Pennsylvania
Taking on the machine: Pennsylvania lawmakers try to rein in AI in campaigns
With the expansion of artificial intelligence comes politicians using it for political gain – sometimes deceitfully.
This summer, the campaign for Florida Gov. Ron Desantis was criticized for posting AI-generated deep fakes of former President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci embracing, leading to much criticism from other Republicans.
In Pennsylvania, a bipartisan team is trying to tackle the use of deepfakes in state elections.
The legislation, led by Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, would fine candidates, campaigns and Super PACs if they use deep fake technology to fraudulently misrepresent other candidates. The fine amounts are still being finalized, said Khan.
“The idea of this legislation is to really start to put the guardrails on the process and to make sure that our elections remain safe and secure,” said Khan.
Co-sponsor Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Allegheny, shares the same sentiment.
“There’s no doubt that voters deserve truthful, accurate information,” Mercuri said. “And so creating guardrails where they know that candidates and other campaign entities such as Super PACs would be prohibited from using and misusing candidate images and video.
Mercuri said this bill is important for future elections.
“I want to ensure a safe and effective elections process that presents trusted information to the voters so that they can make an informed choice,” he said.
If moved, Pennsylvania would become one of a handful of states with laws on the book dealing with false, AI-generated images in elections.
Khan said the advent of AI can lead people to be duped by false information.
“People are good. They’re trusting,” he said. “And all too often people are victims of scams.”
The law would only affect campaigns, candidates and super PACs, so those popular videos of presidents playing video games would not be affected nor would late night shows that have been making satirical images of candidates.
“We are not intending here to take away the ability of someone to use their free speech,” said Mercuri.
In a 2022 post related to deep fake laws, conservative think tank Institute for Free Speech argued that “government attempts to outlaw misleading political messages will do far more harm to democracy than the mere existence of such speech.”
The group argues voters can “expose falsehoods and decide the value of political expression themselves.”
The Federal Election Commission is considering regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads if used to misrepresent political opponents.
Additionally, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, have rules regarding the use of deep fakes.
The Shapiro administration will continue reviewing the legislation as it moves through the process, according to press secretary Manuel Bonder.
LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Cherries, strawberries, peaches — normally all easy to find at local farms this time of the year — but some orchards are still feeling the impact of a freeze that killed many of those fruits.
What’s normally a busy season is a quiet one for the Honey Bear Orchard after an April freeze took all their fruit crops for this year.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | ‘It just froze them’: Honey Bear Orchards loses $200K, fruit crops in April freeze
“We usually start Father’s Day with sweet cherries … and that day, it has just grown into a big day for us,” owner Nelson Heagy said. “Sometimes, the cars are lined up the whole way in the lane, 3 to 400 cars come in that day. Tomorrow it’s going to be quiet.”
The night of April 20, temperatures in Lebanon County dropped below 24 degrees — a devastating blow to farms whose fruit trees were unable to survive the cold temperatures.
In less than 24 hours, Honey Bear Orchards lost dozens of acres of fruit, including cherries, apricots, apples and peaches.
At the time, the orchard estimated it lost around $200,000, but Heagy says that’s not the worst part.
“It’s more the emotional, because financially, yes, we’re geared up for that and it’s meeting the people.”
After Gov. Josh Shapiro called on the USDA to help out Pennsylvania counties impacted by this freeze, the agency announced several counties were eligible for disaster assistance in the form of emergency loans.
READ MORE | Six PA counties included in disaster designation for farmers affected by April freeze
Adams, Chester, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster and York counties are included.
Absent from that list is Lebanon County, where Honey Bear Orchards is located.
We reached out to the USDA to ask why Lebanon County wasn’t included, but we haven’t heard back yet.
However, Heagy says it’s likely because there’s only two orchards in the county.
“A lot of people reached out and said, ‘What can we do?’” he said. “And it’s simply come back next year.”
They’re not the only farm that has to make do this season — Forge Hill Orchards in York County lost half of its crop in the April freeze.
Despite that, retail manager Abby Naylor says they’re lucky because they still have a little bit of everything.
“I think the best thing that people can do is just to buy local and help support the farmers that really lost a lot of their stuff.”
The Pennsylvania Beef Council recently launched the inaugural Pennsylvania Beef Trail with menu tastings at two highlighted trail stops in Berks County.
Held in May to celebrate Beef Month, the event brought together Pennsylvania Beef Council leadership, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, local restaurant partners, beef producers and community members to celebrate Pennsylvania beef, local food businesses and the culinary creativity found across the Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Beef Trail highlights restaurants across the state serving standout beef dishes nominated by consumers. Hosted on the Pennsylvania Beef Council website, the trail features an interactive map designed to help Pennsylvanians discover delicious beef dishes by region and plan their own beef-inspired dining experiences.
“The PA Beef Trail is a celebration of everything that makes Pennsylvania beef special: the farmers who raise it, the restaurants that prepare it and the consumers who love it,” Nichole Hockenberry, executive director of the Pennsylvania Beef Council, said in the release.
“Launching the trail during May, which is Beef Month, gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase the connection between agriculture, local businesses, and the meals that bring people together.”
The celebration featured two stops on the trail: Saucony Creek Brewing Company in Kutztown and Deitsch Eck Restaurant in Lenhartsville.
Attendees sampled a variety of featured beef dishes, including pit beef sliders, sausage sandwiches, smoked chuck roast tacos, and Golden Arches flatbread from Saucony Creek Brewing Company, as well as beef pot pie, shepherd’s pie, and The Luther from Deitsch Eck Restaurant.
The launch event also underscored the role of beef in Pennsylvania’s agricultural identity and local economy. By highlighting restaurants that serve creative, consumer-loved beef dishes, the trail encourages residents and visitors to support local businesses while recognizing the farmers and producers behind every plate.
“Pennsylvania beef has a story that stretches from pasture to plate,” Kylie Lusk, director of consumer affairs for the Pennsylvania Beef Council, said in the release. “The PA Beef Trail gives consumers a fun, interactive way to explore that story while discovering restaurants and dishes they may not have tried before. We’re excited to see people use the trail throughout the year to support local restaurants and celebrate beef across the Commonwealth.”
The inaugural PA Beef Trail features 73 stops across Pennsylvania, showcasing a wide variety of dishes, from burgers and brisket to short rib, oxtail ragu and other creative beef-forward menu items. Organized by region, the trail makes it easy for consumers to find nearby stops or plan a road trip around Pennsylvania’s beef destinations.
The Pennsylvania Beef Council encourages consumers to explore the trail, visit participating restaurants, and share their experiences on social media.
To view the interactive map and explore the full PA Beef Trail, visit www.pabeef.org/pa-beef-trail.
President Trump is visiting the Lehigh Valley next week.
Mr. Trump will speak at Mack Trucks in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Tuesday at 2 p.m. Macungie is roughly 10 miles from Allentown.
Mack Trucks is a 1.7 million square-foot facility in Macungie that assembles heavy-duty trucks for North American and export markets, according to its website.
“Mack Trucks are a symbol of America’s manufacturing strength,” Rep. Dan Meuser said in a Facebook post about Mr. Trump’s upcoming visit to Pennsylvania. “Their Lehigh Valley operations are a pillar of the local economy, employing Pennsylvania workers and driving the nation’s trucking industry.”
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, Mr. Trump visited Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, multiple times. He’s also visitied during his second term.
In December 2025, Mr. Trump said in a speech in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, that he was “crushing” inflation and called affordability concerns a “Democratic hoax.”
One week later, Vice President JD Vance aimed to calm the affordability concerns at a Uline facility in Alburtis, about 13 miles southwest of Allentown.
Tickets are available for Mr. Trump’s visit to Macungie next week on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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