This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

Eugene DePasquale scored a big win this week when he pulled in an endorsement from The Philadelphia Inquirer in this year’s Democratic primary for attorney general. The paper’s editorial board wrote that DePasquale, who spoke with City & State about his campaign in March, is a “proven winner” in statewide elections, adding that as auditor general, DePasquale showed “independence and fairness” in how he approached the job. In a five-way Democratic primary, the endorsement just weeks before the election could give DePasquale a much-needed boost.

Republican state Sen. Michele Brooks picked up a legislative victory this week when the chamber voted 40-10 to pass Senate Bill 975. The bill, sponsored by Brooks, would increase penalties for those who falsely make threats against schools, increasing the grading from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. The legislation comes after schools across the nation, including in Pennsylvania, have experienced so-called “swatting” threats in recent years.

The push to expand hunting in Pennsylvania to include more Sundays got a noticeable endorsement from the Pennsylvania Game Commission this week, as lawmakers weigh whether to allow hunting on Sundays – something that is currently limited to three days per year. The bills still have a way to go before becoming law, but according to The Daily Item, the Game Commission fully supports repealing an existing ban on Sunday hunting to align with 39 other states that don’t ban the practice.

As the Democratic primary race in the 10th Congressional District heats up ahead of the April 23 contest, candidates are bringing out the heavy artillery. Several of front-runner Janelle Stelson’s competitors looked to target the former TV anchor over her residency and her time as a registered Republican. And prior to a candidates’ debate, one of Stelson’s primary opponents, Harrisburg City Councilmember Shamaine Daniels, released an audio clip from a news broadcast that showed Stelson making a racial joke while on air. Stelson has apologized for the remark and said it was “wrong” – while also noting that “Democrats trying to cut down other Democrats in the closing days of the primary is exactly what Scott Perry wants.”

Bridges don’t often make headlines for positive news. The commonwealth’s bridges are ranked second-worst in the nation, with more than 3,000 of Pennsylvania’s bridges in “poor” condition, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. With a renewed focus on bridge safety following the Fern Hollow collapse in Pittsburgh and the recent Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, it’s clear there’s a gap when it comes to bridge upkeep in recent years. More than half of the state’s 25,400 highway bridges are in “fair condition,” with 13% listed as “poor,” according to a 2023 analysis.

Two nonprofits that conducted child welfare work for the city of Philadelphia have declined to renew their contracts with the city in a move that could cost taxpayers roughly $66 million, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this week. The two organizations – Turning Points for Children and Tabor Community Partners – are both leaving the city’s “community umbrella agencies” network. Former Philadelphia Department of Human Services Commissioner Cynthia Figueroa told the Inquirer the moves could cause disruptions for “several hundred” families.