Latest news with #PennsylvaniaStateHouse
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Bill that would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania stalls out in state senate
A bill that would have made recreational marijuana legal in Pennsylvania stalled out in the state senate. The Senate Law and Justice Committee voted it down 7 to 3. That vote means the bill will not be taken up by the full state senate and the bill will not be signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro. Bill passes the Pennsylvania State House Last week, the bill that would have allowed Pennsylvanians 21 and older to purchase marijuana legally passed the Pennsylvania House. It marked the first time that a recreational weed bill had been approved by either chamber in Pennsylvania. The main sponsor of the bill was Democrat Rep. Rick Krajewski of Philadelphia, who said it was a "balanced, responsible, and robust framework." Republicans in the House opposed the bill. Governor Josh Shapiro proposed legal marijuana in his budget and counted on Pennsylvania getting around $500 million in revenue from legal marijuana. The proposal would have allowed direct sales that would be managed by the state-owned liquor store system. However, Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations wouldn't have become marijuana dispensaries, other retail outlets would have been created for marijuana purchase. "Toothpaste is already out of the tube." Democrats in Pennsylvania want legal sales of marijuana According to one of the sponsors of the bills, Democratic Rep. Dan Frankel, it had the potential to bring in $600 million in revenue. "The toothpaste is already out of the tube," he said. Rep. Frankel also cited a state store model, such as Quebec, Canada, where there has been proven success. He did caution that the longer Pennsylvania waits to legalize marijuana, illegal or quasi-legal places will continue to pop up, and those places have no public health supervision. "You go right next door, you'll see a sign on the street with a big marijuana leaf saying no medical card needed here. We need to regulate that. That's a public health hazard," Rep. Frankel said. While the bill failed in the Senate, it's not clear what comes next or if there will be another attempt at passing a legal marijuana bill anytime in the future.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania lawmakers pass changes to state election law
(WHTM) – The Democrat-controlled Pennsylvania State House passed a bill that would implement several changes in the state's election laws. The bill would allow counties to pre-canvass mail-in ballots and allow voters to 'cure' their ballots by fixing mistakes such as failing to sign the envelope. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The bill would also allow for in-person early voting up to 11 days before an election and set standards for drop boxes in all 67 counties. Counties would also be required to keep electronic poll books and create a post-election audit process. Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton says the bill would make elections more secure in Pennsylvania. 'House Bill 1396 responds to the needs of our most essential election stakeholders and would make all of our elections free, fair, efficient, uniform, safe and secure,' said McClinton. All 102 Democrats voted for the bill and all 101 Republicans voted against it. The bill faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled State Senate. Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie), chair of the House State Government Committee, voiced concern about the bill after it passed on Tuesday. 'This 98-page bill was rushed to prime time with only about a week elapsing from introduction to final passage by the House,' Roae said. 'It gave little time for stakeholders to weigh in and have their concerns addressed.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats hold Pennsylvania state House with special election win
The Democratic Party will take control of the Pennsylvania State House after securing an additional seat in a special election on Tuesday night. Democrat Dan Goughnor won out over Republican Charles Davis in a landslide 63-to-35-point victory. Control over the Pennsylvania Senate remains up in the air, with the race uncalled-for as Democrat James Malone leads Republican Josh Parsons by less than one percent. The Pennsylvania State House had been deadlocked, with Republicans and Democrats both controlling 101 seats prior to Tuesday's election. Democrats had lost their razor-thin majority in January after the death of state Rep. Matt Gergerly. Democrats Far From Thrilled On Possible Biden Political Reemergence The House race is the fifth straight special election that Democrats have won so far in 2025, despite the party performing dismally in polls. Read On The Fox News App Poll Position: Democratic Party's Numbers Plunge To All-time Lows The party's favorable rating sank to all-time lows in separate national polls conducted this month by CNN and NBC News. Those numbers followed a record low for Democrats in a Quinnipiac University survey in the field in February. Additionally, the latest Fox News National poll, which was released last week, indicated that congressional Democrats' approval rating at 30%, near an all-time low. And Democrat activists are irate over their party's inability to blunt President Donald Trump's agenda. While Democrats were heavily favored in Tuesday's state House race, they had less of an advantage in the state Senate race. GOP state Sen. Ryan Aument stepped down in December to work as state director for newly elected U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a fellow Republican. Regardless of the election results, the GOP will continue to control the state Senate, where they currently hold a 27-22 majority. Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and the Associated Press contributed to this article source: Democrats hold Pennsylvania state House with special election win
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats hold Pennsylvania state House with special election win
The Democratic Party will take control of the Pennsylvania State House after securing an additional seat in a special election on Tuesday night. Democrat Dan Goughnor won out over Republican Charles Davis in a landslide 63-to-35-point victory. Control over the Pennsylvania Senate remains up in the air, with the race uncalled-for as Democrat James Malone leads Republican Josh Parsons by less than one percent. The Pennsylvania State House had been deadlocked, with Republicans and Democrats both controlling 101 seats prior to Tuesday's election. Democrats had lost their razor-thin majority in January after the death of state Rep. Matt Gergerly. The House race is the fifth straight special election that Democrats have won so far in 2025, despite the party performing dismally in polls. The party's favorable rating sank to all-time lows in separate national polls conducted this month by CNN and NBC News. Those numbers followed a record low for Democrats in a Quinnipiac University survey in the field in February. Additionally, the latest Fox News National poll, which was released last week, indicated that congressional Democrats' approval rating at 30%, near an all-time low. And Democrat activists are irate over their party's inability to blunt President Donald Trump's agenda. While Democrats were heavily favored in Tuesday's state House race, they had less of an advantage in the state Senate race. GOP state Sen. Ryan Aument stepped down in December to work as state director for newly elected U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a fellow Republican. Regardless of the election results, the GOP will continue to control the state Senate, where they currently hold a 27-22 majority.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania House passes bills to keep Affordable Care Act protections in place
(WHTM) — The Pennsylvania State House passed four bills today to keep Affordable Care Act protections in place in Pennsylvania in case it, or parts of it, expire at the national level. 'Hands off my Healthcare' is the message Democratic state lawmakers are sending to Washington after the legislation that passed the House today. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The bills would require health insurance companies to continue covering preventive healthcare services without cost-sharing, stop insurance executives from capping coverage for essential benefits, make sure parents can keep their children insured until age 26, and protect coverage for pre-existing conditions. 'We're not going back to a time where young people are kicked off of their parents' healthcare, a time when people with pre-existing conditions can't get coverage, pre-existing conditions like diabetes and pregnancy,' said Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis (D). The Affordable Care Act Protections package now moves on to the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
