This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

It has to feel nice to get an endorsement when running for public office, and it has to feel even better to get an endorsement from the official you’re hoping to succeed – especially when they endorse you over a member of their own party. That’s exactly what happened to Fred Faylona, a Democratic candidate for Dauphin County Treasurer this week when current Dauphin County Treasurer Janis Creason – who is leaving office at the end of this term – endorsed Faylona, praising his “non-partisan approach” to the job and saying Faylona “possesses all the qualities required to excel in the role of county treasurer,” according to PennLive.

It may have taken several years – not to mention a power shift in the House – but Democratic state Rep. Dan Frankel finally saw his anti-hate crimes bill package advance through the Pennsylvania House this week. Lawmakers approved three bills sponsored by Frankel and state Rep. Napoleon Nelson – one that creates new protections under the state’s ethnic intimidation statute, another that strengthens law enforcement training on hate crimes and a third bill that would require post-secondary institutions to offer both online and anonymous hate crime reporting options for students and staff. 

It’s been a busy week for the commonwealth’s top legal official. Attorney General Michelle Henry, who recently announced charges against an energy company for its role in a house explosion in 2018, is leading a coalition of attorneys general seeking expansion to a safety rule in response to the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Henry, alongside 12 other state attorneys general, expressed support for proposing a new rule to require better communication between railroads and emergency first responders regarding rail hazmat shipments.

The Commonwealth Court dealt a devastating blow to supporters of the commonwealth’s participation in a regional carbon pricing plan this week. In two opinions and their accompanying orders, the court voided the regulation outlining the state’s carbon pricing plan and enjoined the state from implementing the regulation. The court rulings are the latest setback for Pennsylvania's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a process that was started by then-Gov. Tom Wolf in 2019. This may not be the last word on RGGI, however: Spotlight PA reported that environmental advocates expect the decision to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The U.S. Department of Education says Arcadia Univerity violated federal Title IX rules when it failed to investigate allegations of sexual harassment by a professor. The department’s Office of Civil Rights revealed this week that the Montgomery County college repeatedly received harassment reports from female students referencing the professor and “sexual inappropriate comments” he made “on a regular basis” between 2018 and 2021. Arcadia reached an agreement with the federal agency and the professor has since resigned.

The ongoing conflict in Israel has led to mixed responses from lawmakers – and Pittsburgh Jewish leaders are taking exception to one elected official in particular. More than three dozen Jewish religious leaders issued a letter this week expressing “frustration and anger” regarding U.S. Rep. Summer Lee’s position on Israel’s response to Oct. 7 terror attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas. Lee, who was one of just 10 votes against a bill supporting Israel after the attacks, had said the resolution failed to “acknowledge the overwhelming loss of life and humanity of Palestinians.”