🐪 Good Wednesday Morning.

Headlines. Shapiro Courted New Data Centers. Then Public Opinion Shifted. House OKs Bill to Tax Big Tech’s Digital Ads. What PA Budget Plan Would Do to Close School Funding Gap. Five Historic Places to Visit In PA.

🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Neutron Dance. Pointer Sisters

PA Weather
⛈️  Hollidaysburg | Showers, Thunderstorms, 85
☔  Lebanon | Showers, 86
🌂  Saylorsburg | Mostly Cloudy, PM Showers 82

PA Sports 
⚾  Phillies (36-31) | Toronto 2-3 | Wed at Toronto
⚾  Pirates (34-33) | LA Dodgers 3-12 | Wed vs. LA Dodgers
⚽  USMNT | Fri vs. Paraguay

What’s Happening Today. The state House and Senate convene at 11 AM.

What We’re Hearing. Gov. Josh Shapiro will travel to Toronto today and tomorrow to “strengthen economic ties between Pennsylvania and Canada – the Commonwealth’s largest international trading partner.”

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.  Shapiro Courted New Data Centers. Then Public Opinion Shifted

“One year ago, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stood before a crowd in Berwick,  Columbia County, exclaiming that it was a good day. 

The Governor said that Amazon was planning to invest at least $20 billion to build data center campuses in the state, and the company promised to create more than a thousand high-paying, high-tech jobs. 

But the political winds for data centers have shifted since last year.” | The Allegheny Front

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Republican Gubernatorial Nominee Stacy Garrity Working With Acquitted Sex Assault Defendant. “A donor and organizer for Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity has faced accusations of sexual assault and harassment throughout his time in Pennsylvania politics.” | NOTUS

PA Dem State Senators Call For ‘ICE Out’ As US Senate Passes DHS Bill. “Just days after the U.S. Senate passed a bill that could send the Department of Homeland Security an additional $70 billion for immigration enforcement, a group of Pennsylvania state senators called for “ICE out” of Pennsylvania with a new legislative initiative.” | USA Today Network

PAC That Spent $1.7 Million In PA-07 Democratic Primary May Have Violated Campaign Finance Law, FEC Complaint Says. “Lead Left PAC, which spent more than $1.7 million to influence the outcome of the 7th Congressional District Democratic May 19 primary, appears to have violated federal campaign finance regulations by spending money on ads created by two “shell companies,” according to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission.” | Armchair Lehigh Valley

State

2.  PA House OKs Bill to Tax Big Tech’s Digital Ads to Help Seniors With Property Taxes

“The state House on Tuesday approved legislation to tax tech giants’ ad platforms, but with a significant change: revenues would now go to help offset seniors’ property taxes.

The just-passed bill would expand the state’s 5% gross receipts tax to include online advertising shown to users in Pennsylvania, estimated to raise roughly $500 million per year in new revenue for the state.” | PennLive

Elsewhere

House Advances Bill Allowing Counties To Pre-Canvass Mail Ballots. “A long-time request of county election officials moved one step closer to being answered on Tuesday as the State House advanced a bill allowing counties to pre-canvass mail-in ballots.” | PoliticsPA

Lawmakers Urge PA Senate to Split Up Public, Private High School School Playoffs. “House lawmakers are calling on the state Senate to pass legislation that would allow Pennsylvania’s high school athletics governing body to split up playoff competition for public and private schools.” | Penn Capital-Star

Philly’s State Lawmakers Will Still Push to Close a Tax Loophole Requested By Mayor Parker, As PA Budget Talks Move Along. “Pennsylvania lawmakers could still deliver additional revenue to Philadelphia, even after City Council last week largely rejected Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proposed tax increases for the next fiscal year.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Amid Confusion Over Scams, Bill Would Ban PA From Using Text Messages To Collect Debts. “Lawmakers want to ban state agencies from using text messaging to collect debts, saying a recent move by the Pennsylvania Turnpike to collect overdue tolls using that method could cause confusion and put people at greater risk of being scammed.” | Penn Capital-Star

Around The Commonwealth

3.   What PA Budget Plan Would Do to Close the $4.5B School Funding Gap

“Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget would take another step toward closing a $4.5 billion funding gap that, the courts concluded, is harming Pennsylvania students in lower-wealth communities. 

Advocates say the money is already paying off for the commonwealth’s schools, allowing these districts to offer full-day kindergarten, reduce class sizes and strengthen math and literacy programs.

They just wish the help was coming more quickly. At this pace, they note, it will take seven more years to bring underfunded schools up to par. ” | USA Today Network

Elsewhere

U.S. Steel Pledges Up to $2.5 Billion In Upgrades to Mon Valley Works. “U.S. Steel plans to invest up to $2.5 billion into upgrades to its Mon Valley Works, which it forecasts will generate $1.7 billion for the state, according to a Monday report from the steelmaking giant.” | AP

PA Affordable Care Act Enrollment Continues to Slide. “Nearly 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians who had Affordable Care Act health insurance in 2025 dropped out through the end of May, many due to sharply higher premiums, the state’s online insurance marketplace announced Tuesday.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Philly Progressives Made Gains In Democratic Ward Elections. But Party Chair Bob Brady Remains Well-Positioned For Reelection. “The Philadelphia Democratic Party’s internal politics have become a key battleground between progressive upstarts and the establishment.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

A Predator Who Prays? Women Claim Sexual Abuse By Chaplain at PA ICE Facility. “Two female detainees at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center have filed sexual assault complaints against the facility’s chaplain, Mark Melhorn, who is still working at the facility among more than 1,500-detainees.” | PennLive

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Residents Deserve a Voice in Pennsylvania’s Data Center Future | Sen. Rosemary Brown
• A Quick Note on PA 12 Black Politics 2026, 2027, 2028… | Fred Logan
• Taking a Week to Count Votes Is Doing It Wrong | New York Times
• Does Trump Care About the 2026 Midterms? They Care About Him | Jason L. Riley
• Hollywood vs Pennsylvania: The Battle for the White House | Zach Kennedy
• Do Right By Pennsylvania Children — Opt Into the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program | Sen. Anthony Williams
• Harrisburg, Help Seniors Stay at Home | Steven Mack
• An Amish Argument Against AI | Chris Kelly

1 Thing

5.  Five Historic Places to Visit in Pennsylvania During Nation’s 250th

“From Lake Erie to the hills of Pittsburgh to the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania has many unique, fantastic views.

Here are some of the state’s Most Treasured Views profiled by the USA Today Network” | Beaver County Times

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