Stephen Caruso
@stephenjcaruso.bsky.social
Pennsylvania Capitol Reporter for Spotlight PA | Yankee Fan | Die Gedanken Sind Frei | scaruso[at]spotlightpa[dot]org
Gov. Josh Shapiro attended two football games this weekend -- Pitt on Saturday, the Eagles on Sunday. The former was paid for by funds managed by Team PA, a spokesperson said. The latter was paid for by his political campaign. He showed up on TV for both:
November 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Gov. Josh Shapiro attended two football games this weekend -- Pitt on Saturday, the Eagles on Sunday. The former was paid for by funds managed by Team PA, a spokesperson said. The latter was paid for by his political campaign. He showed up on TV for both:
As it is now Friday and neither chamber has scheduled session to finish off a budget deal, I'll go ahead and share this exchange I had with a source earlier this week:
November 7, 2025 at 9:21 PM
As it is now Friday and neither chamber has scheduled session to finish off a budget deal, I'll go ahead and share this exchange I had with a source earlier this week:
Upshot of the municipal election? Four sitting state lawmakers won local seats, meaning four special elections in the coming months. Those elections will be at least ~70 days (the Speaker has up to 10 days to issue a writ + minimum 60 from that date) after each's resignation.
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Upshot of the municipal election? Four sitting state lawmakers won local seats, meaning four special elections in the coming months. Those elections will be at least ~70 days (the Speaker has up to 10 days to issue a writ + minimum 60 from that date) after each's resignation.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), still mulling a gubernatorial run, shared a post from Christine Flowers with an old Politico story and the statement that if "Stacy Garrity and PA Republicans...throw pro lifers under the bus" then Gov. Josh Shapiro will win reelection.
November 6, 2025 at 9:22 PM
State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), still mulling a gubernatorial run, shared a post from Christine Flowers with an old Politico story and the statement that if "Stacy Garrity and PA Republicans...throw pro lifers under the bus" then Gov. Josh Shapiro will win reelection.
(And this was what I had the week before, which is looking pretty good if I do say so myself!)
November 6, 2025 at 5:22 PM
(And this was what I had the week before, which is looking pretty good if I do say so myself!)
In your inbox, if you subscribe to Access Harrisburg: My way-to-early takeaways on the 2025 election from a day of talking to voters. What were they? Welllllllll that's a good subscribe!
November 6, 2025 at 5:22 PM
In your inbox, if you subscribe to Access Harrisburg: My way-to-early takeaways on the 2025 election from a day of talking to voters. What were they? Welllllllll that's a good subscribe!
Inbox: Montgomery County, a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia, reports nearly 50% (!!!!) turnout in yesterday's off-year judicial and municipal election.
November 5, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Inbox: Montgomery County, a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia, reports nearly 50% (!!!!) turnout in yesterday's off-year judicial and municipal election.
Inbox: Gov. Josh Shapiro has announced he is giving $5 million in state dollars to food banks as SNAP funds hit a wall, and has raised an addirional $1 million in private dollars for food banks from the likes of Mark Cuban and Thomas Tull.
October 31, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Inbox: Gov. Josh Shapiro has announced he is giving $5 million in state dollars to food banks as SNAP funds hit a wall, and has raised an addirional $1 million in private dollars for food banks from the likes of Mark Cuban and Thomas Tull.
SEIU 668 President Steve Catanese has an eye patch.
October 29, 2025 at 5:32 PM
SEIU 668 President Steve Catanese has an eye patch.
Counted 17 House and Senate Democrats at a progressive rally for package of bills to "tax billionaires." Specifically, they want a tax on unearned income, on digital ads, and an end to a collection of tax loopholes.
October 29, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Counted 17 House and Senate Democrats at a progressive rally for package of bills to "tax billionaires." Specifically, they want a tax on unearned income, on digital ads, and an end to a collection of tax loopholes.
Cannabis CEO (and former heavyweight champion of the world) Mike Tyson is in the state Capitol talking to lawmakers about the commonwealth's stalled legalization push.
October 29, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Cannabis CEO (and former heavyweight champion of the world) Mike Tyson is in the state Capitol talking to lawmakers about the commonwealth's stalled legalization push.
Leadership from all the legislative caucuses (Senate, House; R & D) just entered Governor Shapiro's office.
October 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Leadership from all the legislative caucuses (Senate, House; R & D) just entered Governor Shapiro's office.
I tried in this story; theres just very little research on it!
www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...
www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...
October 24, 2025 at 1:04 PM
I tried in this story; theres just very little research on it!
www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...
www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...
This was my initial email:
October 24, 2025 at 12:50 PM
This was my initial email:
BTW, in case you noticed the comments from state Rep. Jake Banta (R., Erie), here is his email in full:
October 24, 2025 at 12:49 PM
BTW, in case you noticed the comments from state Rep. Jake Banta (R., Erie), here is his email in full:
House Parliamentarian Dave Brogan sent an email to the chamber yesterday saying that "while we certainly enjoy the spirit of the season, the House has important legislative business scheduled for the upcoming week," so "costumes, as fun as they may be, are strictly prohibited."
October 23, 2025 at 5:27 PM
House Parliamentarian Dave Brogan sent an email to the chamber yesterday saying that "while we certainly enjoy the spirit of the season, the House has important legislative business scheduled for the upcoming week," so "costumes, as fun as they may be, are strictly prohibited."
What do you do in this situation? Wrong answers only
October 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
What do you do in this situation? Wrong answers only
New, in your inbox, if you subscribed to my newsletter for @spotlightpa.org: A dark money group has been quietly boosting Gov. Josh Shapiro's profile this year. Plus, some other notes, quotes and tidbits to cut through the noise of Harrisburg.
October 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
New, in your inbox, if you subscribed to my newsletter for @spotlightpa.org: A dark money group has been quietly boosting Gov. Josh Shapiro's profile this year. Plus, some other notes, quotes and tidbits to cut through the noise of Harrisburg.
Chester County (PA) America 250 chapter posted that CSA president Jefferson Davis was a "visionary" inspired by the Declaration of Independence, mirroring language it posted about Abraham Lincoln. The cause? An intern using AI, the chapter claims.
whyy.org/articles/che...
whyy.org/articles/che...
October 23, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Chester County (PA) America 250 chapter posted that CSA president Jefferson Davis was a "visionary" inspired by the Declaration of Independence, mirroring language it posted about Abraham Lincoln. The cause? An intern using AI, the chapter claims.
whyy.org/articles/che...
whyy.org/articles/che...
Amid the budget impasse, state Sens. Marty Flynn (D., Lackawanna) and Joe Picozzi (R., Philly) want to add a 10% sales tax to "online adult content platforms" on top of the state's existing 6% rate, ensuring "that these platforms contribute their fair share to the Commonwealth."
October 16, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Amid the budget impasse, state Sens. Marty Flynn (D., Lackawanna) and Joe Picozzi (R., Philly) want to add a 10% sales tax to "online adult content platforms" on top of the state's existing 6% rate, ensuring "that these platforms contribute their fair share to the Commonwealth."
Update: State Treasurer Stacy Garrity's office says the first impasse loans, totaling just under $4 million, have been distributed to three organizations with $9 million to 20 more organizations on the way.
October 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Update: State Treasurer Stacy Garrity's office says the first impasse loans, totaling just under $4 million, have been distributed to three organizations with $9 million to 20 more organizations on the way.
State Sen. Joe Picozzi (R., Philly) wants to make conservative commentator Charlie Kirk's birthday, Oct. 14, an official commonwealth holiday. "Although his life was cut short, Charlie’s profound impact has been undeniably felt by Pennsylvanians of all beliefs and backgrounds."
October 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM
State Sen. Joe Picozzi (R., Philly) wants to make conservative commentator Charlie Kirk's birthday, Oct. 14, an official commonwealth holiday. "Although his life was cut short, Charlie’s profound impact has been undeniably felt by Pennsylvanians of all beliefs and backgrounds."
Commonwealth Partners, who created the misleading gerrymandering mailer, continue to lean into the "convince liberals to vote against retention" messaging per this mailer shared with me over the weekend.
October 13, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Commonwealth Partners, who created the misleading gerrymandering mailer, continue to lean into the "convince liberals to vote against retention" messaging per this mailer shared with me over the weekend.
Wired continues to go hard
October 11, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Wired continues to go hard
Here's a small sampling of the political mail I've seen/been shared from groups trying to win retention votes/encourage turn out. A wide range!
October 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Here's a small sampling of the political mail I've seen/been shared from groups trying to win retention votes/encourage turn out. A wide range!