PITTSBURGH, August 3, 2026 — Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, the bipartisan government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced the addition of Martell Covington as government relations associate in its Pittsburgh office.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, indicated she prefers to look past President Donald Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2020 election, choosing instead to focus on the future while maintaining her belief that some voting irregularities occurred. During a recent interview, Treasurer Garrity stated she would fully cooperate with a Department of Homeland Security request to review the state’s voter rolls for potential non-citizen registrants, citing a recent registration error in New Jersey as a reason to bolster election security. Addressing a campaign race where she currently trails Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, Treasurer Garrity responded to campaign ads labeling her as entirely aligned with the president’s political movement by clarifying that, while she largely agrees with the President’s approach, she holds differing views on certain foreign policy and tariff issues. Treasurer Garrity also outlined her economic platform, which focuses on lowering living costs by expanding natural gas production and mandating broad spending cuts across state agencies to improve government efficiency.
Following a state Supreme Court ruling, unregulated skill games are scheduled to become illegal in Pennsylvania on October 13 unless state lawmakers enact a regulatory framework. The court determined that these slot-machine-like betting terminals qualify as illicit gambling devices subject to police seizure under state law. Although Governor Josh Shapiro and various legislators have proposed taxing and regulating the estimated 70,000 machines statewide, legislative efforts remain stalled due to policy disagreements between the House and Senate. Without legislative intervention before the deadline, vendors plan to disable and remove the terminals, leaving local bars, social clubs, and veterans’ posts facing potential closures from lost revenue, while compulsive gambling advocates note that ending the unregulated expansion removes a growing source of gambling addiction.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined more than 30 state attorneys general in supporting upcoming federal rules that will impose a strict total THC limit on hemp goods, effectively banning products like delta-8 and delta-10. Law enforcement leaders argue the overhaul is essential to clarify police enforcement, close legal loopholes stemming from the 2018 Farm Bill, and keep unregulated, intoxicating products away from children. State hemp growers and industry advocates contend the ban is overly broad, warning it will destroy non-intoxicating CBD businesses, eliminate roughly 95% of the consumable hemp market, and harm the commonwealth’s multi-billion-dollar hemp economy. Industry representatives urge lawmakers to enact age restrictions and product testing standards instead of a blanket ban, and public safety officials maintain that protecting consumers from dangerous goods takes priority over commercial interests.
More than 3,000 Pennsylvania state government employees are currently using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for administrative tasks such as scanning documents, drafting text, and triaging customer service requests following a 2024 pilot program with OpenAI. State officials emphasize that the technology is intended to improve operational efficiency without eliminating jobs, noting that employees reported significant time savings during initial testing. To address job security concerns, the state reached an agreement with the labor union representing state workers to mandate human oversight and review of all AI-generated outputs. Under current state guidelines, employees are prohibited from inputting confidential information into the systems and must disclose AI use when interacting with the public. An additional 6,000 workers are currently undergoing prerequisite training.
Starting in January, new federal requirements will mandate that many working-age adults enrolled in Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program submit renewal paperwork every six months and provide proof of employment, education, or community engagement. Stemming from a recent federal budget reconciliation bill, the administrative overhaul is projected by state officials to cause approximately 310,000 Pennsylvanians to lose their health insurance, largely due to procedural hurdles rather than actual ineligibility. Health advocates warn that the anticipated surge in paperwork could create a bureaucratic backlog that inadvertently strips coverage from vulnerable populations, including children and seniors, mirroring recent administrative losses in the state’s food assistance program. To prepare for the transition, state and county agencies are currently launching public outreach efforts, updating IT systems, and working to fill hundreds of vacant caseworker positions to manage the increased workload.
The Republican State Leadership Committee has identified targeted Pennsylvania legislative races essential to determining majority control of the state Legislature, providing candidates with campaign funding, research, and organizational support. The priority matchups feature the 88th House District race between Republican Jeff Clark and Democrat Sara Agerton, the 36th Senate District contest between incumbent James Malone (D-36) and Representative Tom Jones (R-98), the 170th House District defense where incumbent Representative Martina White (R-170) faces Democrat Rob Gurtcheff, and the 72nd House District battle between incumbent Representative Frank Burns (D-72) and Republican challenger Phil Rice. To protect current legislative positions, the committee’s target list also spotlights four Republican Senate incumbents, Senators Frank Farry (R-6), Jarrett Coleman (R-16), Tracy Pennycuick (R-24), and Rosemary Brown (R-40), alongside five House Republican incumbents facing competitive challenges: Representatives Kathleen Tomlinson (R-18), Valerie Gaydos (R-44), Joe Emrick (R-137), Joe Hogan (R-142), and Craig Williams (R-160).
Democrat Brandon Dukes and Republican Scott Timko are competing in an August 18 special election for Butler County’s 12th state House District to finish the remaining weeks of former Representative Stephenie Scialabba’s vacated term. Although the district has been a Republican stronghold for over three decades, Democrats view the race as an opportunity to flip the seat and protect their narrow state House majority. Both candidates have received financial backing from their respective state parties and will face each other again in November for a full two-year term.
A new report from Philadelphia City Controller Christy Brady suggests that tens of thousands of properties may be inappropriately receiving the city’s homestead exemption, potentially costing the municipality and its school district an additional $30 million annually. Investigators identified 58,000 properties with compliance red flags, such as out-of-city mailing addresses, businesses claiming residential exemptions on multiple properties, and technically vacant homes receiving the tax break. This finding expands upon a recent two-year probe by the Parker administration that identified and removed over 13,000 fraudulently enrolled owners to recoup roughly $30 million in back taxes. While the city’s Department of Revenue welcomed the controller’s report and maintains continuous compliance checks, officials cautioned that properties with risk indicators might still ultimately qualify for the popular exemption, which currently allows eligible homeowners to deduct $100,000 from their property’s assessed value.
A new Freedom Fuel gas station has opened, offering regular gas at significantly discounted rates as part of the company’s recent expansion to 29 regional locations. Despite the network’s promotion by President Donald Trump and the White House, the ability of these stations to consistently underprice competitors remains unexplained, with financial experts suggesting the low-revenue model is likely unsustainable. Meanwhile, an existing Freedom Fuel location is facing a potential September 4 closure after failing a city inspection and operating with an expired fuel dispensing license. As questions surround the enterprise, the company’s owners and organizers have remained publicly silent about their business model, though the White House maintains the network is a privately owned venture receiving no government subsidies to support its prices.
Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler offered a cautiously optimistic assessment of the city’s mid-2026 finances, reporting that higher-than-expected collections in earned income, payroll, deed transfer, and real estate taxes demonstrate the city can avoid state financial receivership. However, Heisler cautioned that the budget remains tight and demands continued cost containment due to elevated overtime spending for snow removal and major events like the NFL Draft, alongside the loss of entertainer tax revenue and potential retroactive police pay. To help ease these fiscal pressures, the city secured $70 million in voluntary, five-year contributions from major institutions like UPMC, which Mayor Corey O’Connor negotiated to fund vehicle fleets, public equipment, and municipal programs.
The U.S. Senate passed a short-term funding measure in a 90-6 vote that would keep federal agencies funded into early December to avert a government shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections. Acting unusually early before the September 30 fiscal year deadline, senators negotiated a bipartisan agreement that generally maintains current funding levels while blocking the White House from transferring funds to the Border Patrol or allocating money for early work on a new battleship. The bill also includes provisions delaying a national ban on intoxicating hemp products by one month and temporarily halting new regulations that would give political appointees more control over federal grant approvals. The measure now heads to the Republican-controlled House, where members will need to reconcile the Senate’s version with their own before the legislation can be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Pennsylvania Democratic Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), and Summer Lee (D-PA-12) have sent letters to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and private contractor GEO Group demanding answers regarding conditions at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center. Following visits to the Clearfield County facility, the lawmakers cited severe medical staffing shortages, delayed detainee health evaluations, safety concerns, and alleged mistreatment. They criticized the privatized for-profit detention model and questioned potential conflicts of interest involving federal oversight leadership, requesting detailed responses from ICE and GEO Group concerning facility compliance, medical care standards, and administrative accountability.
U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) led a bipartisan group of 27 lawmakers in sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin requesting an extension and expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainians residing in the United States. Joined by Representative Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2), Representative Fitzpatrick emphasized that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine prevents safe returns for over 250,000 refugees who currently contribute to the American workforce and economy. The lawmakers urged the Department of Homeland Security to renew the designation before its October expiration and to adjust eligibility dates so additional individuals can apply for protection.
Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) commended Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) for challenging progressive shifts within the Democratic Party. During a recent interview, Senator McCormick expressed respect for Senator Fetterman’s willingness to oppose what he views as a radical leftward trend among Democrats nationwide, pointing to recent primary victories by progressive candidates in other states as evidence of this divide. While noting that Senator Fetterman consistently votes with his party on policy matters, Senator McCormick appreciated his colleague’s independent stance, which has generated both local popularity and friction with progressive activists. The internal party tension largely stems from Senator Fetterman’s unwavering support for Israel, a position Senator Fetterman maintains as a definitive moral boundary for his continued alignment with the Democratic Party.
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Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
August 10, 2026
August 10, 2026
August 10, 2026
