Keystone State News Connection

February 22, 2021

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Judicial-independence organizations are celebrating a temporary victory now that a proposed amendment to the state constitution will not be on the ballot in the May primary.

House Bill 38 would create judicial districts drawn by state legislators and impose a residency requirement for the election of appellate court judges.

Republican lawmakers who introduced the amendment say it would give different regions of the state more representation on the state Supreme Court.

Deborah Gross, President and CEO of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, countered it would make judges who currently are selected in statewide elections less independent and more like state legislators who need to be responsive to a local electorate.

“The appellate-court judges determine the law applicable to all Pennsylvania citizens,” Gross emphasized. “They don’t take one geographic area into consideration when they are making their decisions.”

The full House and Senate needed to pass House Bill 38 last week for it to appear on the May ballot but it did not come up for a vote. If passed later this year, it will be on the ballot in November.

Gross argued the measure is a partisan effort to reshape the state Supreme Court to be more favorable to Republicans who hold majorities in both houses of the General Assembly. She noted it had passed the House in 2019 but lay dormant until last July.

“After the Supreme Court had issued some decisions concerning closures with respect to COVID, voting and elections, it was reintroduced quickly because there was a lot of displeasure with the court’s ruling,” Gross explained.

Five of the seven justices currently on the Supreme Court are Democrats.

Republican legislators still want to put the amendment on the November ballot. Gross pointed out that, so far, the bill has been pushed through without hearings, expert testimony or debate, but she is hopeful that may change.

“I did just read that Sen. [Jake] Corman, [R-Bellefonte] recognizes that there needs to be some hearings on this now, maybe the topic of merit appointments should be discussed, that this bill should be reviewed with a little bit of caution,” Gross remarked.

The Judicial Independence Project of Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 125 organizations, has pledged to continue its efforts in opposition to the bill.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Giant Eagle has issued a voluntary recall of its Market District Gourmet Pretzel platters and Gourmet Pretzel bags.

The products included in the recall have “sell by” dates through 04/03/21 and can be identified by price lookup (PLU) numbers 25206 and 45505, located in the upper right corner of the item’s scale tag.

The recalled products were sold at the Sweet Shoppe department in the Township of Pine Market District and the Setttler’s Ridge Market District in Robinson and could contain an undeclared pecan allergen.

In a statement Giant Eagle said a guest who bought the product informed them about the issue. Giant Eagle stated that they learned the issue was caused by an error in the packaging at the store.

No one has reported an illness associated with the recalled product.

(Philadelphia, Pa.) A Philadelphia Democrat Pa State Representative said Thursday that he is running for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat in next year’s election.

Thirty-Year-old Malcolm Kenyatta is in his second term in the Pa. State House of Representatives.

The grandson of the late civil rights activist Muhammad I. Kenyatta.

Kenyatta is jumping in a race that Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has also declared for on the Democratic ticket. On the Republican side Jeff Bartos, the GOP’s unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2018, has filed paperwork to run. There are numerous first-time candidates running on both parties tickets.

The seat up for grabs is Senator Pat Toomey’s who announced in October that he would not be seeking a third term.

Beaver County Radio has expanded its local news coverage! Tune in to Beaver County Radio and find out what is happening in your local community, municipality, and local school board meetings. Beaver County Radio has expanded our local coverage and now has two news reporters covering your town. Check out the news coverage with Sandy Giordano, and our newest news reporter Curtis Walsh. Plus, regular monthly coverage from the county’s commissioner meetings at the Beaver County Court House with Matt Drzik.

 

Story by Beaver County Radio Staffer Frank Sparks

(New Wilmington, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle via press release say they responded to a call on South New Castle Street in Wilmington Borough Thursday morning to assist New Wilmington Police Department in an Officer involved shooting.

Upon preliminary investigation Troopers determined that a 24-year-old transgender female was assaulted by a male with a blunt instrument. When the New Wilmington Police arrived, the man was seen assaulting the victim with the blunt instrument. The suspect was given a command to stop by the officer and the suspect ignored him and continued the assault. The officer then fired hos weapon at the suspect killing him. The transgender female was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown where she later died from her injuries.

Neither the suspect or the victim’s names have been released and the officer is on administrative leave as police continue to investigate.