March
Emmanuella Pierre, Tax Relief Bill for Veterans Passes in PA House, Pocono Record (Mar. 29, 2026), Pierre reports that legislation to amend the Constitution to broaden eligibility under the Disabled Veterans’ Real Estate Tax Exemption Program was approved by the House with a 196-6 vote. The proposal focuses on removing barriers that prevent some veterans from receiving relief by allowing the tax exemption for all veterans deemed 100% disabled, regardless of whether their service was in combat.
Kate Huangpu, Will Independents Ever Get to Vote in Pa. Primaries? Advocates Hope Lawsuit Moves the Needle, Tribune-Review (PA) (Mar. 12, 2026), Huangpu reports that Pennsylvania remains one of the few states with a closed primary system, allowing only registered Democrats and Republicans to vote in party primaries, which excludes over a million unaffiliated voters from key electoral decisions. Advocates argue the current system is unfair because independent voters fund elections with their taxes yet lack equal influence. Frustrated by legislative inaction, reform groups have turned to the courts, filing a lawsuit claiming the system violates Article I, Section 5’s guarantee of free and equal elections by giving partisan voters more power. Progress remains uncertain because of political divisions and competing political priorities.
Joshua Hill, Beyond the Mirror: The Unique Protections of the Pennsylvania Constitution, JD Supra (March 4, 2026), this article highlights the “often overlooked” Pennsylvania constitutional protections that lawyers can utilize to make better arguments for their clients. Hill explains the robust and unique nature of Pennsylvania’s constitution protections and provides a list of particularly relevant constitutional provisions alongside the court’s general holdings of each provision.
February
Kiley Bense, Pennsylvania Must Act to Limit Greenhouse Gasses, Layers Argue, Pennsylvania Capital-Starr (Feb. 10, 2026), Bense reports that a group of lawyers demand action on a petition first submitted in 2018 which stated the Commonwealth is obligated under the Environmental Rights Amendment to reduce greenhouse gasses. The petitioners want Pennsylvania to adopt a version of California’s SAVER regulation, imposing an economy-wide cap-and-trade system. The lawyers recognize that the legislature is often gridlocked and urge alternative methods for the state to take action, such as enforcement by the Environmental Quality Board.
What to Know About Free Speech at Penn State, U-Wire (Feb. 10, 2026), the article reports on Penn State’s policies concerning students’ exercising their right to speak freely. As a public university, Penn State extends its students’ constitutional protections but regulates expression through policy AD51, which permits protests and demonstrations subject to reasonable “time, place, and manner” restrictions, such as limits on noise, location, and obstruction of campus operations. In practice, even controversial speech is usually allowed, though events may be modified or canceled if they violate these rules or raise safety concerns.