Pennsylvania

Republicans scrutinizing automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania

Published

1 year ago

September 24, 2024

Republicans scrutinizing automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania

Republicans are stepping up scrutiny of Pennsylvania’s system for registering people to vote through its driver’s licensing centers, six weeks before what is expected to be a close presidential contest in the battleground state.

Auditor General Tim DeFoor, a Republican running for re-election in the Nov. 5 election, last week launched an audit of Pennsylvania’s so-called motor voter system.

The audit comes one year after Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration began automatic voter registration at driver’s licensing centers. The audit is to include checking to see whether noncitizens are properly screened out from registering to vote — dovetailing with a top election-year issue for many Republicans nationally who are questioning whether noncitizens are registering to vote.

Shapiro’s introduction of automatic voter registration last year drew condemnation from Republicans and former President Donald Trump and threats of litigation. At the time, some two dozen states already had authorized a version of automatic voter registration and no court challenge in Pennsylvania has emerged.

The Shapiro administration says non-citizens are not allowed to register to vote and that there is no evidence that noncitizens have registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, dozens of state Republican lawmakers are demanding the Shapiro administration do more to ensure that noncitizens are not registered to vote and curtail automatic voter registration functions strictly to transactions involving driver licensing.

In a statement Monday, PennDOT Secretary Michael Carroll said the agency will cooperate with the audit.

But Carroll accused DeFoor of “politicizing his office, and undermining confidence in our election system by furthering the disproven myth that non-citizens are registering or voting in Pennsylvania.”

DeFoor’s office called it “disheartening that so many baseless assumptions” have been made about the audit.

“Our audits do not play ‘gotcha’ or play into a political agenda,” DeFoor’s office said in a statement.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania House passes bill that would raise minimum wage over several years

Published

3 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Pennsylvania House passes bill that would raise minimum wage over several years

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would raise the minimum wage statewide.

The bill would raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $11 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2027. The minimum wage would then increase to $13 per hour in 2028 and finally $15 per hour in 2029.

Representatives voted 104-95 to pass House Bill 2189, which is sponsored by Rep. Jason Dawkins, the House Democratic Communications Office announced Tuesday.

If the bill passes, counties would have the option to implement the $15 per hour minimum wage sooner than 2029. The bill would also set the minimum wage for tipped employees at 60% of the statewide minimum wage.

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage was last raised in 2009 when the federal minimum wage was increased to $7.25, House Democrats wrote in a press release.

The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

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“Research shows that increasing the minimum wage does not lead to job losses or business closures,” Dawkins said. “What it does lead to is financial security and better life outcomes for families relying on minimum wage work. To my colleagues in the Senate, I implore you to take up this bill and finally raise the wage in Pennsylvania.”

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania lawmaker’s remove one, plant one bill to preserve state foliage advances

Published

15 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Pennsylvania lawmaker’s remove one, plant one bill to preserve state foliage advances

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — In an attempt to protect and preserve a healthy tree canopy for communities across the Commonwealth, a Pennsylvania lawmaker is taking action.

Rep. Abigail Salisbury (D-Allegheny) previously introduced House Bill 2161, which would require utility companies to plant a new tree for each one they cut down within two years of cutting it down.

“I introduced this bill after residents and environmental advocates in our district expressed concerns that trees were being removed entirely, instead of simply being pruned or trimmed,” Salisbury said. “Maintaining a healthy tree canopy is essential for communities because it reduces stormwater runoff and air pollution, provides shade that lowers energy costs, raises property values, and increases pedestrian traffic for local businesses, among other benefits.

On Monday, the Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee voted to advance the bill to the House for consideration, according to legislative records.

“Monday’s committee action moved us a step closer to making sure those benefits continue,” Salisbury added.

Electric utilities would be required to plant a new one in a location that the municipality chooses.

She said her bill would align with existing regulations that require damage caused by utility work to be repaired, primarily work that would require excavation or other projects that break into streets and sidewalks.

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Pennsylvania

Gas prices continue climb across Pennsylvania as averages near $4 per gallon

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Gas prices continue climb across Pennsylvania as averages near per gallon

HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN CO. (WOLF) — Gas prices across Pennsylvania are nearing $4 per gallon, reaching their highest point in several years.

As of March 23, the statewide average stands at about $3.94 per gallon, according to AAA.

Analysts say current prices are now at their highest level since late 2023, with national averages also approaching levels last seen during the 2022–2023 surge.

The last time prices were significantly higher in Pennsylvania was in June 2022, when the average peaked at around $5.07 per gallon, the highest on record.

The increase marks the 24th consecutive day of rising gas prices across the Commonwealth.

The national average has also climbed, reaching approximately $3.96 per gallon, as global energy markets remain volatile.

Diesel prices have surged even more sharply. AAA reports the Pennsylvania average is now about $5.67 per gallon, reflecting significant increases tied to global supply concerns.

Analysts point to ongoing tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to key shipping routes as major factors driving prices higher. Oil prices have climbed above $90 per barrel, adding pressure across all fuel types.

Across the country, California continues to have the highest gas prices, while states in the Midwest remain among the lowest. Current prices are now the highest seen since late 2023.

Pennsylvania Gas Price Trend

Prices have steadily climbed since late February:

Feb. 27 — about $3.10 per gallon
Feb. 28 — above $3.15
March 1 — surpassed $3.20
March 2 — near $3.24
March 3 — about $3.28
March 4 — above $3.30
March 5 — around $3.35
March 6 — high $3.30s, some above $3.40
March 7 — about $3.45
March 8 — about $3.50
March 9 — near $3.55
March 10 — around $3.60
March 11 — about $3.65
March 12 — about $3.66
March 13 — around $3.67
March 14 — about $3.69
March 15 — about $3.70
March 16 — about $3.72
March 17 — about $3.74
March 18 — about $3.80
March 19 — about $3.81
March 20 — about $3.82
March 21 — about $3.85
March 22 — about $3.93
March 23 — about $3.94

Gas Prices in Nearby States

Drivers in Pennsylvania continue to pay slightly more than those in surrounding states, though prices are rising across the region:

New Jersey: about $3.88 per gallon
New York: about $3.90 per gallon
Ohio: about $3.74 per gallon
Delaware: about $3.70 per gallon

Northeast Pennsylvania Prices

Northeast Pennsylvania remains among the most expensive regions in the state, with many stations now charging between $3.90 and $4.10 per gallon, especially along major roadways and in metro areas.