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.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are set to miss a July 24 state Supreme Court deadline to rewrite sentencing laws for second-degree murder following a March ruling that mandatory life sentences without parole violate the state constitution. Although the Republican-controlled Senate passed HB1400, a bill establishing a 35-year minimum sentence with parole eligibility, House Democratic leadership confirmed that no legislative compromise will be reached before the mandate expires. Although the House passed HB1042 as amended, a House version of the felony murder guidelines that includes sections on educational credits and medical release for inmates, the Republican-controlled Senate will not take it up for consideration. As a result of the legislative stalemate, the task of resentencing more than 1,100 eligible inmates may fall to individual county Common Pleas judges across the commonwealth on a case-by-case basis.
According to the Governor’s Office, Reggie McNeil will step down as the Pennsylvania Department of General Services Secretary on July 31, 2026, marking the fourth cabinet departure since Governor Josh Shapiro took office. A former naval officer who assumed the role in 2023, McNeil’s tenure featured cost-saving measures through a reduced reliance on leased spaces, an accessibility study of the Capitol Complex, and expanded government contracting opportunities for small businesses. While no official reason was provided for his exit, Executive Deputy Secretary Sandra Aguilera, who currently manages the department’s day-to-day operations and previously worked in the Bureau of Elections, will assume the role of Acting Secretary beginning August 1.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has officially abandoned its plan to convert two rural warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into large-scale detention centers. The federal agency withdrew its appeal after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection denied necessary water and wastewater permits, citing inadequate local infrastructure to support the thousands of proposed inhabitants. Following the withdrawal, the agency confirmed in a letter to the state that the properties will not be used for detention purposes. The proposed facilities were originally part of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s $38 billion national detention expansion initiative, a program that current Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently paused following widespread community backlash over unannounced property acquisitions. Governor Josh Shapiro supported the state’s permit denial, noting that converting the warehouses would have posed serious risks to the health, safety, and infrastructure of the surrounding communities.
Ahead of the 2026 midterms, Pennsylvania Democrats are experiencing a surge in political momentum driven by significant voter registration gains and historic fundraising numbers from Governor Josh Shapiro. Since January, the state Democratic Party has expanded its registration advantage to over 200,000 by adding nearly 25,500 voters, contrasting with a decline of over 4,500 Republican registrations during the same period. Governor Shapiro’s reelection campaign has also amassed a record-breaking $60 million since 2023, representing nearly twenty percent of all funds raised by major party gubernatorial candidates since 2010.
In a recent event in Philadelphia, Governor Josh Shapiro highlighted the $125 million “Innovate in PA 2.0” program included in the 2026–27 state budget. The initiative is designed to support the commonwealth’s technology-driven sectors, including biotechnology, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture, by bridging the gap between early-stage research and commercial viability. The program will provide direct funding to promising startups, support clinical trials for medical breakthroughs, and bolster workforce development. Joined by various healthcare, labor, and industry leaders, Governor Shapiro emphasized that these strategic investments will help keep Pennsylvania competitive on a national level by nurturing local innovation and expanding access to high-paying jobs.
Despite widespread bipartisan support among Pennsylvania lawmakers to end tax breaks for data centers, which are projected to cost the commonwealth nearly $2 billion over five years, the General Assembly adjourned for the summer without passing legislation to repeal the exemption. House Democrats and Senate Republicans traded blame for the legislative failure, leaving the newly adopted $50.8 billion state budget with only a baseline requirement for large data centers to report their energy and water usage. Following the breakdown in negotiations, Governor Josh Shapiro announced plans to explore executive authority to establish regulatory standards and condition tax incentives for future data center projects.
Governor Shapiro signs 24 bills into law. The approved legislation includes HB482: Pennsylvania Joining the National Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, HB858: Eliminating Blight and Revitalizing Communities, HB1102: Providing Opportunities to Serve in National Guard through Targeted Incentives, HB1286: Human Trafficking Awareness Training For Hospitality Workers, HB1646: Keeping the Board of Barber Examiners Operating Smoothly, HB1830: Flashing Blue Lights for Roadside Assistance Vehicles, HB1851: Expanding Midwifery Access and Authority for Healthier Communities, HB1860: Permitting Remote Work for Employees in the Vehicle Sales Financing Industry, HB1862: Making Necessary Updates to Pennsylvania’s Ignition Interlock Law, HB2017: Removing an Unnecessary Obstacle to Nuclear Development in Pennsylvania, HB2024: Increasing Awareness of Military Sexual Trauma, HB2426: River Pilots – Changing the Maximum Draft Size from Twenty-Seven Feet to Twenty-Nine Feet, HB2559: Property Deals, SB45: Prostitution Penalty Enhancement Legislation, SB130: Notice of VA Burial Benefits for Veterans, SB331: Cosmetology Licensure Compact, SB349: Bonding of Solar Installations, SB511: Korean War Armistice Day, SB779: Protecting Consumers from Abusive Towing Practices, SB992: Prohibiting Telemarketers from Spoofing Phone Numbers, SB1058: Modernizing Fuel Standards, SB1181: Taking Over Township Roads, SB1294: Reinforcing Commercial Vehicle Safety, and SB1353: Amends Trailer Legislation.
At a U.S. Global Leadership Coalition event in Philadelphia, local political, business, and military leaders discussed how international visibility and diplomatic engagement support regional economic growth following major global hosting events. Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2) highlighted that the city’s expanding international profile attracts foreign corporate investment, but warned that recent federal foreign policy shifts, including trade tariffs, protectionism, and funding cuts to international health aid, threaten global diplomatic stability and jeopardize Pennsylvania’s life sciences and vaccine manufacturing industries.
Pittsburgh City Council granted preliminary approval to a $50 million Transit Revitalization Investment District plan aimed at countering high office vacancies and declining property values in Downtown, the North Shore, and the Strip District. The tax-subsidy proposal allocates $40 million for building redevelopment and $10 million for transit infrastructure, utilizing future property tax revenues to pay off the development bonds. To address opposition from labor unions and advocacy groups concerning job displacement during property conversions, officials amended the legislation to mandate prevailing wages, collective bargaining agreements with no-strike clauses, and displacement mitigation plans for eligible projects. While proponents argue the incentives are necessary to prevent vertical blight and rebuild the city’s core tax base, opponents express concerns over the city’s urgent financial needs, the lack of affordable housing requirements, and the allocation of public funds to private developers. The measure awaits a final council vote and further approval from Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) recently indicated that the GOP would welcome Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) if he chooses to leave the Democratic Party, pointing to the Pennsylvania lawmaker’s moderate positions. Speculation about a potential party switch intensified after Senator Fetterman stated he would leave if Democrats officially adopt an anti-Israel platform. His increasingly independent political maneuvers, including forming a joint fundraising committee with Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) and publicly criticizing progressive candidates, have sparked anxiety among some Democratic colleagues. Despite declining approval ratings among Democratic voters and encouragement from some to become an independent, Senator Fetterman has downplayed rumors of an imminent departure, maintaining that he continues to support core party platform issues like abortion, labor, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted along party lines to advance State Senator Doug Mastriano’s (R-33) nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia to the full Senate floor. The nomination cleared committee after Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) received administration commitments regarding global AIDS relief funding, consolidating Republican support against unified Democratic opposition. During committee proceedings, Democratic members questioned the retired Army colonel and 2022 gubernatorial nominee regarding past controversial statements and his involvement in efforts following the 2020 election, while Senator Mastriano maintained that former President Joe Biden was the certified winner and affirmed his dedication to upholding the Constitution. Supported by Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA), Senator Mastriano now awaits a final confirmation vote on the Senate floor, where he will need near-unanimous backing from the Republican conference to secure the diplomatic post.
U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) joined Senate Democratic colleagues to reintroduce the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, a comprehensive bill aimed at ending the federal prohibition of marijuana. The proposed legislation would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, allowing states to determine their own laws while establishing federal regulatory oversight across public health, safety, taxation, and research through agencies like the FDA and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The measure also incorporates criminal justice reform by providing automatic expungements for nonviolent federal cannabis offenses, allocating tax revenues toward community reinvestment programs, and expanding worker protections across the industry.
Following the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham and the anticipated shifting of committee leadership roles, Senator David McCormick (R-PA) is poised to become the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee next Congress. Current Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT) may transition to lead the Judiciary Committee, and other senior Republicans are either ineligible or expected to pursue alternative leadership positions. Senator McCormick, who currently chairs the Energy Subcommittee, has distinguished himself as a proponent of the natural gas industry and artificial intelligence development, advocating for permitting reform and the easing of environmental regulations to meet growing energy demands. While some Western lawmakers have expressed concerns regarding his focus on public lands, industry observers note his bipartisan legislative efforts and transaction-oriented approach to national energy policy.
A proposed agricultural labor bill introduced by Representative G.T. Thompson (R-PA-15) has created a major rift among Republicans over immigration policy. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act seeks to alleviate farm labor shortages by offering temporary legal status to certain undocumented agricultural workers and expanding the H-2A guest worker program to include year-round industries such as dairy farming. Supported by dozens of Republican lawmakers and agricultural industry groups who emphasize the need for a stable food supply, the measure has faced sharp backlash from conservative immigration hawks who view the provision as an unacceptable grant of legal status that conflicts with strict border security commitments. With House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH-4) confirming that the proposal will not be included in a pending border security package, the legislation’s prospects remain uncertain.
More than 200 American mayors sent a letter to U.S. Senate leadership requesting a reversal of deep cuts and new restrictions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) established under recent federal legislation. The bipartisan coalition warned that added work requirements, stricter eligibility rules, and cost-sharing penalties based on state payment error rates will push millions off food assistance and strain municipal resources. Seven Pennsylvania mayors signed the letter: Matt Tuerk of Allentown, Stefan Roots of Chester, Erica Deuso of Downingtown, Daria Devlin of Erie, Jaime Arroyo of Lancaster, Paige Cognetti of Scranton, and the Mayor of Philadelphia.
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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.
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August 13, 2026
August 13, 2026
August 12, 2026
