Your Daily Guide

A Busy Fall Session In Harrisburg

Pennsylvania lawmakers return to Harrisburg this morning for the start of what’s shaping up to be a busy fall session. After a 10-week summer break, the General Assembly is jumping into a packed docket addressing AI data center regulation, rising utility bills, gaming, and cannabis. Here’s a quick look at what’s on tap. [WITF]

• Clock Ticking on Skill Games: Lawmakers have until Oct. 13 to figure out how to regulate tens of thousands of slot-like “skill games.” The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that these widespread, unregulated machines are illegal outside of casinos, leaving the legislature with a tight deadline to create a regulatory framework before state police begin seizing them. [Capital-Star]
• Rethinking Life Without Parole: Pressure is also mounting to address a landmark state Supreme Court ruling that mandatory life-without-parole for felony murder convictions is unconstitutional. Lawmakers left for summer break without setting new, flexible sentencing guidelines, and they’ll need to act fast as local courts gear up for what could be the largest resentencing effort in commonwealth history. [Capital-Star]
• Data Center Debate: Leaders on both sides of the aisle are pushing back against calls for a statewide moratorium on new AI data centers, despite growing community concerns over energy grid strains. Right now, lawmakers are focused on passing rules to balance community protections with tech growth, rather than hitting the pause button entirely. [NBC10]
• Push For Legal Cannabis. State Senate Democrats are reigniting the fight to legalize adult-use recreational cannabis. With neighboring states pocketing millions of dollars in tax revenue from local buyers crossing state lines, Gov. Shapiro is asking lawmakers to send him legislation creating a regulated commercial market. [Marijuana Moment]

Philly Water Rates Jump Again

Philadelphia water bills jumped another 7.5% this month, marking the eighth consecutive year of rate hikes. Bills have surged 44% since 2020, far outpacing inflation and labor costs. There is mounting frustration over a lack of public input on rate increases. [Philadelphia Hall Monitor]

Shapiro Maintains Commanding Lead

A new poll from the Siena College Research Institute shows Democratic Gov. Shapiro holds a commanding 20-point lead over Republican challenger Stacy Garrity, 58% to 38%. The numbers match Shapiro’s high mark for this election cycle, boosted by a strong favorability rating. Meanwhile, 33% of respondents reported they haven’t heard of Garrity, the state treasurer. [PoliticsPA]

Reining In Big Tech

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has made tackling Big Tech’s effects on kids a cornerstone of his term. Beyond joining a major multistate settlement with Meta, the Republican has launched state-level lawsuits against TikTok and Snapchat. He’s also hosting closed-door high school listening sessions across the commonwealth, and pushing to update the state’s 1960s-era consumer protection laws to better handle digital safety risks. [SpotlightPA]

Philly High Schooler Takes Top Honors in Youth Rap Contest

Germantown Friends High School senior Precious Eshiet — who performs under the name Presh so Fresh — won Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s first-ever back-to-school rap contest. The 17-year-old, who started writing poetry to learn English after immigrating from Nigeria at age 11, uses her uplifting lyrics to tackle issues like gun violence and educational inequality. [Chalbeat]