Skip to main content
Main content

The high bar for 3rd party ballot access in PA

Plus, "non-lethal" police force has killed 100s.

The logo of PA Post, a free daily newsletter delivering the top news from across Pennsylvania every day.

A daily newsletter by The logo of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom producing investigative journalism for Pennsylvania.
Your Postmaster: Colin Deppen



Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Today: Ballot access, "non-lethal" force, SCOTUS watch, AI warnings, cannabis sales, water worries, and the year's first swine flu case.
THIRD PARTIES
A relatively new political party wants to join races for two of the commonwealth’s elected row offices. 

The Forward Party, which casts itself as a potential home for moderates who feel alienated by major party politics, wants to run candidates for attorney general and treasurer on the November 2024 ballot. 

But to do that successfully, the party needs to navigate a confusing system that relies partly on the commonwealth’s Election Code, partly on precedent, and partly on state policy — elements of which could be changed in court at any time. 

Read Spotlight PA's full report: The Forward Party wants to be on Pa.’s 2024 general election ballot. It must overcome several hurdles.
 NEW IN STOCK! 

'Now Brewing the Truth' mugs!

Make a bold statement with refined style with our 12 oz. matte black coffee/latte mug. SHOP THE SALE NOW >
NOTABLE / QUOTABLE

"We do not tolerate or support hate and are actively working to ensure our DEI office and our next DEI official will have the impact that is needed here."

—Delaware County spokesperson Adrienne Marofsky on the firing of Lauren Footman, the county's first DEI director, after Footman accused her boss of racial discrimination; Marofsky said the firing was unrelated
 
📅 UPCOMING EVENTS
TRUSTING ELECTIONS: Join us TODAY at 6 p.m. ET on Zoom for a live panel Q&A with Al Schmidt, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of State, on creating trust in our election system and combatting misinformation. Register here and submit questions here or to events@spotlightpa.org
 
📷 POST IT
As seen by @jan.schwartz3 in Forks Township, Northampton County. Have a Pennsylvania photo of your own to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania
A small red bird perched on a budding branch.
DAILY RUNDOWN
Today's top news story in Pennsylvania.'NON-LETHAL': More than a thousand people nationwide died over the course of a decade after police subdued them using "non-lethal" force, the AP found, noting frequent lapses in protocol and training. In Pittsburgh, experts found a "slew of errors" by the police who repeatedly tased Jim Rogers before his death in custody. One of the cops involved was reinstated last month with full back pay.

Today's second top news story in Pennsylvania.SCOTUS WATCH: The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to preserve access to a medication used in two-thirds of U.S. abortions, MSNBC reports. If it doesn't, Pittsburgh's WESA says telehealth access to the drug, mifepristone, would be upended in Pennsylvania, a large state where abortion clinic deserts persist

Today's third top news story in Pennsylvania.AI DISCLAIMERS: As experts issue warnings ahead of the "first presidential campaign of the AI era," a bill is on the move in Harrisburg that would require businesses statewide to identify any AI-generated content as such. Attorney general candidate and state Rep. Craig Williams (R., Delaware) feels the measure is too heavy-handed.

Today's fourth top news story in Pennsylvania.POT PROFITS: Recreational cannabis sales could generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Pennsylvania annually if approved. But Marijuana Moment notes the amounts could have been much higher had the commonwealth made the move before all but one neighboring state, a delay that cost it a gold rush in cross-border sales.

Today's fifth top news story in Pennsylvania.WATER WORRIES: Encina's proposed chemical recycling plant in Northumberland County is still in the works after the October withdrawal of a permit application. It's also still generating pushback — despite the Texas company's assurances — over millions of gallons of wastewater that would be pumped into the Susquehanna River daily.
IN OTHER NEWS
SWINE FLU: The first human case of swine flu in an American this year has been confirmed in Pennsylvania, per the CDC. The 18-year-old patient had mild symptoms and no person-to-person transmission was identified.

BUYER BEWARE: If you suspect you've been sold a fake pair of viewing glasses for next week's solar eclipse, don't use them and report it to the Pennsylvania attorney general's consumer protection hotline.

ELECTION ECLIPSE: The eclipse led Erie County to extend its voter registration deadline by a day, to April 9, amid concerns that throngs of tourists would impede would-be voters from signing up, per WITF.

DYED VOTES: Pennsylvania-made Peeps still contain carcinogenic red dye No. 3. But The Inquirer (paywall) reports bipartisan legislation introduced in Harrisburg last month would ban the additive and others here.

ELECTRIC SURGE: Electric vehicle ownership is up 45% in Pennsylvania compared to a year ago, the Center Square reports. Counting plug-in hybrids, there are almost 375,000 EVs registered here now.
 
SCRAMBLER
Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted.
 
I M A R L I T S B

Yesterday's answer: Sibylline 

Congrats to our daily winners: Kimberly D., Barbara F., Margaret D., Elaine C., Lynne E., Jon W., Don H., Bob C., Richard A., Alan B., Stacy S., Wendy S., Beth H., Tom M., Susan N.-Z., David W., Stanley J., Wendy A., Malachy M., Jeffrey F., William Z., and Gabrielle G. 
Like PA Post? Share it with a friend.

Love PA Post? Support it with a tax-deductible gift.

Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here.
SUPPORT SPOTLIGHT PA
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan & nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania.

For sponsorship inquiries, email membership@spotlightpa.org.

Copyright © Spotlight PA, All rights reserved.

Spotlight PA
PO Box 11728
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728

newsletters@spotlightpa.org

You're receiving this email because you subscribed to PA Post, a daily newsletter by Spotlight PA.


This email was sent to: <<Email Address>>

Receiving too many emails from Spotlight PA?

To change your newsletter subscriptions and frequency, you can update your preferences.

To stop receiving fundraising messages, you can update your preferences and select "Opt out of Fundraising."

To stop receiving ALL EMAILS from Spotlight PA, including all of our investigations and newsletters, you can completely unsubscribe here.