Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies (CPS) announced that Jessica I. Monahan — a transportation policy expert who has secured federal funding for a range of nonprofits, local governments, Fortune 100 companies, emerging businesses, and government contractors — has joined its Washington D.C.-based lobbying team as a senior principal.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education announced today that it would be delaying a decision on next year’s tuition rate until July so it can take into account the amount of funding it will be receiving from the FY24 state budget. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.
Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court handed down sanctions to Fulton County, which, in providing a third-party company access to its Dominion voting machines during the 2020 election, had “willfully violated” a court order. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.
While Pennsylvania remains the second largest producer of natural gas in the nation — behind only Texas — its gas production fell by two percentage points in 2022 due to capacity limitations. The Center Square Pennsylvania has more.
According to American Rivers, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting U.S. waterways, the Lehigh River is one of the top ten most endangered rivers in the country, due in large part to poor planning of warehouse development. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.
At a speech given to the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday evening, Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) offered praise for and levied criticism against certain aspects of the FY24 budget proposed by Governor Josh Shapiro, urging for a “judicious” negotiation process in light of an anticipated recession. City & State Pennsylvania has more.
Toward the end of the last legislative session, Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg hurriedly passed a bundle of five controversial state constitutional amendments — including a declaration that the right to abortion is not constitutionally protected and a voter ID requirement. On Monday, the Commonwealth Court dismissed a challenge to the manner in which the amendments were passed brought by former Governor Tom Wolf. The proposed amendments would need to be passed once more in each chamber during this legislative session, then be approved by Pennsylvania voters before becoming law. The Associated Press has more.
Yesterday, the City of Philadelphia announced that it will be constructing 70 affordable housing units on a portion of the land currently occupied by the University City Townhomes. Current owner IBID Associates will donate approximately one half-acre to the City for the construction of these units, while the remaining three acres will be used for development. District 3 Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who spearheaded the negotiations with IBID, intends to introduce zoning legislation to allow for next steps during next week’s City Council meeting. WHYY has more.
SEPTA has announced that it is currently seeking a contracting partner to build a new fare collection system to replace its SEPTA Key platform, which was originally launched in 2016 and had fully replaced the phased-out token system by 2018. The move is intended to bring SEPTA “into the future” and make it less beholden to third-party vendors for future system updates. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.
The Office of City Commissioners has set the final ballot for the May 16 primary election. The ballot includes 109 total candidates for various municipal offices. Billy Penn has more.
During the opening night of the Aviation & Robotics Summit on Tuesday night, Governor Josh Shapiro praised the Pittsburgh region for the growth of its technology and robotics sector, highlighting Astrobotic and its Peregrine lunar lander as a prime example. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has more.
Current Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has endorsed fellow Democrat Joanna Doven for Allegheny County Council, citing her experience in both the private and public sectors. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has more.
Two Democratic candidates — independent broker Khadijah Harris and local political mainstay Khari Mosley — are going head-to-head in the Democratic primary election for the District 9 County Council seat. WESA has more.
Three school districts in the greater Pittsburgh area — Seneca Valley, Moniteau, and Burgettstown Area School Districts — have filed a federal lawsuit claiming that social media companies have had a detrimental impact on students’ mental health. WTAE has more.
Many Republicans from Pennsylvania and beyond are allegedly skeptical that State Senator Doug Mastriano, who lost his 2022 congressional bid to current Democratic U.S. Senator John Fetterman, could be a serious contender for U.S. Senate in 2024. Even former President Donald Trump has allegedly expressed concern that appearing with Mastriano on the same ballot could potentially hurt his chances of re-election. Politico has more.
Republican businessman Jim Hayes is reportedly planning to announce his candidacy for the U.S. House — for the seat currently held by freshman Democratic Representative Summer Lee — later this week. KDKA has more.
Much has been said about U.S. Senator John Fetterman’s return to office this week after his extended absence to receive mental health treatment. In his first interview since resuming work, the Senator himself has stated that he is finally enjoying his new job. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.
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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.
April 25, 2024
April 25, 2024
April 24, 2024
