6/21 PoliticsPA Playbook

PA-Sen: Can Toomey Defy His Base on Guns?: Will conservatives turn out for the Senator despite his advocacy for gun safety measures?
Bernie Backers Practice Getting Arrested for Philly Convention: Sanders supporters are preparing to get literally carried away.
PA-Sen: Koch Brothers Group on the Ground in PA: Americans for Prosperity are already doing field work in Pennsylvania and other states for GOP Senate candidates.
PA-Sen: Politico Ranks Toomey’s Seat Fifth Most Vulnerable: The Pennsylvania Republican remains at the top of the Senate target list.
PA-8: Santarsiero Pushing “No Fly, No Buy” Legislation: The State Rep. is hoping to force his bill out of the House Judiciary Committee.
PA-2: Juror Dismissed in Fattah Trial: No reason was given for the move while the jury is set to restart its deliberations.
PA-BGT: Wolf Asks for $34M to Fight Heroin, Opioid Abuse: The administration is ramping up efforts to slow drug overdose rates.
Statewide
PLS Reporter: Senate Minority Leader discusses stance on budget, gaming expansion
PLS Reporter: With 10 days until the deadline, big budget questions still need answers
PLS Reporter: Santarsiero announces plan to put gun reform bill before the House
StateImpactPA: Report: gas industry spent $8 million lobbying Pa. legislature in 2015
PA Watchdog: Construction, teachers unions win in Philadelphia’s soda tax tussle
Capitolwire: Legislative leaders don’t sound convinced of their own budget optimism
Capitolwire: PA employment situation continues to sour
Philadelphia
Philadelphia Business Journal: Philly creates blueprint for other cities to pass soda tax
Philadelphia Business Journal: Tropicana completes $40M renovation
KYW Newsradio: Allentown Teacher Convicted After Encouraging A Student Walkout
WHYY Newsworks: On World Refugee Day, Philadelphia marks achievements and challenges
WHYY Newsworks: Breaking the law — and wind — to bring DNC attention to Philly’s poor
Inquirer: Company’s coming: City spruces up ahead of convention
Inquirer: Marking World Refugee Day, Kenney vows to make Philly ‘a sanctuary for people who need protection’
SEPA
Delco Daily Times: Montgomery County Judge denies AG Kathleen Kane’s motion to drop charges
Delco Daily Times: Local police officer’s ride raises funds for FOP Survivors Fund
Bucks Local Times: Council Rock School Board to consider appointment of West Chester Area School District administrator as assistant superintendent
Bucks Local Times: Pennsbury awards $34.5M in bids for Pennwood Middle School renovation project; work to begin in July
Bucks County Courier Times: How Eastern Montgomery County pools fared during inspections
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review: Wendy Bell sues WTAE for racial discrimination after firing over comments
Post-Gazette: Supreme Court rejects challenge to state assault weapon ban
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh-area gasoline falls for first time since February
Post-Gazette: State Supreme Court declines to reinstate law on gun challenges
Pittsburgh Business Journals: Republican small business owners more concerned than Democrats about 2016 election
Southwest
Beaver County Times: McGinty says ‘it’s time’ for Toomey to act on gun-control legislation
Observer-Reporter: Trinity raises school tax
Observer Reporter: Hearing on proposed Columbia gas rate hike
Altoona Mirror: Stores raise glass to liquor law
NEPA
Times Leader: Lake-Lehman School Board raises taxes 3 percent for Luzerne County residents
Times Leader: Greater Nanticoke Area budget calls for 5.5 percent tax hike
Times Tribune: Trump campaign manager is out
Times Tribune: State lawmakers mull water withdrawal
South Central
Patriot News: Law allowing gun rights to sue municipalities ruled unconstitutional
Patriot News: Harrisburg mayor releases details for July Fourth, shuns PennLive questions
Patriot News: Community leaders graduate from Martin Luther King Leaders
York Daily Record: Video: Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania
York Dispatch: GOP delegate apologizes for phone message to church
Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: Pennsylvania law aiding NRA lawsuits nixed by high court
Morning Call: ‘Brash’ boss of liquor store union won’t let up
Morning Call: Pennsylvania’s lawmakers, like US Senate colleagues, divided on post-Orlando gun-control efforts
Morning Call: Pennsylvania sees unemployment rate rise for 4th straight month
Reading Eagle: Executing Justice: The discretionary nature of the death penalty in Pennsylvania
Reading Eagle: Casey, Toomey fume over gun control vote
North by Northwest
Centre Daily Times: House returns with budget deadline looming, no vote on tap
Williamsport Sun Gazette: Final stretch starts with major issues still unresolved
Erie Times-News: Erie-area officials a no-show at EMTA charter discussion
Opinion
Reading Eagle: Pennsylvania must get pension reform right
Patriot News: What’s Mayor Papernfuse’s fave new answer? ‘I’m not going to answer that’
Bucks County Courier Times: No apology for Sunshine violation
Inquirer: Pa. Senate’s poor excuse for ignoring sexual abuse victims
Post-Gazette: Human misery: Look at what turns millions of people into refugees
Blogs
Keystone Crossroads: Judge strikes down ban on renting to felons
Keystone State Education Coalition: Dramatic decrease in newly minted certified teachers in PA; from 16K in 2012-13 to just 6K in 2014-15
Commonwealth Foundation: Three reasons to avoid tobacco taxes
Commonwealth Foundation: Tax Hikes Coming Soon?