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tag | Pennsylvania politics

July 31, 2026 | 5:30 AM

Pa. lawmakers push for changes to e-bike rules after crashes raise safety concerns

Two Pennsylvania lawmakers are pushing to update state laws governing the increasingly popular electric bicycles after a series of crashes this summer highlighted what they describe as gaps in the state’s current regulations.

By Haley O'Brien/WITF
July 12, 2026 | 10:22 AM

Pa. lawmakers hold weekend session to advance $50.8 billion spending plan

Roughly a week and a half after the constitutionally mandated deadline, state legislators unveiled a $50.8 billion budget Saturday night that included millions of dollars in new funding for public education, new energy policies and a long-sought increase for the pensions of teachers who retired before 2001.

By Ian Karbal, Emily Scolnick, Peter Hall and Whitney Downard, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
November 17, 2025 | 7:15 PM

Protesters take to Pa. Capitol, call for ban on gifts to lawmakers

Pa. has no limit on gifts from lobbyists or donors to lawmakers, and a reporting loophole for gifts given.
By Jordan Wilkie/WITF

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September 21, 2025 | 9:46 PM

Preachers, politicians hail Charlie Kirk’s legacy at Buck vigil

By Jordan Wilkie/WITF
June 23, 2025 | 6:15 PM

Protests in Pa. Capitol call for increased taxes on the rich

Education, housing, healthcare and public transportation could all be improved if the state had more money from billionaires, per the protestors.
By Jordan Wilkie/WITF
August 31, 2023 | 3:32 PM

Republican Rep. Paul Schemel reflects on political career after announcing he won’t seek re-election

The Republican representative has been in office since 2015 but is stepping aside so new blood can join the state legislature.
By Ben Wasserstein/WITF
August 31, 2023 | 9:31 AM

Pa. budget inches forward, but lawmakers still split on stalled education funding

The Pa. Senate has moved key code bills that would enable some budget spending, but Democrats say they don’t go far enough. Meanwhile, spending for education, public defense, and more is still in limbo.
By Kate Huangpu/Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer/WITF
August 29, 2023 | 9:39 AM

Scandals, power struggles and policy: 3 new state reps weather a wild 1st session

One of the biggest-ever classes of new lawmakers joined the Pa. legislature this year. Spotlight PA followed 3 of them as they navigated a freshman year full of power struggle and scandal.
By Kate Huangpu/Spotlight PA and Angela Couloumbis/Spotlight PA
April 11, 2023 | 8:01 AM

How Harrisburg Works: Pa. House majority, rules vs. bills, and taxpayer money for Twitter Blue

Several special elections are on the horizon for the Pennsylvania House, but a rule change means Democrats will keep their "majority."
By Stephen Caruso/SpotlightPA
March 13, 2023 | 12:14 PM

New Pa. lieutenant governor fires 2 employees touted as ‘success stories’

By Joshua Vaughn/PennLive
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