PA budget proposal for 2025-26 addresses education, energy, wages
Gov. Josh Shapiro presented his 2025-26 budget proposal to the General Assembly and Pennsylvania residents on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Capitol.
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Two special elections will be held in Allegheny and Lancaster counties to fill vacancies in the Pennsylvania legislature.
The election for the 35th Legislative District seat will determine control of the state House.
The 36th Senate District seat is expected to remain in Republican control.
Voters in Allegheny and Lancaster counties will choose lawmakers Tuesday to fill two vacancies in the state legislature.
One will take the place of a state representative who died earlier this year and the other will replace a state senator who resigned to work for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.
Who represents me? Find, contact your elected officials with the Erie Times-News database
The special election for the 35th Legislative District seat, previously held by Rep. Matthey Gergely, D-Allegheny, will determine control of the state House. Democrats held a one-seat majority in the chamber before Gergley died in January after suffering a medical emergency.
The 35th District, in the Monongahela River Valley south of Pittsburgh, includes the industrial cities of Clairton, Duquesne and McKeesport, and is favored to remain in Democratic control.
Republicans won a 28-22 majority in the Senate in November, so the election for the 36th Senate District seat formerly held by Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, is less consequential. Covering a swath of northern Lancaster County including suburbs of the city of Lancaster and rural communities, the 36th District is favored to remain in Republican control. Aument left the Senate after his reelection last year to serve as McCormick’s state director.
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More: Pennsylvania lawmakers resume push to allow 1.3 million independents to vote in primaries
Pennsylvania 35th House District candidates
Democrat Dan Goughnour is a member of the McKeesport Area School Board and captain of detectives in the McKeesport Police Department. Goughnour and his wife, Lauren, live in McKeesport and have three children. He lists public safety, access to job training, strengthening public schools and reducing costs for consumers as his priorities, according to his campaign website.
Republican Charles Davis is president of the White Oak borough council where he was first elected to office in 2003 and raised two daughters. Davis said on his campaign website that he plans to take his commitment to his community to the state level and lists developing local energy sources, protecting Pennsylvania industry, reducing crime and lowering taxes among his priorities.
Libertarian Adam Kitta of White Oak works as assistant director for the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services department. In that role, he has provided aid to victims of disaster and emergency personnel, according to the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. It has also provided experience coordinating with government agencies and other nonprofit organizations. His priorities are economic revitalization of the Mon Valley, increasing volunteerism and criminal justice reform.
Pennsylvania 36th Senate District Candidates
Democrat James Malone is mayor of East Petersburg and works as a senior development consultant for a business information technology firm. Malone says he is devoted to transparent, compassionate, inclusive and innovative government. His campaign website said his priorities are affordable housing, including support for first-time homeowners and property tax relief; public education; supporting first responders, and expanding social services and mental health support.
Republican Josh Parsons is the Lancaster County commissioners chairperson, a veteran U.S. Army officer and former assistant district attorney. Parson says on his website he’s a conservative who believes in small, efficient government and plans to bring his success in county government to the state level. He touts his defiance of state COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Lancaster County’s economic recovery during the emergency and his leadership as an abortion opponent.
Libertarian Zachary Moore of Mount Joy is a geographic information system specialist with experience improving operations of utilities, planning, environmental resources, public safety and other government functions. He lists government transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility and parental choice in education among his priorities, according to the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania.
More: When are Pa. elections happening in 2025? What’s the voter registration deadline?
Peter Hall has been a journalist in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 20 years, most recently covering criminal justice and legal affairs for The Morning Call in Allentown. Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
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“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
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However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
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