😅 The Halfway Mark. 

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

🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Return to Sender. Elvis Presley

PA Weather
☁️  Johnstown | Mostly Cloudy, 80
☀️  Lewisburg | Sunny, 86
☀️  Reading | Mostly Sunny, 87

PA Sports 
⚾  Phillies (64-57, – GB WC) | St. Louis 0-2 | Wed at St. Louis
⚾  Pirates (58-63, -6.0 GB WC) | Miami 0-2 | Wed at Miami
⚽  Union (4W, 4D, 10L) | Thu vs. Santos Laguna (Leagues Cup) 

What We’re Hearing. “Nobody should take these slimeballs seriously when their supposed principles disappear the second they become politically inconvenient,” NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said of Democrats.

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

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Top Story

1.   Allegations Against Rep. Max Miller Raises Questions About the Return of Campaign Contributions

“Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) has made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The two-term Republican has faced numerous calls to step down from office and drop his reelection bid amid allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife who happens to be the daughter of Ohio’s Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno.

As the controversy continues to swirl around Miller, light is now being shone on his political action committee. 

Dependable Conservative Leadership PAC, sponsored by Miller, has distributed $112,000 to other committees, including $2,500 donations to the campaigns of Pennsylvania Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01), Ryan Mackenzie (R-07), and Rob Bresnahan (R-08).” | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

Republicans Stay Mum On Whether They’ll Return Campaign Cash From Embattled Max Miller. “Rep. Max Miller has kicked campaign cash to more than a dozen fellow Republicans competing in some of the midterm’s tightest races. Few are saying whether they now have plans to return the money as the Ohio lawmaker seeks reelection despite serious allegations of domestic abuse.” | Politico

Fetterman Pledges Not to Campaign Against Republican Dave McCormick. “Sen. John Fetterman, his home state colleague, told the Washington Examiner he won’t campaign against McCormick in 2030, an unusual promise from a member of the opposite party and one of the clearest signs of their political alliance yet.” | Washington Examiner

Trump’s Mail-In Voting Restrictions Blocked Nationwide By Federal Judge. “U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s preliminary injunction on Tuesday bars the federal government from enforcing the order’s mail-voting provisions for the Nov. 3 midterms or any earlier federal election.” | Axios

Is An Independent Redistricting Commission a Good Idea For PA? “The battle to initiate redistricting reform in Pennsylvania will continue in the next legislative session.  That’s the assessment of Carol Kuniholm, chair of Fair Districts PA, an organization that wants the mapping of legislative districts to be conducted by an 11-member independent commission instead of five members from state legislative leadership.” | LebTown

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State

2.   Democrats Gain On Republicans In Voter Registration Numbers Entering September

“Is it enthusiasm? Is it disenchantment? Is it the prevailing winds of a midterm election?

Any way you slice it, Democrats are making back the ground ceded to Republicans when it comes to voter registration in the Commonwealth.

And both parties continue to watch those choosing “no affiliation” outpace both major parties, according to the latest numbers from Pennsylvania’s Department of State.” | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

PA Democrats Link Garrity to Trump, Citing ‘Extreme’ Election Claims and Other Ties. “Pennsylvania Democrats are launching a tour to help Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reelection chances by tying his rival, Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity, to President Donald Trump.” | WESA

PA-01: Here’s Bob Harvie’s ‘New Fair Deal’ Agenda If Elected. “The agenda calls for 80-year-old age limits for Congress and a ban on congressional stock trading, along with proposals on health care, tariffs, data centers and more.” | Bucks County Courier Times

PA-07: Huh? Green Party Tries to Bounce Green Party Candidate From Congressional Race. “Green Party congressional candidate Andrew Tupone is facing two separate legal challenges to bar him from the November ballot, including a petition from the Green Party.” | Lehigh Valley Public Media

The PA Budget Included Additional Funding For a Handful of School Districts For Third Year In A Row. “For the third year in a row, the annual state budget included provisions that sent additional dollars to a handful of school districts, outside of the typical funding formulas that govern state support for the 500 public school districts. And for the third year in a row, all of those districts are represented by Democrats in the state House.” | Penn Capital-Star

Borello Officially on Ballot in 46th State Senate Race Against Bartolotta. “Independent 46th state Senate District candidate Jodi Borello is officially on the ballot in her bid to unseat Republican state Sen. Camera Bartolotta after no one challenged her nominating petitions by Monday’s deadline.” | Washington Observer-Reporter

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Around The Commonwealth

3.   State AG Dave Sunday Sues TikTok Over Inappropriate Kids’ Content

“In a lawsuit filed this week in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, he alleges the social media giant deceptively categorizes itself as safe for teenagers when it offers a plethora of adult content, including topics like profanity, drugs, sexual situations, tobacco use and alcohol. 

Sunday also alleges TikTok is designed to be addictive so users continue to scroll and watch its short videos one after another and thereby add to its ad revenue.” | Broad + Liberty

Elsewhere

The Pennsylvania Capitol Belongs to You, Take a Look Inside. “Ever wanted to see inside what President Theodore Roosevelt called “the handsomest building” he ever saw? He was referring to the Pennsylvania Capitol at its 1906 dedication. The National Historic Landmark is open for people to explore for free.” | USA Today Network

Reassessments Are a Political Hot Potato: ‘Nobody Wants to Touch It’. “It was 1961, the year John F. Kennedy became president, “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles reached number one, and Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit his season record-breaking 61st home run. It was also the last time Franklin County did a property reassessment.” | The Center Square

A Data Center Developer Just Offered This Lehigh Valley Community $50M to Build Campus. “Slate Belt Holdings has offered Upper Mount Bethel Township a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, that would commit $50 million in donations if a proposed data center campus reaches its goal of generating two gigawatts of computing capacity.” | LehighValleyLive

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Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Can Democrats Flip the House? Look to Four Pennsylvania Districts | Salena Zito 
• A Modest Proposal: Performance Reviews for Senators | Frank Miele
• How the Haverford Antisemitism Settlement Harms Free Speech | Jonathan Zimmerman
• Congress Shouldn’t Reopen the Intoxicating Hemp Loophole It Just Closed | Scott L. Bohn
• Legislative Limbo: Not A Happy Dance | Lowman Henry
• Pennsylvania’s Data Center Boom Doesn’t Have to Come at Communities’ Expense | Vicki Lightcap
• Use It Or Lose It: Erie Must Advance New CRIZ Projects Now | Matt Wachter
• Pennsylvania’s Ag Progress Starts With You | Russell Redding

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1 Thing

5.   Central PA Will See A Partial Solar Eclipse Today. Here’s What to Know

“Pennsylvania will see 7% of the sun’s visible surface covered, compared to the total solar eclipse the state saw in 2024. Central Pennsylvania won’t see another total solar eclipse until 2079. 

For Pennsylvanians, the eclipse will be visible between approximately 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Maximum coverage for Pennsylvanian watchers — only about 7% of the sun’s visible surface — will happen shortly before 2 p.m.

NASA will have live online coverage of the eclipse, starting at 1:15 p.m. It will be available on Netflix, X, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and NASA+.” | WITF

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Thank you for starting your Wednesday with us.
See you tomorrow.