Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 17/09/2026New: I went to Joe Torsella's one man show about a fictional one term state treasurer. It features ~32 characters, a full recital of the Declaration of Independence, some Catholic guilt, and pointed critiques about money in politics. 040
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Inside how one powerful moneylender uses his clout (including a friendship with David Ortiz) to convince the families of prospects as young as 10 to sign predatory deals in the accountability vacuum that is Dominican baseball. www.propublica.org/article/how-...propublica.orgHow the Dominican Baseball Factory Traps Young Players and Their Families With False PromisesTeams make handshake deals with players as young as 11 while moneylenders prey on their families. The industry is corrupt, but Major League Baseball and the players union have done little about it. 021
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 09/09/2026New: Pennsylvania legislators have introduced at least nine bills to restrict or outright ban automated license plate readers like Flock. Gov. Josh Shapiro says he supports the latter; his admin is also removing Flock from a state contracting databse. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09...spotlightpa.orgPA lawmakers eye ban, limits on Flock camerasPA Gov. Josh Shapiro is working with lawmakers “on what piece of legislation could make it to” his desk that protects people’s privacy. 063
Reposted by Stephen CarusoJaxon White @jaxonwhite.bsky.social · 01/09/2026At least 48 former state lawmakers are now registered lobbyists in Pa. Many lobby on issues they once helped shape, and represent industries they previously worked to regulate — or deregulate. @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social and I dug into the revolving door. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09...spotlightpa.org48 former PA legislators are now registered lobbyistsCritics warn that PA’s lax revolving-door law allows ex-lawmakers to profit from relationships formed while in office. 113
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 01/09/2026New: At least 48 former Pennsylvania legislators are now registered lobbyists, using the knowledge and connections they built in public service for private gain. Advocates argue the potential of such offers can disincentivize legislators from action. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09...spotlightpa.org48 former PA legislators are now registered lobbyistsCritics warn that PA’s lax revolving-door law allows ex-lawmakers to profit from relationships formed while in office. 186
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 31/08/2026ICYMI: Gov. Josh Shapiro has now backed a ban on Flock Cameras and other such automated surveillance technology, per @johnlcole.bsky.social www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania...thecentersquare.comShapiro backs Flock camera ban(The Center Square) – Regulating Flock cameras and other automated license plate reading systems, or ALPRs, has drawn the attention of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. 161
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 31/08/2026"The public is entitled to know about measles-associated deaths, but in this case the information provided would have better served a fractured ecosystem had it been more complete, honest and clear." www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/o...nytimes.comOpinion | How Not to Announce a Measles DeathJosh Shapiro announced two measles deaths. Things went downhill fast. 101
Reposted by Stephen CarusoDanielle Ohl @dtohl.bsky.social · 28/07/2026and lest you think I am only being mad in the newspaper with Republicans spreading disinfo and playing politics, I am being mad at Democrats too because what the absolute [redacted] is this 112
Reposted by Stephen CarusoDanielle Ohl @dtohl.bsky.social · 27/07/2026So, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling on felony murder is now in effect. Find out if it means that bloodthirsty murders now prowl the streets, as implied by many a legislator over the past couple weeks. (Spoiler: It does not!)spotlightpa.orgNo fix for PA's second-degree murder sentencing. What’s next?State lawmakers are no closer to reaching a compromise on PA’s unconstitutional sentencing for second-degree murders. Here's what it means for current cases. 031
Reposted by Stephen CarusoDanielle Ohl @dtohl.bsky.social · 28/07/2026I'll be in Scranton for an in-person event hosted by Spotlight PA! We'll be discussing my reporting on the mental health system, and hearing from people directly affected. Please join us! 073
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 27/07/2026State Reps. David Rowe (R., Union) and Josh Bashline (R., Clarion) want to "establish reasonable safeguards" for automated surveillance tech, including requiring warrants to search for an individual, limit data retention, and require signage for some automated systems. 141
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/07/2026Gov. Josh Shapiro wields 100+ years of American liberal rhetoric to retell an old story: That government can be a force for good. But as he offers himself as a leading party voice, what does his record show? W/ @angelasink.bsky.social www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/07...spotlightpa.orgJosh Shapiro's rise to power reveals wins, losses, and broken promisesAs voters nationwide get to know Josh Shapiro, Spotlight PA examines where he has succeeded as governor but also where he has arguably fallen short. 191
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 12/07/2026In the state budget before lawmakers as of Saturday night: -$900 million+ in new ed spending. -Pension boosts for public workers retired for 25+ years -No use of rainy day fund Not in: -Tax policy changes -Minimum wage hike -Skill games W/ @jaxonwhite.bsky.socialspotlightpa.orgPA poised to adopt $50.8B budgetThe plan also preserves the state’s nearly $8 billion rainy day fund — a key priority for Republicans, who control the state Senate. 198
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 10/07/2026The latest on where budget talks stand, from @jaxonwhite.bsky.social and I. Details on a final deal are sparse, but the potential inclusion of either an elimination of the data center sales tax exemption or the state's GRT on electricity are key debates. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/07...spotlightpa.orgPA’s 2026 budget could be finished this weekendTwo unresolved issues in PA’s 2026 budget talks are whether to cut a data center sales exemption and lower an electric utilities tax. 044
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Happy July 1st. For the fifth straight year, Pennsylvania's budget is late. Not all late budgets are created equal, and it's weeks until there is an impact. Still, partisan tensions boiled over yesterday as Democrats blamed the GOP for the delay. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/07...spotlightpa.orgPA’s budget is late for the 5th year in a rowSenate Republicans say a deal is close on a PA budget, but House Democrats are accusing them of “not finishing the job.” 0104
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 30/06/2026News: A three year statewide moratorium on data center development in Pennsylvania failed in a Senate committee procedural vote 2-9, earning support from one Republican and one Democrat. 024
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 25/06/2026News: A bill to end a multi-billion sales tax exemption for the data center industry in Pennsylvania has passed the state House 197-5, capping a week in which the chamber approved a raft of bills restricting an industry facing wide grassroots blowback. 32210
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 24/06/2026New: Pennsylvania lawmakers will, in all liklihood, have to pull from the state's almost $8 billion rainy day fund to balance this year's budget. That fact will undergird closed door talks as the commonwealth creeps toward the June 30 deadline. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/06...spotlightpa.orgPA lawmakers may tap rainy day fund to balance the budgetPennsylvania may need to tap its $8 billion rainy day fund as lawmakers confront a growing budget deficit and limited new revenue options. 063
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 18/06/2026The fact that Peregrine falcons roost on the state office building named for a woman who dedicated her career to saving birds and locals turn out every year to rescue the fledglings if they fall will never not be a favorite Harrisburg fact. 1479
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 17/06/2026New: @jaxonwhite.bsky.social and I look at what's next for skill games. With potentially billions in revenue up for grabs, few talk about upholding an outright ban. But how to regulate the devices and what to do with the money (say, funding public transit) will define coming talks.spotlightpa.orgSkill games are illegal, PA court says. Now what?Skill game taxation rates and ensuring public safety are among the policy questions PA lawmakers need to hash out. 084
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 11/06/2026New: Pennsylvania legislators are looking at either levying new taxes on, or axing tax exemptions for, Big Tech to bring in new revenue. But such efforts won't be enough to balance the budget, and must overcome powerful special interests to implement. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/06...spotlightpa.orgCould Big Tech taxes fill PA budget holes?A tax break for data centers worth $2B by 2031 could be on the chopping block in PA, and lawmakers are floating digital ad taxes. 171
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 10/06/2026News: A GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate panel advanced a bill to implement an employee payroll tax funded state program guaranteeing 20 weeks of paid family leave for the commonwealth by a 9-2 margin. It now heads to the full chamber. 1132
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 09/06/2026News: A bill to place a 5% gross receipts tax on companies that sell digital ads in Pennsylvania to fund property tax relief has passed the state House by a bipartisan 139-63 margin in the lead up to the state's June 30 budget deadline. 2103
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Due to an almost decade old deal, Philadelphia City Council faces a choice between paying $200 million now to buy the city's police HQ amid a bitter budget fight or pay double the rent in future years to an influential city landowner. www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...inquirer.comPhilly City Council is holding up a proposal to borrow $200M to buy the police headquarters buildingOfficials warned if the city does not exercise its option to buy the building this year, the annual rent price is set to nearly double. Council members balked at the price tag. 031
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 03/06/2026News: House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said in an interview that he supports this proposal. "These are the biggest, most profitable companies that are bringing data centers and all of the challenges to our commonwealth. 100% they should pay their fair share." 021
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 03/06/2026News: A bill to levy a 5% tax on digital ad sales revenue in Pennsylvania has passed out of a Democratic-controlled House committee along party lines. Supporters say it raises millions from big tech companies but opponents say the cost will be passed on to consumers. 162
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 02/06/2026ICYMI: A bill requiring all Pennsylvania school districts to ban the use, but not possession, of cell phones by students by the start of the 2027 school year passed the state House 126-75. It goes to the state Senate, which already passed a similar proposal. 071
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Nine of Pennsylvania's biggest data center projects will be excluded from Shapiro's plan to tie fast tracked permits and a tax break to higher environmental and transparency rules because they were underway before his announcement. www.pennlive.com/news/2026/06...pennlive.comWhy some of Pa.’s biggest data center projects won’t have to follow the governor’s new rulesShapiro Administration has encouraged developers who are already in its fast track permitting program to use the GRID standards, but says they'll stay on the fast track regardless. 284
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 01/06/2026Inbox: Per the Department of Revenue, Pennsylvania enters June with $45 billion in revenue, about $1 billion more than projected but still billions short of what most spending plans call for. 090
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 01/06/2026Good morning everyone. It's June 1st-- officially budget season in Harrisburg. Both chambers are in session for the next two weeks for a mix of important procedural shuffling and busy work as closed door talks intensify before the June 30th deadline. 030
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 28/05/2026A new law signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last month will allow the state to again update its codes governing accessibility via regulation rather than legislation, closing a loophole opened by a 2022 court ruling. Because sometimes, the legislature does meaningful stuff. 152
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Inbox: Gov. Josh Shapiro is calling for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to place new conditions on data center development, requiring his proposed transparency, energy, wage and environmental standards in exchange for qualifying for an existing multi-million tax break. 295
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 26/05/2026A patchwork of municipal and state rules for approval of new projects is partially to blame for Pennsylvania's slow growth in housing, developers, citing think tanks and experience, told a House GOP panel last week. Via @wdownard.bsky.social \ penncapital-star.com/housing/pa-z...penncapital-star.comPa. zoning, permitting process named as barriers to homebuilding • Pennsylvania Capital-StarThe commonwealth's homebuilding industry identified two barriers to its work before Republican lawmakers this week. 010
Reposted by Stephen CarusoPhiladelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 22/05/2026It looks like Bookhaven will make it to 40 years after all. The beloved Fairmount bookstore will reopen under new ownership.inquirer.comBookhaven in Fairmount to reopen under new ownership 0192
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 22/05/2026ICYMI: GOP gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity is calling for Shapiro to follow up on a 2022 campaign pitch to provide a gas tax rebate to state drivers. He offered in the early days of the race and spiking gas prices from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 200
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Some nuance: Both Democratic CD-3 nominee Chris Rabb and Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the Abolitionist Law Center, haven't fully echoed DA Larry Krasner's call for Bob Brady to resign as Philly Dem chair, instead emphasizing structural reforms. 192
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 21/05/2026An anecdote from Election Day: I was at the Back Mountain Regional Emergency Service Facility. It's a decade old building on a scenic hilltop that houses fire and ambulance services for a rural swath of Luzerne County, just outside Dallas, Pa. (Pics don't do the view justice) 150
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) told @katehuangpu.bsky.social that he isn't planning on advancing any bills regulating PA data centers right now, arguing instead that the state should "make sure that we're competing against our neighboring states."spotlightpa.orgThe data center regulation bills on the table in PAThe Pennsylvania House has passed bills to mandate data centers disclose energy use, and require them to pay into state programs. 178
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Inbox: Senate Republican's campaign arm says that the primary results show that voters understand that the incumbents "have the courage to stand up for the needs of [PA] families and the integrity to prioritize Pennsylvanians concerns while navigating a divided government." 010
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Meant to say earlier: This race remains uncalled by the AP, and incumbent Ana Tiburcio has not yet conceded. In a statement last night, she said she's still waiting for the final tally. And "whether in Harrisburg or in Allentown, my work for this community is certainly not done." 130
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026If my work over the past 24 hours has proven useful, enlightening, entertaining and/or informative, may I humbly suggest you sign up for my newsletter, Access Harrisburg? It's a weekly missive with what you need to know about PA state government and politics. www.spotlightpa.org/newsletters/...spotlightpa.orgAccess Harrisburg - Insider Access to PA PoliticsGet weekly scoops, expert analysis, and more from Capitol reporter Stephen Caruso. Be the first to know what’s happening in Pennsylvania state government. 071
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026"Chris Rabb is an accomplished, five-term state Senator who has delivered real results for northwest Philadelphia" says the DNC in a statement congratulating him on his primary victory. Welp! 2202
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Update: Looks like Pinsley claimed victory and Merkl-Gump conceded last night. 092
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026The only uncalled state Senate primary is the 16th Senate District Democratic race. It pits Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley against Bucks County teacher and school board member Bradley Merkl-Gump. Pinsley leads by 8 with just 6% of the vote left. 130
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026I can comfortably say that Win for PA (sports betting/iGaming firms) and Citizens Alliance (skill games) spent approximately $9 to $10 million on these races. Win for PA spent the most, approximately $6.6 million. 141
Reposted by Stephen CarusoStephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Much can still change. These are unofficial results. But the incumbents currently losing, all in the House, are: -Bud Cook (R., Fayette) -Ana Tiburcio (D., Lehigh) -Keith Harris (D., Philly) -Greg Vitali (D., Delaware) 172
Reposted by Stephen CarusoStephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Working Families Party is claiming victory for Gerlach in my inbox. "This victory belongs to the people: to everyone who voted, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and spoke with their neighbors about the importance of this election," she said in the release. 194
Reposted by Stephen CarusoStephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Democrats have made a rural York County special election to replace state Rep. Seth Grove very competitive. I don't know the district's political geography well but it's neck and neck at 55% in. 53710
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026PA legislative election results thread starting below ⬇️ 35918
Stephen Caruso @stephenjcaruso.bsky.social · 20/05/2026If I had a nickel for everytime I had car troubles on election day I'd have two nickels. Which isnt a lot, but it's weird it happened twice. 0150