News Digest :: June 17, 2018

  Budget Are state budget negotiations ‘friendly’? We’ll soon find out http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/06/pa_state_budget_review_-_world.html   Legislature Will the Pa. House vote to shrink itself?...

Pennsylvania Senate double-cross

The Morning Call | By Bill White

My Sunday column will look at the discouraging latest developments in the effort to reform the way election districts are drawn up in Pennsylvania.

In short, Senate Republicans double-crossed everyone at the last minute by amending Senate Bill 22 — which would create an independent citizens redistricting commission — so it includes a provision calling for regional elections of state appellate court judges.

Editorial: Bipartisanship cast aside in redistricting effort

The Reading Eagle | Associated Press

It’s hard to stomach the twists and turns in the effort to change the way Pennsylvania’s congressional and state legislative districts are drawn. The latest development, a last-minute Republican amendment calling for a change in the way state appellate court judges are elected, angered Democrats and led many of redistricting reform’s staunchest advocates to drop their support of legislation they had championed.

News Digest :: June 16, 2018

Elections Wolf entered June with big cash advantage over Wagner http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/06/wolf_entered_june_with_big_cas.html Primary results show the GOP is all in on Trump...

Philadelphia Tribune: Senate passes controversial plan

By Stacy M. Brown | Philadelphia Tribune

Philadelphia-area state Sens. Anthony Williams and Vincent Hughes led a chorus of Democrats expressing outrage this week over the Republican-led Senate’s redistricting overhaul, which would include Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth court districts.

Under the bill, which House members were expected to receive Wednesday, state appellate judges would be elected by district, rather than statewide, and a citizens commission would draw the state’s congressional and legislative districts

Senate Democratic Wrap-Up for the Week of June 11, 2018

The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 152, which repeals a section of the insurance company law that allows a surplus or safety fund. The legislation also adds a section allowing for the state Insurance Department to maintain an electronic database of contact...

¿Cómo puede empeorar el "gerrymandering"? Los legisladores encuentran la manera. | Editorial

Philly.com | Por el Consejo Editorial del Inquirer

Los republicanos de Harrisburg están actuando como tiranos, utilizando todos los trucos legislativos que pueden para socavar los proyectos de ley que darían a los votantes el poder de elegir a sus propios representantes.

Deben saber que si los proyectos de reforma de los distritos electorales se aprueban en la legislatura, perderán su poder para arreglar las elecciones. Los proyectos de reforma crearían una comisión ciudadana independiente que equilibraría los distritos legislativos para que nuestros representantes tuvieran que escuchar las diversas opiniones de un abanico más amplio de electores.

News Digest :: June 15, 2018

Legislature Momentum growing for killing the Keystone Exams as a graduation requirement before it takes effect https://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/06/momentum_growing_for_killing_t.html#incart_river_index There’s less precedent for regional judicial...