Republicans in the state Senate on Wednesday passed legislation that would create a first-of-its-kind private school voucher program in Pennsylvania, the move coming weeks after Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro line-item vetoed the proposal to ensure passage of a larger $45.5 billion state budget bill.
 
Shapiro's signature did not complete the budget process, with code bills still needing to be hashed out to direct $1.1 billion in funding to budget priorities on public defenders, hospitals, home repair grants, and more.

Progress was made Wednesday, but Spotlight PA reports the state House and Senate remain stubbornly at odds over education and other key costs.

Read the full report: Pennsylvania's 2023-2024 state budget inches forward, but lawmakers still split on stalled education funding.

THE CONTEXT: State senators started Wednesday with a bill focused on less-controversial provisions, though some Democrats argued it didn’t address the bulk of the stalled spending, including funding to continue the popular Whole-Home Repairs Program and a stipend for student teachers.

The bill, which would release funding for increased first responder reimbursements, regular allocations to hospitals, judicial fees, aid to public libraries, and universal free school breakfast, passed 29-18 with state Sen. Lisa Boscola (D., Lehigh) crossing party lines to vote with Republicans. 

A second bill passed by the state Senate on Wednesday included Republicans’ more partisan priorities, such as a reintroduction of the school voucher program that Shapiro already axed from the main budget — and which state House Democrats have summarily rejected.

The measures still have to pass the Democratic-controlled House, which isn't expected to do so without significant changes. The House is still scheduled to come back to order in late September, but a spokesperson for Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said they “are not foreclosing on the possibility that we may return sooner if an agreement is reached.”

SUSAN'S LAW: Belt magazine recounts the death of Pittsburgh cyclist Susan Hicks in a piece called "the accident that changed a city." A protected-bike-lane bill named for Hicks was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2022 over a provision targeting progressive Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner.

STEEL SALE: Pennsylvania-based US Steel is reviewing multiple buyout offers after rejecting one from rival Cleveland-Cliffs worth $7.3 billion. US Steel, the world's first billion-dollar corporation, gave no timeline for a decision.

CANDID CAMERA: A hub of wild elk activity in rural Elk County is livestreaming again. The Game Commission camera on State Game Lands 311 is broadcasting and just in time for peak viewing, per TribLIVE.

SOUND OFF: Pickleball is the it-sport of the summer and emergency rooms everywhere. But one Cranberry Township resident says the noise from a nearby pickleball court is harming his health, via WTAE.

BUS DAD: Reid Moon of Zelienople claims 200 children — the students who rode his school bus over a 27-year career. They've stayed in touch, Reid has officiated their weddings, and they recently held a "family" reunion.