First Read – Dec. 18, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: breezy, with a chance of rain and thunderstorms, low of 49; Harrisburg: breezy and cloudy, with rain possible, low of 46; Pittsburgh: cloudy, with rain and snow showers likely, low of 35.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* It may have taken a few more months than usual, but Pennsylvania’s state budget is finally complete after a flurry of legislative action from lawmakers to end the year. Here are 13 things to know about the finalized state budget and other measures approved by lawmakers in the General Assembly during the final session week of 2023.

* As part of our special report on Reimagining Philadelphia, we spoke with Democratic U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle about Philadelphia’s economy, creating jobs and working with a new administration in City Hall. 

* All eyes are on SEPTA – not only due to the transit police voting to strike but also because of a newly signed law that would require a special prosecutor to oversee crime taking place near SEPTA’s operations. 

NEW THIS MORNING:

* At its statewide committee meeting over the weekend, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party voted to endorse Malcolm Kenyatta for auditor general and Ryan Bizzarro for treasurer, though the party could not reach consensus on who to endorse for attorney general, PennLive reports.

* Gov. Josh Shapiro was joined by rapper Meek Mill, Reform Alliance Co-Chair Michael Rubin and state legislative leaders on Friday for a ceremonial probation reform bill signing in Philadelphia, YourErie.com reports.

* North Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood has become a new ground zero for “tranq tourism” – a viral trend on TikTok where content creators upload videos asking tranq users personal and probing questions, The Guardian reports. 

* Secretary of State Al Schmidt recently discussed the state’s election system, recruiting younger people to vote and election audits, ABC 27 reports.

* The Department of State has canceled a planned upgrade to the state’s voter roll system, though the cancellation will not impact next year’s presidential election, as the state had already planned to keep the existing system in place for next year’s election cycle, Spotlight PA reports.

* A human error in Cambria County temporarily led to inaccurate results on the county’s election return webpage on election night, fueling conspiracy theories about accuracy around the 2023 Supreme Court election, LNP reports.

* Democratic congressional candidate Shamaine Daniels, who is running in the state’s 10th Congressional District, became the first person in the world to use an AI robot to call voters, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* Bucks County Republicans have nominated Falls Township resident Candace Cabanas to be the party’s nominee in a special election for the state’s 140th House District, which was vacated by Democratic state Rep. John Galloway last week, Politics PA reports.

* A new report from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children shows that the commonwealth is one of three states where the number of uninsured children increased in 2022 – with 145,000 uninsured children in the state, including nearly 6,000 in Allegheny County, WESA reports.

 * Striking SEPTA police officers reached a tentative contract agreement with the transit agency over the weekend, an agreement that sent workers from the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge #109 back to their patrols, Billy Penn reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer has a new column from Will Bunch, who writes that U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s declaration that he is “not a progressive” has led some early supporters to feel a sense of betrayal. 

* The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review also weighed in on Fetterman’s recent comments, writing that the senator’s remarks could make him the chamber’s “new wild card.”

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley got a boost in a recent New Hampshire poll that shows her at 29%, though former President Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead over the GOP field in Iowa, Axios reports.

* A car ran into a parked SUV that was guarding President Joe Biden’s motorcade last night as the president was leaving his campaign headquarters, though Biden and his wife were quickly driven back home, Politico reports. 

TODAY’S SKED:

10 a.m. – Press conference on strengthening the state’s setback requirements for oil and gas infrastructure, Main Rotunda, state Capitol, Harrisburg. 

10 a.m. – The Pittsburgh City Council meets, Council Chambers, City-County Building, Pittsburgh. Watch here. 

11 a.m. – Shapiro administration to break ground on new Pennsylvania State Police Academy, Pennsylvania State Police Academy, 175 E. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey. Watch here. 

1:30 p.m. – The Pittsburgh City Council Standing Committee meets, Council Chambers, City-County Building, Pittsburgh. Watch here. 

KICKER: 

“It’s an honor and a blessing to see this change come to my home state.” – Rapper Meek Mill on a probation reform bill signed into law in Pennsylvania, via YourErie.co