Latest news with #PennsylvaniaStateSenate
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local lawmaker's bill that would limit bail options for violent offenders passes State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate passed a bill that seeks to restrict bail options for some defendants. Local lawmaker Devlin Robinson (R-37) introduced Senate Bill 490, which limits bail options for people with a history of violent crimes, less than two weeks ago. It passed in a 32-17 vote on Monday. Before the vote, Robinson addressed his colleagues and stated that the bill is a direct response to the actions of a controversial Allegheny County Magestrial District Judge, Xander Orenstein. Orenstein was barred from hearing arraignments last April after a slew of controversial rulings involving releasing criminals on non-monetary bond. RELATED COVERAGE >>> Local magistrate Xander Orenstein pulled from arraignments 'until further notice,' sources say Two of those criminals, a man accused of trafficking millions of collars of drugs into Pittsburgh on a bus and a high-speed chase suspect, went on to flee from Pennsylvania after being released. Robinson says extraditing the men back after their arrests in New York City and Florida, respectively, cost the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office up to $70,000. Robinson also spoke about Orenstein opting to release Anthony Quesen on non-monetary bond after a 2023 assault at Point State Park. Police later arrested Quesen in connection to the stabbing death of off-duty state liquor enforcement officer Benjamin Brallier along the Montour Trail. 'This is just unacceptable that these dangerous criminals were released on a non-monetary condition despite their violent history of crime. This is just one example of a high-level threat to our constituents and it's a shame that our current law doesn't provide better safeguards for these extreme circumstances,' Robinson said on the Senate floor. The bill only limits bail options for people with a history of violent crime, who have injured or run from authorities, or who possess 10 grams or more of fentanyl. 'Senate Bill 490 is simply a safeguard put into place to keep our Pennsylvania residents safe in a significant way by ensuring the most dangerous individuals aren't released without bail,' Robinson said. The bill now heads to the State House. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
New York Times
26-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Democrat Notches an Upset in Pennsylvania State Senate Race
A Democrat won a surprise victory on Tuesday in a special election for the Pennsylvania State Senate, narrowly prevailing in a district that Donald Trump won by 15 points last fall. The election, conducted in the small towns and suburbs of Lancaster County where no Democrat had won since the district was redrawn decades ago, joined two currents that are powering the political moment. It underscored the galvanizing fury among Democratic voters, who have flocked to rallies and crowded town hall meetings in the early weeks of Mr. Trump's second term. And it was further evidence of the changes in the two parties' electorates, with Democrats drawing more and more of the kind of highly educated voters who reliably turn out for special elections. The victory does not affect control of the state senate, where Republicans now hold a four-seat majority, though another special election, near Pittsburgh on Tuesday, gave the Democrats a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The outcome of the House special election was not a surprise, but the margin of the Democratic victory there also exceeded Kamala Harris' performance in the district in 2024. The winner of the state senate election, James Andrew Malone, 51, is a heavy-bearded, soft-spoken I.T. consultant who has been mayor of East Petersburg Borough, a small town northwest of the city of Lancaster, for the past seven years. He defeated Josh Parsons, the chairman of the Lancaster County commission and an outspoken pro-Trump conservative. Mr. Parsons was strongly favored in the district, where Republicans hold a substantial registration advantage. The seat opened up when the Republican lawmaker who had held it for a decade left office to work for Dave McCormick, a Republican who was elected to the U.S. Senate last year. A Democrat had not won the district since it was shifted to Lancaster from the city of Philadelphia in 1979. Still, concern on the right began bubbling up in recent days, especially after the first reported tallies of mail-in ballots showed a big lead for the Democrats. Scott Presler, a right-wing activist who barnstormed Pennsylvania for the Trump campaign last year, raised alarms about the State Senate race late last week, a warning that was emphasized on social media by Elon Musk. As the outcome of the race was becoming clear on Tuesday night, Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a post on X that voters in the district had 'rejected a candidate who embraced the extremism and division coming out of D.C. In a district carried comfortably by Donald Trump just a few months ago, they chose a better way forward.' As is often the case in elections held between the presidential and midterm elections, leaders of both parties are looking to a small handful of races for signs about voter engagement and enthusiasm. One of the first surprises this year came in January, when a Democratic candidate for Iowa State Senate won in a solidly conservative district. Bigger tests lie ahead, with several coming next Tuesday. In Wisconsin, a closely divided swing state, tens of millions of dollars have poured into an election for a State Supreme Court seat, which will determine whether liberals retain a majority on the court. In Florida on the same day, two special congressional elections are scheduled. Both are in solid Republican territory, but the Democratic candidates have raised substantially more money than their Republican opponents. The election in Lancaster County was a particularly clear-cut illustration of how the Democratic Party is assembling a well-educated, politically attuned base that is particularly inclined to turn out for special elections. While the city of Lancaster became increasingly Democratic over the years, the rest of the county remained a Republican stronghold. Farmers and religious conservatives in Lancaster County were voting Republican long before Mr. Trump began winning over disgruntled Democrats in postindustrial areas elsewhere in the state. But as the city boomed, well-heeled retirees flooded into upscale suburbs and surrounding boroughs in the county. These new voters, plus younger professionals moving to the area for a lower cost of living, nudged one town after another toward the Democrats. This is one of the reasons that Stella Sexton, one of Mr. Malone's campaign managers, believed that with an aggressive ground game, Democrats had a chance. 'It was hard to get the ball rolling back in January,' she said. Democratic donors and potential canvassers were downcast and dispirited after the 2024 election. But, she said, 'we didn't have time for that.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Attorney General nominates Consumer Advocate after politicalization allegations
(WHTM) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has nominated Darryl Lawrence to be the Commonwealth's permanent Consumer Advocate. Lawrence is currently the Interim Consumer Advocate and was the Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate, and has worked in the department for nearly 20 years. If confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate, Lawrence will represent Commonwealth consumers in public utility service quality and pricing matters permanently. 'I promised I would have an open and transparent process to appoint a Consumer Advocate,' said Attorney General Sunday. 'We accepted numerous applications, held interviews with qualified applicants, and received extensive feedback from stakeholders. I am convinced that Darryl has all the tools required to advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers because that is what he has always done. Darryl has dedicated his career to advocating on behalf of Pennsylvanians who otherwise may not have a voice in the regulatory, judicial, and legislative processes. During his time with the Office of Consumer Advocate, he established a reputation for being tough, fair, and honest. I'm confident that the Commonwealth will be well served by his leadership for this important agency.' Lawrence has stepped in in the interim after the previous advocate, Patrick Cicero, resigned over what he said are Sunday's ties to utility companies. 'To be nominated for a permanent role as Pennsylvania's Consumer Advocate is indeed an honor,' Acting Consumer Advocate Darryl Lawrence said. 'I take on this new role with a profound sense of duty to always advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers.' The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate was established by the General Assembly in 1976 to serve the interests of utility ratepayers in Pennsylvania. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Week in PA: Pennsylvania lawmakers react to Governor's Budget Address
(WHTM) – Three key members of the Pennsylvania State Senate joined This Week in Pennsylvania to provide reaction to Governor Josh Shapiro's budget address on Tuesday. The Governor is proposing the legalization of recreational marijuana, taxing skill games, and closing two state prisons to save millions of dollars. Republican Appropriations Chairman and State Senator Scott Martin (R-Berks/Lancaster) said the budget address provided 'zero attempt' to acknowledge or address the state's structural deficit. The state's Democratic Appropriations Chairman and State Senator Vincent Hughes (Montgomery/Philadelphia) reacted to Martin's comments saying 'time goes on and budgets go up.' '(Shapiro is) cutting taxes, putting a billion dollars in the property tax relief fund, calling for a minimum wage increase…he's prioritizing investments,' said Hughes. State Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) said that most of the people she talks to would like to see skill games 'regulated and taxed because right now they're all over Pennsylvania and a lot of the people that are running them because they're not regulated, some of the folks would never pass a background check…we need to put a regulation on these things.' Shapiro proposes closing two Pennsylvania state prisons Analysts Danielle Gross and Christopher Nicholas join the show to discuss the budget and other issues in Pennsylvania politics. Every week, This Week in Pennsylvania gives a comprehensive look at the week's biggest news events in Pennsylvania, provided by the abc27 News team, along with the latest updates on local stories. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Check your local listings for weekly air times. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
