Pennsylvania Perspective for Monday, September 28, 2026

Pennsylvania

PA Lawmakers Return After Recess

The Pennsylvania General Assembly reconvenes on September 28 following a 10-week recess to address several unresolved legislative priorities, led by a fast-approaching October deadline to regulate skill games following a recent state Supreme Court ruling. Lawmakers are currently considering bipartisan bills to formally regulate the gaming terminals, as well as a new proposal to extend the legislative deadline by six months. The fall agenda also includes proposed guardrails for the artificial intelligence data center industry, featuring measures that would require developers to secure electricity agreements prior to zoning approval and prevent them from utilizing eminent domain. To address the resulting strain on the regional power grid, legislators will also debate pending bills aimed at capping utility profit margins and lowering consumer electricity rates. Both chambers are expected to consider existing legislation that would enact a statewide ban on student cell phone use in public schools.

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PA DOH Rescinds Disease-Tracking Regulation Proposal

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) will withdraw its 502-page proposed disease-tracking and vaccination regulations after receiving more than 10,000 public comments opposing the policies. The proposed rules, which aimed to update communicable disease protocols, faced intense backlash from residents and Republican lawmakers who argued the provisions mirrored restrictive pandemic-era mandates by granting health officials the authority to enter private properties and schools to investigate outbreaks or review vaccination records. The Shapiro administration plans to revise and resubmit the public health rules once the stakeholder feedback is incorporated, a move praised by Republicans as a victory against executive overreach and by Democrats as an example of responsive governance.

Philadelphia

Philly Council Urges State Action on License Plate Readers

The Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging state lawmakers to ban or establish strict regulations for automatic license plate reader technology, citing widespread civil liberties, equity, and privacy concerns. The local resolution aligns with several pending proposals in the state legislature aimed at creating oversight or enacting moratoriums on the cameras. While a separate debate over municipal waste disposal policies was also featured at the session, Councilmember Rue Landau underscored the necessity of state intervention to control the emerging license-plate reading technology that currently remains widely unregulated across the commonwealth.

Federal

Senator Fetterman Defends Party Identity Amid Iran War Vote

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) stood as the sole Democrat to join Republicans in a 49-50 vote defeating a war powers resolution that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. military forces from hostilities with Iran without explicit congressional authorization. The vote marked the fourteenth time the Senate has considered a measure to curtail the conflict, which Senator Fetterman firmly supports as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite mounting Democratic criticism, rising fuel prices, and a decline in his approval ratings among party voters. Days later during an appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival, Fetterman defended his status as a committed Democrat, dismissed speculation that he intends to switch parties or register as an independent, and declined to speculate on how he might vote if Democrats secure a 51-seat majority following the midterm elections.

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