Pennsylvania Perspective for Monday, March 9, 2026

March 9, 2026

Pennsylvania

PA Budget Hearings Update

The Pennsylvania General Assembly continued its Appropriations Committee Budget Hearings to examine the Governor’s proposed budget in detail. The Senate Appropriations Committee heard from the Department of Education, where Secretary Carrie Rowe discussed banning cell phones in schools, improving literacy, and funding for K-12 schools. The House Appropriations Committee heard from the Department of Human Services, where Secretary Valarie Arkoosh expressed concern for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due to federal funding cuts and the impacts of HR 1. The House also heard from the Department of State, where Secretary Al Schmidt answered questions on election administration, including the implementation of the state’s new voter management system, special elections, and artificial intelligence in elections. As the House continues its hearings this week, the full hearing schedules are available through the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee.

Data Center Regulation in PA

Governor Josh Shapiro announced the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards in his budget address to incentivize data center developers to follow stricter environmental and transparency standards in Pennsylvania by offering them an expedited permitting process. This would include independent power generation from facilities, community engagement, and water conservation requirements, but the administration hasn’t publicly specified how it would measure if developers met environmental and other goals. The General Assembly has continued to introduce legislation to regulate data centers, including a moratorium on data center development to study the impacts of data centers on local economies and the environment. The House Energy Committee also recently approved legislation requiring facilities to submit annual water and energy usage reports and model zoning ordinance to assist municipalities.

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Philadelphia

Mayor Parker Proposes Transit-Oriented Zoning Expansion

Mayor Cherelle Parker introduced legislation to accelerate housing development by expanding the radius for “transit-oriented development” (TOD) districts from 500 feet to a quarter-mile around SEPTA stations. The bill aims to boost ridership and support the mayor’s goal of creating 30,000 homes by allowing developers to build more units with fewer parking requirements near transit hubs. District City Council members maintain effective control over which stations receive the law’s benefits because the Council must pass specific legislation to include each transit station in the zoning overlay. A separate measure Mayor Parker sent to Council would facilitate the conversion of storefronts into apartments, potentially adding up to 12,000 new units across the city.

Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Democratic Committee Endorses State House Candidates

The Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsed candidates in competitive state legislative races. County Council President Pat Catena secured the endorsement to succeed retiring State Representative Anita Kulik (D-45-Allegheny), while Jeremy Ferderber and Dylan Altemara won the committee’s support to challenge Republican incumbents Jeremy Shaffer (R-28-Allegheny) and Andrew Kuzma (R-39-Allegheny/Washington). Additionally, State Senator Wayne Fontana (D-42-Allegheny) retained the party’s backing. While the endorsements are not binding, the winners will now appear on “slate cards” distributed to voters at the polls.

Federal

Senator Fetterman Diverges from Democrats on Iran

U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) continues to distance himself from the Democratic caucus, recently becoming the only Democrat to vote with Republicans against a war-powers resolution limiting President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran. Senator Fetterman has stated that it is “entirely appropriate” for Israel to continue killing Iranian leaders if Iran continues to be a regional threat, and has backed the actions of President Trump. This shift has resulted in a significant change in his polling numbers, where he holds a 73% approval rating among Republicans and 22% among Democrats.

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About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

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.

About Cozen O’Connor

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.

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