????  Friday. It’s day 116 of the state budget impasse

????️  In Today’s Playbook. Meuser’s Campaign, PA GOP Among Republican Groups That Have Spent $1M at Trump Properties. Budget Impasse Continues As PA Lawmakers Travel Abroad, Hold Pricey Fundraisers. What Pennsylvania Voters Need to Know. Fall Foliage Report.

????  Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. I Will Follow. U2

PA Weather
☁️  Allison Park | Mostly Cloudy, 52
????️  Middletown | Mostly Sunny, 59
☀️  New Hope | Sunny, 60

PA Sports
????  Eagles (5-2) | Sun vs. NY Giants
????  Steelers (4-2) | Sun vs. Green Bay
????  Pitt (5-2) | Sat vs. NC State
????  Temple (4-3) | Sat at Tulsa
????  Penn State (3-4) | Nov 1 vs. Ohio State
⚽  Union (20-6-8) | Sun vs. Chicago (MLS Playoffs)
????  Sixers (1-0) | Sat vs. Charlotte
????  Flyers (3-3-1) | Ottawa 1-2 | Sat vs. NY Islanders
????  Penguins (6-2) | Florida 5-3 | Sat vs. Columbus

????  What We’re Hearing. “President Donald Trump said late Thursday that he was ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a television ad opposing U.S. tariffs that he said misstated the facts and called “egregious behavior” aimed at influencing U.S. court decisions.”

✋  Five Things I Think I Think. “The world of Pennsylvania politics never stops, although the occasional admonishment from a parliamentarian not to wear Halloween costumes to the chamber may slow things down a bit. Here are five things that I think I think.” (PoliticsPA)

????  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1.   Meuser’s Campaign, PA GOP Among Republican Groups That Have Spent $1M at Trump Properties

“The 2026 midterms are more than a year away, but Republican political committees are already scoring wins for President Donald Trump’s personal bank account. Trump-aligned political committees have pumped tens of thousands of dollars at Trump-owned private properties in recent weeks.

In late May, days before Trump said he would endorse Rep. Dan Meuser if he ran for Pennsylvania governor, Meuser’s campaign disclosed spending nearly $4,500 on “fundraising” at Mar-a-Lago. The Meuser campaign also spent $15,000 at Mar-a-Lago on fundraising on March 13 and more than $10,000 on March 27.” (NOTUS)

Elsewhere

Is the Next FiveThirtyEight a Gambling Site? “The rise of political betting is not just lucrative for the bettors and the platforms. Its advocates also hope that one day, it can replace the political prediction industry generally and remake the larger political media ecosystem.” (POLITICO)

Dems Bring Out Rep. Deluzio to Support Stelson, Blast Perry For His Comments On Veterans. “Congressman Chris Deluzio campaigned in the Harrisburg area Thursday in support of Janelle Stelson, slamming Congressman Scott Perry for his recent remarks deprecating the military service of Democrats.” (PennLive)

Nearly All PA GOP Us House Members Outraised Democrats in Q3 — Scott Perry’s the Exception. “For the first time in the 2026 cycle, a Democratic challenger in Pennsylvania has outraised an incumbent in what is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched U.S. House races in the country.” (Penn Capital-Star)

‘It’s Cruel, and It’s Not OK’: GOP Health Care Cuts Will Prove Devastating, Officials Say. “We’ve learned a lot about our country the past several weeks simply by watching our most powerful leaders fling cash around with the abandon of drunken relatives tossing rice at a wedding.” (Pittsburgh Union Progress)

State

2.  Budget Impasse Continues As PA Lawmakers Travel Abroad, Hold Pricey Fundraisers

“Pennsylvania’s budget is almost four months late.

For counties, school districts, nonprofits, and contractors, the cost of inaction is piling up. But for the commonwealth’s legislators, it’s been business as usual.

State lawmakers have held at least 133 fundraisers in the 115 days since the June 30 deadline, with another 39 planned for next week, according to a calendar maintained by a Harrisburg lobby shop. These range from a few hours at a coffee shop or bar near the Capitol to a day of shooting pheasants or hitting golf balls, and they’re a prime opportunity for donors to get lawmakers’ ears and push their priorities.” (Spotlight PA)

Elsewhere

PA Colleges, Students Feel Strains of State Budget Impasse. “Millions of dollars in state-issued appropriations and grants are held up in the 2025 budget. That means the state’s publicly funded universities are still waiting on their appropriations, and students who qualified for state-issued grants haven’t received them yet.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

More Than 300,000 Pennsylvanians Need Help Heating Their Homes. The Federal Shutdown Has Delayed That Assistance. “The commonwealth cannot compensate for the hundreds of millions of dollars in funding the federal government typically provides for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Johnny Doc Played a Pivotal Role Electing His Brother to the PA Supreme Court. Ten Years Later, Things Are Different. “Kevin Dougherty benefited from Local 98’s help during his 2015 campaign. This year, labor is still spending big on the justice’s retention.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Redistricting Fight Skips Pennsylvania. “Several states are rushing to redraw their congressional districts, but not Pennsylvania.” (Axios Pittsburgh)

Around The Commonwealth

3.  What Pennsylvania Voters Need to Know Ahead of November’s Election

“Pennsylvanians will head to the polls next month to vote in some distinctive contests.

The highest profile race this year is for three state Supreme Court justices hoping to remain on the bench. Also on the ballot, representing the smallest possible constituency, are candidates seeking to be precinct-level election workers.” (Votebeat)

Elsewhere

Who’s On The Ballot? “Election Day is Tuesday, November 4. Do you know who is on your ballot? Here are links to sample ballots for all 67 counties in the Commonwealth.” (PoliticsPA)

2025 Election Preview: Scranton Mayoral Race. “Incumbent Democrat Paige Cognetti is seeking a second full term as mayor of “The Electric City” while also declaring as a candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat in Congress. She faces three challengers in Republican Trish Beynon, Rik Little and Gene Barrett.” (PoliticsPA)

Erie County Election Board Chairman Accuses Davis of Eroding Voter Trust With ‘False’ Online Statement. “The criticism stems from an Oct. 9 post on Davis’s campaign Facebook page showing a photo of the Nov. 4 ballot and a statement questioning why Democratic candidates are listed first in every race.” (Erie Times-News)

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Who Wins PA’s Yes/No Supreme Court Retention Votes, and Why | John Baer 
• Our Courts Are On the Ballot: So Is the Soul of American Justice | Rogette Harris
• The Salem Witch Trials Describe Trump’s America | David Mills
• Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom | Wall Street Journal
• You Can Kill a Democracy Without a Dictator | Will Freeman
• Larry Krasner, Meet Harry Truman | Larry Platt
• Republican Leaders: Stop Holding Pennsylvania — And the Nation — Hostage | York Dispatch

1 Thing

5.  Leaf Peeping

Cold nights toward the end of last week fueled the steady march of color southward throughout Pennsylvania. However, a weekend storm system stripped leaves from countless hardwood trees. Despite the storm, vibrant foliage remains in a significant chunk of the Keystone State. This week will be a fantastic time to observe fall beauty in Penn’s Woods from the Piedmont forests in southeastern PA, to the middle and southern Appalachians, to the Allegheny Plateau to the west. (DCNR)

Thanks for starting your weekend with us.
Get outside and enjoy the fall weather. See you Monday.