????  Ladies and Gentlemen, The Weekend

????️  In Today’s Edition. Shapiro’s Quiet Campaign of Influence at Penn. DOS Refuses to Turn Over Full Voter Registration Data to Trump Administration. What Will It Take to Break Cycle of Budget Delays. PNC Park, CBP Among Top 10 Stadiums For Food.

????  Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Layla. Derek & The Dominoes

PA Weather
☀️  Clearfield | Sunny, 83
☀️  Shamokin | Sunny, 80
☀️  Haverford | Sunny, 82

PA Sports
⚾  Phillies (74-53) | Fri-Sun vs. Washington 
⚾  Pirates (54-74) | Fri-Sun vs. Colorado
⚽  Union (15-6-6) | Sat vs. Chicago
????  High School | football begins

????  What We’re Hearing. “The general concern was around perceived politicization once the governor or someone from his team were to have their hand in it, and that they would push for certain outcomes … based on the political hopes and preferences of the governor.”

????  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.  Josh Shapiro’s Quiet Campaign of Influence at Penn

“Documents indicate that Gov. Shapiro helped steer Penn’s response to concerns over antisemitism, including its spring 2024 encampment, pushed for increased discipline against its main pro-Palestinian student group, and aligned itself as an ally to an on-campus pro-Israel organization. 

In a moment when President Trump’s effort to reshape higher education is dominating headlines, Shapiro’s foray illustrates a subtler sort of political influence — and the extent to which politicians on both sides of the aisle seek to exact changes at elite campuses.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Anger Over SEPTA Cuts Could Impact the 2026 Midterms. Democrats Hope So, At Least. “If cuts take effect next week, they are all but certain to play a role up and down the ballot as Democrats look to retain the governor’s office and hope to flip the state Senate and the last GOP Congressional district in Southeastern Pennsylvania.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

PA Democrat Wants State to Endorse Medicaid Work Requirements Mirroring Federal Mandate. “Under the bipartisan bill, Pennsylvania officials would have to seek permission from the federal government to enforce the new mandate, which would in general require “able-bodied” Medicaid recipients to attest that they are working at least 20 hours per week, attending job training programs or looking for employment.” (USA Today Network)

Democratic Group Files Ethics Complaint Against Rep. Rob Bresnahan Over Private Helicopter Disclosure. “A Democratic political action committee and advocacy group alleged in a complaint to congressional ethics officials that Rep. Rob Bresnahan potentially violated federal law by failing to publicly disclose details of a private helicopter as part of his latest personal financial disclosure report to Congress.” (NOTUS)

State

2.   Department of State Refuses to Turn Over Full Voter Registration Data to Trump Administration

“The Pennsylvania Department of State will not turn over its voter registration database to the Trump administration, denying a request that has been sent to dozens of other states in an apparent inquiry into state voter roll maintenance.

In recent months the Department of Justice has sought unredacted voter rolls from at least 15 states, according to the Associated Press. None of the states has fully complied with the requests, as legal experts argue doing so would violate state and federal law. The inquiries appear to target mostly blue and swing states.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Shapiro: Time For Leaders to Make Tough Budget Choices. “Gov. Josh Shapiro said that while both parties are “working aggressively” to solve Pennsylvania’s growing budget crisis, it is time for leaders to make some tough choices.” (PoliticsPA)

Pennsylvania House Sees Bill to Ban Public Officials From Owning Bitcoin and Digital Assets. “The bill bans public officials from holding Bitcoin and also extends to their immediate families. It aims to change the state’s ethics and financial disclosure laws in order to prevent public officials from having exposure to not just Bitcoin, but also alternative cryptocurrencies (including memecoins), non-fungible tokens, and even stablecoins.” (Cryptopolitan)

Did Crypto Get Unlikely Help Becoming a Campaign Kingmaker? “Its rapid rise to electoral heavyweight didn’t happen in a vacuum: Some of its most attention-grabbing victories came when it joined races where the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was also playing.” (Semafor)

Bills Target Pennsylvania Tax Laws From the 1930s. “A proposal from Rep. Ann Flood, R-Pen Argyl, would take the Emergency Relief Sales Tax, discontinued in 1933, off the books. Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-Frackville, says the 1921 Anthracite Coal Tax Statute Act, which was last implemented in 1931, should follow suit.” (The Center Square)

Around The Commonwealth

3.  PA Budget Stalls Again: What Will It Take to Break the Cycle of Delays?

“Millions of state dollars for schools, counties, nonprofits and other human service providers are on hold because Gov. Josh Shapiro and the leaders of the General Assembly have not reached an agreement on Pennsylvania’s spending plan.

None of this is exactly new for the Keystone State, where lawmakers have often failed to pass a budget on time — this is the fourth consecutive year the commonwealth entered a new fiscal year without a spending plan. 

Some lawmakers are looking to break the pattern, though their ideas have garnered little traction in the General Assembly.” (WITF)

Elsewhere

Villanova Says a Report of a Campus Shooter Was a ‘Cruel Hoax’. “False reports of active shooters at Villanova University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Thursday led to panic and temporary lockdowns at the two campuses as they kicked off their fall semesters.” (AP)

Lawmakers Blast SEPTA Over Predicted ‘Chaos’ for Eagles Opener. “SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer told a House Democratic Policy Committee Wednesday that fans trying to reach or depart Lincoln Financial Field via SEPTA should brace for disruptions. The following day, state Sens. Frank Farry (R‑Bucks), Tracy Pennycuick (R‑Montgomery), and Joe Picozzi (R‑Philadelphia) criticized what they called a self-inflicted operational crisis and blasted Sauer for failing to answer their Aug. 15 funding proposal letter.” (DV Journal)

Data Centers Are Coming, Hungry For Space and Resources. Is the Lehigh Valley Ready? “For an exercise in irony, take a moment to ask ChatGPT why large data centers — noisy and voracious consumers of energy and water — are necessary. The answer it gives is long and complicated, but what it boils down to is simple: You are.” (Allentown Morning Call)

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Yes, America Can Fix Its Gerrymandering Problem. (New York Times)
• The Gerrymander Race to the Bottom. (Wall Street Journal)
• Democrats and the Debt. (Taylor Millard)
• Is the AI Winter Finally Upon Us? (Dave Lee)
• Looking For Answers to the Congressional Stock-Trading Conundrum. (Bruce Stokes and John Newcaster)
• Dear Harrisburg, Southeastern PA Wants Our Tax Money Back. (Jon Geeting)
• The Curious Case of John Fetterman. (Richard Kosich)

1 Food Thing

5.   PNC Park, CBP Among Top 10 Stadiums For Gameday Eats

Pennsylvania has two of the top 10 and four of the top 50 stadiums in the country when it comes to gameday food, according to Yelp.

To celebrate baseball’s upcoming post-season and get ready to kick off fall football frenzy, Yelp compiled a list of the top stadiums elevating fan food to a new level. It’s based on search data showing where fans look for memorable baseball and football stadium food.

Spoiler alert: Pittsburgh does better than Philly. (Yelp)

Thanks for starting your weekend with us.
Have a good one. We’ll see you Monday.