Pennsylvania legislature
Coverage of Pennsylvania legislature in the Nexus archive.
- A specter of justice in Pennsylvania
Phillip Ocampo, incarcerated in Pennsylvania since 1994 for felony murder, may see sentencing reforms after the state Supreme Court ruled mandatory life without parole for felony murder violates the state constitution. The ruling leaves retroactive justice to the legislature, which has stalled on a Senate bill proposing 35-year minimum sentences for future felony murder cases.
- Pittsburgh wants to tax skill games – but the real question is whether to limit them
Pittsburgh City Council approved a $1,000 annual tax per skill game machine after Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that these devices are gambling devices. The state legislature is also considering taxation schemes, while debates continue over regulating skill games that combine monetary stakes with skill-based elements.
- Pennsylvania’s legislature is likely to punt on mass transit funding — again
Pennsylvania’s legislature has missed the June 30 deadline to pass a budget, with lawmakers unlikely to resolve a partisan stalemate over mass transit funding. Transportation advocates warned of severe service cuts to agencies like SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit, while a court-ordered injunction temporarily halted SEPTA’s cuts by authorizing funds from the Public Transportation Trust Fund.
- Pa. legislature wrestles with how to handle data center developments
Pennsylvania legislators are addressing data center developments through multiple bills, including measures for emergency planning and local control over applications. A proposal to prohibit non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) faced opposition, with concerns about protecting trade secrets and local governance.