Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Unveil New Cannabis Legalization Plan
Two Pennsylvania state lawmakers have unveiled a new plan to legalize recreational marijuana, saying the state is an “outlier” in its continued prohibition of cannabis. Democratic Reps. Rick Krajewski and Dan Frankel, who led several hearings on cannabis reform during the past legislative session, said they plan to introduce legislation to decriminalize cannabis and create a regulated market that focuses on public health, raises revenue for the state and supports those harmed by the criminalization of marijuana.
Frankel and Krajewski are distributing a memo seeking cosponsors for the bill planned for the 2025-2025 legislative session, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Monday. The memo outlines the rationale for legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania and highlights key provisions of adult-use cannabis legislation they plan to introduce next year.
“As a state that continues to criminalize recreational cannabis, Pennsylvania is now an outlier—24 states have legalized the practice, including 5 of the 6 states that border Pennsylvania,” the legislators wrote in the co-sponsorship memo.
“But legal or not, Pennsylvanians are consuming marijuana, whether by visiting our bordering states, buying unregulated hemp loophole products at gas stations and vape shops, or purchasing in the illicit market,” they continued.
Two Pennsylvania lawmakers have unveiled a new plan to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
The memo, which invites fellow lawmakers to join Frankel and Krajewski in sponsoring the upcoming bill, maintains that decades of cannabis prohibition have failed to keep Pennsylvanians safe.
“Prohibition is a failed policy with significant consequences to our Commonwealth,” the memo reads. “It has ruined lives over minor cannabis offenses, disproportionately impacting Black and Brown communities. Consumption of unregulated and dangerous products has increased. And we are losing millions of public revenue that our communities need.”
Lawmakers Held Hearings To Study Cannabis Legalization Efforts
Krajewski, who led the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired five legislative hearings during the last session to weigh the successes and failures of cannabis legalization in other states.
“We’ve heard from public health experts. We’ve heard from criminal justice and social equity advocates,” Krajewski said on Monday in a statement about the new bill. We’ve learned directly from states across the country how to get this done safely and efficiently, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue,” said Krajewski. “It’s time to move forward in Pennsylvania before we fall further behind.”
Frankel, the majority chair of the House Health Committee, said marijuana prohibition has been a disaster in Pennsylvania, particularly for communities of color.
“We have a moral obligation to not only legalize but also to work to repair the damage caused by decades of marijuana arrests,” Frankel said. “Our bill will deliver a market that protects the public health, benefits our taxpayers and uplifts those communities that were disproportionately harmed by prohibition policies.”
Legalization Bill Expunges Past Weed Convictions
To address the harms caused by marijuana prohibition, the legislation prioritizes expunging records of past cannabis-related offenses and “restorative justice for those affected by draconian drug policies.” The bill also includes provisions to invest funds raised by cannabis legalization to communities disproportionately harmed by the failed War on Drugs.
The bill also prioritizes public protections, including provisions to limit “excessive THC levels.” Additionally, the legislation seeks to establish a Pennsylvania cannabis industry that provides sustainable business opportunities for a local and diverse field of licensed operators.
“Prohibition was a reckless and racist policy which deliberately targeted and destroyed Black and Brown communities,” said Krajewski. “As a criminal justice organizer and chair of the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission, I’m fighting to ensure that we reinvest revenue generated from the cannabis industry into areas most impacted by the War on Drugs and ensure that those who are still dealing with criminal sentences and records are able to finally move on.”
In September, a different bipartisan pair of lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania and create a regulated market for adult-use cannabis. The bill was referred to the House health committee but has not been brought up for a vote.
Pennsylvania
Sen. John Fetterman receives no support for re-election from Pennsylvania House Democrats: report
Pennsylvania Democrats are reluctant to support Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., for re-election, according to a new report.
Punchbowl News spoke to several Pennsylvania congressional members on Monday about whether they’d be willing to endorse Fetterman for another term in 2028 despite the backlash he’s been facing for opposing the Democratic Party.
“Want a sense of how tenuous Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) position is with Pennsylvania Democrats? Not a single Pennsylvania House Democrat in the delegation will say Fetterman should run for re-election as a Democrat,” the report said.
Though the House members did not explicitly reject the idea of Fetterman running again, they avoided answering whether they believed Fetterman should seek a second term as a Democrat, often focusing instead on the 2026 midterm elections.
“My focus right now is on 2026, but I would just say I’d be very surprised if he ran in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate,” Rep. Brendan Boyle said.
Rep. Chris Deluzio also answered that he would see what happens after 2026, though Punchbowl News acknowledged both he and Boyle are rumored to be launching their own Senate bids in 2028.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon added that she was interested in “getting through 2026 first.”
“I’ll hold my tongue so I don’t get in trouble,” Scanlon said.
Rep. Summer Lee told Punchbowl News the decision was “up to him” whether Fetterman should run, though she added that he would do so “at his own peril.”
Others were more vocal about their disagreements with Fetterman, though they stopped short of rejecting the idea of Fetterman running again.
“My concern is entirely about him and his health, and I’ll let 2028 take care of itself,” Rep. Madeleine Dean said.
“I disagree with many of his votes.”
“It’s no secret that I’ve been disappointed with some of his votes and that I’m confused by it,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan added.
“But I’m not responsible for deciding whether he runs again.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office and the other Pennsylvania Democrats mentioned in the report for comment.
Fetterman has publicly spoken out against his party on several issues, particularly its growing hostility against Israel.
The Pennsylvania senator has also supported President Donald Trump in his ongoing war against Iran and strict border policies.
Though strategists have suggested Fetterman could switch parties because of his bipartisan stance, he previously ruled out leaving the Democratic Party last year.
“I’m not going to switch. I’m just going to be an independent voice in the Democratic Party. I’m not going to be afraid of people,” Fetterman said.
“CBS Mornings” exclusively revealed Pennsylvania high school teacher Leon Smith as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year, which is selected by the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year program.
Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania, said the honor “just means everything.”
“It’s just such an honor to be able to represent teachers all over the country and really stand on the shoulders of so many others that have come before me that have done just such great work,” Smith said in an interview with “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday.
Smith, who teaches AP U.S. history and AP African American studies, was previously named the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.
In a video, students at Haverford High School and colleagues described Smith as passionate, caring, charismatic and engaging.
“He is everything you want in a teacher,” principal Pete Donaghy said in the video. “He relates African American studies or U.S. history to his students.”
Smith reflected on the difference teachers can make in the lives of their students. For him, his favorite teacher was his first grade teacher, Ms. Mason.
“Just how she made me feel,” Smith said. “So I just think that’s the power of a teacher, that it’s not always the content but it’s how you make the students feel is what they remember.”
Smith said he thinks it’s crucial to let students “know that you care.”
“And also just being able to see things in students that they cannot see in themselves.”
Smith is also a longtime basketball coach, coaching the freshman team at Haverford High School.
“I was one of his players and he made sure that I felt seen,” a former player told “CBS Mornings.” “He made me feel like I actually had a purpose.”
Smith’s love for basketball started when he was young. His favorite player ever is Julius Erving, known as Dr. J., who Smith said made him “fall in love” with the game.
Erving surprised Smith on “CBS Mornings” by congratulating him in person on being named the National Teacher of the Year.
“When I got the notification about Leon, I realized that his school Haverford is literally right around the corner from a house that I lived in for 11 years,” Erving said. “So there was a connection … I said, ‘Well, let’s go and be on the show. Go see some people. Spread some joy. Spread some love.’”
Erving recalled a teacher who had an impact on his life.
“The most significant was Mr. Ray Wilson, who actually taught special ed in my high school, but he was also my basketball coach,” Erving said, describing Wilson as a lifelong mentor.
“He lived until he was in his 80s, and he was always there. He was always my first call anytime anything came up. Big or small, I could always call him, anytime, day or night. That was special.”
Smith called meeting Erving an honor and said he’s thankful for a moment that he’ll never forget.
A Pennsylvania court ruling is reshaping abortion access in the state, striking down a decades-old ban on using Medicaid to pay for abortions and declaring that the Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees a right to abortion.
The decision came Monday from the state’s Commonwealth Court. In a 4-3 vote, judges ruled in favor of abortion rights in Pennsylvania and invalidated the state’s restriction on Medicaid-funded abortions.
Local abortion-rights advocates praised the ruling as a major step toward protecting access for low-income residents. Adrienne Daily, co-founder of Johnstown for Choice, said, “Everybody should have the right to that. If you restrict the coverage, you’re obviously discriminating against those that have lower income.”
Opponents of abortion rights called the decision a dramatic expansion of the court’s power and warned it will force taxpayers to pay for procedures they oppose. Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, said, “Taxpayers now in Pennsylvania will have no choice under this court ruling to fund abortions. And there are many, many millions of Pennsylvanians who think abortion is wrong. It’s the taking of an innocent human life and to force taxpayers who conscientiously object to abortion to then fund it is just plain wrong.”
Abortion-rights advocates pushed back, arguing abortion access is healthcare and a personal decision. Daily said, “This is a family issue. This is a personal issue. This is a bodily autonomy issue.”
Pro-life leaders also warned the ruling could have broader implications for other abortion-related laws. Geer said, “It is sweeping and there’s no question it’s judicial overreach.” He added, “If this ruling stands, it will invite attacks on every remaining pro-life safeguard that has been put into law by lawmakers at the behest to the people of Pennsylvania over decades.”
The case could still be appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. That decision lies with Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday. His office has not provided a response, but the Associated Press reported a spokesperson said the office is reviewing the decision and did not say whether it will appeal.
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