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Budget proposal once again starts process with fantasy

Editorials

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget would spend about $53.2 billion. The proposed 2026-27 budget, like his initial proposal for the 2025-26 budget, relies on pulling deeply from reserve funding, set aside in past years by lawmakers to ensure the state was ready for future crises and on revenue from activities for which the legislature is still considerable distance from agreeing on regulatory frameworks — recreational marijuana and skills games. The 2025-26 budget, of course, was ultimately more than four months late to passage. State lawmakers already are echoing many of the ...

Dementia news is call to action for our future

Editorials

The latest report on CTE is both enlightening and alarming. A groundbreaking study from Boston University researchers found that those with CTE have a much higher chance of being diagnosed with dementia. The largest study of its kind from the Boston University CTE Center reveals that the progressive brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy should be recognized as a new cause of dementia. Those with advanced CTE — who had been exposed to repetitive head impacts — had four times higher odds of having dementia. This is sobering news for current CTE sufferers, those who ...

What’s behind the wild new wealth tax proposals?

Editorials

When government grows to dominate ever-larger shares of the economy, and when politicians refuse to be responsible about what they spend, there’s a predictable next move: Insist that the problem is “the rich” not paying enough. Never mind that high earners already shoulder a disproportionate share of the tax burden. Never mind that relying on a small and mobile group of people for the bulk of your revenue makes public finances more volatile, not more stable. No, once spending is treated as untouchable and restraint as politically impossible, it’s only a matter of time before ...

Volunteer firefighters are built for emergencies, not for weeks like this

Editorials

In recent days, a run of house fires displaced families and strained nonprofits and churches that step in when homes are lost. Behind every call stands a volunteer fire company answering alarms day after day, often with the same names on the roster and the same few people carrying most of the weight. Burnout doesn’t arrive all at once. It accumulates. One overnight fire turns into two. Then three. Another call comes in before the gear dries. Volunteers still go to work in the morning. They still show up for family obligations. They still answer the pager. Rural and small-town ...

Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day?

Local Columns

There are certain fanbases that probably don’t have to worry about a Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day. But others? Next season’s Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027. Plan accordingly. This odd little scheduling collision came to wider attention thanks to a viral post on X that read: “The Super Bowl next year is on Valentine’s Day… better start planning that conversation now.” And honestly, that might be the most practical relationship advice the NFL has ever inspired. Because ready or not, the collision is coming. Romance is about to meet red-zone efficiency. ...

Sunshine Law issue needs clarity

Editorials

An article published earlier this month by Center Square began with two paragraphs that are deserving of elaboration. First, the paragraphs in question: — “In December, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision ruled that with a majority vote, government entities could add anything to a meeting agenda without first offering public notice.” — “It’s a loophole created by what legislators say was a poorly written exception within the state’s 2021 Sunshine Act, a law intended to promote transparency in government.” Lawmakers, whether they be state or federal legislators, ...