Pennsylvania Perspective for Thursday, July 9, 2026

Pennsylvania

PA Lawmakers Ready Weekend Voting Sessions for the Budget

Pennsylvania lawmakers are showing signs of closing in on a budget agreement, prompting state senators to return to Harrisburg following their holiday recess. Senate leadership informed members that sufficient progress has been made to warrant a return to session, scheduling committee meetings for Friday night and alerting the full body to prepare for floor votes over the weekend. The state House also announced a voting session at noon on Sunday. The news comes after the General Assembly failed to meet its June 30 constitutional budget deadline.

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Gubernatorial Candidates on Data Centers and Cannabis

Incumbent Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro and Republican challenger and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity have established contrasting positions on data center development and cannabis policy. For data centers, Governor Shapiro advocates for his voluntary “GRID” standards, offering fast-tracked permitting and preserving computer equipment sales tax exemptions for tech developers who hit clean energy and workforce benchmarks. Treasurer Garrity demands a temporary developmental pause alongside mandatory location restrictions to keep campuses on brownfields away from residential zones, while also backing a total repeal of the state’s tech tax exemptions. On cannabis policy, Governor Shapiro continues to urge the General Assembly to legalize and levy a 26% tax on recreational adult-use marijuana to generate an estimated $200 million for restorative justice and structural state deficits. Treasurer Garrity opposes recreational legalization, calling marijuana an addictive public health threat.

Severe Weekend Thunderstorms, Fatalities, Infrastructure Damage

A series of severe weekend thunderstorms impacted 64 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, resulting in three fatalities, severe flooding, and extensive property damage. According to state emergency officials, high winds downed utility infrastructure and initially knocked out power to over 100,000 homes and businesses, prompting the emergency management agency to authorize out-of-country utility workers to accelerate grid repairs. The severe weather also forced the closure of 205 roads and two bridges across the commonwealth; while many have since reopened, local authorities are continuing detailed damage assessments to determine if the state qualifies for federal recovery assistance threshold programs.

Premium Costs Force PA Residents to Drop Health Coverage

A new analysis from the state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reveals that approximately 160,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped their health insurance through Pennie, the state’s official Affordable Care Act exchange, resulting in a net year-over-year enrollment decline of 8%. According to the report, the falloff in coverage was triggered by the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits that had subsidized insurance costs since the pandemic. The loss of these subsidies has disproportionately impacted middle-income households earning above 400% of the federal poverty line, forcing many families to face steep out-of-pocket rate increases or downgrade plans. Healthcare providers express concern that this trend will lead to an increase in the state’s uninsured rate and increase uncompensated hospital care costs. While a state-level affordability program exists to provide alternative health subsidies, state budget negotiators are finding it difficult to fund the estimated $600 million required to backfill the federal shortfall due to a looming structural deficit.

Federal Judge Dismisses Official Liability but Allows Personal Lawsuit Against Governor Shapiro in Property Dispute

A Philadelphia federal judge partially dismissed a lawsuit against Governor Josh Shapiro in his official capacity while ruling that his Abington Township neighbors can legally pursue their federal claims against him and First Lady Lori Shapiro as individual homeowners. The dispute arose after Governor Shapiro’s neighbors alleged that the state illegally occupied a 2,900-square-foot strip of their yard to implement security measures, including landscaping and state police drone surveillance, following a 2025 firebombing attack at the state governor’s mansion. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III determined that state officials are shielded by immunity, but rejected the governor’s motion to dismiss the personal claims, ruling that the case involves constitutional property and due process violations that extend beyond a standard boundary disagreement. 

Defeated Senate Primary Challenger Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Washington County Officials

Greene County businessman Al Buchtan has filed a federal lawsuit against the Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC), the Washington County Board of Elections, and two county commissioners, alleging unlawful election interference and defamation during his recent primary challenge against incumbent State Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46). Buchtan, who lost the May primary for the 46th Senate District by nearly seven percentage points, claims that the defendants disseminated campaign mailers falsely stating he was under an active state criminal investigation for voter fraud. The lawsuit also accuses Washington County officials of improperly canceling his local voter registration without due notice following a pre-election residency dispute where courts allowed him to remain on the ballot but designated him a Greene County resident. While Senator Bartolotta characterized the litigation as a reflection of her former opponent’s litigious nature, the named county officials and the SRCC have declined to comment on the pending federal complaint.

Federal

Justice Department Appeals Dismissal of PA Voter Data Lawsuit

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a formal notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit after a federal judge dismissed its lawsuit aimed at acquiring Pennsylvania’s comprehensive voter registration records. The legal action, which names Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt as the defendant, is part of a broader federal initiative that has requested voter data from at least 26 states to audit compliance with the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Federal civil rights prosecutors claim that Pennsylvania has illegally obstructed oversight efforts by withholding detailed electronic voter lists containing highly sensitive fields, including voters’ full names, addresses, dates of birth, and partial Social Security or driver’s license numbers. State election officials have resisted the sweeping mandate, counter-arguing that the federal government’s aggressive collection of personal data on millions of citizens represents a concerning attempt to expand federal authority over localized, state-administered electoral processes.

Justice Department Issues Criminal Prosecution Warnings to State Election Officials Over Noncitizen Voting

The U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent a warning letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt and top election officials nationwide, indicating that state election administrators could face federal criminal charges under the National Voter Registration Act if noncitizens are permitted to vote in upcoming federal elections. The communication forms part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to compel states to submit unredacted voter rolls containing sensitive personal details, such as Social Security and driver’s license numbers. Schmidt and the Pennsylvania Department of State rejected the warning, affirming full compliance with federal and state laws and reiterating that the Department of Justice lacks statutory authority to demand broad access to confidential voter data. The dispute follows a federal district court decision dismissing a related Justice Department lawsuit as an unsubstantiated “fishing expedition,” alongside a recent audit by Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor that uncovered no evidence of widespread noncitizen registration within the state’s Motor Voter system.

PA Congressional Delegation Remains Divided on H.R. 1

One year after the enactment of H.R. 1, also known as President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation remains polarized over the long-term domestic impacts of the sweeping legislation. Republican allies, such as U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA-3), label the law the “Working Families Tax Cuts” and champion its success, citing Treasury data that shows financial relief for middle-class filers alongside millions of newly claimed tax deductions for tips and overtime pay. Conversely, Democratic lawmakers, led by U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2), condemned the measure as a regressive policy that delivers trillions in tax cuts to high earners while stripping healthcare and food assistance programs from vulnerable populations. Nonpartisan estimates warn that more than 300,000 state residents face a total loss of health insurance due to the law’s new Medicaid spending constraints and work requirements.

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