Good morning and welcome to Broad + Liberty's Weekly Reads.

A message from Broad + Liberty CEO Terry Tracy: 

On Constitution Day 2019, we launched Broad + Liberty because we saw a need in our region and state for a different voice — an independent voice — in political news and analysis. Since then, we have grown and had an impact on the conversation in ways we never suspected would be possible half a decade ago in a challenging media environment.

And the growth continues. From breaking national news — as in Todd Shepherd’s award-winning coverage of the CTCL “Zuckerbucks” scandal — to uncovering scandals closer to home that no other news organization would touch (until we did), Broad + Liberty has worked to function as a check on an otherwise one-sided media establishment. 

Thanks to steadfast readers like you - as well as the many generous donors, dedicated board members, talented writers and intrepid reporters, committed strategic partners, and so many others - we consistently have a direct impact on policy outcomes; we are recognized nationally for our non-partisan investigative journalism; and we give voice to those ideas and perspectives that have been shut out of our civil discourse for too long. 

In an era desperately in need of honest voices and fact-based conversation, we will continue to do our part. Our credibility is our currency. You are our lifeblood. Here’s to the next five years of growth, impact, and influence. Stay broad-minded. 

Happy 5th Birthday, Broad + Liberty. 

1. The Land of Opportunity versus a bumper sticker slogan

By Andy Bloom
 

Vice President Kamala Harris remains vague about her plans and limits speaking with the media because she has a difficult task talking about “turning the page” and “a new way forward” while at the same time serving as the current Vice President.

The economy is consistently the number one issue in the 2024 election, an issue that does not serve her well. Harris’s salve for the economic problems this administration created is her “opportunity economy.”
What is the “opportunity economy?” She offers few hints, and much of what she has said has been panned even by the liberal media and fellow Democrats.

America doesn’t need Kamala Harris to create an opportunity economy. For over two centuries, the United States has been known as “the land of opportunity” because of the possibilities for economic success, upward mobility, and personal freedoms.

Why It Matters. As lawmakers tinker with the system, trying to produce equal results instead of ensuring equal opportunities guaranteed in our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the country risks moving toward European-style socialism and further from the land of opportunity.

America has been the land of opportunity since the first colonists came from Europe. The United States became the greatest and most powerful country in the history of the world because of a combination of historical events, economic policies, and a legal framework that creates an environment where individuals have the potential to achieve personal and financial success to the best of their abilities.

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2. State high court warns PennDOT of overreaching on voter registration

By Todd Shepherd
 

For at least a year or more, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has been changing people’s voter registration information whenever someone registers a vehicle, according to a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on election issues. In most cases, the address for voter registration information is the same as the vehicle registration, so no changes are necessary. But in that small percentage of cases in which a person might have multiple domiciles or might be moving, the change could cause havoc for some voters.

Last week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a ruling on election law that made headlines because it dealt with the much debated signature requirement for mail-in ballots, a decision that could impact some races this November.

But an underreported element of the Supreme Court’s ruling also detailed how PennDOT automatically changed a Butler Township citizen’s voter registration when he registered a vehicle using an address that was his second residence in a different county, but still not his primary residence.

Why It Matters. In their separate opinions, Justices Mundy and Wecht expressed serious concerns about the new practices.

Although it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when PennDOT began these changes, they seem to have been joined to Governor Shapiro’s decision one year ago to implement “automatic voter registration (AVR)” for “residents obtaining driver licenses and ID cards at Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) driver and photo license centers.”

Previously, persons applying for a Pennsylvania driver’s license or ID card could “opt in” for voter registration by checking a box on the application form. But with Shapiro’s executive order, the voter now had to check an “opt out” box if they did not want to register to vote at the same time as getting a license or ID.
The same methodology appears to now apply to vehicle registration.

Quotable. “From my understanding, the Republicans have benefited from this, but that’s not my point. The rule of law has to stand,” state Senator Cris Dush said.

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3. Lightning Round

• Thom Nickels: Harris and Walz would degrade free speech in America

• Beth Ann Rosica: The case against Kamala — Part Two

• Kyle Sammin: The U.S. Steel merger is good for workers, good for Pennsylvania

• Jonathan Sharp: VET PFAS Act would protect veterans from ‘forever chemicals’

• Jeffrey Kupfer: Politicians shouldn’t endanger the U.S. Steel deal

4. Candidate Spotlight Series

• Liz Piazza (HD-165)

• Gabriella Mendez (HD-162)

5. New Podcast

6. What we're reading

We’re reading what almost everyone in the political world was reading last Thursday: the bizarre and tawdry tale of North Carolina’s Republican nominee for governor, Mark Robinson. You can read the bizarre and tawdry secrets at National Review or any number of other publications, including CNN, which broke the story. But once we get past the salacious part, isn’t it time to think about how, once again, primary voters elevated an awful candidate in a winnable swing-state race? Pennsylvanians know the feeling. There must be a better way of doing things, right?