Capitol Beat
News & Politics
What to know as Pennsylvania braces for loss of SNAP benefits
Gov. Josh Shapiro took executive action Friday to try and lessen the impacts of the suspension of SNAP benefits.
Policy
Updated
City & State’s 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget tracker
Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget impasse has surpassed 100 days.
Capitol Beat
…And justices for all: What's at stake in next week's judicial elections
Pennsylvania’s 2025 judicial elections will determine who will rule on some of the state’s most hot-button issues.
Capitol Beat
Boxing legend Mike Tyson fights for cannabis legalization in Pennsylvania
The former heavyweight champion, now a cannabis entrepreneur, met with state officials to advocate for legal, recreational cannabis in the commonwealth.
Capitol Beat
PA senators introduce bipartisan proposal to regulate skill games
The duo says the bill will help address illegal gaming and nuisance businesses across the state.
News & Politics
DNC, PDP chairs: PA Supreme Court retention races have national implications
The head of the DNC said the races are “among the most important elections in the nation.”
Capitol Beat
PA Senate passes permitting transparency bill
The bill, which would require state agencies to create public permit tracking systems, received bipartisan support in the state Senate.
Education
State Senate studies ‘bell-to-bell’ cell phone ban in schools
Cell phone usage in schools is a hot-button issue in Harrisburg
Capitol Beat
Shapiro: Arsonist’s guilty plea is a ‘just outcome’ after firebombing at governor’s residence
Penbrook man Cody Balmer pleaded guilty to charges of arson and attempted murder on Tuesday.
Capitol Beat
Bry Pardoe is Pennsylvania’s acting CIO following IT staff changes
The Office of Administration also confirmed that James Sipe is serving as the state’s acting executive deputy secretary for IT.
Campaigns & Elections
May it please the courts: A primer on PA’s judicial system
City & State’s body of evidence on the state’s multi-layered court system will help you come to a decision on this year’s judicial elections.
Analysis
Report names PA’s most and least effective lawmakers – and how partisan divide impacts Harrisburg
The Center for Effective Lawmaking found that Pennsylvania’s partisan divide is narrowing after years of gridlock
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Capitol Beat
Quinnipiac Poll shows Shapiro with early lead over Garrity – and looks ahead to 2028
A plurality of voters believe both parties in the state Capitol share blame for the state’s budget impasse.
News & Politics
What America’s ongoing redistricting war could mean for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is unlikely to redraw congressional maps mid-decade, but that doesn’t negate the need for redistricting reforms, advocates say.
Capitol Beat
Gun control bills receive mixed response in tight PA House votes
Lawmakers passed a bill to expand background checks, but two other gun-related bills failed to advance.
Campaigns & Elections
DNC announces six-figure investment in PA Supreme Court retention elections
The Democratic National Committee said the stakes of the retention elections couldn't be higher.
Policy
PA lawmakers advance gun control bills following York police shooting
House Democrats advanced four gun control bills out of the state House Judiciary Committee on Monday despite opposition from Republicans.
News & Politics
Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund, explained
State officials have deposited several billion dollars into the commonwealth budgetary reserves in recent years. Is it time to use it?
News & Politics
‘Pennsylvanians deserve better’: A Q&A with 2026 gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity
The incumbent state treasurer talked about her gubernatorial campaign and how she’d govern in a politically divided state Capitol.
News & Politics
In Pittsburgh speech, Shapiro says political violence ‘has no place in our society’
The Democratic governor, who was the target of an arson attack this year, spoke in the wake of the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
