U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) speaks at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia May 10, 2024 (Capital-Star photo by John Cole) PHILADELPHIA — During a visit to the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Friday, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said he agreed that it was “the right decision” to disband a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus.  “Protest is a form of expression that we protect constitutionally and it’s a great American tradition to protest,” Casey told a group of reporters. “But at some point, when a p ..read more

Southbound traffic on Interstate 25 in Denver on July 29, 2021. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline) Police officers would have the authority to stop and ticket motorists who drive while using a handheld electronic device under  legislation approved in the state Senate earlier this month and the House on Wednesday. A spokesman for Gov. Josh Shapiro told the Capital-Star on Thursday that he intends to sign the bill.  While Pennsylvania banned texting and driving in 2012, the law did not address the multitude of other uses for smartphones and similar devices. The new law would ban any u ..read more

Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkais n Washington DC. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour) WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday it’s proposing changes to the asylum system that would allow immigration officials to reject asylum seekers who have a criminal record that poses a threat to national security or public safety and quickly remove them. Those changes will occur during the initial screening stages, a senior U.S. Department of Homeland Security official said on background during a call with reporters. The proposed rule would allow asylum officers to issue a denial wi ..read more

U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) speak at a press conference with the United Steelworkers union March 12, 2024. The unions want the Biden administration to investigate what they call China's "predatory" practices in maritime shipping (Screen capture) With his focus shifting towards the general election, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) has released a new television ad promoting his support for American steel. It’s his first campaign ad since the April 23 primary, when he officially won the Democratic nomination to defend his seat. “Pennsylvania steel built America. Our brid ..read more

A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the “Abundant Healing” store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level – but that doesn’t mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the government’s list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least ..read more

The Pennsylvania Capitol on Monday, March 6, 2023. (Capital-Star file photo) State Rep. Jen O’Mara (D-Delaware) said Wednesday she never would have imagined this moment, given her personal story. Her father, a Philadelphia firefighter, died by suicide in 2003. Following several personal and emotional speeches, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill that would cover post-traumatic stress injuries for first responders under the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act.  O’Mara, prime sponsor of House Bill 1632, thanked leadership and fellow co-sponsors for working alongside her on the legislation ..read more

A view of the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (Photo by Amanda Mustard for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star). A rule change that would create a new process for removing Pennsylvania House lawmakers who become incapacitated passed a committee vote along party lines on Wednesday, drawing vocal objections from Republican leaders. House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) called the vote in the House Rules Committee. He introduced the resolution two weeks ago as a partisan squabble erupted over whether Democrats should continue casting votes on behalf of a lawmaker who wa ..read more

Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, (r) speaks with Vice President Kamala Harris at Salus University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Capital-Star photo) CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Vice President Kamala Harris continued her campaign push for reproductive rights in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, telling an audience in Montgomery County that the stakes were high for the November election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.  “This is the moment we are in,” Harris said at the event at Salus University, where she was joined onstage by longtime friend, actr ..read more

(Chris McGrath/Getty Images). A bill intended to allow parents more oversight of their children’s’ use of social media passed the House Wednesday with a 105-95 vote. The bill would require social media platforms to verify the age of new users creating accounts and attempt to request parental consent of anyone under 16. It would also prohibit social media companies from selling minors’ data to third parties and using it to target ads, and require platforms to have a clear policy for reporting threats and harassment. “The internet and social media have grown exponentially over the last few deca ..read more

Public transit advocates gathered outside the Pennsylvania Capitol on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, to urge support for Gov. Josh Shapiro's plan to increase sales tax transfers to the Public Transportation Trust Fund. (Capital-Star photo by Peter Hall) Transit agency officials and lawmakers came together Wednesday to urge the state Senate to support of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to direct an additional 1.75% of state sales tax revenue to public transportation by emphasizing the statewide impact that it would have.  “Access to public transit is an essential connection to our jobs and our qual ..read more