation rates and ensuring public safety are among the policy questions PA lawmakers need to hash out.

spotlightpa.org

New: Pennsylvania legislators are looking at either levying new taxes on, or axing tax exemptions for, Big Tech to bring in new revenue. But such efforts won't be enough to balance the budget, and must overcome powerful special interests to implement. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/06...

Could Big Tech taxes fill PA budget holes?

A tax break for data centers worth $2B by 2031 could be on the chopping block in PA, and lawmakers are floating digital ad taxes.

spotlightpa.org

News: A GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate panel advanced a bill to implement an employee payroll tax funded state program guaranteeing 20 weeks of paid family leave for the commonwealth by a 9-2 margin. It now heads to the full chamber.

News: A bill to place a 5% gross receipts tax on companies that sell digital ads in Pennsylvania to fund property tax relief has passed the state House by a bipartisan 139-63 margin in the lead up to the state's June 30 budget deadline.

Due to an almost decade old deal, Philadelphia City Council faces a choice between paying $200 million now to buy the city's police HQ amid a bitter budget fight or pay double the rent in future years to an influential city landowner. www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...

Philly City Council is holding up a proposal to borrow $200M to buy the police headquarters building

Officials warned if the city does not exercise its option to buy the building this year, the annual rent price is set to nearly double. Council members balked at the price tag.

inquirer.com

News: House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said in an interview that he supports this proposal. "These are the biggest, most profitable companies that are bringing data centers and all of the challenges to our commonwealth. 100% they should pay their fair share."

Stephen Caruso@stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 5mo ago

News: A bill to levy a 5% tax on digital ad sales revenue in Pennsylvania has passed out of a Democratic-controlled House committee along party lines. Supporters say it raises millions from big tech companies but opponents say the cost will be passed on to consumers.

News: A bill to levy a 5% tax on digital ad sales revenue in Pennsylvania has passed out of a Democratic-controlled House committee along party lines. Supporters say it raises millions from big tech companies but opponents say the cost will be passed on to consumers.

ICYMI: A bill requiring all Pennsylvania school districts to ban the use, but not possession, of cell phones by students by the start of the 2027 school year passed the state House 126-75. It goes to the state Senate, which already passed a similar proposal.

Nine of Pennsylvania's biggest data center projects will be excluded from Shapiro's plan to tie fast tracked permits and a tax break to higher environmental and transparency rules because they were underway before his announcement. www.pennlive.com/news/2026/06...

Why some of Pa.’s biggest data center projects won’t have to follow the governor’s new rules

Shapiro Administration has encouraged developers who are already in its fast track permitting program to use the GRID standards, but says they'll stay on the fast track regardless.

pennlive.com