In this week’s quiz: The school voucher fray, Jan. 6 jeers, a university bans encampments, and the summer of Santos. As always, let us know if you encounter any technical issues. Just email Newsletter Editor Colin Deppen (newsletters@spotlightpa.org) with a heads up. And good luck! BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results ..read more

Elections 101 from Spotlight PA protects you against election misinformation and empowers you to make informed decisions. This story is made possible through a collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. In 2020, former President Donald Trump’s campaign paid $3 million so Wisconsin would recount votes in two counties. The result: Joe Biden’s lead grew by 87 votes. Such a recount would not be possible in Pennsylvania. Here, a recount is automatically ordered if a statewide race falls within a certain margin. Voters can also ini ..read more

Property taxes are a primary source of revenue for Pennsylvania’s more than 2,500 municipalities. Various state and local regulations govern how this tax is levied by counties, municipalities, and school districts, but they do not mandate regular property assessment updates, which determine how much a property is worth. Outdated property assessments affect schools, roads, and other quality-of-life issues, but local leaders may be reluctant to initiate reassessments. It's also a thorny issue for state lawmakers. To unpack this issue and potential solutions, join us Thursday, June 20 from 6-7 p ..read more

HARRISBURG — A series of events intended to get Philadelphians to support using taxpayer money to fund private school vouchers is bankrolled by an unexpected figure: billionaire rapper Jay-Z. His company’s entrance into the rancorous funding debate comes amid sustained lobbying by advocates for vouchers. An opaque organization with ties to Jeff Yass, Pennsylvania’s richest person, has spent nearly $1 million over the past year primarily on this one cause — and has loosened its purse strings further during this year’s state budget talks. The voucher effort is largely championed by conservatives ..read more

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s public health insurance program would cover doula services and new parents would receive kits that include diapers and nursing pads under legislative proposals that could be absorbed into this year’s budget. The measures are part of a “Momnibus” package championed by state House Democrats’ Black Maternal Health Caucus. It formed in 2023 in response to growing concerns around high maternal mortality rates, which are worse for Black mothers. Gov. Josh Shapiro has separately pitched an increased investment in maternal health as part of his $48.5 billion spending plan ..read more

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s public school districts could save roughly $530 million annually if the legislature makes long-sought changes to how cyber charters are funded. Democratic and Republican lawmakers told Spotlight PA such reforms could be included in this year’s budget, which is expected to focus on education. The Democratic-controlled state House is already moving a sweeping bill that would cap the tuition that districts pay to cyber charters, change the tuition calculation for disabled students, and increase oversight. “It's no secret that education is the centerpiece of this budget ..read more

HARRISBURG — A member of the board overseeing Pennsylvania’s opioid settlement money said he’s concerned the group’s actions don’t comply with the state’s Sunshine Act, echoing transparency questions first raised publicly by Spotlight PA and WESA. “After a review of the statute, it is not clear to me that these working groups can legitimately meet in private,” state Sen. Greg Rothman (R., Cumberland) wrote in a letter dated March 26, which his office recently provided to Spotlight PA. The court order creating the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust requires the group to fo ..read more

In this week’s quiz: DJ Josh Shapiro, art school rescue, and the state budget blitz. As always, let us know if you encounter any technical issues. Just email Newsletter Editor Colin Deppen (newsletters@spotlightpa.org) with a heads up. And good luck! BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results ..read more

HARRISBURG — Joyce Knestrick can independently give physical exams, diagnose health conditions, prescribe select medications, and make referrals as a nurse practitioner at a clinic in West Virginia. But when she crosses over the border to Pennsylvania, where she lives in Washington County, she needs physician oversight to do the same work. Nurse practitioners, who receive advanced clinical training that emphasizes preventative care, are more specialized than registered nurses. Pennsylvania law requires that in order to practice, these nurses must partner with a doctor who gives input on patien ..read more

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. Before the rise of the internet, Pennsylvania’s queer community connected through underground newsletters, newspapers, zines, and hotlines. The media wave started in big cities, like Philadelphia, but soon spread to much smaller communities statewide. That movement, the players, and the accompanying risks are the topic of our next event, one focused on the history of LG ..read more