As Pennsylvania’s budget impasse nears seven weeks, state lawmakers remain deadlocked over a $47.6 billion budget proposal, raising concerns about broader impacts on public transit systems, education funding, and statewide...more
8/18/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Education Reform ,
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Pennsylvania ,
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Urban Planning & Development
City’s High Overtime Costs Raise Burnout, Staffing Concerns-
The City of Philadelphia spent more than $370 million on overtime in 2024, with hundreds of municipal employees—especially those in public safety—doubling or...more
8/15/2025
/ Homeless Issues ,
Infrastructure ,
Labor Shortage ,
Over-Time ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Public Transit ,
Recruitment Policies ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Transportation Industry ,
Work-Induced Stress ,
Workplace Safety
Sen. Ward Floats Temporary Budget Amid Ongoing Stalemate -
Senate President Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) has proposed a six-month budget to keep Pennsylvania operating as the legislative stalemate over school choice and mass...more
8/8/2025
/ Health Insurance ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Home Health Care ,
Human Trafficking ,
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State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Teachers
City Offers Support for Small Businesses as Tax Exemption is Phased Out -Philadelphia is supporting small businesses through flexible payment plans, free tax assistance, and access to grants as it phases out a longstanding...more
8/8/2025
/ Arenas and Stadiums ,
Community Development ,
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Opioid ,
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Small Business ,
State and Local Government ,
Strike ,
Tax Exemptions ,
Teachers ,
Unions
Gov. Shapiro Urges Compromise as Budget Talks Stall -
Governor Josh Shapiro (D) says progress is slow but ongoing in Pennsylvania’s overdue budget negotiations, with mass transit funding and school choice among key sticking...more
8/5/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Budget Cuts ,
Medicaid ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
Public Transit ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
SNAP Program ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Legislatures
PA State Budget a Month Past-due, SEPTA Service Cuts Weeks Away -Democratic state legislators expressed frustration that a budget bill with funding for mass transit has yet to pass. With SEPTA anticipated to start...more
8/1/2025
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Election Results ,
Environmental Violations ,
Flooding ,
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Mail-In Ballots ,
Mayors ,
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Public Transit ,
Public Utility ,
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State Attorneys General ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Trump Administration
City May Revive Fairmount Park Police Unit for World Cup -
As Philadelphia prepares for a landmark summer of sports in 2026—including the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and PGA...more
7/25/2025
/ City Councils ,
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Sports ,
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Unions ,
Urban Planning & Development
PA Budget Bill Passes in House, Stalls in Senate -
On Monday, the Democratic-led state House voted to forward their state budget bill to the Senate, where GOP leadership is skeptical of full passage. While the House’s...more
7/18/2025
/ Energy Sector ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Funding ,
Healthcare ,
Investment ,
Medicaid ,
Pennsylvania ,
Political Campaigns ,
Presidential Elections ,
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State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Cuts ,
Trump Administration
Mayor Parker Strikes Deal with DC 33 -
Trash collectors and other frontline City workers will return to work after the Parker administration reached a deal with AFSCME District Council 33 early Wednesday morning. The...more
7/11/2025
/ Commercial Property Owners ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Infrastructure ,
Labor Relations ,
Public Transit ,
Real Estate Development ,
Real Estate Transactions ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
Gov. Shapiro Warns About Medicaid Cuts, Rural Hospital Closures -
During a press conference in York on Monday, Governor Josh Shapiro (D) sharply criticized Pennsylvania Republicans for supporting a federal reconciliation...more
7/11/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Disclosure ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Agencies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
New Legislation ,
Pennsylvania ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
State and Local Government ,
Voter Registration
Philly to Invest in 15 More “Year-Round” Schools -
Mayor Charelle Parker announced that Philadelphia will invest in 15 new extended-day, extended-year schools. The list comprises ten conventional Philadelphia public schools...more
7/3/2025
/ Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Government Agencies ,
Labor Relations ,
Pennsylvania ,
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Public Schools ,
Real Estate Development ,
School Districts ,
Sports ,
State and Local Government ,
Strike ,
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WNBA
Medicaid Costs Dominate Budget Talks as Deadline Looms-
Pennsylvania lawmakers are locked in tense budget negotiations as Governor Josh Shapiro’s (D) proposed $2.5 billion increase in Medicaid funding faces pushback from...more
6/27/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Child Care ,
Clean Energy ,
Employment Tax ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Labor Shortage ,
Media ,
Medicaid ,
Over-Time ,
Pennsylvania ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Safety ,
Public Schools ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Reform ,
Teachers
City Invests in Certifying CTE Teachers-
Philadelphia City Council allocated $500,000 to help Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers cover certification costs, addressing a teacher shortage and supporting growing...more
6/26/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
City Councils ,
Community Development ,
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Housing Market ,
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Pennsylvania ,
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Mayor Parker, Council President Johnson Reviving 90s-Era Collaboration -Over the first year in their respective positions, Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council President Kenyatta Johnson have intentionally worked to build a...more
6/19/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Charter Schools ,
City Councils ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Efficiency ,
Housing Market ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mayors ,
Pennsylvania ,
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Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Teachers ,
Unions
Gov. Shapiro Urges Moral Clarity After Minnesota Lawmaker’s
Assassination -
Following the politically motivated killing of Minnesota House Leader Melissa Hortman and the shooting of state Senator John Hoffman, Pennsylvania...more
6/17/2025
/ Charter Schools ,
Energy Policy ,
Federal Employees ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Pennsylvania ,
Political Campaigns ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures
Gov. Shapiro, Amazon Unveil Historic $20B AI Investment in PA -
On Monday, Governor Josh Shapiro (D) and Amazon announced a $20 billion investment to build AI infrastructure in Pennsylvania, including two major data centers...more
6/13/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Amazon ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Deep Fake ,
Healthcare ,
Investment ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Pennsylvania ,
Protests ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Technology Sector
City Council Passes FY26 Budget, HOME Bills-
During their final meeting before summer recess, the City Council passed a staggering 58 bills, including the FY26 Capital and Operating Budgets, business and wage tax cuts, and...more
6/13/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
City Councils ,
Economic Development ,
Housing Market ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Elections ,
Mayors ,
New Legislation ,
Public Safety ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets
On the evening of Thursday, June 5, the Philadelphia City Council granted preliminary approval to several bills related to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $6.8 billion FY26 City Budget with minimal changes to the initial proposal,...more
6/9/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Business Taxes ,
City Councils ,
Economic Development ,
Housing Market ,
Infrastructure ,
New Legislation ,
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Public Transit ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Reform
GOP Lawmakers, Urging Fiscal Restraint, Push for $47.9B Budget -
At a conference hosted by Pennsylvanian Republican legislators and Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania, the GOP hardliners accused Governor Josh Shapiro (D)...more
6/6/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Deficit Reduction ,
Federal Budget ,
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Paid Leave ,
Pennsylvania ,
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State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Trump Administration ,
USDA
FY26 Budget Negotiations Entering HOME Stretch -
Thursday marks the final opportunity for the City Council to advance bills—including those tied to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $6.7 billion proposed budget and Housing...more
6/6/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Budgets ,
Charter Schools ,
City Councils ,
Committee Meetings ,
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New Legislation ,
New York ,
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State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Strike ,
Unions
Gov. Shapiro Counters Federal Cuts with $50M Innovation Push -
As the Trump administration slashes federal research funding, Governor Josh Shapiro (D) is proposing a $50 million state investment to boost Pennsylvania’s life...more
5/30/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Education Reform ,
Federal Budget ,
Life Sciences ,
Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Pennsylvania ,
Political Campaigns ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Trump Administration
Mayor Parker Signs POWER Act Into Law -
On Wednesday, Mayor Cherelle Parker signed the POWER Act into law, expanding protections for City workers by increasing penalties for employer retaliation, extending sick leave to...more
5/30/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Committee Meetings ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Housing Market ,
Labor Reform ,
Landlords ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Penalties ,
Pennsylvania ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government
City Council Advances Bill to Hold Developers Accountable for Affordable Housing Promises -
The City Council Rules Committee advanced legislation Wednesday that would require developers to formalize their commitments to...more
Key PA Court Races Could Reshape Caregiving, Education, Parental Rights -Upcoming judicial races for Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth and Superior Courts could significantly impact caregiving policies, as recent rulings have...more
5/20/2025
/ Data Centers ,
Energy Policy ,
Healthcare ,
Immigration Reform ,
Judicial Appointments ,
Mayors ,
Pennsylvania ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Candidates ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections
PA Public Transit, Facing Funding Challenges, Looks to Harrisburg for Solution -
Governor Josh Shapiro (D) warns of severe cuts to bus and rail services across Pennsylvania due to financial challenges, with debates over...more