Investigations reach Pa. pols
The FBI search of former president Donald Trump无毛视频檚 Florida mansion made the most headlines last week, but Pennsylvania lawmakers are also finding themselves drawn into investigations.
On Wednesday, PennLive reported that the FBI delivered subpoenas to several Republican state representatives无毛视频� and senators无毛视频� Harrisburg offices.
The lawmakers无毛视频� names haven无毛视频檛 been confirmed, and as of Friday GOP spokespeople said they had no evidence that members were targets.
That news came shortly after the revelation that federal agents had seized the cellphone of U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th District, as part of an ongoing investigation. Perry later stressed that he isn无毛视频檛 the target, telling Tucker Carlson of Fox News: 无毛视频淚 heard from my attorneys, who talked directly to the Department of Justice, who said that I, their client, am not a target of this investigation.无毛视频�
Federal officials are reportedly investigating the slate of electors Trump无毛视频檚 allies arranged during the 2020 election. Weeks after then-candidate Joe Biden won the November election, a group of Trump supporters 无毛视频� including some prominent Pennsylvania political figures 无毛视频� signed a form indicating they would serve as alternative electors who could help flip the race to Trump.
Federal investigations around the electors 无毛视频� and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol building 无毛视频� have drawn in many GOP politicians, although none have been charged or explicitly named as targets.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Adams, the GOP candidate for governor, reportedly appeared briefly this week before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 incident. Mastriano spoke with the FBI earlier this summer.
While little remains publicly known about the FBI search of Trump无毛视频檚 Mar-a-Lago home or the ongoing Pennsylvania investigations, conservative candidates have attacked the probe as politically motivated.
Speaking to the right-wing news station Newsmax this week, Mastriano attributed the investigations to Democratic opponents, although he provided little to back the claim.
无毛视频淭he Democrats just go too far. I see it in Pennsylvania, we无毛视频檙e seeing it in Washington, D.C., and we saw it in Florida last night,无毛视频� he said.
Rep in last push to change school funds
A state lawmaker is working to radically reshape the way public schools are funded, with a proposed constitutional amendment that could eliminate property taxes and replace them with sales and income taxes.
Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon, has long worked to change the state无毛视频檚 school funding system, which relies on local property taxes. Ryan is set to retire this year, but he无毛视频檚 proposing a final constitutional change that would extend beyond his legislative career.
Calling the plan 无毛视频渃ritically important无毛视频� in a memo to colleagues this week, Ryan said: 无毛视频淪hifting to a sales/income tax eliminates the regressive school property tax and will serve to eliminate barriers to home ownership.无毛视频�
Ryan无毛视频檚 amendment would have to clear several hurdles: The General Assembly would have to pass it in two consecutive sessions before it goes to the public for a ballot referendum. GOP lawmakers have proposed several constitutional changes in recent months, in part to avoid a Democratic governor无毛视频檚 veto.
Ryan already proposed a package in February to change the way Pennsylvania funds its schools, with fellow sponsors including Rep. Bud Cook, R-West Pike Run.
The bill 无毛视频� which Ryan proposed using as a replacement law if his amendment passes 无毛视频� would replace property taxes with a 2% sales tax and a hike in personal income tax. Certain retirement income would also be taxes under his plan.
无毛视频淭he time is now to save the commonwealth from financial bankruptcy and its residents from homelessness,无毛视频� he said.
The school funding system has long drawn controversy.
Supporters and opponents of the state无毛视频檚 funding formula sparred in court for months this year, in a case that goes back nearly a decade. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that the funding formula violates the state constitution无毛视频檚 promise of equal protection, with poor districts getting less than their fair share.
Commonwealth Court judges heard closing arguments in that case last month.
Democrats celebrate close victory
Congressional Democrats spent the past week celebrating a key legislative victory, with hundreds of billions of federal dollars slated to promote renewable energy and combat the effects of climate change.
The Inflation Reduction Act 无毛视频� named amid concerns about soaring prices 无毛视频� includes a scaled-down version of much of President Joe Biden无毛视频檚 agenda.
The bill includes new taxes to raise funds, along with tax credits to encourage Americans to buy electric vehicles. Money is also set to encourage more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly appliances and power generation systems.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e currently living in a moment when once-in-a-lifetime storms are happening every couple of months. Severe weather conditions are now the norm. While hurricane remnants are flooding the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia, out west states are on fire and lakes are disappearing in the worst drought in a millennium,无毛视频� Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said in a news release after voting for the legislation. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 well past time we take bold action to address the climate crisis.无毛视频�
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who is set to leave office this year, called the plan a 无毛视频減artisan tax-and-spending spree.无毛视频�
The bill also expands certain forms of health care coverage and aims to reduce the federal deficit.
Republicans voted in lockstep against the bill, with the final Senate vote 51-50. In the House last year, every Republican voted in opposition while only one Democrat broke ranks to join them.
Pennsylvania无毛视频檚 delegation was split perfectly along party lines, with only Perry not voting.
Ryan Brown covers statewide politics for Ogden Newspapers. He can be reached at rbrown@altoonamirror.com.