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☀️ New Castle | Mostly Sunny, chance of T-storms, 96
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☀️ Great Bend | Mostly Sunny, 94

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (48-24) | San Diego 9-2 | Tue-Wed vs. San Diego
⚾ Pirates (35-37) | Cincinnati 4-1 | Tue-Wed vs. Cincinnati
🏒 Hershey (1-1) | Tue at Coachella Valley
⚽ Union (4-8-5) | Wed vs. Cincinnati

👂 What We’re Hearing. “We don’t have to agree on everything; healthy debate is good for democracy. What is not good for democracy is hundreds of millions of dollars of untraceable money influencing those debates.” – TJ Rooney and Alan Novak

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. David Delloso.

🗞️ Pennsylvania. The Ultimate Swing State. Where can you find all the latest news on what’s happening in Keystone State politics? Sign up for the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8 AM. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and subscribe now.

Top Story

1. Half A Million Immigrants Could Eventually Get US Citizenship Under New Plan From Biden

“President Joe Biden is taking an expansive, election-year step to offer relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the U.S. — aiming to balance his own aggressive crackdown on the border earlier this month that enraged advocates and many Democratic lawmakers.

The White House announced Tuesday that the Biden administration will, in the coming months, allow certain spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually, citizenship. The move could affect upwards of half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials.” (AP)

Related

Biden vs. Trump Remains Close, So Next Week’s Debate Offers Them An Opportunity. “The presidential election remains essentially tied as President Biden and former President Donald Trump prepare for their first televised debate next week.” (WVIA)

Cutler Says Democrats Charged Taxpayers For Two Biden Campaign Events At Capitol. “Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler accused the state Department of General Services of spending taxpayer dollars on two events hosted by President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign at the Capitol this month.” (LNP)

State

2. Bipartisan Bill Hopes to Legalize Cannabis in PA

“Could recreational cannabis be coming to your area soon?

If a pair of Pennsylvania legislators have their way, the answer is yes.” (PoliticsPA)

• Maryland Gov. Wes Moore Signs Order For More Than 175,000 Pardons For Marijuana Convictions. (AP)

Related

The Debate Over School Vouchers In PA Is Back. Here’s Where The Controversial Program Stands. “And this year’s disagreement, with input from Pennsylvania lawmakers and celebrities including billionaire rapper Jay-Z, is heating up fast.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Pennsylvania’s Education Reform Recap. “Both legislative chambers left town this week after advancing sweeping educational reforms likely to wind up – in some form – woven into the state budget due June 30. While the plans don’t necessarily clash, Senate and House leaders do. The ideological strife will boil down to the estimated return on investment.” (The Center Square)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A Guide To Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Race

“November’s general election features several marquee matchups with statewide implications, and while most eyes are on the presidential and U.S. Senate races, the outcome of the commonwealth’s row office races could have a significant impact on the state in the near future.

The party nominees for attorney general – former Democratic state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Republican York County District Attorney Dave Sunday – took their respective primaries with relative ease in April. Now, less than six months away from Election Day, both candidates are looking to set themselves apart and garner the widespread support needed to earn a statewide victory. ” (City & State)

Related

This Controversial Montco Couple Wants to Repopulate The Earth — And Get Elected to the PA House. “Republican Simone Collins is running an unconventional campaign against state Rep. Joe Webster, a Montgomery County Democrat.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Ballot Tracking Technology Is On The Rise Across The US; Can It Work in Lancaster County? “An independent experiment run by LNP | LancasterOnline in April also showed a handful of unexplained Postal Service processing delays. Two of 62 sample pieces of ballot-size first-class mail — one sent from every post office in the county — took 12 days to reach their downtown Lancaster post office box destination.” (LNP)

Changes Could Be Coming To Philly’s Tax Structure. “But while there’s plenty of criticism, there’s little consensus on how the city should reshape its overall tax structure in a way that maintains revenue needed for city services.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Government Study Commission Might Start Its Review of County Charter This Week. “The commission has nine months from the time it convened, in May, to complete its review of the county’s form of government, according to the state home rule handbook.” (Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice)

Former PNC Bank President Sylvan M. ‘Sy’ Holzer Remembered For Philanthropic Work, Love of Pittsburgh. “Holzer, known for his civic leadership and philanthropic work, served as PNC’s president from 1997 until his retirement in late 2016. He worked for the bank for 45 years.” (Tribune-Review)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Better Politics Are Possible. (TJ Rooney and Alan Novak)
• Challenges Remain, But The Decline In Gun Violence Is Reason To Celebrate. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• How Populism Becomes Nationalism Becomes Fascism. (Keith C. Burris)
• Gov. Shapiro Is Trying To Make College More Affordable For Every Student in Pennsylvania. (Donna Cooper)
• Does Joe Biden Need a Miracle or Just a Bit of Good Luck? (Stuart Rothenberg)
• Black Entertainers’ Backing May Drive School Choice Over the Finish Line. (Dom Giordano)
• Setting The Record Straight On Cyber Charter Reform. (Rob Gleason and Lawrence A. Feinberg)
• Pennsylvania Vouchers From Milton Friedman to Jay-Z. (Wall Street Journal)

1 Thing

5. Weinstein Named Miss Pennsylvania

“Meet the new Miss Pennsylvania.

Page Weinstein, previously Miss Greater Pittsburgh, was crowned Miss Pennsylvania 2024 at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts in York on June 15.

Weinstein, 26, is a flight attendant who lives in Pittsburgh, and is training to earn her pilot’s license. Her advocacy work focuses on disability access and inclusion.” (PennLive)

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