State agencies own vast amounts of rural lands, which limits the tax base for small communities and townships. With the new state budget, those local governments will see more payments to balance out fiscal limitations. The extra funding, a $1.80 increase, comes from slot machine revenues, and state agencies will pay $9 per acre for their land to municipal and county governments, and school districts (split evenly). The payments in lieu of taxes affect the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission, and the Fish and Boat Commission, and fill in what would otherwise be assessed as property taxes.

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A veteran delegate from Pennsylvania believes former President Donald Trump could win the state again come November – bigly. “I have believed even before the debate debacle, even before the shooting, Trump would probably win Pennsylvania and would win it handily,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican strategist, during an interview with The Center Square from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday. “Potentially, it’s a landslide in Pennsylvania. He’s going to do very, very well.”

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A bloody former President Donald Trump shook his fist into the air to show his supporters he was only wounded in an attempted assassination targeting him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service, but authorities provided only limited details late Saturday night. The Republican candidate for president this November was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., when video of the event showed multiple loud shots and Trump grabbing at his right ear, followed by obvious blood around the ear. Campaign security quickly surrounded Trump and lowered him to the podium floor.

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As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, American democracy suffers from a lack of trust and imagination. So declared NPR CEO and president Katherine Maher during a TED event on the future of modern American democracy at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on Tuesday. The event is the first in a series of “fireside chats” announced in May by Visit Philly and TED to, as Gov. Josh Shapiro said, “celebrate Philadelphia and to celebrate the inclusive society we have strived to build.”

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A fight between Chester County and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources over a state park continued Tuesday — with state legislators forming a firing line. At issue is the future of Big Elk Creek State Park, a years-long controversy where DCNR created the park in 2022 for “low-impact recreation” but later announced plans to build campsites and RV facilities. After a public outcry, DCNR officials backed away from development plans, but local residents remain wary of the state’s future plans. The 1,800-acre state park serves as a wildlife corridor and abuts the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in Maryland.

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Legislation that partly dismantles "squatters rights" in Pennsylvania will head to the governor’s desk after a brief stumbling block. Under the soon-to-be law, squatters could face a defiant trespass charge if they don’t vacate a property after being told to do so by the owner. Doing so safeguards homes and investments quickly and effectively without wading through needless red tape, said prime sponsor Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie.

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As Pennsylvania starts another fiscal year with a late budget, the public wants more decisive leadership from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Almost three-quarters of registered Pennsylvanian voters want Shapiro to “play a more active role in brokering a bipartisan deal to keep the state budget on track,” according to a new poll from the Commonwealth Foundation. Democratic voters wanted more action from Shapiro (79%) than Republicans or independents (both 71%).

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A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition. The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

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