Policy
Policy
City & State's 5 for 2025: For PA immigrants, uncertainty, fear and resilience are the order of the day
As the year comes to an end, we look back at some staff and reader favorites from our reporting over the past 12 months.
Healthcare
Proposed reproductive rights legislation would tackle decades-old state mandates
Lawmakers and advocates are debating which of the commonwealth’s web of abortion requirements are hindrances – or safeguards.
Education
Trump administration efforts to end DOE get failing grade from PA educators
Teachers say commonwealth classrooms will suffer if the Trump administration guts the federal Department of Education, which funds numerous key programs as well as student loans, while conservatives say the move will return resources to the states
Politics
Why expanding eligibility for compassionate release is just and necessary
For elderly, sick people behind bars, new legislation could be life-changing.
Politics
How MontCo plus AI can equal better public services
Montgomery County is trying to set the pace for how to deploy artificial intelligence to best serve both local government and constituents.
Capitol Beat
GOP demands probe into how suspected terrorist got a Pennsylvania commercial license
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said a recently arrested Uzbek national had a commercial driver’s license from Pennsylvania.
Opinion
Opinion: New clarity on energy policy will supercharge Pennsylvania’s economy
Ending Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative sends a clear signal that the commonwealth is done with uncertainty and ready for prosperity.
Policy
City & State’s 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget tracker
After a budget impasse that stretched more than 130 days, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a $50B budget into law on Nov. 12, 2025.
Politics
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is under assault – via budget negotiations
The chair of the state House Environmental Committee makes the case to keep RGGI on the books – and out of budget talks.
Politics
Loss of SNAP benefits will hit PA’s food economy where it hurts most
With the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding less than a day away, the potential damage to the state would be enormous.
Interviews & Profiles
Ask The Experts: Philadelphia’s imperiled research ecosystem
Amid federal defunding of scientific research and radical shifts in vaccine and health policy, City & State surveyed Philadelphia’s top vaccine experts to discuss what’s at stake.
Technology
At heated City Council hearing, Philly tech officials “failed” their first AI test
At a contentious hearing on artificial intelligence in government, lawmakers and community advocates expressed grave concerns about the city’s preparedness for the AI era
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Education
Citing out-of-control expenses and expenditures, school districts and state Democrats push for new cyber charter funding formula
Both sides of the statewide debate agree an overhaul of the funding system is in order – but disagree on the way forward.
Politics
Feeling the heat: How temperature-specific legislation could keep workers and businesses cool
Two members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are proposing legislation that would protect employees and business owners from tragedy during periods of extreme heat.
News & Politics
What America’s ongoing redistricting war could mean for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is unlikely to redraw congressional maps mid-decade, but that doesn’t negate the need for redistricting reforms, advocates say.
Capitol Beat
Gun control bills receive mixed response in tight PA House votes
Lawmakers passed a bill to expand background checks, but two other gun-related bills failed to advance.
Policy
PA lawmakers advance gun control bills following York police shooting
House Democrats advanced four gun control bills out of the state House Judiciary Committee on Monday despite opposition from Republicans.
Politics
Don’t lock renters out of affordable housing policy
While new initiatives at the state and local levels offer relief for owners and landlords, renters in Pennsylvania could be left out in the cold without proper safeguards.
Policy
‘Ring It On’ initiative gives Philly neighborhoods a stake in the semiquincentennial
Elected officials, 2026 stakeholders and Gritty were on hand on Wednesday to introduce a citywide program designed to involve all Philadelphia neighborhoods in the semiquincentennial.
Politics
Opinion: PA’s congressional delegation must stand their ground and fund NIH
The life-and-death reasons why U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Guy Reschenthaler, our state’s members on the all-important U.S House Appropriations Committee, must fight to preserve the National Institutes of Health.
