First Read PA – Sept. 21, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: sunny, high of 76; Harrisburg: sunny, high of 77; Pittsburgh: mostly sunny, high of 79.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* In an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, Pennsylvania lawmakers yesterday advanced legislation that would move the state’s 2024 presidential primary election from April to March – a decision that would help avoid a conflict with Passover, while also giving the state a little more influence during presidential primaries. 

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Republican David McCormick is expected to announce today that he will enter Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race and make his second bid for the office, this time to take on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after losing in last year’s crowded Republican primary, The Associated Press reports.

* Chester County will fully enclose the exercise yards at its Pocopson Township prison with solid walls and a roof, the latest security upgrade announced after convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante escaped from the facility last month, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 

* The commonwealth will prepare to use artificial intelligence in its operations,  Gov. Josh Shapiro said yesterday, as states are increasingly trying to gauge the impact of AI and how to regulate it, the AP reports. 

* Penn State University reported incorrect financial information to the state Department of Education last winter, errors that remained public for months and highlight long-standing problems with how the school discloses and handles conflicts of interest, Spotlight PA reports. 

* Coming to your TV set soon: ads heralding the sequel to the race between incumbent Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. and his challenger, former chief public defender Matt Dugan, WESA reports. 

* The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office can’t account for nearly 200 guns, despite statements the sheriff made suggesting that her office had not misplaced any weapons, according to a new report released by the City Controller, the Inquirer reports. 

* The state Senate passed a bill yesterday that would allow all of the state’s medical marijuana growers and processors to sell their products directly to patients, with several senators speculating that the bill could – and should – become a vehicle for further opening up the commonwealth’s marijuana laws, PennLive reports.

* Following a hearing on smoking inside casinos, state Rep. Dan Frankel was joined by the American Lung Association and several casino employees from across the state, all condemning how secondhand smoke is impacting the health of those employees, WTAE reports.

* Dauphin County state Rep. Justin Fleming is co-sponsoring a bill requiring health insurers to cover the costs of prostate screenings, abc27 reports. 

* With financial support from the community foundation, Spotlight PA is studying the potential for a regional bureau based in Berks County, a response to the severe erosion of local reporting there.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer writes that the benefits of COVID vaccines are clear, and when it comes to public health, folks should listen to the scientists and not self-serving politicians.

* The Erie Times-News has an op-ed from Dr. Kevin Shaffer, medical director at LIFE-NWPA, who writes that the Living Independence For the Elderly program is more well-equipped to meet the needs of aging and older patients.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* The Biden administration said yesterday that it would allow hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already in the United States to live and work legally in the country for 18 months, The New York Times reports.

* Former President Donald Trump is facing sharp blowback from some anti-abortion activists and conservative governors, including his top challenger in the Republican presidential primary, reflecting the intraparty divisions over an issue the GOP has struggled to navigate since Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer, The Washington Post reports. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To State Rep. Steve Samuelson … to state Sen. Christine Tartaglione … to Dave Moran, Archbald Borough Council president … to Laurie Zierer, executive director of PA Humanities … and to Danielle Gross, director of communications at Clear Point Communications … Want to wish someone a happy birthday in our newsletter? Email their name, job title and upcoming birthday to editor@cityandstatepa.com.

TODAY’S SKED:

10 a.m. – The Basic Education Funding Commission meets, Lincoln M.S., 1001 Lehigh Ave., Lancaster. 

10 a.m. – The Independent Regulatory Review Commission meets, 14th Floor conference room, 333 Market St., Harrisburg. 

10 a.m. – Philadelphia City Council meets, Room 400, City Hall, Philadelphia. 

4 p.m. – Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney to deliver remarks at the Student Board of Education Representative Installation Ceremony, School District of Philadelphia, 440 N. Broad St., Philadelphia.

To have your events included in Today’s sked, please email the information to editor@cityandstatepa.com.

KICKER: 

“We don’t want to let AI happen to us … We want to be part of helping develop AI for the betterment of our citizens.” – Gov. Josh Shapiro, via the AP