Spotlight PA

Spotlight PA is committed to delivering impartial investigative journalism focused on Pennsylvania's government and critical issues affecting the state. As an independent watchdog, we aren't afraid to explore deeply, advocate for the truth, and challenge those in power to uncover misconduct and drive real change. Our mission is to link Pennsylvanians to their state and to one another through impactful public service journalism that resonates with their daily lives, presented in various innovative and digital formats that cater to how they prefer to receive news.

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State store model for legal weed in Pa. rejected • Spotlight PA

2 days ago | spotlightpa.org | Kate Huangpu

HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania Senate panel has rejected a bill advanced by Democrats that would permit the sale of recreational cannabis to adults at state-owned stores. State Sen. Dan Laughlin (R., Erie), leader of the committee, supports legalizing marijuana but said Tuesday the state store approach would unfairly shut out the private sector and small businesses, and create serious logistical hurdles and legal challenges.
State aid expands Scranton's STEM program and online academy

4 days ago | spotlightpa.org | Kate Huangpu

SCRANTON — When Pennsylvania began sending hundreds of millions of dollars to its most underfunded public school districts last year, Erin Keating realized hers might finally get some breathing room. Keating is the superintendent of Scranton School District. More than three-quarters of its 9,300 students qualify as low-income, and the district received the sixth-most supplemental funding in the commonwealth — $8.4 million in total.
The hidden talents of Pennsylvania lawmakers

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Colin Deppen

This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. The work of a Pennsylvania legislator may be defined by bureaucracy and procedure, but lawmaker lives can be a little more colorful in the off-hours.
‘Dead on arrival’ legal weed bill passes PA House

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Kate Huangpu

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House took a major step toward legalizing recreational cannabis Wednesday, passing a bill along party lines that would permit the sale to adults at state-owned stores. Such a model would be unique to the commonwealth, and could lead to legal trouble and a loss of federal funding, critics say. It also faces serious opposition in the GOP-controlled state Senate, where the bill is essentially “dead on arrival,” according to a key Republican.
State Police beef up security at PA governor’s residence after arson

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Angela Couloumbis

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania State Police has created a new uniformed unit to protect the governor’s official residence along the banks of the Susquehanna River as part of its effort to beef up security in the wake of a brazen arson attack. In a letter to legislative leaders Tuesday, State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris said the new unit, which will use marked police vehicles, will maintain an “additional visible presence” at the stately residence near the Capitol where Gov.
Cannabis bill that comes with legal risks advances in PA

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Kate Huangpu

HARRISBURG — Democrats in the Pennsylvania House have advanced a bill that would permit the sale of recreational cannabis to adults at state-run stores, an untested model that could face legal challenges. Supporters say selling cannabis through stores similar to Pennsylvania’s Fine Wine & Good Spirits shops, rather than at private dispensaries, would allow the state to collect more revenue to fund social equity projects, tax credits, or other public programs.
Elecciones primarias de PA 2025: Guía para votar, papeletas y mucho más

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Elizabeth Estrada

Read in EnglishHARRISBURG - El 20 de mayo, demócratas y republicanos de toda Pensilvania decidirán qué candidatos de sus respectivos partidos se presentarán a las elecciones municipales en noviembre. En las papeletas hay candidatos judiciales que aspiran a cubrir vacantes en la Corte de la Commonwealth y la Corte Superior, además de contiendas municipales que varían según el lugar de residencia. También podría haber preguntas locales en la boleta.
How one court ruling transformed American democracy forever

2 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Angela Couloumbis

HARRISBURG — This year marks the 15th anniversary of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that fundamentally reshaped the world of campaign finance. For good-government supporters, it’s a somber milestone. The 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, they say, vastly expanded the role of big money in politics and ushered in an era of unprecedented — and in some cases, untraceable — spending on elections by ultra-wealthy special interests.
Primarias en PA 2025: Cómo convertirse en trabajador electoral en PA

2 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Kate Huangpu |Elizabeth Estrada

Read in EnglishHARRISBURG - Cuando Pensilvania celebre sus elecciones primarias 2025 el 20 de mayo, miles de trabajadores electorales garantizarán que la votación se desarrolle sin problemas. Los trabajadores electorales son un componente crítico de nuestro proceso electoral y usted podría ser uno de ellos. Los condados están actualmente reclutando personas para trabajar en los aproximadamente 9.000 centros de votación del estado.
PA News Quiz: Eagles at the White House, state forest wildfires

2 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Colin Deppen |Asha Prihar

We grant elected officials extraordinary power when we give them our vote, which means we must demand extraordinary accountability once they are in office. That’s why Spotlight PA’s reporting is more important than ever, and why we need you now. We’re independent, with no corporate owner or profit motives. We’re nonpartisan, with no political agenda or opinion pieces. And we’re a nonprofit, allowing us to prioritize investigative and public-service journalism that gets results.