CAPITOL ROUNDUP: State highlights importance of strengthening PA's innovation economy
Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed 2025-2026 budget includes a total of $50 million for the new PA Innovation program — which includes a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation.
"The success of technology and life sciences entrepreneurs is key to Pennsylvania's economic growth in every region of our Commonwealth," said Secretary Siger. "Pennsylvania is open for business, and Gov. Shapiro's proposed PA Innovation program will continue to spur economic development, create jobs, and drive world-leading innovation."
Gov. Shapiro has had many major economic development successes at the midway point of his first term including:
—Creating the first statewide economic development strategy in nearly two decades with a focus on five key industry sectors: agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and robotics and technology.
—Securing $500 million in state funds to significantly expand the PA SITES program to develop shovel-ready sites and bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania, building on the success of the pilot program that awarded $10.6 million to seven projects.
—Creating the new Main Street Matters program and securing $20 million to fund it and support downtowns, main streets, and surrounding neighborhoods.
—Expanding opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses by securing a $20 million investment for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program in his first and second budgets.
Rep. Meuser introduces bill to improve payment integrity laws
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, announced this week that he will soon introduce the PIIA Reform Act — legislation which will improve payment integrity laws to more effectively identify and reduce improper payments, especially over-payments in the federal government.
In FY2023, Meuser said federal agencies estimated a staggering $236 billion in improper payments, spanning 71 programs. Since FY2003, the total estimated amount of improper payments has surpassed $2.7 trillion.
Meuser said these figures are likely under-reported, as many agencies fail to comply with existing payment integrity laws. He said the PIIA Reform Act addresses these issues by implementing new measures and expanding accountability to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent more responsibly.
Meuser said the PIIA Reform Act strengthens oversight by establishing an Over-payment Czar to reduce waste and enforce compliance. He said the legislation also expands reporting requirements for federal agencies and states, increasing transparency and accountability.
To ensure enforcement, the bill introduces penalties — including budget reductions — for agencies that fail to meet payment integrity standards. It also enhances fraud detection in Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, and WIC and mandates continuous data sharing between the Social Security Administration and the Treasury's Do Not Pay system to prevent payments to deceased individuals.
"The PIIA Reform Act is a crucial step toward addressing the billions of taxpayer dollars lost to improper payments every year," Rep. Meuser said. "Our social safety net programs must be accountable, efficient, and free from fraud. By establishing new oversight mechanisms and expanding reporting requirements, this bill will ensure that our federal agencies and states are held to higher standards of integrity. I am pleased to introduce this legislation to protect the American taxpayer and improve the delivery of services to those who need it most."
The PIIA Reform Act will be introduced on Monday and will be referred to the House Oversight and Reform Committee for further consideration.
AG DeFoor releases cyber charter school performance audit; calls funding reform
Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor this week released a performance audit of five cyber charter schools which shows from 2020 to 2023, they legally increased revenues by $425 million and reserves by 144%, due in part to an outdated funding formula that does not use actual instruction costs to determine tuition, set guidelines for spending or set limits for cyber charter school reserve funds.
"I am now the third auditor general to look at this issue and the third to come to the same conclusion: the cyber charter funding formula needs to change to reflect what is actually being spent to educate students and set reasonable limits to the amount of money these schools can keep in reserve," AG DeFoor said. "Our recommendation is that in the next six months the Governor should appoint a task force to review the funding formula and direct it to issue a report within nine months determining a new formula that is equitable, reasonable and sustainable, and the General Assembly should act within six months of the task force's report to facilitate the enactment of legislation."
The five cyber charter schools selected for the audit were:
—Commonwealth Charter Academy.
—Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.
—Insight PA Cyber Charter School.
—Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.
—Reach Cyber Charter School.
"In this audit, we found these cyber charter schools legally increased their revenue from $473 million in the 2019-2020 fiscal year to $898 million in the 2022-2023 fiscal year," AG DeFoor said. "We found instances of the cyber charter schools legally using taxpayer dollars on things like staff bonuses, gift cards, vehicle payments and fuel stipends. Additionally, Commonwealth Charter Academy spent $196 million to purchase and/or renovate 21 buildings, which to us seems a bit out of the ordinary for a public school that is based in online instruction."
To view the full audit, including each school's specific audit, visit https://bit.ly/434HEoR.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
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New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Shuttered Albany restaurant popular with NY elite, politicians to reopen as members-only social club
An Albany restaurant that used to feature a clientele list teeming with some of the most powerful politicians in New York is set to reopen as a private members' dining club in late 2025. The La Serre restaurant closed in 2020 after it was unable to bounce back from the COVID-19 lockdown, with much of its business at the time relying on large gatherings like banquets and receptions, founder Anne Trimble told the Times Union. The French-based restaurant originally opened in 1977 and quickly became a favorite among New York's political elite on both sides of the aisle during its run, including former Govs. Hugh Carey, Mario Cuomo, George Pataki and Andrew Cuomo. Advertisement Albany's La Serre restaurant will be taken over by an exclusive politician nightclub. Albany Times Union via Getty Ima Now, Mayor Eric Adams' spokesman Todd Shapiro is looking to revamp the historic mainstay alongside Greg Caggiano and Todd Miller of the law firm Miller & Caggiano. 'This is going to be the most important political and social venue north of Manhattan. We're bringing back the old-school power — but with a modern twist: young, trendsetting, high-end, and unapologetically political,' Shapiro said. Advertisement Their vision centers around elevating the old restaurant's history by making it a hotspot for 'high-level networking, private events, and political strategy' while filling the space of a much-needed 'contemporary social anchor,' according to a press release. They plan to make it highly selective, primarily limiting membership to public leaders, media influencers, creatives and civic entrepreneurs, according to the release. La Serre closed in 2020 after it was unable to recover from the COVID-19 lockdown. Albany Times Union via Getty Ima The restaurant will also include a secluded 'War Room' — which shares its name with another restaurant owned by Shapiro — that will be reserved for politicians' off-the-record meetings. Advertisement The new and improved La Serre will include a rooftop terrace and renovated interior, likely shifting away from the upscale, green leather-laden atmosphere of the old restaurant and gravitating towards something more 'clubby,' per the release. Trimble founded the restaurant alongside her late husband, Geoffrey, who passed away in 2005. She managed the restaurant with her son, John, up through its closure, the Times Union reported.
Miami Herald
8 hours ago
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GOP field begins to emerge in 2026 race for Pennsylvania governor
Influential Republicans believe the perfect candidate to go up against popular Democratic incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro might be a woman who is a decorated veteran, has business chops and has already aced a state-level election by getting the most votes in Pennsylvania history. But will Stacy Garrity run? Virtually the entire Republican Party in Pennsylvania is waiting for the answer. The 2026 gubernatorial election race looms, and Garrity, the twice-elected state treasurer from Bradford County, has been the main focus of attention since U.S. Rep Dan Meuser removed himself from consideration. "I will have an announcement about the future of my career in service very soon," Garrity said when asked about her plans. Social media posts have hinted the 2022 Republican nominee, Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, might be thinking about another run. But attempts to obtain a comment from Mastriano were not successful, and higher-ups in the party say there has been little talk about the former nominee. "I have not heard a soul discuss that he is running, or should run, or that he would have any support," said Jason Richey, Allegheny County Republican Committee chairman and a former gubernatorial candidate himself. "I think Stacy is going to announce. I think she is going to run." State Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward of Westmoreland County said she hopes Garrity will run. "She's a fighter. And she's smart. She's a really intelligent, thoughtful treasurer, and I think she would make a superb governor because she's got all the ingredients," Ward said. "I look forward to her announcement and being behind her 100%." And Melissa Hart, an attorney in Allegheny County and former Republican congresswoman, said Garrity has the "inner strength" to go up against Shapiro - widely regarded as a very tough opponent. 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In 2024, Garrity beat Democratic challenger Erin McClelland in the state treasurer's race by a 52%-to-46% margin in a field with five candidates. Her total of more than 3.5 million votes was the largest ever for a state-level candidate in Pennsylvania history, observers said. The campaign raised eyebrows when Shapiro opted not to endorse McClelland, a fellow Democrat - a decision that may have been influenced by less-than-flattering social media posts made by McClelland concerning Shapiro. The only hat in the ring for Democrats in the May 19, 2026, primary will likely belong to the 52-year-old Shapiro. He will ride into the 2026 contest on a long string of election victories - for state representative, Montgomery County commissioner, attorney general, and governor. "Gov. Shapiro is in a very strong position, as most incumbent governors are," said former Republican state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman of Centre County. 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Since he was a finalist in Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' 2024 search for a running mate, Shapiro has remained on the national stage. A late June Emerson College poll put Shapiro in a tie for fourth when Democratic primary voters nationwide were asked about a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Both Shapiro and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez polled at 7%, behind former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with 16%, Harris with 13%, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom with 12%. Shapiro will have national and state Democratic backing in the 2026 governor's race, according to state Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County, the top Democrat in the state Senate. Hanging on to the Pennsylvania governorship is "imperative" for the party, Costa said, and Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis of McKeesport comprise "a very strong, formidable team." Borick said that's a charge Republicans are sure to hurl at the governor regardless of who their candidate is. 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Costa, who said he saw the posts, rejected that notion and said the wording did not convey the message Republicans were trying to attach to it. Shapiro was asked about it during a public appearance on Wednesday, and he brushed it off. "Here is what I know to be true. The Republicans will nominate someone to run against me for governor. Let them play that out - that deals with their politics on their side. I am going to continue doing my job, governing for all Pennsylvanians," he said. That response drew more fire from Republican women in the Senate, who believed he failed to address the issue. Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, said it was a "masterful" dodge of the topic. Shapiro's win by more than 700,000 votes over Mastriano in 2022 came after the senator was the top vote-getter in a bruising, nine-way primary. The state Republican party wants to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenario. 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3 days ago
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PA Gov. Josh Shapiro bashes NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over failure to condemn ‘blatantly antisemitic' extremists
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