Scott Perry and the House Freedom Caucus
6/1 Playbook: The Rise and Fall of Freedom Caucus Leaders
🙏 Good Morning. My thanks to Taylor Tappen for handling the Playbook last week and giving me a chance to recharge the batteries for Budget Season.
PoliticsPA Playbook 3 Things. Rise, Fall of House Freedom Caucus Leaders. Are Skill Games Legal? Imbalances Reshape PA Property Tax Landscape
🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Clampdown. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
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Top Story
1. The Rise and Fall of the House Freedom Caucus Leaders
“As he came down the center aisle of the House for his February State of the Union address, President Donald Trump shook the hands of many Republicans looking for their couple seconds of fame on national TV.
But he breezed past Rep. Chip Roy, never looking him in the eye and moving on to pose for a selfie with another Republican.
That moment summed up Trump’s rocky relationship with the Texas firebrand and, more broadly, the House Freedom Caucus. The group of roughly three dozen far-right lawmakers rose to prominence by derailing legislation and helping to force out GOP speakers. Their relationship with Trump has been complicated over the years, but their power has waned significantly as Trump’s power has grown.” | NOTUS
Elsewhere
Chris Rabb’s Campaign Was A Massive Win For Philly Progressives. Now, He Wants To Replicate It Across The Country. “After winning Philadelphia’s heated 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, Rabb is turning his attention to supporting like-minded candidates.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Why Brian Fitzpatrick Helped Fund An Early Offense Against Bob Harvie In Key Bucks County Congressional Race. “A ‘king,’ ‘arrogant,’ and ‘elitist:’ U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick hits Democrat Bob Harvie with early attack ads in closely watched Pennsylvania race.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Shapiro on Netanyahu, Kamala Harris and the 2028 Race. “Over South Philly pizza, the Pennsylvania governor dismissed talk of 2028 while laying out his vision for the Democratic Party.” | POLITICO
Who’s Leading the Wide-Open 2028 Democratic Presidential Field? “The 2028 Democratic presidential primary has no candidates, no front-runner and no obvious lane. That hasn’t stopped the shadow campaign from beginning.” | Washington Post
State
2. Legislature Unlikely To Act On Skill Games Until the PA Supreme Court Rules On Their Legality
“Pennsylvania lawmakers say they’re waiting for the state’s highest court to decide whether skill games are legal before they once again attempt to regulate and tax the machines.
Slot-like skill games exist in a legal gray area and have proliferated across the state in taverns, gas stations, and corner stores. They are one of the legislature’s top contenders for new taxes to raise revenue for transit, education, and other budgetary needs.” | Spotlight PA
Elsewhere
Shapiro Couldn’t Avoid The Questions About Him. He Decided He Doesn’t Want To. “For now, Josh Shapiro says his focus is on Pennsylvania – “the state that decides it all,” as he likes to say.” | CNN
PA Data Center Pause? Garrity, Shapiro Stake Out Positions. “At a time when politics is bitterly divided, at least one issue seems capable of transcending the partisan divide: data centers.” | WESA
Sen. Katie Muth Introduces Bill To Prevent Data Centers From Becoming Public Utilities. “Artificial intelligence entrepreneur Sam Altman’s remarks envisioning a future when AI is as ubiquitous as running water have prompted legislation to make clear that data centers are not public utilities.” | Penn Capital-Star
Lackluster Primary Election Paves Path To Hotly Contested Midterm Battles Across Pennsylvania. “If Pennsylvania voters found the May 19 primary election a bit dull because of a lack of competitive races, get ready for a multi-dimensional November general election full of bruising battles.” | WVIA
Around The Commonwealth
3. From Bucks to Franklin, Imbalances Reshape PA Property Tax Landscape
“Property assessments should be close to a property’s market value. That stasis achieves uniform real estate taxation. It establishes fairness and balances most local governments’ primary revenue source, property tax.
In Franklin County, where a countywide reassessment has not been conducted since 1961, disparities between assessed and market values have grown so wide that, on average, properties are assessed around 7% of their market value.
While that’s one of the lowest such percentages in the state, Franklin County isn’t alone in Pennsylvania in an out-of-date reassessment or property value imbalance.” | USA Today Network
Elsewhere
They Voted For Trump. Here’s How They Feel About High Gas Prices. “With the midterm elections five months away, many Americans who back President Trump are wrestling with pain at the pump and the war in Iran.” | New York Times
PA Voters More Dissatisfied, Especially With Trump Tariffs, Jan. 6 Fund. “Pennsylvania voters are increasingly disgruntled about where the country and state are headed and about politicians — especially if you’re asking them about President Donald Trump’s latest policy moves.” | PennLive
What is CAP? Behind The Group Supporting Lancaster County Republicans In Statewide Races. “A Pennsylvania nonprofit that received significant financial support from the skill games industry during the spring primary campaign is playing a growing role in trying to sway Lancaster County Republicans to support candidates who commit to supporting the group’s agenda.” | LNP
Inside the Taxpayer-Funded Payroll of Allegheny County’s Courts. “Pittsburgh’s Public Source analyzed 2025 payroll data for more than 1,000 court employees, offering a new look at the public workforce behind Allegheny County’s judicial system.” | Public Source
Editorial
4. What Do You Think?
- Democrats Promise to Wreck the Supreme Court | Wall Street Journal
- A Republican Time For Choosing | Mike Pence
- Do PA Democrats Want a Revolution? | Guy Ciarrocchi
- Trump’s 250th Celebration Is a Fiasco | David Frum
- Shapiro Is ‘Patient Zero’ of ‘Data Center Virus’ | Chris Kelly
- George Washington Tried To Warn Us About Putting Party Before Country | Michel J. Faulkner
- Pennsylvania’s Reading Law Won’t Work Without Trained Teachers To Implement It | VeAundrea Smith
- Judicial Fiat Rides Again in Pennsylvania: Part I | Dorothy Osanna
1 Thing
5. Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ Philadelphia Show Was An Unabashedly Partisan, Spirit-Lifting Revival Meeting That Sounded Astoundingly Good
“Bruce Springsteen began Saturday night with a speech.
Ever since President Donald Trump was elected for the second time, Springsteen has taken the extraordinary step of not letting his music speak for itself at the start of his shows.
Instead, when he stepped on stage at 7:30 p.m. sharp at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia for the final date of his “Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour,” the Boss came out swinging.
Labeling the Trump administration “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous,” he asked his audience to join him in embracing a communal, inclusive version of America that he believes runs counter to the president’s.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
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