5/1 Playbook: Thompson Gets Farm Bill Across House Finish Line

May 1, 2026 | 8:01 AM EDT

Steve Ulrich

???? Good Morning! It’s Kentucky Derby weekend.

???? PoliticsPA Playbook Headlines. Thompson Gets Farm Bill Across House Finish Line. SCOTUS Restricts Voting Right Act, But Effect On Pennsylvania Likely Limited. Primary Election For Allentown House Seat Exposes Rift In Democratic Party. Craft Brewers Are Producing Less Beer in PA

???? Your Morning Pick Me Up. Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It. Will Smith

PA Weather
☔ Washington | Showers Likely, 58
????️ Grantville | Increasing Clouds, 63
☀️ Devon | Sunny, 64

???? Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s premier source for nonpartisan political news and analysis. Tips or press releases can be sent to [email protected].

???? The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here.

Top Story

1. Thompson Gets Farm Bill Across House Finish Line

“The House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) with a final vote of 224-200 after months of uncertainty about whether Republican leaders would be able to secure enough support to pass the legislation.

The Act reauthorizes key USDA programs through 2031. The bill updates farm policy to strengthen supply chains, expand credit access for producers, and enhance crop insurance. By investing in rural broadband and infrastructure, it addresses modern challenges to support our farmers, ranchers, and foresters.” | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Moves to Shift Grid Costs to Data Centers. “Pennsylvania, an epicenter of the data center boom, is finalizing a new framework to make the energy-hungry facilities shoulder more of their costs to the electrical grid. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Thursday voted 5-0 to advance a new model tariff for large-load customers — essentially setting new guidance for how the commonwealth’s utilities can ensure the public doesn’t pay for data center infrastructure.” | POLITICO

Something Liberals and Conservatives Agree On: Hatred of Data Centers. “Americans have soured on the projects, polls show, and the sentiment is profoundly bipartisan. How will that change our politics?” | New York Times

Fetterman Stock Purchase Draws Scrutiny Over Timing and Senate Committee Role. “A recent stock purchase by Sen. John Fetterman is raising eyebrows for its timing and because the company has reportedly received billions in federal funding that his committee oversees.” | PennLive

Meuser Erupts at TMZ Reporter Over DHS Funding Questions: ‘Talk to the F‑‑‑ing Democrats’. “Rep. Dan Meuser snapped at a reporter for TMZ who peppered him with questions about Congress’s inability to pass a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill and the upcoming recess.” | The Hill

Bipartisan Pair of Senators Introduces Prediction Markets Bill. “Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced legislation Thursday that would update federal commodities regulation for prediction markets as the Trump administration seeks to assert its jurisdiction over them.” | Semafor

State

2. U.S. Supreme Court Restricts Voting Rights Act, But Effect On Pennsylvania Likely Limited

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in a Louisiana voting rights case will make it harder to challenge political maps as being racially discriminatory, but the ruling will likely have limited effect on statewide district maps in Pennsylvania, where the state constitution provides stronger protections against gerrymandering.” | Votebeat Pennsylvania

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Leaders Slam Supreme Court Voting Decision. ““The Voting Rights Act has proven to be successful at giving more and more Black Americans a louder voice in our democracy and more representation in our democracy,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday. “And you don’t need to be a lawyer to understand that yesterday, the Supreme Court just simply gutted all of that.” | Philadelphia Tribune

Shapiro’s Office Doubles Down: Governor Personally Confirms He Has Never Browsed The Internet On State Devices. “Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office has now submitted a third sworn statement to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records insisting the governor has never browsed the internet on a state device — this time claiming that Shapiro himself personally confirmed it through his chief of staff.” | Broad + Liberty

Davis Says Pennsylvania Will Never Be A Right-To-Work State. “Addressing the annual gathering of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters in Hershey earlier this week, Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis made a pledge to its members as he and his boss, Josh Shapiro, seek a second term in November.” | The Center Square

Fetterman Tells DHS Secretary He Still Opposes ICE Detention Centers In Two PA Counties. “After originally sharing his opposition to the detention centers in Schuylkill and Berks counties with former Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem, Sen. John Fetterman reiterated his stance to new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former Senate colleague whose nomination Fetterman supported.” | PennLive

Around The Commonwealth

3. How 2026 Primary Election For Allentown House Seat Is Exposing A Rift In Democratic Party

“A heated Democratic primary in the heart of Allentown is exposing a divide between Democratic Party leaders and the party’s more progressive wing.

In a race that has major implications for Democrats’ power in Harrisburg, Democratic state Rep. Ana Tiburcio — seeking to hold onto her seat in the 22nd District that she won in a special election in February — faces a primary challenge from Ce-Ce Gerlach, an Allentown City Council member and former school board member.” | Morning Call

Elsewhere

PA-07: Brooks Unveils His ‘Put Out The Fire’ Agenda. “With just a little more than two weeks remaining until Pennsylvania’s May 19 primary, Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District Bob Brooks is laying out his agenda for what he will do for Lehigh Valley voters in Washington if elected.” | PoliticsPA

‘I’m The Only One That’s Ever Been An Elected Official’: In PA-07 Dem Primary, Lamont McClure Runs On His Record. “The former Northampton County Executive emphasizes his Carbon County roots – and his singular position as the only locally elected politician.” | City & State

PA-07 Democrats Tackle Deficit Spending and Federal Shutdowns. “Former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine took our questions on tackling the national debt and their willingness to engage in government shutdowns if elected.” | LehighValleyNews

Rivera Announces He Won’t Seek Reelection As Berks Commissioner. “Berks County Commissioner Michael Rivera announced Thursday that he will not run for a third term in 2027.” | Reading Eagle

Editorial

4. What Do You Think?

Trump Has No Clue What His Supreme Court Has Just Unleashed | Greg Sargent
Pennsylvania’s Treasurer Blocks $1 Million For Josh Shapiro’s Home Security One Year After Attack | Salena Zito
SCOTUS Ruling on Voting Rights Is The Trump Administration’s Latest Attempt to Decimate Black Political Power | Solomon Jones
Trump Needs the Guidance of a Democratic Congress | Bernard S. Sharfman
John Fetterman, the White House Ballroom, and His Divorce From Reality | Adriana E. Ramírez
Leadership Is Not About Clout | Rogette Harris

1 Thing

5. Craft Brewers Are Producing Less Beer in Pennsylvania

“Pennsylvania’s craft beer industry took a hit last year as production plunged.

Driving the news: Production fell roughly 28% among Pennsylvania craft brewers in 2025 from the previous year, per data from the Brewers Association.

The industry’s economic impact in the state also dipped 6.5% in 2025 to $4.8 billion.

State of play: 538 craft breweries were operating across the state last year — five more than in 2024. That includes Pennsylvania-based Yuengling, which held onto its title as the nation’s largest craft brewery in 2025.” | Axios Philadelphia

Thanks for starting your weekend with us.
Here comes May. See you Monday.

Steve Ulrich

Ulrich has worked as managing editor of PoliticsPA since January 2022 after spending two years as the Director of Elections in York (Pa.) County. Prior to that, he spent 35 years as a college athletics administrator. Send email to [email protected]