DV Journal

(This article first appeared in Broad + Liberty)

Being a lawmaker in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly comes with many perks.It’s a full-time job with six-figure pay. Gracious per-diems and mileage allowances make keeping up with the job easy.

And, although far less advertised, it also comes with at least four free tickets to a Penn State football game once a year.

The commonwealth’s flagship university has quietly continued its program to lobby state senators and representatives by inviting them to campus at least once a year to cheer on the Nittany Lions.

Thanks to a Right to Know request for an unrelated matter, Broad + Liberty obtained emails in which State Rep. Heather Boyd (D) was trying to smooth over the details to get a ticket to the Maryland game for her friend on the Delaware County Council, Dr. Monica Taylor.

Penn State’s gridiron lobbying has not escaped the notice of other outlets, although it only pops up once a decade or so. In 2016, PennLive reported that as “Penn State football players try to win on the field, the university tries to win over lawmakers in the stands.”

The university says its practice is to invite every lawmaker to a game, and the opportunities to attend are spread out through the season.

“The University does not disclose its invitation or attendance list,” a Penn State spokesperson said. “All [General Assembly] members were invited in 2024. The University does not actually expend any dollars on tickets because these guests are accommodated in a University-owned suite. Under the law, we assign a value of $78 per ticket for reporting purposes.” Parking passes are also provided, it would appear from the Delaware County email obtained by Broad + Liberty.

The opportunities to enjoy a free collegiate Division I sporting event isn’t limited to football, either.

“On occasion, Penn State extends invitations to legislators for sporting events beyond football. These invitations are considered based on demonstrated interest in a particular sport,” the spokesperson said.

While the suite may not have direct ticket costs, hosting lawmakers still involves university resources, and the suite does not appear to be otherwise open to the public.

While the efforts by Penn State are certainly legal, they also belong to a specific category of lobbying that has come under fire from the political Right in the last ten to twenty years: taxpayer-funded lobbying.

“Taxpayer-funded lobbying is defined as the practice of using funds that come directly or indirectly from taxpayers for political lobbying purposes. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is one government lobbying another,” an article on Ballotpedia.org says.

A policy paper from 2008 from the conservative think tank Americans for Prosperity said government lobbying other governments rarely leads to smaller government.

“Most taxpayers want smaller government and lower taxes. Decades of polling data consistently show this preference, and in recent elections, both parties laid claim to fiscal conservatism. And yet, government continues to grow. Why?” the paper asked.

“One of the reasons is that taxpayer dollars are being used to lobby directly against taxpayer interests. While ordinary Americans are busy working, their hard-earned tax dollars are being used to pay for lobbyists who are fighting for higher taxes and bigger government.”

The paper specifically noted that public universities were one entity that had seen growth in taxpayer-funded lobbying, at least at that time.

Penn State offered a number of issues it wants to discuss with state lawmakers.

“Penn State engages with legislators on a range of issues, including the importance of state funding to control costs, maintain quality and provide access to low-income and first-generation college students,” the Penn State spokesperson said. “There also is engagement around healthcare, veteran’s benefits, STEM opportunities, sponsorship of research and more. Penn State’s impact on the Commonwealth is tremendous, and, with our multi-campus structure, extensive research portfolio, affiliate locations and Extension services, the University must maintain a strong presence in Harrisburg.”

In a separate vein, tickets to sporting events for politicians have been newsworthy in recent years.

For example, Broad + Liberty reported that former State Senator Jimmy Dillon (D) spent nearly $10,000 on tickets to the Phillies using his campaign finance account. The purchase came in February, 2024, when Dillon was still incumbent.

And Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has faced a number of critical media reports about his trips to two Super Bowl games in which the Eagles were participants. The tickets for Shapiro are usually donated by a nonprofit organization, Team Pennsylvania, which says its mission is “to connect private and public sector leaders to achieve and sustain progress for Pennsylvania”

Even though tax increases are looming, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley counties have promised to jointly contribute $22.95 million to help shore up the coffers of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

That is unwelcome news for Delaware County taxpayers. Delaware County faces a $76 million budget deficit, and residents are looking at a 28 percent tax hike. A county spokesman said nearly $13, 5 million of county funds will be allocated for SEPTA for 2025.

That pledge was announced at a recent press conference where Gov. Josh Shapiro said he would shift $153 million in federal funds from Pennsylvania road and bridge repairs to the transit agency.

“As governor, I have a responsibility to serve every region of our commonwealth — rural, suburban, and urban,” said Shapiro. “Over the past two years, we’ve come together on a bipartisan basis to invest $330.5 million in additional funding for Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges, repairing more poor-condition bridges than any other state and improving more miles of roadway than at any time in the past decade.

“But while we’ve made great progress on our roadways, we must also address the needs of mass transit riders, particularly those in Southeastern Pennsylvania who rely on SEPTA every day to get to work, school, medical appointments, and more.”

Critics say throwing money at the problem won’t solve it, pointing instead to the drastic decline in ridership. Since 2019, SEPTA ridership has decreased by 38 percent, the Commonwealth Foundation reports. At the same time, SEPTA’s operating budget to serve fewer riders has increased by 9.3 percent since 2019.

“SEPTA has repeatedly failed to serve customers, residents, and taxpayers, and not because of state funding issues,” said Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Nathan Benefield.” Even before this new bailout, Pennsylvania taxpayers and drivers were footing the bill for SEPTA’s bureaucracy. Shapiro’s bailout attempts to avoid the deep issues he and SEPTA leaders must address. They have refused to deal with rising crime and quality of life violations, nor have they evaluated routes in decades.

“SEPTA leadership should focus on streamlining service, finding efficiencies, and relying more on fares and local support—like most major metropolitan transportation systems,” Benefield added.

That analysis has largely been ignored by Delaware Valley elected officials.

“Montgomery County, much like the Governor’s Office, is on a mission to repair our aging infrastructure,” Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Jamila Winder said at the Shapiro press conference. “Better infrastructure improves quality of life, reduces transportation costs, and makes our region more attractive for investment and economic growth. Our economic productivity [is] only possible with a robust mass transit network.”

She said Montgomery County plans to increase its SEPTA funding from $8.3 million in 2024 to $9.4 million in 2025. Montgomery County taxes will rise by 9 percent in the proposed 2025 budget.

If Delaware County Council Chair Monica Taylor had any reservations about increasing spending and taxes, she didn’t show it during the press conference.

“It is vital to our community that SEPTA stays fully functional at the rate they’re at,” Taylor said, noting Delaware County has the second-highest transit ridership in the region. “SEPTA is the backbone of so many of us. The 101 trolley line runs right behind my home. I take it to Media. I take it into the El. I take it into Center City. Over 18,000 people who ride SEPTA every single day. Those individuals are riding it to work, who are riding it to school, to their doctor’s appointments, and so much more.

“But as we all know, the pandemic hit SEPTA hard,” said Taylor. “And without some sort of relief, we all know this system is not going to maintain itself.”

She thanked Shapiro for his “true leadership.”

Representatives from Chester and Bucks Counties did not attend the press conference. Bucks County released its 2025 budget with no tax increase, while Chester County homeowners will pay less than 1 percent more next year.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said SEPTA is “at the heart of the economic engine of Southeastern Pennsylvania.”

“If you claim to be pro-business,” she said. “If you claim to be pro-growth. I don’t care what your party is, you will find a way to partner with our governor and our legislative to continue the tradition that we started in the commonwealth and from our county leaders here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Let’s get stuff done.”

Despite the influx of state and local funds, SEPTA riders are paying 7.5 percent more as of Dec. 1. However, a second round of fare hikes that was to take effect next year has been postponed. SEPTA had not raised its fares since 2017.

Delaware County Democrats and Republicans have endorsed candidates for the upcoming primary on May 16.

The council Democratic committee endorsed incumbents Council Chair Monica Taylor, Ph.D., Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer, and Councilwoman Christine Reuther. The three were first elected in 2019 in a historic Democratic sweep of council seats.

The Republican committee endorsed Joy Schwartz, Jeff Jones, and Upland Borough Mayor Bill Dennon for the county council.

Schwartz, a Drexel Hill resident, is a retired history teacher who worked for more than 20 years in the William Penn School District. She is running against the Democratic council’s policies that she believes have failed local communities.

Delaware County Council Chair Monica Taylor, Ph.D.

“If elected, I will lead the charge for common sense, fiscal sanity, safe streets, elections conducted in accordance with administrative code, and the reversal of the progressive agendas that are destroying Delco,” said Schwartz.

Jones, of Upper Darby, is an insurance industry professional and has been active in the community as a youth sports coach. He also served on the Upper Darby Economic Development Committee.

“Our current county council is not delivering on the things that are important to the health, safety, and welfare of our neighbors,” said Jones. “They lack transparency, take no administrative responsibility, and have been fiscally irresponsible with our tax dollars. If we do not rein them in now, the course they have the county heading on will lead to a devastating failure.”

Dennon, who has served as Upland’s mayor for five years, is a maintenance mechanic. He is involved in activities recognizing and honoring veterans. He also served as a site coordinator for the Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association annual stream cleanup.

Christine Reuther

“It is time for a change, and Delaware County cannot afford any more one-party Democratic rule,” said Dennon. “We need to restore accountability, fiscal responsibility, and sound leadership to Delaware County.”

“Under the Democrats’ one-party rule, Delaware County is facing unprecedented challenges: Closed hospitals and a lack of EMS services; a looming county tax increase; a deteriorating county financial position partisanship that prevents equal access to services, and changes to the county administrative code that has shutout Republicans from participating in the oversight of elections,” said Frank Agovino, chair of the Delaware County Republican Party. “We want to ensure our county government operates effectively and fairly while also ensuring a brighter future for all Delaware County residents.”

Taylor is a professor and program director in the kinesiology department at the University of Sciences in Philadelphia. In addition to her teaching, research, and administrative duties, she works on community outreach projects to educate high school students about potential future careers in the healthcare industry. She spearheaded a project in Philadelphia elementary schools to introduce young students to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM).

Elaine Schaefer

Taylor, who formerly served on the Upper Darby School Board, lives with her husband and two daughters in Upper Darby.

Schaefer, a lawyer and former Radnor Township commissioner co-founded the Radnor Conservancy. She is the executive director of the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area. Schaefer and her husband, John, are the parents of three children.

Also a lawyer, Reuther is “of counsel” to the Devon law firm McCausland Keen and Buckman. She is vice president of the Child Guidance Resource Centers board, a community mental and behavioral health service provider. She is a former Nether Providence commissioner, serves as the Nether Providence representative on the board of directors of the Central Delaware County Authority, and is the Rutledge Borough solicitor. She lives in Wallingford with her husband. They also raised three children.

The Democrats’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

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